Written by TJ Donegan, Michael Garrett Steele, and Lily Hartman
Updated July 8, 2024
If you’re dealing with consistent neck pain, leg pain, back pain, or general discomfort, or you simply want to relax your muscles after a long day or workout, a massage chair can help. Do note that they’re big, expensive, and not a replacement for the health benefits of a professional massage or physical therapist, if that’s what you need. However, you can get a great massage experience by enjoying the right chair daily.
Buying a massage chair is a big investment, but we’ve dug into hundreds of massage chair reviews from users and massage therapists to uncover the most reliable chairs from the best brands. These offer a variety of massage techniques, provide heat, and recline so you can hit those hard-to-reach spots with minimal issues. Though we haven’t had the chance to try all of them ourselves, these are the best massage chairs we’ve found in our research.
A few things to note about shopping for a massage chair: They’re big and heavy, which means they’re typically shipped by freight (which may take a few weeks), and you’ll need some help getting them into place. Most come fully assembled, but reviewers often cite poor instructions and iffy customer service.
Here are our top picks for massage chairs right now.
Top Massage Recliner Chair
Human Touch iJOY Total Massage
- Weight: 285 pounds
- Size: Medium
- Dimensions: 47 x 30 x 44 inches
- Material: Faux leather, metal
The Human Touch iJoy Total Massage is a midrange massage chair that offers a full recline, air cells for providing compression on the calf and foot area, and an S-track design to massage the neck and back while following the curvature of the spine (without extending into the glutes and hamstring area).
Reviewers have pointed out some occasional, minor quality-control issues. The chair arrives in just two boxes, is easy to put together, and is lighter and more compact than the other spaceship-style chairs on this list. Its biggest drawback is that its size makes it a poor fit for taller folks—especially those over six feet tall.
Pros
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Full-body massage
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S-track massage from head to lower back
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Foot and calf massage
Cons
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Firm massage arms
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Massive and heavy
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Best for shorter people
Buy now at Amazon
$1,299.99 from Best Buy
Favorite Budget Massage Chair
HoMedics Shiatsu Elite II
- Weight: 12.98 pounds
- Size: Small
- Dimensions: 21.7 x 29.3 x 17.3 inches
- Material: Leather
This extra affordable massage chair boasts some decent features for its price. We love that you can choose between receiving a deep-tissue massage, a gentle relaxing massage, or one that targets specific sore areas or knots. Plus, it comes with a heating function to soothe your muscles, though some reviewers say it can get too hot after a few minutes.
Once you choose the best massage mode for your needs, you can also adjust the distance, width, or neck height for your body for maximum comfort.
Pros
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Easy to adjust height
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Affordable
Cons
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Heat feature may get too hot
Buy now at Amazon
$189.74 from Best Buy
$189.83 from Walmart
Favorite Full-Body Massage Chair
Osaki 4000LS
- Weight: 300 pounds
- Size: Medium
- Dimensions: 52 x 30 x 40 inches
- Material: Metal, plastic, upholstery
The Osaki OS-4000LS is a simple, stylish massage chair that features a full L-track massage. Reviewers are consistently impressed by its quality, and particularly the rollers’ ability to hit trick spots in your lower back. It still offers a full, zero-gravity recline position and rollers to cover your neck and shoulders, along your back, and down to your feet.
Like other Osaki chairs, this features adjustable shoulder airbag massages, along with 24 airbags spread throughout to provide compression and support for your back, arms, calves, and hamstrings.
Pros
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L-track massage from neck to glutes
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Heated lumbar pad
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Zero-gravity reclining
Cons
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No S-track massage
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Massive and heavy
Buy now at Amazon
Other Massage Chairs We Evaluated
Osaki Titan Pro Omega 3D
- Weight: 280 pounds
- Size: Medium
- Dimensions: 62 x 32.75 x 50.5 inches
- Material: Faux leather
The Osaki Titan TI-Pro Omega 3D Massage Chair is a slightly higher-end chair with a wide range of features, like a full SL-track roller setup, heated back area, zero-gravity recline, and a body-scanning feature for 3D massage. It’s rare to get that combination for under $2,500, but this chair is usually on sale for $2,000 or less.
Reviewers rave about the chair’s abilities, including the full SL-track massage’s power to hit certain lower-back areas. It’s a bit tricky to set up, and people aren’t fond of the confusing instruction manual. But if you have room for a large, heavy massage chair, this is a good option.
Pros
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Full-body SL-track massage
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Heated back rollers
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Fully assembled
Cons
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Poor instructions
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Finicky programming
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Massive and heavy
Buy now at Amazon
Human Touch Wholebody 7.1
- Weight: 114 pounds
- Size: Medium
- Dimensions: 44 x 28 x 40 inches
- Material: Polyurethane
The Human Touch WholeBody 7.1 foregoes traditional tracks and rollers in favor of a 3D FlexGlide orbital massage. The brand claims its massagers offer a smoother application of pressure without the pinching or friction that other chairs have.
