Massage chairs combine the comfort of a superbly-designed living room chair with the ability to receive automated massage therapy, on demand, in your own home.
Studies show that massage chairs are highly effective at helping you relax. They also reduce lower back pain and improve quality of life in people with back pain, but not as much as physiotherapy, and they probably don’t do much to permanently fix the rot cause of back pain.
In other words, massage chairs are no substitute for proper treatment, but they are a great adjunct, they feel great, and they might be enough if combined with fixing your posture (particularly the way you sit at a desk).
Massage chairs range from ten thousand dollar devices that will make you feel like you’re in a high-end luxury spa, to more modest devices which can nonetheless feel extremely comfortable and relaxing for only a few hundred dollars. Two of the best massage chair brands are Human Touch and Infinity; here are our favorite home massage chairs by both companies.
Our Top Picks For Massage Chairs
Best Massage Chair By Human Touch
Human Touch Super Novo Massage Chair
The latest evolution of the Human Touch Novo design, the Super Novo is a smart massage chair designed to utilize Alexa and act as a virtual massage therapist. Its ergonomic unibody track is designed to cover the entire back, providing the most complete massage chair experience science has yet designed.
It features 5 intensity settings, 3 deep-tissue massage programs, and 38 different wellness programs overall. It also comes with an ergonomic unibody track that covers the entire back, neck, shoulders, backs of the legs, and sides of the calves and ankles. Finally, it comes with targeted acupressure provided by inflatable pockets under the surface of the chair and includes digital features such as Bluetooth speakers, Alexa voice control, an LCD remote, and a USB port.
Best Infinity Massage Chair
Infinity SmartChair X3 Massage Chair
The SmartChair is Infinity’s top-of-the-line massage chair. Compared to its Human Touch counterparts, it looks a bit more solid, less sleek, and more “normal.” Unlike Human Touch chairs, it doesn’t swivel side to side.
Its features include massage capability provided by a mix of airbags and roller massagers, for a more complete and well-wounded massage experience as well as a variety of massage settings that allow you to adjust the depth of the massage. Additionally, it had adjustable heat to soothe and loosen up muscles and a fully adjustable recliner, allowing the legs to be elevated above the heart for better circulation. Finally, it can be controlled with the included remote, or with the Infinity mobile app.
More Human Touch Massage Chairs We Like
Best Premium Massage Chair
Human Touch Novo XT Massage Chair
The Novo XT is Human Touch’s second most high-end massage chair. With it’s sleek, reclined design, it looks like an acceleration couch on a starship. It comes fully assembled and includes features such as 5 intensity settings, 3 deep-tissue massage program, and 34 different wellness programs overall.
It also comes with targeted acupressure provided by inflatable pockets under the surface of the chair and heat can be provided by varying the warmth of the air flowing through those same pockets. Additionally, it can recline anywhere from horizontal to near-vertical, while adjusting its curvature for a full-body stretch and possesses digital features such as Bluetooth speakers with 3d surround sound system, an LCD remote and USB port, and fingertip touch controls.
Best Mid-Range Massage Chair
Human Touch Sana Massage Chair
The Sana is Human Touch’s mid-range option, designed to provide most of the features of the Novo line at a more affordable price. It looks a lot closer to a normal chair, albeit one that still encases the body to a degree in order to achieve a high degree of coverage.
Features include 9 full-body wellness programs including full-body, stretch and recovery massage programs, and Cloud Touch acupressure using strategically placed air cells. This chair also boasts S-track and L-track massage, providing coverage from neck to foot. Finally, it’s on a rotating swivel base, and has a built-in entertainment center with Bluetooth speakers and USB port.
Best Economy Massage Chair
Human Touch WholeBody 7.1 Massage Chair
Human Touch’s economy model, the WholeBody looks more or less like a normal living room chair. However, it features a swing-out ottoman which acts as a foot and calf massager, and a similar swivel base as the other models, as well as an entertainment center with Bluetooth speakers.
With 5 massage settings and the ability to target specific areas of the back, this gives you most of what the more expensive models offer, albeit with a less conformal shape that doesn’t address the neck and shoulders quite as well. The main feature it doesn’t have relative to higher-end models is heating.
More Infinity Massage Chairs We Like
Best S-Track Massage Chair
Infinity IT-8500 XT Massage Chair
A slightly simplified version of the SmartChair X3, the IT-8500 X3 has most of the same features as well as the same overall design. That includes massage provided by a mix of airbags and roller massagers for a more complete and well-wounded massage experience and a variety of massage settings that allow you to adjust the depth of the massage.
It also comes with an adjustable heat setting to soothe and loosen up muscle as well as a fully adjustable recliner, allowing the legs to be elevated above the heart for better circulation. Finally, it can be controlled with the included remote, or with the Infinity mobile app.
Best L-Track Massage Chair
Infinity Riage CS
One of the most affordable massage chairs on the market, the Riage is nonetheless a very capable and comfortable massage chair. Its massage covers the back only, uses rollers (no airbags) and doesn’t feature heat. It provides L-track massage, unlike the S-track of the IT-8500, so while it doesn’t follow the curvature of the spine as well, it does provide coverage to the glutes and upper hamstrings.
Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.
