“If you’re into more of a recliner kind of thing and want one that blends into the family room in a relaxed way, you might want to check out this one,” Loncar says. “It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles but it reclines and has general settings like you might find at your local nail salon. This would be a great basic chair for unwinding while watching some movies with the family.”
Best Looking Massage Chair: Nouhaus Modern Chair with Ottoman
Nouhaus’ “Modern” massage chair tipped you off with its name: It’s got a midcentury design that looks something like an Egg Chair and an Eames recliner had a baby. Loncar tapped this pick for its looks, but also called out its multiple settings for heat, and different speeds for hammering out your kinks. The chair uses spine rollers that travel south from the neck to the lower back, operating at 35 kneads per minute, along with air bags that inflate and deflate to massage your hips and glutes.
“If you are looking for something leg-specific, this may not be for you,” Loncar says, but recommends it as an understated choice for some back tension relief in your living room. It’s also surprisingly light—clocking in at 72 pounds—though do make sure to get some help setting it up at home.
Best Massage Chair for the Elderly: Three Posts Faux Leather Heated Massage Chair
If you’re hoping to scoop a massage chair without dropping a boatload of money, this one is probably the least you’ll want to pay while still getting some decent muscle relief. Despite its relatively low price tag, the massage chair still boasts a variety of massage functions like four targeted massage zones, five types of massage modes, and two intensity levels. “It will provide a relaxing experience, but lacks in features that some of the more elaborate or expensive chairs offer, such as more modes of massage, as well as more actual massage rollers,” Memory says. “[It’s] good for someone seeking relaxation without breaking the bank.”
One of the biggest benefits of this chair is that it tilts forward, which Weintraub notes would help older folks get in and out of the chair more easily. The heated massage chair also offers zero-gravity reclining to sweeten the deal.
Best Zero Gravity Massage Chair: Human Touch WholeBody 7.1 Zero Gravity Recliner
As a simple recliner for your lounge, this low-profile Human Touch chair wouldn’t be a bad option by itself. But it also happens to be a full-body massage chair that offers zero-gravity reclining, purely as a flex. The chair offers five pre-set programs for full, upper, lower, relax, and sleep massage, and also allows for customization options to tailor your massage to your needs.
“This chair provides a more complete massage experience due to the circular motion of its rollers, which will improve circulation and also better mimic a real massage,” Memory says. The extendable footrest doubles as a calf massager, which helps with recirculating blood flow. Plus, the back cushions warm up for heat therapy, targeting the lumbar area for a deeper, more effective massage. The WholeBody 7.1 also offers a “FlexGlide solution,” which the brand says makes the massage feel more therapeutic and less like you’re getting pinched and pulled.
Best Customizable Massage Chair: Insignia 2D Zero Gravity Massage Chair
One feature (of many) that you lose when you get a massage chair versus visiting a dedicated masseuse is a customized treatment catered to your specific aches and pains. Insignia cuts through the noise with its high-quality massage chair that aims for a more realistic experience by performing a body scan on the sitter to determine the right massage setting based on their height and weight metric. This customized massage won’t intuit your problem areas, and it definitely won’t be able to fix them completely, but it’s an impressive feature that makes this massage chair feel custom to the user.
Memory calls this the “Cadillac” of the group, providing many of the major benefits of the other chairs on this list, “while including foot massage—a rarity for massage chairs—and full-body options.” Our only knock is its gaudy pod-like design, which might be hard to fit in with most people’s interior design tastes.
Best Cheap Massage Chair: ComHoma PU Leather Massage Chair
This barebones faux leather massager doesn’t come close to the features of the pricier chairs on this list, but it still reclines, rocks, heats, and swivels if you’re keeping costs low. As Memory notes, it’s good for the most “basic relaxation and massage features.” The chair doesn’t look much like a massage chair, more like a cushy seat for your home movie theater, which might be exactly what you’re looking for to de-stress your next screening of Uncut Gems.