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Nov 04, 2024

The 2 Best Massage Chairs of 2024 | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Seth Berkman Seth Berkman is a writer covering fitness. He's showered with swim goggles and lugged thousands of pounds of weights on the subway to test durability. After a new round of testing, the

By Seth Berkman

Seth Berkman is a writer covering fitness. He's showered with swim goggles and lugged thousands of pounds of weights on the subway to test durability.

After a new round of testing, the Kyota Genki M380 Massage Chair is our top pick. We recommend the Massamax MT339 if you prioritize lower-back and foot massages.

Let’s come right out and say it: No one absolutely needs a massage chair.

They’re expensive devices that take up a lot of room, and they are no substitute for physical therapy or real pain management.

For some people, though, a great massage chair can melt away stress and provide a sense of relaxation in a matter of minutes.

After testing 25 models from some of the top brands, we think the Kyota Genki M380 Massage Chair, with its easy-to-use controls, offers the closest thing you can get to a real massage.

With fluid reclining features, ample heating, and user-friendly controls, this chair—which has 12 massage programs—hit targeted areas better than any model we tested.

This chair’s touchscreen lets you quickly scan through 15 massage programs, and this model particularly excels at lower-back and foot massages. But some testers felt cramped in it.

People with circulation issues or who experience a lack of sensation should check with a doctor before using a massage chair.

A good massage chair should allow you to customize the strength of the massage.

Many massage chairs recline at least partially, and we preferred those with the option to lie fully supine, or at “zero gravity.”

Buying a massage chair is an investment. We picked chairs with at least a three-year warranty.

With fluid reclining features, ample heating, and user-friendly controls, this chair—which has 12 massage programs—hit targeted areas better than any model we tested.

The Kyota Genki M380 Massage Chair is capable of massaging almost every inch of your body, from sore feet to achy glutes to tight shoulders. Its zero-gravity reclining feature is easy to control with a button that slowly elevates the chair, and its LCD screen remote allows for quick and easy navigation through the 12 massage programs. This model has a four-year warranty and is recommended for users up to 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds.

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This chair’s touchscreen lets you quickly scan through 15 massage programs, and this model particularly excels at lower-back and foot massages. But some testers felt cramped in it.

The MassaMax MT339 gives exceptionally powerful lower-back and foot massages, which our testers loved. Compared with our top pick, this chair has more control options—voice control; a colorful, user-friendly touch screen; and a set of knobs on the right armrest (though some testers thought the knobs took up unnecessary space). The chair has a three-year warranty and can accommodate users up to 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds. But some testers said they felt cramped in it, and they noted that the 15 pre-programmed massages didn’t target all muscle areas as well as our top pick.

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I’m a senior staff writer covering fitness and the author of Wirecutter’s guides to massage guns and yoga mats.

For this guide:

If you like the sensation of a deep-tissue massage, you may enjoy using a massage chair.

There are relatively few large-scale, peer-reviewed studies on the health benefits of massage, and there are even fewer that focus on the efficacy of mechanical massage chairs for treating back pain and other ailments. A 2017 study of 186 healthy adults found that a majority of the participants reported feeling less anxious and more tranquil after sitting in a full-body massage chair for 20 minutes, and most rated the experience as highly pleasurable. A massage chair is “not going to do anything useful in a focused, problem-solving kind of way,” said David Weintraub, a licensed massage therapist and owner of Bodyworks Massage Therapy. “But it will help sort of tonify the whole system.”

Every expert we spoke with said that getting a massage from a licensed therapist is better than the experience you get in a massage chair or with a massage gun. Those devices may release tension, but “if a true injury is causing pain, it will likely need further evaluation and attention,” said Emily Rosati, a physical therapist at Ohio State Medical Center. All of the experts we spoke with agreed that it’s important to consult a physician before using a massage chair, particularly if you have a preexisting health condition. For example, massage chairs are often touted for their ability to help circulate blood, but they shouldn’t be relied on as a treatment, according to Queensborough Community College’s Isabella Lizzul and Ronald Kornfeld. Walking is often a better way to help circulation anyway, and simply raising your arms overhead can increase heart rate.

Still, someone may benefit from using a massage chair after intense physical training, or if they have a medical condition that takes a toll on the body. People who have busy schedules or live far away from massage therapists may also want to de-stress in the comfort of their own home.

Massage chairs may also help people with consistent pain find temporary relief: “As many pain patterns get worse when we are stressed, relaxation will often take the edge off of chronic pain,” Lizzul said. There are some studies that report massage chairs show benefits in improving anxiety and depression.

