Wondering if anyone has recommendations for a good chair. I currently have a Golden Ratio, which is durable and light weight and I really have no complaints about it except I find at the end of a day of work my body doesn't like hauling it out on my shoulder. My prior chair was an Earthlite Avila, which was great to transport, but hard to set up (a lot of adjustments), hard to get back into the case, and worst of all, it had a very unstable face rest which would collapse with weight.
I was seriously looking at the Oakworks Portal Pro because it's on wheels, but was told the wheels chew up in time and then you have to carry it anyway. Since it's heavier than my Golden Ratio and longer in length when collapsed, it would be a nightmare to have to carry that one when the wheels go. I have no idea how much use you get before the wheels go. If anyone has any feedback on that, would appreciate it. I'm not traveling that far on pavement... most of it would be on carpet and polished granite. I park fairly close to the building, so not a lot on asphalt. That said, I live in Phoenix, so the asphalt is awfully hot....
The Earthlite Vortex was recommended to me, but same weight as what I have, no wheels, so seems senseless to make that switch.
Wondering what people here are using and what the reviews are from therapists using the chairs and carrying them around.
My chair gets a lot of use. I do regular corporate chair work, need to be able to travel easily and set up and break down quickly.
Well, I have the Oakworks Portal Pro and love it. I understand your concern about the wheels, and granted, I don't use mine often enough (at work the chairs are provided) to have to be concerned about that, but I figured, when the wheels wear out, I order new ones......I would check into that possibility first, because the chair is great. Easy to use and fast in set-up and breakdown compared to some others I have seen.
Once you have determined the brand you want, check out E-Bay and Craig’s List.
HOW TO BUY A MASSAGE CHAIR (TESTIMONIALS)
The top four seem to be:
Oakworks Portal Pro, Custom Craftworks, Earthlite and Stronglite Ergo Pro.
Judy Critz writes: I have been using an Oakworks Portal Pro for almost 7 years. In my opinion, it is the best because: it is very adjustable for all sizes of people; it is also very easy and fast to adjust, not a lot levers or handles; it is very comfortable; light weight and it has wheels. I have used the Tatum and Earthlight too and I didn't like them as well as the Oak Works.
David Washburn writes: Although I like my Golden Ratio Chair for portability, easy adjustments, and quick set-up, it has a draw-back: not friendly to women wearing skirts. I suggest looking at (and trying -- sitting in, folding up, carrying, etc.) as many chairs as possible before buying. David now owns a Custom Craftworks chair and he likes it very much.
Keith Tuxhorn writes: I have Earthlite's "flagship" model, the one you see advertised in the
mags all the time, and I really like it. I’ve loaned it to others, and they and they also like it. It costs around $400, more or less... Its only drawback is that it's slightly less adjustable than I'd like.
Jann Henry writes: Our group has 7 Oakworks Portal Pro's that are in continuous use 5 days a week. Besides client comfort and the ability to use good body mechanics our Number 1 concern is safety and reliability (liability.) These chairs have never failed us. Their frame is metal coated with paint, and there are "push buttons" to quickly adjust the height -- very quick and easy and you can adjust them on the fly. The best advice I have is to actually see the chairs you are considering and trying them out before you buy -- that way you'll be happy with what you get!
Ariana Vincent writes: I love my two Oakworks Portal Pro chairs!
Wow, thanks Ariana and Gabriele! I just did some online research (including looking at some You Tube videos) and must say I am seriously impressed by the Portal Pro. Between the videos and the reviews posted here, this is looking like a no-brainer. I wish it were possible to try it out, but we don't have a supplier who keeps the Portal Pro in stock here.
In the end, I'm not sure I will part with my Golden Ratio chair. Might keep it for a back up. I was told yesterday that the company is closing and that chair is the last of its kind. It is a real good chair and I'd hate to give it up knowing I couldn't replace it. I just might not use it for my primary chair.
Also, I called Oakworks yesterday and found there is a wheel replacement kit that sells for $15. Like I said, looking like a no-brainer!
