The Takeaway:
Best Massage Chairs for Home Use Over $3000
1. Our Pick: Apex Pro Regent
2. Runner-Up: Infinity Iyashi
3. Third Pick: Kahuna LM7800
Best Massage Chairs for Home Use Under $3000
1. Our Pick: Kahuna LM6800
2. Runner-Up: Infinity Evoke
3. Third Pick: Relaxonchair MK IV
Let’s start this roundup review with a quick overview of what we think are the best massage chairs for home use today. We’ve divided our review to help you find the right massage chair whether you have over $3000 budget or not.
What makes a great massage chair for home use?
It’s a question we get on a regular basis here at the Chair Institute, and we wanted to create an article that was custom-designed to answer it and to make some definitive recommendations.
So here, we’ll present our top picks for the best massage chairs for home use over $3000 and under $3000. Then we’ll highlight the best features of each, so you’ve got all the information you need to find the perfect chair for you.
How to Choose a Massage Chair for Home Use
Space-Saving Technology
Far and away the most important single feature that makes a massage chair ideal for home use is Space-Saving Technology.
If you run a business and plan to buy one or more massage chairs for your clients, then it is presumed that you’ve got space dedicated for that purpose, or you wouldn’t be shopping in the first place, but the space in your home has to perform multiple roles because, after all, you have to live there.
Few people have an entire spare room they can dedicate as a “massage room,” which is why we regard this as the most critical element in a great chair for home use.
Hideaway Ottoman + Memory Slots
The other two big considerations are the hideaway ottoman and the presence of memory slots.
In the case of the former feature, it’s mostly an aesthetic issue, and the presence of a hideaway ottoman simply disguises the chair’s true nature, making it look like an ordinary piece of living room furniture when not in use.
In the case of the latter, this is a huge perk if there are multiple members of your household using the chair because everyone can pre-program their favorite settings and recall them at the touch of a button.
Besides these things, home users tend to place more of a premium on convenience features, so if a design has enough of these stacked together, it could make up for the absence of at least one of the “Big Three” mentioned above.
Price
One final consideration is this: massage chairs have a huge range in prices, ranging from below a thousand bucks to more than ten thousand.
Because of this enormous variance, we’ve decided to break our roundup review into two segments: Over $3000 and Under $3000. That way, our review is relevant to people of different income and budget levels.
Unfortunately, as we conducted our survey, we didn’t find a single model that had all three of our primary features bundled together. For our purposes then, the ideal chair for home use does not currently exist, but just because that is the case, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t some great contenders on the market today.
Best Massage Chairs for Home Use Over $3000 in 2023
Spending $3000 for a massage chair may sound expensive. But that’s what most mid-priced, feature-rich massage chairs cost nowadays. Many more massage chairs will cost you more than that.
But if you’re not worried about spending more than $3000, then the first half of our review will be particularly interesting to you.
In the chart below, we’ve listed the three best massage chairs for home use over $3000.
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Our Pick
|
||
|
|
|
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4.6
|
4.2
|
4.3
|
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Massage Technology:
S-Track
Quad rollers |
Massage Technology:
Hybrid L/S
Quad rollers |
Massage Technology:
Hybrid L/S
Quad rollers |
|
Airbags:
31
|
Airbags:
38
|
Airbags:
36
|
|
Extras:
Memory
Hideaway Ottoman |
Extras:
Space-Saving
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Extras:
Space-Saving
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|
Pros:
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Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
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Cons:
|
|
Our Verdict:
Highly recommended. A masterpiece of design with loads of innovations!
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Our Verdict:
Recommended for those who want a therapeutic massage chair but space is a concern
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Our Verdict:
Recommended for leg and calf pain sufferers who like extra features while still saving space.
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Quad rollers
Hideaway Ottoman
- Offers advanced features such as 4D roller tech, multiple heat, following arm massage, 3 memory slots, rhythm massage, and fine-grained controls.
- Doesn’t have space-saving technology or zero-gravity position
Quad rollers
- Designed to save space. Enjoy features like chromotherapy, zero-gravity position, body stretch, waist twist function, and MP3 support.
- No memory slots and hideaway ottoman. Heat is limited to the lumbar area only.
Quad rollers
- Space-saving. Has 3 zero-gravity seating positions, extensive back heat, waist twist function, and comprehensive calf and foot massage, and MP3 support.
- No memory function or foldaway ottoman.
(*) Note: The Baseline Rating is the individual product score without considering specific intent or context. See the details of each model below to get a contextual, goal-oriented analysis.