These chairs are also an option for those who simply may not want to be touched, such as people with autism who experience touch sensitivity or those who find it difficult to be touched after childbirth or a sexual assault.

Most massage chairs come with a hefty price tag, however. So before you make the investment, it’s worth considering how the chair will be delivered, where it will fit in your home, and whether you’re able to carry and assemble it without the assistance of outside help.

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Over years of testing massage chairs, we’ve determined that a good massage chair should be sturdy, have a warranty of at least three years, accommodate people who weigh up to at least 260 pounds, and fit comfortably in a home environment.

There are some household names, including Panasonic and Sharper Image, that manufacture massage chairs. But the industry is also flooded with models from unfamiliar brands, and many are produced overseas. Some offer features like “air ionization” or “chromotherapy,” the benefits of which are dubious.

To narrow our search, we read numerous editorial and customer reviews online. And to identify the most widely available brands, we scanned the websites of major retailers, such as Amazon, Target, Home Depot, and Walmart. From there, we further culled our list based on the following criteria:

Over the course of four weeks, almost two-dozen Wirecutter and New York Times staff members tested six massage-chair options. These testers ranged in size from about 100 pounds to 300 pounds and up to 6 feet tall. For each chair, we noted how far it reclined, the adequacy of any heating features, the user-friendliness of its controls, the general massage intensity, and how many settings it offered. We assessed the materials, build quality, comfort, and style of each chair, as well as how easy it was to get in and out of the device.

With fluid reclining features, ample heating, and user-friendly controls, this chair—which has 12 massage programs—hit targeted areas better than any model we tested.

The Kyota Genki M380 Massage Chair has intuitive controls, massages the full body, and quickly reclines to mimic a zero-gravity feeling. Of the chairs we tested, this one had the most accurate body-scanning feature, which helps the chair cater to individuals of different sizes. It has five different massage techniques and 12 programs (from full-body to targeted neck and shoulder massages). And this chair has a voice assistant and can create and store three custom massage programs. It comes with a four-year warranty and can accommodate people up to 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds (among the best warranties and weight capacities we’ve seen).

The chair provides a deep massage, catered to your body. The Kyota Genki M380 offers consistent, well-positioned massages for the neck, upper and lower back, arms, legs, and feet. Testers were impressed with the body-scanning feature’s accuracy: One noted that the massage quality felt “deep without being uncomfortable.” That distinction is important, according to physical therapist Emily Rosati. “There are safety recommendations regarding the amount of pressure that is recommended for various health conditions,” she said. “There is such a thing of moving fluid too quickly that can be overloading for the body to process.”

It provides a comfortable recline. Clearly labeled buttons on the Kyota Genki M380’s remote enable a zero-gravity mode, which mimics a feeling of weightlessness while you’re suspended in a supine position. One tester noted that this chair’s zero-gravity feature was not only comfortable but also felt secure. “Some of the other chairs made me anxious,” they said. “Because I was more relaxed, it did improve my overall massage experience.”

It’s stylish. Our testers noted that unlike most massage chairs, the Kyota Genki M380 didn’t look gaudy or tacky. As one tester put it, “The look is very sleek without being ostentatious.” The chair, made of synthetic leather, also did not give off an offensive smell, unlike other models we tested. A manual for cleaning the chair is available online (read more on that in Care and maintenance).

The chair has a solid warranty. Kyota chairs have a four-year warranty on structure, two years for parts, and one year for labor. A company representative (Kyota’s customer service is based in New Hampshire) said replacement parts are available for purchase, if the warranty has expired, noting that “simple part replacement by mail may be $50 but in home parts and service could easily be several hundred dollars.” Extended service plans are available for additional fees.

Testers were mixed on the Kyota Genki M380’s warming capabilities. Some of our testers thought the warming options were just right; others found them to be too hot, or they had difficulty adjusting the temperature of the massage.

The chair lacks some bells and whistles, considering its price. The Kyota Genki M380 usually retails for $7,000, though we often found it on sale for $4,000. Still, it doesn’t have features like a touchscreen, for easy access to a chair’s various modes. Because the chair is controlled by a handheld remote, you may have to disrupt your massage (by pulling your arms out of the massage slots in the chair’s arms) to manually change programs or settings.

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This chair’s touchscreen lets you quickly scan through 15 massage programs, and this model particularly excels at lower-back and foot massages. But some testers felt cramped in it.