I use my chair, so far, for free massage at a local community center. I pass out my card and hope that will draw in business. I have only just begun so I'll let ya know if it works.
Maria, that sounds great re the replacement wheels. And they have some cool colors.....
In Nashville I have a lilac Portal Pro and in Phoenix I have an aqua colored one.........Also, if you leave the zipper open on the bottom of the carry bag when the chair is upright, you can wheel the chair around with its carry bag/cover on. Good luck!
Thank you very much for creating the Chair Massage Group. I do Chair Massage in my practice with Bamboo and would love to talk about it to your member :)
She reached behind her and grabbed the seat and lifted it up.
This action detached the seat from the chair frame.
When she sat back down, the lady kept going until she was sitting on the floor.
It all happened so fast, I could not stop it.
Luckily she had wonderful leg strength and she was uninjured.
I had three days left.
Incident #2: One the last day, a tall lady with a very short skirt wanted a chair massage.
I was her therapist and gave her a great massage.
When she began to stand up, her legs stuck to the chair seat (this is Louisiana, its hot and humid).
The seat came with her.
Because of the first incident, I was able to grab her, the seat, and hinge the seat back on the frame in record time.
The long legged lady never knew what was going on – I was soooo smooth and kept my eye contact on her, not the chair (which would have brought attention to the chair).
I tried to contact Golden Ratio. The company was/is no longer in business.
I trashed the chair and bought an Oakworks Portable Pro.
Thanks for sharing those tales, Susan. I have an Earth Lite chair right now. Bought it used. I like it but hate trying to fold it back into it's wheeled bag.
Tuesday Sept. 29, will be my second event to do chair massage. We are going to the local power company and doing a corporate chair massage event. In the past I have also been to the women's gym here to do a chair massage event with them. It is always very fun.
I wanted to weigh in on massage chairs. There is so much excellent info here in this forum already! Bravo! This is just my 2 cents, and it is based on years of chair massage experience. I have had my Oakworks Portal Pro for 15 years. Besides my very frequent use of the chair, it was used in my practice at Harvard University as the rental chair. Now, those of you who may not have ever been tot he Cambridge area, know that a lot of the sidewalks are old brick and sometimes cobblestone. That chair has been dragged around to all areas of the huge campus, and I'm STILL on the first pair of wheels!
Without further ado:
1. Chose a chair that does not have plastic components. These wear out so quickly! I love the lightweight Earthlite chairs for their portability, and as a starter chair for those who will only be doing occasional chair massage, this one is just fine.
2. Make sure it's easy to adjust. Sorry Dolphin people, but we had one of those for 2 months in our practice and the screws stripped. THis is also a hard chair to maintain your good body mechanics with. Usually in chair massage, you need to be able to do a quick turnaround (i.e. get one person off and one person in the chair quickly). If you have a difficult time with complicated adjustments, this can irritate the people in your line and they'll go somewhere else.
3. Make sure the chair also adjusts for your height. Some days you may need to work higher, some lower, and don't we know people come in all sizes too so you may need to adjust the chair for them.
4. If possible, get the thing on wheels. Why ruin your precious back trying to carry it around?
5. What's the quality of the vinyl? Tears look unsightly and they cushions make a funny and sometimes rude noise if there's tears and a person settles in on it.
6. What's the quality of the cushioning? Is it so flimsy that when the person puts their face into the cradle, do they feel the hard frame? I once saw one of these chairs at a convention site, and every person who left that practitioner had a large crease on the left side of their face.
I hope that's helpful for some of you, and happy chair massaging!
Lisa Santoro
(See my article in the past issue of Massage and Bodywork magazine--"Free Your Hands and the Rest will Follow: Hands Free Chair Massage" Spring '06 issue)
I too have a Oakworks Portal Pro, for over 10 years. I love it, but I have 2 concerns. 1) It doesn't seem to adjust well for shorter (5'2"?) clients. It seems to work best if I adjust the seat to the maximum height, but then the short client has a little difficulty getting on the seat. 2) The 3 face rest adjustments doesn't seem to work well for shorter clients, especially women. That is, I slide in down as far as it will go, then I release the 2 levers and position the face rest as low as it will go, but then it is too close to the client. Any suggestions??? I have discovered that an Earthlite face rest will fit on the Oakworks chair frame. Next week I will be working with another MT who has an Earthlite chair; I' hoping that I can swap face rest for a test. If it works, then I try to buy either a complete face rest or a face rest frame from Earthlite.
