A massage chair is a great home alternative to visiting a massage parlour, where you have to return every other week in order to reap the full benefits of the massage. While Singapore massage parlours are largely useful for addressing muscle pains and bodily aches, massage chairs have improved to the point where they can take over the role of a general masseur. With the massive advancements in technology, massage chairs like Master Drive Series are even able to learn about your bodily aches to adapt its massage techniques and create a personalised program for users.
Massager products come in a large range of shapes and sizes, but they are all aimed at doing the same thing: improving your health. There are three primary forms of massage: percussive massages, vibration massages, and rolling/kneading massages.
However, with so many massagers in Singapore, it can be tough deciding on the best one to buy. Here is a list of things that Ogawa recommends you pay attention to when buying a Singapore massager.
1. Identify The Issue You Want To Address
In order to get the maximum effectiveness out of any massage product, it’s important to know what kind of issue you want to address. These fall under two main groups: pain relief and improving general wellness.
Pain Relief
Some of the most common forms of muscle pains/aches(myalgia) include:
- Muscle tension
- Soreness/tenderness
- Cramps
- Strained/pulled muscles
Athletes are more prone to myalgia as they put their muscles through more strain. By repeatedly tearing and rebuilding your muscles, they can grow stronger and more resistant to injury. However, the recovery process takes time, and can be very uncomfortable for some.
Muscle tension and sore muscles can be relieved through percussive massages, which is attainable through portable massagers such as massage guns. On the other hand, they won’t work as well on injuries such as muscle tears, as the pounding motion might cause greater damage to their tissue.
Rolling/kneading massages are more effective at treating damaged muscles. There’s less trauma to the body, and blood flow to the damaged area is improved, which facilitates the recovery process.
Improving General Wellness
One of the greatest benefits of massages is that they can help to prevent a myriad of issues that are caused by bad postures and lack of exercise. Massage chairs help to boost blood circulation and unblock acupoints, as well as relieve tension in the body.
This is especially important for people who lead more sedentary lifestyles, as it can lead to long-term niggles.
Some of the benefits of massagers include:
- Preventing insomnia
- Relieving soreness
- Improving blood circulation
- Soothing joint pains
- Unknotting deep tissues
Numerous studies have also shown that massages help with building an immunity system and managing hypertension. It also has a visible effect in reducing stress and anxiety.
There’s no doubt that going to a massage parlour is a luxurious and beneficial experience – but you can’t have a massage session every day, or in the middle of the night. Neither can you bring your massage therapist with you after a quick workout.
That’s why, for those looking to get all the benefits of a massage while staying at home, we recommend a massage chair – one that can provide you with the same quality of massage as a professional masseur.
To check out our special promotional offers on massage chairs, click here to find out more.
For those looking for quick muscle relief, Ogawa’s very own massage gun, the Snazzy Touch, is currently on promotion as well!
2. Where Will You Use Your Massager The Most?
Before deciding on a foot massager, a massage chair, or a handheld massager, it’s important to think about when you’ll have the time to use your massager.
For instance, people working in labour intensive jobs, such as factory workers or logistics, may want to squeeze in some time during their breaks to relieve muscle aches. It would be better for these workers to use something more lightweight and portable, such as the Snazzy Touch or Vivid Touch.
Conversely, people working in offices might prefer a massager that can be taken to the office. While portable massagers do fall under this category, it also includes items such as the Estilo Prime X, which is a back/neck massager that can be fitted onto your office chair.
Stay-home mothers, housewives, and people who are working from home will benefit the most from a foot massager, especially if they have to busy themselves with household chores everyday. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as sinking your feet into the O.M.G Foot Massager after a long day of sweeping and mopping the floor.
By combining the usage of the Estilo Prime X with the O.M.G Foot Massager, you’ll get most of the benefits that come with a massage chair, together with the versatility and convenience of two lightweight, portable massagers.
If you’re often surrounded by other people, it’s better to get a product that’s quieter in nature, so that you won’t trouble others. Ogawa’s products are all made with this in mind, with each massage chair running softer than a gentle hum.
