BodyFriend Rex-L Massage Chair Review 2024

Are you always on the lookout for “The Next Big Thing?”

Are you the kind of person who must have the latest technologies, gizmos, and gadgets the moment they are released into the market?

If so, you’ll love our “First Look” BodyFriend Rex-L massage chair review.

If you’ve never heard of the brand or their BodyFriend massage chair lineup, you’re not alone. They’re just currently making their way to the United States.

Fortunately, we’ve gotten a sneak peek of one of their best sellers, which we’ll share in the following sections, outlining everything this new model offers.

Key Features of the BodyFriend Rex-L Massage Chair

Hybrid L/S-Track & Quad Rollers

The Bodyfriend Rex-L utilizes cutting-edge massage chair technology. It incorporates quad rollers that closely mimic the feel of human hands and an ultra-long massage track that allows them to massage beyond the small of your back, under the seat to your glutes, and the backs of your thighs.

Here’s the first intriguing difference between the Rex-L and most other massage chairs. This model utilizes multiple sets of rollers located in the following areas:

3D Body Scan

Each time you sit on the chair and before your massage begins, the onboard computer scans your body and makes small adjustments to the width of the massage field and the position of the rollers, making sure they conform to your body’s shape and hit all your pressure points.

If the tech doesn’t quite get it right, there’s also a fallback position. The remote has buttons that allow you to manually adjust both elements.

This two-pronged approach ensures that you always have a perfect massage experience.

Zero-Gravity Seating

Inspired by NASA, Zero-G seating is a highly attractive feature that enhances the overall experience. By reclining to a position such that your knees are elevated slightly above your heart, your body weight presses more firmly against the rollers, allowing for a more penetrating massage.

Unfortunately, we were a little underwhelmed in this instance because there was only one seating position on offer. Given that this is a high-end model with a high-end price tag, we would have expected at least two and preferably three, but at the end of the day, this is a minor gripe.

Designed With Space-Saving Technology

This fantastic feature makes the BodyFriend Rex-L perfect for home use.

One of the biggest problems with massage chairs is that they’re huge. They dominate whatever room you put them in, and to use most of them, you’ve got to set them fairly far from the wall to recline fully.

Chairs designed with Space-Saving Technology only require about four inches of clearance between the back of the chair and the wall you set them near. This is possible because the chair pivots on its base as you recline. An ingenious bit of engineering that adds a nice, futuristic touch.

An Average Number of Options

The BodyFriend Rex-L Massage Chair takes a conservative approach to massage options, sticking with the basics and offering the following massage types:

These are adjustable via the remote through five different speed and intensity levels, giving you a surprising number of possible combinations despite the relatively few massage techniques.

Where the model shines, though, is in the area of user-friendliness. Nine pre-programmed massage options are available at the touch of a button, making it highly convenient and easy to use, even for users who aren’t as tech-savvy.

The pre-programmed massage options are:

An Out of This World Air Massage

Few massage chairs can match the Rex-L on this front, featuring impressive 98 Second Generation Airbags. The only model we’ve ever seen with more is the mighty Inada Dreamwave (which has 101).

However, that’s just the beginning, and our BodyFriend Rex-L review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning this next innovation.

Every other massage chair we’ve seen utilizes a gentle “squeeze and release” type of air massage, but BodyFriend has a patented process that renders an excellent Shiatsu massage via airbags. You might struggle to believe that (we did, too!), but it’s true and feels amazing.

Even better, you can either opt to activate all the airbags at once for a full-body massage or selectively activate them by the following body regions:

We’ve never felt or seen anything quite like it.

Back and Hip Heat

This is yet another exceptional feature implementation. Only a minority of massage chairs on the market today offer heat, and most of them only in the lumbar region.

The Rex-L exceeds expectations by offering heat to both the calf and the back, covering approximately the lower third of the back, which is an excellent therapeutic addition.

Body Stretch

This powerful healing feature offers almost immediate pain relief to chronic pain sufferers by taking pressure off compressed discs in the spine, much like a chiropractic adjustment.

The BodyFriend’s stretch is basic but quite aggressive, and if you suffer from acute pain, it may be too intense for you to handle. If that’s the case, it is recommended that you warm up by enjoying a heat massage to loosen your back, then try the stretch.

Calf & Foot Massage

As you may have guessed, the calf and foot massage is also exceptional, thanks in no small part to the vast number of airbags, the chair sports and the heated leg massage ports.

The calf portion of the massage is rendered entirely by airbags, while the soles of the feet are treated to a tri-roller foot massage that will relax and satisfy. If you spend several hours each day on your feet, the heated calf and foot massage is almost sure to be your favorite aspect of the chair.

MP3 Support

The BodyFriend Rex-L wouldn’t be much of a high-tech wonder if it didn’t offer Bluetooth MP3 compatibility, now would it? So, of course, it’s also featured in the design. The company didn’t skimp on the speakers, either. You’ll get rich, full-bodied sound and plenty of bass, whatever your musical preferences!

Extendable Ottoman

Yes, it even has an extendable Ottoman, making the chair suitable for people up to 6’4” tall. It seems clear that the folks at BodyFriend tried to think of everything.

Okay, So There’s a Learning Curve

The remote is well designed and laid out, but given all the features this chair offers, there will be a learning curve.

The company has taken steps to make it as user-friendly as possible. With the pre-programmed massage options available at the touch of a button, you can still relax in your chair and enjoy your first massage in a matter of minutes, but make no mistake—there’s a learning curve here.

Having said that, once more, the company exceeds expectations. The chair is “smart” and can talk you through using the features (in three different languages, no less). Once you’ve mastered the device, its voice can be disabled from the remote, but until then, it will show you the ropes!

In addition, there’s a control panel on one of the chair arms with an abbreviated set of controls (power, recline, just the basics, but very handy).

Pros & Cons of the BodyFriend Rex-L Massage Chair

Whew! Okay, so clearly, there are a lot of features in this model, and it’s almost a given that BodyFriend Rex-L is destined to become a major player in the US market based on the strength of their debut effort.

Having said that, we did take off points for a couple of things we felt were lacking.

The first is the fact that there’s only one Zero-G seating position. Again, this isn’t a huge deal, but the Rex-L is expensive. We were expecting more.

Second, we’d like to see a second advanced massage technique. Perhaps Swedish?

Finally, memory slots. It would be great, and completely in keeping with the chair’s high-tech concept, to be able to program your favorite settings and then save them for later use. Sadly, you can’t—at least not yet!

Otherwise, though, this chair rocks. We want two! Or three! Or…

BodyFriend Rex-L Review Conclusion

We loved it, and we know you will. It’s sleek, modern, beautiful, and extremely polished. It also features some genuine innovations that blew us away, and we recommend it without hesitation to anyone.

Recommended Reading

Inada DreamWave Review – Massage Chair Report

Our examination of The Inada DreamWave revealed a masterpiece massage chair for anyone who can afford it.

Apex AP Pro Regent Massage Chair Review

Our analysis highlights the Apex AP Pro Regent, a masterfully crafted chair with an unmatched set of features.

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Official Manufacturer Support

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

• BodyFriend, Official Brand Website.
• BodyFriend Rex-L at CES 2017, CNET.
• 3D Body Scanner, Cornell University College of Human Ecology.
• Massage Therapy for Shoulder Pain, Pain Science.