Melissa Ann Smith
Aug 19, 2009
Travis Alligood
Aug 23, 2009
Maria Troia
I was seriously looking at the Oakworks Portal Pro because it's on wheels, but was told the wheels chew up in time and then you have to carry it anyway. Since it's heavier than my Golden Ratio and longer in length when collapsed, it would be a nightmare to have to carry that one when the wheels go. I have no idea how much use you get before the wheels go. If anyone has any feedback on that, would appreciate it. I'm not traveling that far on pavement... most of it would be on carpet and polished granite. I park fairly close to the building, so not a lot on asphalt. That said, I live in Phoenix, so the asphalt is awfully hot....
The Earthlite Vortex was recommended to me, but same weight as what I have, no wheels, so seems senseless to make that switch.
Wondering what people here are using and what the reviews are from therapists using the chairs and carrying them around.
My chair gets a lot of use. I do regular corporate chair work, need to be able to travel easily and set up and break down quickly.
Thanks in advance!
Maria Troia, MSEd, LMT, NCTMB, CH
www.kiraholistic.com
Sep 4, 2009
Gabriele G. La Vone
Sep 4, 2009
Ariana Vincent, LMT, MTI, BCTMB
Go to your local massage store and look at chairs. Sit in the chairs, fold them up, and carry them. If possible, rent a chair and try it out.
To learn more about massage chairs, go on-line and look up chairs you might be interested in and check the specifications, features and prices.
http://www.morningstarcompany.com/shop/massage-tables-chairs-c-44.html - Morning Star Trading Company has a selection of brands
http://www.customcraftworks.com/ Custom Craftworks
http://www.oakworks.net/Massage_Chairs/Seated_Massage_Equip.htm
http://www.stronglite.com/
http://www.goldenratio.com/GRW/Chair/QuickLite.html
http://www.earthlite.com/
http://www.massagewarehouse.com/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search.html/104-3677788-8394361?me=&node=3760931&keywords=massage%20chairs
http://www.massageking.com/categories/Massage-Chairs/14/1
http://www.massagewarehouse.com/parentCategory.asp?menu=103203&cat=103203
http://www.topmassagetables.com/massagechair.htm
http://www.massage-empire.com/Massage_Chairs
http://www.pricepro.com
Once you have determined the brand you want, check out E-Bay and Craig’s List.
HOW TO BUY A MASSAGE CHAIR (TESTIMONIALS)
The top four seem to be:
Oakworks Portal Pro, Custom Craftworks, Earthlite and Stronglite Ergo Pro.
Judy Critz writes: I have been using an Oakworks Portal Pro for almost 7 years. In my opinion, it is the best because: it is very adjustable for all sizes of people; it is also very easy and fast to adjust, not a lot levers or handles; it is very comfortable; light weight and it has wheels. I have used the Tatum and Earthlight too and I didn't like them as well as the Oak Works.
David Washburn writes: Although I like my Golden Ratio Chair for portability, easy adjustments, and quick set-up, it has a draw-back: not friendly to women wearing skirts. I suggest looking at (and trying -- sitting in, folding up, carrying, etc.) as many chairs as possible before buying. David now owns a Custom Craftworks chair and he likes it very much.
Keith Tuxhorn writes: I have Earthlite's "flagship" model, the one you see advertised in the
mags all the time, and I really like it. I’ve loaned it to others, and they and they also like it. It costs around $400, more or less... Its only drawback is that it's slightly less adjustable than I'd like.
Jann Henry writes: Our group has 7 Oakworks Portal Pro's that are in continuous use 5 days a week. Besides client comfort and the ability to use good body mechanics our Number 1 concern is safety and reliability (liability.) These chairs have never failed us. Their frame is metal coated with paint, and there are "push buttons" to quickly adjust the height -- very quick and easy and you can adjust them on the fly. The best advice I have is to actually see the chairs you are considering and trying them out before you buy -- that way you'll be happy with what you get!
