Master Massage Bedford Professional Portable Chair Review 2024

Thinking about getting into the massage business?  

Already in the massage business and looking to upgrade your equipment? 

If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you’re going to love our Master Massage Bedford massage chair review.

Recently, we scoured the web searching for the top-rated portable massage chairs being sold today. The Bedford placed a solid second in the budget segment of the market and won the distinction of being the best overall value in its class.  If you’re on a budget and want the best chair for your money, this is the model you want, no question.

Granted, there are other more robust models available. But in our view, the Bedford punches well above its weight class and is an exceptional value that will appeal to anyone.

In the following sections, we’ll tell you why, and even if you ultimately decide to go with some other model, we think you’ll agree this is an awesome piece of equipment!  Let’s jump right in and take a closer look.

An Overview of the Master Massage Portable Chair

We would like to emphasize here that the first thing you’ll notice about the chair is that it sticks to what works.  

Small Footprint

Featuring a delightfully small footprint (just 11” x 14” x 39”) and weighing in at just 18 pounds, this conventionally styled massage chair will fit almost anywhere.  You won’t need a ton of space to set up shop and get to work, which is a huge advantage.

Max Supported Weight

Don’t let its smallish size and light weight fool you though; this rugged little chair can support up to five-hundred pounds of user weight.  It will be a rare instance indeed when you have to turn someone away or find an alternative to the massage chair to get your work done.

Upholstery

Massage chairs can’t really be said to be attractive pieces of equipment, but this one’s not bad, with its burgundy PU upholstery and generous padding.

There’s only one portable massage chair on the market today that will turn heads (the Dolphin II, by Pisces Pro), but it’s a whole lot more expensive than this delightfully capable model.

Adjustability

While the Master Massage chair isn’t as adjustable as other, more expensive models, you do have a bit more flexibility here than on some of the less expensive budget models we’ve reviewed.  You can adjust the following:

In addition to that, the face pillow is articulated, and its position can be tweaked via six different settings.

Cushioning

Master Massage has client comfort down to a science, literally.  Rather than utilizing standard block foam padding, they use a “multi-layer small cell foam cushioning system” which is about as thick as the foam you’ll see on comparable chairs, but much denser, softer, and more comfortable. 

Memory Foam Face Pillow

In addition to that, the face pillow is outfitted with memory foam, making it delightfully comfortable.  These kinds of small flourishes and finishing touches, combined with the massive amount of weight the Bedford can support (best in class, by a wide margin) make the chair stand out.

Extras

There are even two “extras” to draw your attention to here, and that is the small “sundries pouch” located under the seat for storing glasses, jewelry or other small items your clients may want to remove while they’re getting their massage.  Bravo, and a nice touch, Master Massage!

The second extra is that when you buy the Bedford, you also get a duffel-style, zippered carrying case (with a padded shoulder strap) that makes moving your massage chair from one location to another a snap. 

Given how these chairs are intended to be used, we can’t fathom why a carrying case isn’t an industry standard, and available with every portable massage chair made. Sadly, that’s not the case, so again, kudos to Master Massage for including it.

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Pros and Cons of the Master Massage Chair

We’d be doing our Master Massage Bedford review, and you, the reader a disservice if we oversold it and made the claim that this is a perfect chair.  It’s not.  It is a very good chair, however.  As such, there aren’t many things we’d like to see changed, but there are a few.

Better Support

Our chief complaint is that although the Bedford is durable and rugged, the seat and knee pads could use better support, as too much weight placed dead center on these pieces could cause buckling or even breaking.  Note that this is difficult, but not impossible to do.

While the company shows no signs of tweaking the design, there are some simple DIY things you can do to reinforce those areas, and if you’re a committed DIYer, then we wholeheartedly recommend bracing those areas with wooden cross-beams you can cut to fit.

Overall, it’ll take less than thirty minutes, and will make an already rugged and durable chair even longer lasting.

Upholstery Upgrade

Also, we wish there was an upgrade option for the upholstery of the Master professional massage chair. The PU used to cover the padded area of the chairs is of decent quality but will start showing its age long before the padding or the frame itself does. You’ll need to either have it reupholstered at regular intervals or, when it starts looking a little ratty, just relegate it to backup status and buy something new to use as your primary chair.

None of those are great options, and the whole mess could be avoided merely by improving the quality of the upholstery, to begin with.

Those two issues aside, however, this is a great little chair that will serve you well, offered for a song.  We stand by our decision to give the Bedford the second-place spot in the budget category and to award it best overall value in its class.

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Master Massage Bedford Massage Chair Review Conclusion

And that brings us to the end of our Master Massage Bedford massage chair review.  This is a very good, reliable chair, offered at a great price.  It falls short of greatness, but then, you almost never find truly great equipment at the budget end of the market. 

For the money, we were super impressed with what the Bedford can do, and how well it holds up to everyday use.  We recommend it for anyone on a budget who’s looking to get the most “bang for their buck” when it comes to equipment.

Recommended Reading

Earthlite Vortex Portable Massage Chair Review

We’ve evaluated the Earthlite Vortex, a high-quality portable massage chair, perfect for newcomers to the industry.

Noooshi Portable Folding Massage Chair Review & Rating

Our evaluation of the Noooshi Portable folding massage chair explores why it’s a great choice for budget-conscious newcomers.

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Official Manufacturer Support

References & Resources:

• Master Massage Portable Chair, Official Brand Website.
• What is Chair Massage?, Workplace Wellness Massage.
• Benefits of Seated Chair Massage, Healthfully.
• What Is Faux Leather?, Mitchell Faux Leathers.
• Foam Pads Properties and Their Effects on Posturography in Participants of Different Weight, NCBI.