A Few Notes
Before we take a detailed look at each of the designs above, a few observations about the models listed here:
Having said all that, let’s take a closer look at our winners in this segment.
Our Pick: Mighty Apex Pro Regent
Recommended For: Anyone. An absolute masterpiece of a chair with unmatched feature symmetry.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
The Apex Pro Regent is a masterpiece of a chair, no matter how you slice it. It’s just glorious. Yes, you’ll pay a premium price for it, but this is definitely a case of getting what you pay for.
Synergy is the best word to describe the model. All its features work so beautifully together that it boggles the mind.
Here are just a few of the highlights:
With two of the “Big Three” features critical for home use and an ocean of extras and finishing touches like this, it’s easy to see why the Pro Regent is our top pick in this segment.
It even offers music support and rhythm massage, which syncs the action of the rollers with the beat of whatever music you’re listening to—a remarkable chair by a great company.
Runner-Up: Infinity Iyashi
Recommended For: Anyone from chronic pain sufferers to hobbyist users, including taller people up to 6’5”.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
The Dreamwave, by Inada, is widely regarded as “The Best Massage Chair in the World.”
We mention that fact here because we made a head-to-head comparison between it and Infinity’s Iyashi, and although the Iyashi is a significantly less expensive chair, it only narrowly lost to the Dreamwave.
While it didn’t earn a perfect score from us, it is a great chair, cheaper than our top pick in this category, and has an excellent design that’s engineered for home use.
One thing it does better than our winner in this category is that it utilizes a long massage track (Hybrid L/S versus the standard S-Track employed by the Pro Regent). This allows its quad rollers to go beyond the small of your back, under the seat, to massage your glutes and thighs.
Other highlights of this model:
Body Stretch + Waist Twist
In addition to all that, the real stand-out feature of the Iyashi’s design is the fact that it incorporates both Body Stretch and Waist Twist technology in tandem. The reason this is so impressive is that the feature pairing has tremendous synergy and provides greater therapeutic value than either one alone.
If you suffer from chronic back pain, then you know that your pain level fluctuates over time. Some days it’s quite intense, and other days it’s better.
On the days when your pain level is at its highest, the Body Stretch may be too aggressive for you to use, which would usually put you in a Catch-22. The feature can alleviate your pain, but it’s too strong for you to use.
That’s where this pairing shines because, on those bad pain days, you can use the Waist Twist, which is a milder form of Body Stretching that provides the same benefits.
Both provide almost immediate pain relief by taking pressure off compressed discs in your spine, much like a chiropractic adjustment does, and the presence of both together gives you enormous flexibility regarding managing, controlling, and ultimately conquering your pain.
If you suffer from chronic back pain, this feature combination alone makes the Iyashi worth a second look.
Value Pick: Kahuna LM7800
Recommended For: Hobbyist users and chronic pain sufferers.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
The LM7800 is the big brother to the Kahuna LM6800, which took top honors in our “Under $3000” category. While it can’t quite measure up to the Apex Pro Regal, it is an excellent model. Modestly priced and filled with features you’ll love.
Feature Summary
A Few Things to Consider
The model gets one (small) black mark and has two features that deserve special attention.
Waist Twist
The negative is that although Kahuna is known for having the industry’s best Body Stretch Technology (in the form of their patented “Yoga Stretch”), for some reason, this model does not feature it, utilizing a milder Waist Twist instead. That’s not a deal breaker for most people but is something to make a note of.
Heat Function
The two stand-out features of the design are the chair’s extensive heat, offered in the back, not just the lumbar region, but all the way to the mid-back, and in the leg massage ports.
Calf & Foot Massage
This brings us to the second of the model’s outstanding features, the calf and foot massage. It is rendered by a combination of airbags (where the Kahuna’s larger number of airbags serves it well), quad rollers, and heated leg massage ports (calf only).
This combination of technologies renders an absolutely sublime calf and foot massage, and if you suffer from chronic leg pain, or spend several hours every day on your feet, this will almost certainly be the feature you like best.
Even if you don’t suffer from that problem, this chair has so much to offer that it’s hard not to fall in love with it.
Also Great
Apex Pro Vista
Recommended For: People who suffer from chronic pain in the lower back and lower extremities, and anyone with limited space.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
The second of Apex’s models we’d recommend didn’t quite earn a perfect rating, but it didn’t miss the mark by much. As with the other models we’ve looked at so far, there’s a lot to like here, including:
As you can see, this is a good feature set but somewhat more limited than the other models we’ve looked at so far, which is why it didn’t rank higher on our list.