Ariana Vincent writes: I love my two Oakworks Portal Pro chairs!
Warmly, Ariana Vincent, Ariana Institute, www.arianainstitute.com
Sep 4, 2009
Maria Troia
In the end, I'm not sure I will part with my Golden Ratio chair. Might keep it for a back up. I was told yesterday that the company is closing and that chair is the last of its kind. It is a real good chair and I'd hate to give it up knowing I couldn't replace it. I just might not use it for my primary chair.
Also, I called Oakworks yesterday and found there is a wheel replacement kit that sells for $15. Like I said, looking like a no-brainer!
Thanks again!
Sep 5, 2009
Bill Cahalan
Sep 7, 2009
Gabriele G. La Vone
In Nashville I have a lilac Portal Pro and in Phoenix I have an aqua colored one.........Also, if you leave the zipper open on the bottom of the carry bag when the chair is upright, you can wheel the chair around with its carry bag/cover on. Good luck!
Sep 7, 2009
Bamboo-Fusion
Thank you very much for creating the Chair Massage Group. I do Chair Massage in my practice with Bamboo and would love to talk about it to your member :)
Nathalie Cecilia, Founder
Sep 27, 2009
Susan G. Salvo
..but I had a golden ratio chair till last year.
We had two incidents during a four-day event.
Incident #1: A lady needed a chair adjustment.
She reached behind her and grabbed the seat and lifted it up.
This action detached the seat from the chair frame.
When she sat back down, the lady kept going until she was sitting on the floor.
It all happened so fast, I could not stop it.
Luckily she had wonderful leg strength and she was uninjured.
I had three days left.
Incident #2: One the last day, a tall lady with a very short skirt wanted a chair massage.
I was her therapist and gave her a great massage.
When she began to stand up, her legs stuck to the chair seat (this is Louisiana, its hot and humid).
The seat came with her.
Because of the first incident, I was able to grab her, the seat, and hinge the seat back on the frame in record time.
The long legged lady never knew what was going on – I was soooo smooth and kept my eye contact on her, not the chair (which would have brought attention to the chair).
I tried to contact Golden Ratio. The company was/is no longer in business.
I trashed the chair and bought an Oakworks Portable Pro.
I never looked back…
Sep 27, 2009
Bill Cahalan
Sep 27, 2009
Darcy Neibaur
Sep 27, 2009
Lisa Santoro
Without further ado:
1. Chose a chair that does not have plastic components. These wear out so quickly! I love the lightweight Earthlite chairs for their portability, and as a starter chair for those who will only be doing occasional chair massage, this one is just fine.
2. Make sure it's easy to adjust. Sorry Dolphin people, but we had one of those for 2 months in our practice and the screws stripped. THis is also a hard chair to maintain your good body mechanics with. Usually in chair massage, you need to be able to do a quick turnaround (i.e. get one person off and one person in the chair quickly). If you have a difficult time with complicated adjustments, this can irritate the people in your line and they'll go somewhere else.
3. Make sure the chair also adjusts for your height. Some days you may need to work higher, some lower, and don't we know people come in all sizes too so you may need to adjust the chair for them.
4. If possible, get the thing on wheels. Why ruin your precious back trying to carry it around?
5. What's the quality of the vinyl? Tears look unsightly and they cushions make a funny and sometimes rude noise if there's tears and a person settles in on it.
6. What's the quality of the cushioning? Is it so flimsy that when the person puts their face into the cradle, do they feel the hard frame? I once saw one of these chairs at a convention site, and every person who left that practitioner had a large crease on the left side of their face.
I hope that's helpful for some of you, and happy chair massaging!
Lisa Santoro
(See my article in the past issue of Massage and Bodywork magazine--"Free Your Hands and the Rest will Follow: Hands Free Chair Massage" Spring '06 issue)
Sep 28, 2009
Jack Nelson
Sep 29, 2009