In a Nutshell:
A beautifully designed massage chair that requires minimal space yet loaded with therapeutic features, the Apex AP-Pro Regal massage chair serves as a mid-price solution for people with chronic lower back and leg pain and those who are looking for heat therapy and world-class massage experience.
Overall Massage Quality
Customization options
Ease of Use
Quality
Overall Rating
4.5/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: People with chronic lower back and leg pain and those who are looking for heat therapy and world-class massage experience.
Are you looking for a feature-rich massage chair that doesn’t come with a rich price tag?
Do you like the idea of a massage chair, but don’t have a lot of room in your home to put one?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you’re going to love this review.
The Apex AP-Pro Regal Massage Chair is the less expensive cousin of Apex’s flagship chair, the AP-Pro Regent.
As such, it has many of the same great features of the Pro Regent, plus a couple of things that the more expensive chair lacks, delivering a world class massage at a reasonable price.
In the Apex Regal massage chair review that follows, we’ll give you details about everything that this chair has to offer, and we’re pretty sure that you’re going to love it.
Features of the Apex Regal Massage Chair
Apex AP-Pro Regal Massage Chair Models
Space-Saving Technology
This is such a clever innovation, and it’s a shame that this isn’t a standard feature on modern massage chairs, yet. Sadly, only a small number of models offer it to date.
Most massage chairs require about 24 to 36 inches of space between the backrest and the wall in order to fully recline. The Apex Regal massage chair only requires about six inches. How is that possible?
When the chair reclines, it pivots on its base, virtually eliminating the need for wall clearance space. Thus, making this chair an ideal choice for people who want an exquisite massage chair but have very limited space.
S-Track
The Apex AP-Pro Regal massage chair is built around an S-Track frame with quad rollers that closely mimic the feeling of human hands.
Named after the sinusoidal shape of the human spine, an S-Track essentially allows the massage rollers to move in such a way that it follows the natural curvature of the spine, translating in a more comfortable and higher quality massage.
Zero-Gravity Mode
This is huge because it directly impacts the quality of the massage you get from this chair.
By sliding the seat into either of the two Zero-G positions, the knees will be positioned slightly above the heart, which means that the body weight will work with the rollers and press against them more firmly, resulting in a better, more therapeutic massage.
One Touch Recline
This is a small but an important feature because if you suffer from chronic back pain, even the act of manually pushing and reclining the backrest can cause you pain. Good thing, the Apex AP-Pro Regal massage chair reclines and goes back to its upright position at a simple touch of a button.
3D Body Scan Technology
Before setting off the rollers, the Apex AP-Pro Regal performs a computer body scan to locate the pressure points, and then adjusts the rollers to accurately hit them, resulting in a custom massage that fits your body like a glove.
Second Generation Air Massage
When air massage technology was first introduced, chairs with more airbags were considered the better option. However, with Apex’s Second Generation Air Massage Technology, they’ve been able to reduce the number of airbags while improving the overall quality of the massage.
As such, although the Pro-Regal has only 28 airbags, it delivers a massage that’s equivalent to an older massage chair that has nearly 50 airbags.
Air massage covers the arms, wrists, hands, shoulders, lumbar region, hips, calves, and feet. Moreover, air massage is delivered via a “compression and release” system that’s designed to both soothe and get the blood flowing to pain-ridden areas of the body.
Auto Leg Scan
In a bid to cater taller users, the ottoman of the Pro-Regal comes with an automatic leg scan that adjusts the massage rollers and repositions the airbags to appropriately match the length of the legs. What can often happen in massage chairs that lack this feature is that taller users wind up getting a massage that is off target and suboptimal.
Lumbar Heat
If you suffer from chronic back pain, sometimes a deep tissue massage by itself isn’t enough. In these cases, heat therapy, coupled with the massage provides the relief you’re looking for. Unfortunately, not many massage chairs offer built-in heating elements in the lumbar region.
By combining lumbar heat with all the other features of the Apex AP-Pro Regal, this model delivers more therapeutic benefit than many chairs with a significantly higher price tag.
Calf and Foot Massage
Your feet can enjoy two different kinds of massage with the Apex AP-Pro Regal.
First is a relaxing air massage through the airbags that cover the feet. Another is a reflexology massage delivered by the dual rollers located at the bottom of the ottoman, which gently rubs away the pain and tension from the soles of the feet.
All things considered, the Apex Regal massage chair offers a true, head-to-toe body massage.
Chromotherapy Lighting
Another small feature, but much loved by some users, is the added lighting. The Pro-Regal features LED lights built into the chair to help create a relaxing environment. If you enjoy a massage in a dimly lit room, you’ll be treated to a soothing blue glow that will help you relax.
Massage Customization options
The Pro-Regal offers five different pressure modes, ranging from light to hard, and three intensity levels capable of delivering everything from a gentle, relaxing massage to an true, deep tissue massage.
Also, note that the massage rollers in the head of the chair can be controlled separately. So, if you select a deep tissue massage for your back, you can adjust the head rollers to be gentler.
Technique-wise, the chair offers the following:
Simple to Operate
The Apex AP-Pro Regal’s remote control is simple, sleek, and straightforward. All of your massage options are easy to find and clearly laid out. In fact, a complete novice can start enjoying a customized massage right away.
Pros of the Apex AP-Pro Regal
Far and away, the biggest features of the Apex Regal massage chair are:
Although the chair gets a lot of things right, our Apex AP-Pro Regal massage chair review would not be complete if we wouldn’t mention what it’s missing.
What’s Missing in the Apex Regal Massage Chair
The first thing you’ll notice if you’ve read a number of user reviews is that while the Apex Regal massage chair has a decent number of customization options, it offers relatively fewer massage techniques and styles than many of its competitors. It delivers a superb massage, but utilizes a relatively narrow band of styles and techniques.
Second, and this is a minor quibble for most people, the chair has no MP3 port or built-in speakers for listening to relaxing music, which is a feature offered in many other chairs.
Finally, although the chair was clearly designed to provide relief for people who suffer from chronic pain in their legs and feet, the ottoman has no heating element for heat therapy. Granted that only a few offer such feature, it would have been a logical addition to the Apex AP-Pro Regal massage chair’s feature set.
Apex Regal Massage Chair Review Conclusion
By any reckoning, the Apex AP-Pro Regal massage chair is well worth your consideration. This chair delivers a superior massage experience at a reasonable price. Highly equipped to offer substantial therapeutic benefits, especially to those who suffer from lower back, leg, and foot pain, the Apex AP-Pro Regal is a promising choice.
References & Resources
- Osaki Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
- How Can Massage Help My Health and Wellbeing?, University of Minnesota.
- Benefits of Full Body Massage for Your Health, Massage Education.
- 25 Reasons to Get a Massage, American Massage Therapy Association.
- When to Worry About Low Back Pain, PainScience.
- Benefits of a Deep Tissue Massage, Bistro MD.