The Apex Pro Vista’s main limitations are the somewhat underwhelming Air Massage (lowest airbag count of any chair on our list), and lack of body stretching, and lack of MP3 support. Of course, those are only negatives if you care about those features, if you don’t, why pay extra for things you don’t plan on using?
This then is a scaled-back model that offers great core functionality but skimps on some of the extras that certain segments of the market find important.
Fujita SMK 92
Recommended For: Anyone, but especially those who suffer from chronic back or foot pain.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
This is an interesting model because in some ways it seems limited, and in others, it is exceptional. What you really see here is that Fujita SMK 92 model is highly optimized for and targeted at a very particular type of user.
If you are that type, then this is going to be your favorite chair of the bunch. If you’re not, then you’ll probably find it somewhat lacking.
Also of interest is the fact that this model is unique in that it is the only one that made our finalist list (in either segment) that does not feature either a Hideaway Ottoman or Space-Saving Technology. It made a list on the strength of its two offered memory slots.
Feature Summary
As you can see then, SMK 92 chair was designed with chronic pain sufferers in mind.
If your pain level is severe, the roller-based massage might be too intense, in which case the Air Massage can wrap you gently in a blanket of air and easy your pain away.
If you need a more intense experience, then the 4D Roller Tech can be employed to give you a deep tissue massage from your neck to the small of your back.
If your legs are sore, then the vast number of airbags, combined with foot rollers and temperature-controlled leg heat ports will have you feeling better in no time.
On the other hand, if you don’t suffer from chronic pain in those areas, this chair can leave you feeling wanting.
Massage Chair for Home Use Over $3000 in 2023 Conclusion
We’ve just stepped you through ten of the best massage chairs for home use, geared toward a variety of income levels, to make this roundup review as helpful and detailed as possible.
As you can see, while there are no models currently for sale that hit all the requirements that would make it ideal, there are lots of great choices here.
Even if you disagree with our top pick in each category, any of the models we’ve highlighted here would serve you well and would make an excellent addition to your home.
Here are some of the reasons you may find yourself disagreeing with our top pick, the Apex Pro Regent, in this category:
Best Massage Chairs for Home Use Under $3000 in 2023
If you don’t want to spend more than $3000, but want something in the mid-range, then here are our top three picks for you:
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Our Pick
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|
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4.6
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4.5
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3.8
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Massage Technology:
Hybrid L/S
Quad Rollers |
Massage Technology:
S-Track
Quad Rollers |
Massage Technology:
Hybrid L/S
Quad Rollers |
|
Airbags:
36
|
Airbags:
38
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Airbags:
28
|
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Extras:
Space-saving
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Extras:
Space-saving
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Extras:
Space-saving
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Pros:
|
Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Our Verdict:
Highly recommended for anyone.
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Our Verdict:
Recommended, but more for its hobbyist features than its therapeutic ones.
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Our Verdict:
Recommended. A great lesser-known brand that deserves more press than it gets.
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Quad Rollers
- Best body-stretch in the business. Far and away the best value for the money.
- No memory function.
Quad Rollers
- Superbly appointed chair with lots of features you’ll love.
- No memory function. On the expensive side. S-Track limits massage area.
Quad Rollers
- Well-appointed chair, lots of popular extras.
- As an off-brand, post-purchase support and repair can be problematic.
(*) Note: The Baseline Rating is the individual product score without considering specific intent or context. See the details of each model below to get a contextual, goal-oriented, analysis.
Before we start discussing the chairs on the chart above, there are a few interesting notes to make about the chart itself.
Depending on how you feel about Air Massage Mode, that information may well color your thinking.
Prices span a relatively broad spectrum here, from sub-$1000 to the very top of the band we’re looking at, so there’s a little something for everyone.
Having said that, let’s start by taking a look at our winner in this category.
Our Pick: Kahuna LM6800
Recommended For: Hobbyist/casual users, chronic pain sufferers, and taller users, almost anybody, will love this chair!
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
The Kahuna LM6800 model has placed first in other roundup reviews we’ve done, and for a good reason. It packs an almost ridiculous amount of functionality into an incredibly modestly priced chair. It’s the second cheapest chair in this category but has as many, or more features than its more expensive competitors.
There’s so much to like about this model that it’s hard to know where to begin.
L/S Track
The Hybrid L/S-Track is a pleasant surprise, allowing the chair’s quad rollers to travel far beyond the base of your spine to your glutes and the backs of your spine.
Zero-Gravity Seating
Massage quality is made even better by virtue of the presence of three Zero-G seating options, which recline you to a position where your knees are elevated slightly above your heart.