The Massamax MT339 has 12 massage modes, five massage techniques, and 15 preset programs. It also offers 4D massage, which gives you more control over the rhythm of your massage. But the chair particularly excels at lower-back and foot massages. The Massamax MT339 also has good reclining features, a handy touchscreen, and voice assistance, but some testers thought the abundance of programs and controls was overkill. (Taller users also thought that the chair felt cramped.) This massage chair comes with a three-year warranty and a weight capacity of 300 pounds.

The touchscreen makes it easy to customize a massage. The Massamax MT339 has a touchscreen on the left armrest, allowing you to pinpoint where you’d like the massage rollers to go and with what level of intensity or motion. “The touchscreen was wonderful,” one tester said. “In manual mode, you could see all of the controls, so it was easy to adjust as needed.” Another tester noted, “It also enables me to see what part of my body the chair is supposed to target at a given moment.” The chair also enables voice control, for a hands-free option to change settings, so you don’t have to interrupt your massage session.

It gives exceptional back and foot massages. Once our testers became familiar with cycling through the Massamax MT339’s various massage programs, they particularly loved the chair’s massages on the lower back and feet. “It was the best I’ve tested on my lower back,” one tester said. Another tester remarked that the chair had “excellent variety and power on the intensity settings.” And yet another tester said, “The feet were nice and subtle instead of painful roller balls. It did not squeeze too hard.” Compared with other machines, the Massamax MT330 had more-spacious leg and foot areas, whereas other chairs made testers’ legs feel trapped. “Overall, this was a hard chair to leave!” the tester noted.

It comes with solid warranty and service options. Although the Massamax MT339’s warranty is one year shorter than that of our top pick, there are several options for service after the warranty period. Customers can contact Massamax customer service, based in Georgia, with their order number and details, and the company will provide the necessary parts for purchase, a Massamax spokesperson said. It also offers troubleshooting solutions and assists customers in finding a technician, if needed.

Too many controls can be overwhelming. The touchscreen and voice control are helpful features, but there’s also a control panel, on the right armrest, that turns on the chair and lets you change its positioning. Some testers said they would have preferred a simpler layout.

For taller users, this chair can feel cramped. Although the Massamax MT339 advertises itself as accommodating users up to 300 pounds and a height of 6-foot-1, some of our taller testers did not seem as comfortable in it. One 5-foot-10 tester said, “I just felt too tall for the chair, like the torso of the chair wasn’t high enough.” Another tester, who is 5-foot-9, noticed the body scan set their shoulder height “at a weird position.” This made some of the programmed massages feel like they weren’t exactly hitting targeted areas.

It doesn’t heat as well as our top pick. A majority of our testers did not find the heating feature to be satisfactory, with three testers specifically saying it “should have been warmer.” Our top pick offers very intense—yet not overwhelming—heat, particularly in the lumbar area.

If you want a basic massage chair with a great foot massage: The Osaki OS-Champ, a former top pick, massages muscles with a variety of movements. It has intuitive intensity settings, a good foot-massage feature, and decent heating and reclining. This machine costs a lot less than our current picks, and we still think it’s worthwhile. But ultimately it lacks the extensive program options, heat intensity, deep pressure, and intuitive controls found on pricier options. The OS-Champ also has a lower weight capacity (260 pounds) than those of our current picks. If you weigh more than this, the manual warns that this chair “may make more noise and the fabric cover may wear out faster.” In our most recent round of testing, in 2024, many testers did not like the fabric texture of the arm-massage area. The OS-Champ is backed by a three-year warranty, and it’s a solid option if our picks aren’t on sale.

If you want a solid massage without the huge price tag: The $200 HoMedics Shiatsu Elite II Massage Cushion (MCS-845HJ) offers plenty of massage styles and settings (like kneading and rolling) and three preset programs. This massage option shifts fairly gradually between its three intensity settings, and it also has a “spot” setting, if you want the rollers to linger over a certain area for a while. The HoMedics model has a more-involved setup: You have to strap it onto an existing chair to use it, and it has a back strap as well as a head strap to ensure that it stays securely fastened to the chair, even at an angle. But it’s portable, and the compact shape makes it easy to stow in a car trunk or a closet or under a bed. The MCS-845HJ doesn’t fit in our favorite carry-on suitcase—at 29 inches, it’s too tall—but it would fit in most full-size suitcases or duffle bags. HoMedics backs this model with a two-year warranty.