3. Think Of The Space Around You
Most massage chairs can be quite bulky in size. If you don’t have enough space to put a massage chair at home, a good alternative would be a combination package.
One example of this is the Estilo Prime X and Omknee 2. These two products help to knead away aching spots in areas similar to a massage chair, but are more compact in size. Of course, they cannot replace a massage chair fully, but it’s still a good alternative to moving your furniture around.
Alternatively, you could look for a massage chair that is built with these spatial constraints in mind. Ogawa’s Genix is one such example: it is designed to take up as much space as a recliner chair and won’t take up any extra space – even when fully extended!
You can also go for handheld massagers or body toning devices like the Shake Shape or EZ Wave Lite, all of which are compact and ergonomically designed. This provides the benefit of improving general wellness and health through vibration massage therapy.
If space isn’t an issue, the best massage chairs to go for would be the Master Drive AI and Smart Jazz, two massage chairs that are exceptionally good at providing an incredible massage experience.
4. How Much Are You Willing To Spend?
Singapore massagers tend to be on the costlier side as they are often manufactured overseas before being shipped over. Choosing a massager that is in line with your goals is important, but not exceeding your budget is just as important.
One good way to decide on the value of a massage chair is calculate its effectiveness and usage. To experience the full benefits of a massage, it’s crucial to return to the massage parlour consistently. Therefore, the following calculations will be based on the assumption that the user frequently goes for massages.
Let’s say you decide to purchase the Genix, which is available at $2/day* based on a 0% Interest payment plan, up to 36 months. Remember: you can use the Genix every day that you own it.
In comparison, you can expect to pay about $60 for a 1-hour massage in Singapore, excluding tips and travel time. Assuming the masseur is consistently good, that’s still $58 more expensive than the Genix. While a massage chair might not be as capable as an expert masseur, it comes with multiple massage programs and techniques that can cater to different users.
For instance, the Genix’s zero-gravity mode cannot be replicated by masseurs, and you can use it any time you wish to stave off your insomnia.
Although a massage chair cannot replace the skill of a professional human masseur, technology has advanced to the point where a massage chair can reliably provide similar benefits to its users. Furthermore, many people don’t just use the Genix for 2 sessions a day – its zero-gravity mode means that it can also double up as a sleep pod or bed, thus making full use of its value.
If your budget is tight and you don’t want to spend too much money, yet still want to get a massager, you can take a look at products such as the O.M.G and Tapping Foottee.
If your budget is a little more flexible and you’re thinking of getting something compact but still effective, the Genix is something that you can consider.
If you’re willing to splurge a little more to get the ultimate in comfort and health, check out the Master Drive AI, the best massage chair currently in the market.
5. Technology And Functionality Of The Massager
When looking at a massager, there’s nothing more important than considering the technological and functional aspects of it. These two factors are what differentiates one massage chair from another, and will act as the unique selling point of each product.
Massage chairs are a hefty investment, and it is highly recommended that you try any massage chair in the store before purchasing it, in order to make sure that you really want it. You can also opt for a rental program if you’re cautious, where you get full ownership of your very own massage chair for seven days.
If you want something that can provide a consistently luxurious massage experience with the best functionality of any massage chair in the market, check out the Master Drive series, which is hailed by experts as one of the best massage chairs in the world. It combines 36 different massage techniques with Smart AI Technology, which allows it to learn and adapt to your body’s needs, effectively tackling two major problems at once: existing issues, and preventing future ailments.
Most massage chairs are capable of addressing your problematic areas through a standard massage, but the Master Drive AI takes it a step further. The Smart AI Technology allows the Master Drive AI to put together a detailed analysis of all your problem spots, and customise a specialised massage program that targets these spots.
Ogawa has taken these 5 noteworthy factors into consideration with every item we put out, resulting in a line of products that has something to offer everyone. Click here to see what our online store has to offer, or click here to find the closest outlet where you can try out our massage chairs for yourself!