From here, most of your body’s weight is pressing down against the rollers, resulting in a deeper, more penetrating, and ultimately more satisfying massage experience. The presence of three different positions to choose from is just icing on the cake!
Of course, massage quality isn’t based just on track length and the type of rollers being used. If those rollers aren’t hitting where it hurts, your experience is going to be sub-optimal.
Body Scan
The LM6800 solves for this by using a two-pronged approach. First, before your massage begins, the onboard computer takes a scan of your back and makes a series of automatic adjustments to the position of the rollers and the width of the massage field, to make it better align with your body’s pressure points.
If the technology should fail for some reason, the remote has buttons on it that allow you to make manual adjustments, which guarantees you’ll get a world-class massage every time you use the chair.
Air Massage + Roller Massage
Where the Air Massage is concerned, the LM6800 comes up slightly short, utilizing First Generation Airbags. It’s not a bad experience, but if you have occasion to test all the chairs we talk about here, you’ll find that Infinity’s Evoke renders a superior experience, and the Relaxonchair MK IV is roughly on par.
Where the roller-based massage is concerned, you’ll find a lot to like. The chair’s got all the basics covered, and offers one advanced technique (Shiatsu). There are also five pre-programmed options, but these are defined by different body regions as follows:
Perhaps the best part about the roller-based massage, though, is the “Zone” button.
This allows you to interrupt any currently running massage program and focus the rollers exactly where it hurts, maximizing the therapeutic benefits of the massage you’re getting.
Extensive Heat
Less than half the massage chairs on the market today offer heat of any kind and most of the ones that do offer it only in the lumbar region.
Again, the LM6800 shines here, providing heat that covers the lower half of your back and your calves, thanks to heating elements in the leg massage ports, which enhances the calf and foot massage as well.
Calf and Foot Massage
Speaking of the calf and foot massage, even without the heating elements, it would be superior to every other chair on this list, thanks to the fact that it utilizes quad rollers for the soles of the feet whereas most chairs only use dual rollers.
If you spend several hours a day on your feet, this is likely to be your favorite aspect of the design, but maybe not – there are so many outstanding features it’s hard to choose!
Body Stretch
This is yet another stand-out feature. As a company, Kahuna is known for offering the best body stretch in the business (their patented “Yoga Stretch”). Not every model they make utilizes it, but the LM6800 is one of these.
There’s no other feature that offers greater therapeutic value than this. It provides almost immediate pain relief by taking pressure off compressed discs in your spine in much the same way that a chiropractic adjustment does.
That, combined with massage plus heat, and further combined with the superb calf and foot massage makes this chair a true wonder, and well deserving of winning top honors in this category.
Runner-Up: Infinity Evoke
Recommended For: Chronic pain sufferers who are no taller than 6’2”. Not for casual or hobbyist use.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
By any reckoning, the Evoke is an excellent chair, although not quite as feature-rich as the LM6800. That, combined with its higher price tag are the twin reasons it wound up in the runner-up spot, rather than winning top honors.
Where the basics are concerned, it shares some features in common with Kahuna’s model, including the two-step roller adjustment methodology and quad rollers.
The first shortcoming you’ll note, however, is that the Evoke only uses an S-Track, rather than the much longer Hybrid S/L-Track, but this won’t matter much to you unless you were particularly interested in a glute and thigh massage.
Like the LM6800, this model offers Zero-G seating, but you only get a single seating position here.
That’s not a deal-breaker for most people, but of course, more options are always better!
A Superior Air Massage
This is one of the Evoke’s stand-out features. It delivers a better air massage than most other massage chairs in its class, courtesy of its 38 Second Generation Airbags.
Even better, you can choose to activate all of them at once for a delightful full-body experience, or you can select only the body regions you want to be massaged, as follows:
Other Massage Modes
Like our winner in this category, the Infinity Evoke also features a Zone/Partial massage mode, and offers an exceptional foot and calf massage, making good use of its superior number of airbags and combining these with tri-rollers on each foot.
Lumbar Heat
Unfortunately, the heat function of this chair is somewhat limited, being offered only in the lumbar region of the back (so no heat in the leg massage ports at all). Even so, this feature is another stand-out of the design.
Budget Pick: Relaxonchair MK IV
Recommended For: Anyone; taller users will be especially interested.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
This little off-brand chair packs a value punch and distinguishes itself primarily by being the only model in its price range that offers two of the “Big Three” features vital for home use.
