Are you looking for the best but do not want to spend a fortune on a massage chair? We come across this situation many times. As a response from many of our customers, we have put together the short list of the best massage chairs in the mid range market. There are so many massage chairs to choose from. If you are looking, here are the best and forget the rest!

Based on our testing and many of our customer’s recommendations, we have assembled the list of the top three mid level massage chairs available today. These massage chairs not only deliver value, but also awesome massage therapy. We also will point out their warranty coverage so you get a complete snapshot of each of the massage chairs.

The top massage chairs that we selected also happened to come from the best massage chair manufacturers. This is no coincidence. The best just keep making the best and they are hard to beat. These manufacturers are Omega, Panasonic and Sanyo. They put a premium on research and provide therapeutic massage chairs built for the long term. They back them with comprehensive warranty coverage. They add exciting extras whether technological or stylistic. So let us start with the best of the best.

Omega OM-510 Prestigio: The Prestigio is the most striking design in massage chairs with its glossy wood armrests and highly varnished designer side table. But looks aside, the OM-510 is a massage therapy machine. This massage recliner provides an invigorating and thorough massage therapy. It provides deep penetration to give you excellent relief.

The Prestigio comes with an air massage system. The air massage system covers your buttocks, thighs, calves and feet. The feet are taken care of with a reflexology massage that helps to provide full body relaxation. You can relax for a long time with the comprehensive warranty on the OM-510. You get 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts and labor and 90 days in home service. This is an amazing value for a mid range massage recliner.

Sanyo SA 5000: The SA5000 is the mid range model from Sanyo. The SA 5000 has many of the same features as its higher end model the DR7700. This recliner comes with the GK roller system. The GK rollers literally reach out over the shoulders. This unique function helps to provide the shoulder with a thorough and relieving massage.

The SA-5000 also comes with a physical shape sensor. This shape sensor tracks your body as it moves in the chair and adjusts the massage rollers for maximum effectiveness. You also get the stiffness detector, which can determine areas of stress and tension in the body and then focus the massage on those areas automatically. The SA 5000 warranty comes with the following coverage: 3 years on the roller mechanism, 1 year parts and labor and 1 year in home service. This mid range model provides you with an arsenal of automatic features to relieve your tensions.

Panasonic EP30003: Panasonic is known to push the limits of replicating massage therapy techniques. The EP-30003 introduces a new massage therapy called Junetsu. Junetsu means ultra fine kneading. This kneading style massage makes small circular motions that then penetrate deeply in one area at a time. This is an excellent massage to take knots out of your back. This is a deep tissue style massage that is very relieving as it penetrates through the muscle.

One unique function in the mid level massage chairs is the lower body traction system put into the EP 30003 massage chair. The traction system works via the leg rest. The leg rest will grab hold of your feet and then rise horizontally. It then slowly lowers to 3 successively lower positions. This helps to elongate the leg muscles to increase the range of motion of your joints. The EP30003 comes with the following warranty coverage: 3 years parts, 1 year labor and 1 year in home repair service. This is a good, solid chair built by Panasonic massage chairs.

There you have it. These are the best of the best in the midrange massage chair market. These massage chairs provide thorough and effective massage therapy. They are designed with advanced technological features. You get solid warranty coverage which will give you years of soothing massage therapy. These are the massage chair recliners to scout out for the mid range models.

What is a shiatsu massage chair? Shiatsu massage is a specific type of massage therapy with its roots in Japan. Many massage chairs came from Japan and shiatsu is what Japanese are most familiar. So many massage chairs got labeled as shiatsu massage chairs. Now it seems everyone is using the shiatsu designation. We take a look at shiatsu massage and its origins which can then be used as a benchmark to determine which massage recliners would fit in this category.

Massage therapy has been used for over 5,000 years. It has different origins in China, Egypt and India. Shiatsu massage therapy is an offshoot of Chinese medical arts such as acupuncture. Acupuncture uses pressure points in the body to promote healing. The Japanese adapted acu pressure to control and regulate the flow of energy in the body. They noticed that applying pressure to specific points reduced discomfort and pain in the body. A body of knowledge developed using specific pressure points to induce total bod relaxation which formed into the traditional shiatsu massage.

Traditional shiatsu massage incorporates both kneading with the thumbs and fingers and chopping action with the sides of the palms. Kneading was found to stretch out tight muslces making them more elastic. This help to restore flexibility and improve the range of motion. Chopping massage was found to invigorate an given area to enhance blood circulation. The chopping action helps to loosen tight muscles which then make it easier to perform the kneading massage. The use of pressure point massage helps the major organs relax while the kneading and chopping work on relaxing the muscles.

With this background in shiatsu massage therapy, we can now look at massage chair recliners that provide this type of techniques. Some of the premier massage chair brands like Panasonic, Omega and Sanyo have chairs that meet these parameters. Many of these chairs have sensors to detect your acupressure points. The software then adjusts the massage to target your individual pressure points. Some of the best massage chair recliners providing shiatsu massage therapy are presented here.

The Panasonic EP30004 Real Pro Ultra creates a virtual map of your back. It takes into consideration the curvature of your spine and shoulder height. This chair also comes with an ultra-fine kneading function called Junetsu. Junetsu uses small circular motions that reverberate to the bone to provide muscle invigoration and relaxation. These massage techniques are particularly effective for the whole back region. The Junetsu is a unique massage only incorporated in the Panasonic chair.

The Sanyo SA 5000 uses a physical shape sensor to measure the users body. This is a high tech gadget to keep the shiatsu massage hitting the right acu pressure points. The interesting feature is that you can move around in the chair and the shape sensor readjusts where your pressure points are located. This is perfect for those who squirm more during the massage. The chair will still zero in on your points and hit them with relieving accuracy. Sanyo has got your back!

Some massage chairs have taken shiatsu massage and elevated into higher dimensions. Take the Montage Premier by Omega. This chair brings in the dimension of sound with the MP3 music player. Put on the headphones and let the music soothe your mind. Meanwhile, add full body heat or individual area heat to reduce swelling and ease aches and pains. Or add some traditional shiatsu lower body stretching. The Montage Premier incorporates a lower body traction that elongates the whole lower body for comprehensive relief.

Of course, there are more massage chairs that provide shiatsu massage therapy, but these are the best of the best. Find out if shiatsu massage is right for you. If so, then you will do very well with any of these chairs. Many companies advertise that they perform certain functions, but they may not actually deliver it. If you stick with the top brands like Sanyo, Omega and Panasonic then you will get years of shiatsu massage therapy from your massage chair.