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With the proper care, including regular cleaning, a massage chair can potentially last a decade or more. Our picks are both made of synthetic leather, which manufacturers recommend wiping down with a damp cloth or a mild cleaner, rather than with a harsh cleaner. Additionally, users should keep the chair out of direct sunlight to prevent aging, discoloration, or cracking of the leather. And users should regularly inspect the power cord for wear or damage, to ensure safe use.

Mechanical massage chairs are primarily made of materials that can sit in a landfill for years and leach harmful substances into local ecosystems. Also, the motor and other electronic components can get gummed up over periods of prolonged disuse, so try and use your chair at least once a week to keep its internals lubricated.

If you find that a massage chair isn’t for you, check with retirement homes, community centers, fire departments, or shelters in your area to see if they accept massage-chair donations. Massage chairs are considered to be a type of electronic waste, or e-waste, since they plug into a wall outlet or contain a battery. But because these chairs are so bulky, not all e-waste recycling facilities are equipped to handle them. Earth911 or Greener Gadgets can help you locate your nearest bulk recycling facilities.

Although the HoMedics 3D Shiatsu Massaging Lounger had a clean, minimalist aesthetic that appealed to us initially, it didn’t measure up in person. Our testers said its heating feature wasn’t warm enough.

Most testers thought the Human Touch WholeBody 7.1 Massage Chair didn’t envelop the body (especially in the neck and calf areas) like our favorite massage chairs did. Also, while the ottoman rotates for a calf massage, there’s not really a foot-massage option—unless you’re short enough to rest your feet on the calf massager.

The Osaki OS-4D Pro Maestro LE has control buttons built into the armrest, USB charging, wireless charging, and an easy-to-use touchscreen display. With a slightly more luxurious look and feel than our top pick, it also offers heating, zero-gravity reclining, Bluetooth connectivity, and body scanning.

The Osaki OS-4D Escape offers a slew of unique features, like a privacy hood, chromotherapy (colored lights on a screen inside the hood), and aromatherapy (a built-in essential oil diffuser). To be clear, there’s no scientific evidence showing that chromotherapy or aromatherapy have any kind of therapeutic effect. But if you’re looking for a multi-sensorial massage experience, you might enjoy having these built-in features.

The Osaki Titan Pro Vigor 4D comes with a handy touchscreen for controls, but many of our testers found that it went into sleep mode far too frequently. Testers would have to interrupt an arm massage, for example, to reach the screen and “wake” the chair up. Others noted the chair had a strong fake leather or “off-gassy smell.” It has some nice perks, including a wireless charger and one of the best foot massagers among chairs we tested. But it couldn’t match our picks in automation: One tester had to continually adjust the leg rests manually while in zero-gravity mode so their legs wouldn’t fold in on themselves. Several testers thought the Osaki massaged one specific area well (like the neck or the back), while its massage on other areas, like legs, felt too weak.

The power of the Panasonic MAF1 proved divisive: Some testers thought its power levels were misleading, including the “medium” intensity being too strong. But others thought targeted pre-programmed massages on areas like the neck and shoulders were not intense enough. Those disparities ultimately took this model out of the running. “They say it’s impossible not to smile while riding a Jet Ski, and you’d think the same would be true of a massage chair, but this was a comfortably mid experience that didn’t do much for me,” one tester said.

The RelaxOnChair MK-Classic has an upscale look and a luxurious feel, and it offers a wide range of features and settings. Its performance was on a par with that of the Osaki OS-Champ, a former pick in this guide.

The RelaxOnChair Rio is good if you don’t want to splurge on one of the larger stationary options but you still want something more substantial than our portable pick. Measuring 4 feet 8 inches along its longest edge, the Rio has a 250-pound weight limit. It also has a phone pocket, USB charging, and built-in control buttons, as well as more-common features, such as heating, zero-gravity reclining, and Bluetooth connectivity. But it doesn’t fully recline.

Sarah Witman and Naomi Birnbaum contributed reporting. This article was edited by Christina Colizza and Courtney Schley.

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Alan Hedge, professor emeritus in the department of human centered design at Cornell University, phone interview, 2020

David Weintraub, licensed massage therapist and owner, Bodyworks Massage Therapy, phone interview, July 22, 2024

Emily Rosati, physical therapist, Ohio State Medical Center, email interview, August 22, 2024

Isabella Lizzul, assistant professor and program coordinator of the Massage Therapy Program, email interview, August 27, 2024

Ronald Kornfield, faculty, Queensborough Community College, email interview, August 27, 2024

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