In addition to Space-Saving Technology, it also offers three memory slots, allowing different members of your household to save your favorite massage (or, you can be greedy and use them all yourself!)
The MK IV offers a lot more than just that, however. Like the winner of this segment of our competition, it’s built around a super-long Hybrid L/S-Track and quad rollers, and features the same two-stage method for handling roller position and massage field width, and offers two Zero-G seating positions.
Key Features
It gets better because the MK IV also includes:
As with our top two contenders, the MK IV also takes extra effort to make its calf and foot massage stand out, utilizing a combination of airbags and (Dual) Shiatsu rollers for the soles of the feet.
While not quite as amazing as the calf and foot implementation of Kahuna and Infinity’s offering, it is still remarkable, and will probably be one of your favorite aspects of the design.
Two of the “Big Three” features, lots of extras, and offered at a modest price; it is very hard not to like this chair! ! In fact, the only reason it didn’t score as well as its peers on this list is because it has very little brand heft. If you’re not brand conscious and take that out of the equation, you get an adjusted score of 4.25, making it a solid competitor indeed!
Also Great
Omega Aires
Recommended For: Hobbyist users and people who suffer from chronic calf and foot pain.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
The little Omega Aires is a bit of a surprise in this category. As the lowest priced model in this segment, it has its limitations and is unique in that it doesn’t have a massage track at all. Its entire massage function is handled by the 19 Second Generation Airbags scattered strategically throughout the chair.
Don’t let the relatively modest number of airbags fool you! Remember, these are Second Generation Airbags, and the quality of the massage they’re capable of will pleasantly surprise you!
Because it is a value-priced offering, there are other limitations, of course.
For example, it does not feature Space-Saving Technology, but that’s not a huge issue given that this isn’t a monster-sized chair, to begin with. Plus, the hideaway ottoman disguises the fact that it’s a massage chair at all. At first, or even second glance, it appears to be an ordinary lounging chair, blending in well with most home décor.
The air massage is somewhat customizable, too. You can activate all the airbags at once, or selectively activate them by the following regions:
While it’s true that there is no massage track, there are rollers (dual) rollers located at the bottom of each foot well, so you still get an airbag and roller-based calf and foot massage of good, but not exceptional quality.
The Omega Aires distinguishes itself somewhat here by offering more customization than other models, in that the speed of the foot rollers can be adjusted through three levels via the remote.
Because this model has relatively fewer features, it also has an incredibly simple, intuitive remote, and is the easiest of the five models to master. A real gem for the price!
*Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued. Check out other Omega Massage Chairs we’ve reviewed.
Human Touch HT 7120
Recommended For: Hobbyists and those who suffer from chronic lower back and/or leg and foot pain.
*Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Human Touch has made a name for themselves by designing chairs that are both fun and functional. Most of their models are designed to blend seamlessly with your home’s décor and to hide the fact that they’re massage chairs at all, and the HT 7120 is no exception.
Hideaway Ottoman
Rather than utilizing Space-Saving Technology, it employs a hideaway ottoman to good effect, lending the appearance that the chair is just an ordinary recliner when not in use.
Swivel
It also does something that most other massage chairs can’t do – it swivels!
You won’t realize just how handy and convenient that is until you try it, but the ability to swivel in place while you’re getting your massage means that you don’t have to interrupt the program and get up to reach some nearby object. A small thing, but the first time you use it, you’ll be very glad it’s present!
S-Track
The massage track is somewhat short – a standard S-Track, which means that its quad rollers can’t reach quite as far as they can on some of our other models, but the massage itself is excellent.
Massage
Note, however, that the HT 7120 does not employ Body Scanning Technology. There is no automatic roller adjustment feature, although you retain manual control of this ability from the included remote.
Like many of our other finalists, this model also offers a Body Stretch feature, and their calf and foot massage is distinguished by utilizing Human Touch’s patented “Figure-8 Paddle System” which delivers an experience widely regarded as superior to the standard airbag and roller approach.
While not quite as feature-rich as our other finalists, the HT7120 is easily the most stylish and attractive chair in the lineup and is well worth considering for that reason alone if aesthetics are important to you.
What’s the Best Recliner for Home Use Under $3000 in 2022?
These five models are the best massage chairs under $3000 on the market today. While we stand by our top pick, the Kahuna LM6800, the reality is that any of these will serve you well.
Here are some reasons you may want to consider one of the other models:
Recommended Reading
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REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- Kahuna Massage Chairs, Official Brand Website.
- Infinity Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
- Relaxonchair Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
- Human Touch Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
- Osaki Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
- Fujita Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