With five auto-massage programs, it may offer fewer settings than some other chairs. But the WholeBody’s BodyMap Pro system lets you target problem areas by touching buttons on a map of a human back on the remote. The attached ottoman acts as a foot and calf massager, with the calf massage meant to improve blood flow from the feet to the core and back.
Unfortunately, this Human Touch massage chair may have some longevity issues. Critical reviewers cite problems with the chair’s fabric not standing up to the massagers and heat for long. The small size, lack of plushness, and the permanently reclined angle of the chair itself are also an issue for some users. As one of the more expensive chairs on this list, that’s a bit disappointing.
Pros
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Targets specific muscles
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May improve blood flow
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Provides a strong massage
Cons
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May have some longevity issues
$1,577.99 from Target
$2,199.00 from Abt
Osaki OS-Champ
- Weight: 203 pounds
- Size: Medium
- Dimensions: 30 x 57.1 x 44.1 inches
- Material: Faux leather
If you have tight hip flexors or calves, or just want to loosen up your leg muscles, this massage chair is a great pick. It features an L-track rolling system, starting from the top of your neck and working its way down to your calves (though a few reviewers say the foot-massage feature can feel a bit rough).
Plus, it’s a two-stage massage chair with a zero-gravity position, which lets you raise your feet above your heart and stretch out your knees for even better blood flow during your massage. You can specify where on your body you want the massage to focus and control each feature with a remote. It’s available in multiple color combinations.
Pros
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Full-body massage
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Zero-gravity recline
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Bluetooth speakers built in
Cons
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No S-track massage
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Massive and heavy
What to Look for in a Massage Chair
Because a massage chair is such a big investment, it’s important to be sure you’re making a decision that suits your needs. If you just want a good cushion, a chair this pricey might not be worth your while. Here are some things to consider.
Location
The more feature-rich a massage chair is, the more space it may take up. Massage chairs can be massive and heavy. Make sure you've got enough space cleared out in your home before you invest.
Massage Chair Tracks
You may hear about an S-track, L-track, or SL-track massage chair. These different tracks refer to the path that the massaging rollers travel as they give you a relaxing massage.
- S tracks run the length of your back, from your neck and shoulders down to the lower back. It's made to follow the curve of your spine.
- L tracks run along the chair in an L shape. They don't have as light of a touch with your back, but they extend under your seat to reach your hamstrings and glutes.
- SL tracks give you the best of both options. They follow the curvature of your spine, then run down around your seat to massage your legs, as well. Some companies don't make this distinction, and simply refer to this as an L-track.
Massage Types
Different chairs offer different types of massage. Most have rollers in the back of the chair that work your neck, shoulders, arms, and back. But you may also see full-body massage chairs that include rollers for your legs and feet.
There are also “3D” and “4D massages” that add an element of depth. These massage chairs can push harder to apply more pressure to different parts of your body. You can even find people claiming to make a shiatsu massage chair, if you want to try acupressure from home.
Find something that suits your needs. Don’t shell out for a full-body shiatsu massage chair if you just want to release some of the tension in your back. Likewise, if you’re just after a massage for your calves and feet, you can get a device for that without having to pick up a whole chair.
Features
You can find all kinds of features in the world of massage chairs. Some of these are common sense and provide basic benefits, as you’d expect, but you may find one chair that is much more expensive than another and the only difference is a few extra conveniences.
Consider whether you care about having a separate remote control, whether you need your chair to fully recline, and whether you care about a heat therapy option. Look at how many massage programs the chair offers, and whether those are comfortable to you.
Some features may be extravagant bells and whistles that would be fun to have, but may not make this massage chair worth the cost. You may already have Bluetooth speakers in your living room, which means you don’t need a massage chair that comes with built-in speakers.
Some chairs will even save personalized massage programs for members of your household, but that may not be necessary if your family just remembers their preferred settings.
How We Evaluate the Best Massage Chairs
The massage chairs in this guide offer a mix of the best recline capabilities, compression, and comfort. Our product experts conduct extensive product research, examining user reviews, product specifications, price points, and other factors to make the best recommendations.
More Articles on Home Massage Technology You May Enjoy
- The Best Hand Massagers
- The Best Neck Massagers
- The Best Massage Tables
- The Best Home Saunas
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Meet the writers
TJ is the former Director of Content Development at Reviewed. He is a Massachusetts native and has covered electronics, cameras, TVs, smartphones, parenting, and more for Reviewed. He is from the self-styled "Cranberry Capitol of the World," which is, in fact, a real thing.
See all of TJ Donegan's reviews
Michael Garrett Steele has been writing and editing professionally since 2013, and has been a part of Reviewed since 2020.An MFA in music composition, Garrett has lent audio expertise to everyone from Independence Community College to Bethesda Softworks, informing reviews of audio equipment and services. Garrett also covers tech, drawing on experience working everywhere from IT helpdesks to enterprise architecture sales. Steele has also become a go-to reviewer for minor plumbing fixtures since covering bidets for Reviewed in early 2020.
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Lily Hartman
Staff Writer, Search
Lily Hartman is a staff writer who also enjoys writing magazine articles about health and outdoor recreation. In her free time, she likes to hike, camp, run, and lift weights.
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