Product Review of the Omega Montage Elite Massage Chair

If you are looking for a massage chair, then finding relevant information regarding potential shiatsu chair candidates is important. Reviews and evaluations can point out the relevant aspects of each product. To assist potential purchaser researching massage chairs, we evaluate 5 key categories which include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. Each category is worth up to 20 points. All points are added up to give a total score based on the 5 categories. A disciplined, systematic approach takes out bias and presents facts. We review the Luxury range of $4,000 to $5,000 and feature the Omega Montage Elite massage chair.

Warranty & Customer Service: Warranty and customer service come from the company that makes the massage chair. A warranty protects the customer and customer service must rectify issues one may have. With the Montage Elite, Omega Massage covers 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts, 3 years labor and 90 days in-home service. Additionally, Omega has 1 year covering shipping. Omega provides a more comprehensive warranty well above the other manufacturers in this category. Omega only covers 90 days in-home versus others with 1 year. With this exception, Omega provides strong warranty coverage. On the customer service side, Omega overall is responsive and competent with minimal turnaround times. The Montage Elite is an 18 in Warranty & Customer.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Comfort and ergonomics are important design characteristic with a shiatsu massage chair. Omega designed the Montage Elite for comfort and relaxation. This shiatsu lounger is wheel chair accessible accommodating those that may have trouble getting in and out of the chair. Omega included the first wireless remote control with a lanyard allowing users to not have to get up to change the controls. The Montage Elite can accommodate taller users up to 6' 6" allowing most North Americans to fit in the chair. The comfort and fit of this shiatsu lounger is very good. Omega has accommodated many important ergonomics into this massage recliner. The Montage Elite is a 19 in Comfort & Ergonomics.

East of Use: Massage Chair manufacturers are building in more technology and features into their chairs. Users need to be able to quickly, easily and intuitively understand how to use of a product. The Montage Elite has many advanced features and many manual options. The main remote control has 5 auto programs and a wheel button for adjusting the footrest and chair back. This remote is fairly intuitive. The wireless remote is a distilled version of the main remote and is simple in design and allows for virtually all the controls of the massage. The only significant exception is the air pressure on the lower body can only be adjusted from the main remote. Like most main remotes, a side panel contains many manual controls including manual massages and adjustments to the lower body air system. The wireless remote is compact, convenient and now a must have. The Montage Elite is a 19 in Ease of Use.

Key Features: The most prominent features of the Omega Montage Elite are the Lower Body Traction and Footflex Reflexology foot massage. Omega built in a traction function to gently stretch out your lower back, hips, knees and ankles. The footrest is raised horizontally; the air system activates to hold your ankles and then lowers successively to 3 positions. As the footrest lowers your muscles and tendons are stretched throughout the lower body. The Footflex reflexology uses airbags to hold and gently squeeze your foot at the arch and the heel at your reflexology points. Omega has brought the lower body air massages up to par with the back massage technology. Omega has a thorough array of massage for the back, neck, shoulders and base of the skull. The Montage Elite is a 19 in Key Features.

Massage Therapy: The Montage Elite has both automatic and manual massage settings. Omega incorporates 5 full body automatic courses, 4 manual massage courses, and 4 massage speed settings for a total combination of 64 manual massage courses. The manual massage techniques include Kneading, Tapping, Finger Press, and Kneading & Tapping (Shiatsu). The kneading and tapping speeds can be individually control in the shiatsu technique. For instance, you can have slow kneading combined with fast tapping or vice-versa in 8 combinations. The lower body massage of this shiatsu massage chair is thorough and invigorating. Activating the lower body traction with the full lower body massage and full back massage can only be topped with the music-massage synchronization function. The Montage Elite is a full body therapy and relaxation machine providing a full sensory experience. The Montage Elite massage chair is a 20 in Massage Therapy.

We just reviewed 5 categories ranging from warranty to features to ergonomics. How does the Omega Montage Elite Score? Based on the 5 categories the total score for the Omega Montage Elite is a 95/100. The Montage Elite provides a thorough, comprehensive and full body massage therapy. The technology and simplicity of this shiatsu massage chair is what the luxury category is all about. Omega has one of the strongest warranties providing protection for the customer. The Montage Elite has brought all elements from music to foot massage to lower body traction into a wide range of massage therapies and sensory experiences. If you are looking at a luxury class massage chair, the Montage Elite is of the strongest contenders.

Searching for the Best Massage Chair to exceed your expectations? See articles, reviews and more about the premier massage chair brands like Sanyo and Panasonic. Find the Montage Elite Massage Chair by Omega.

Massage Chair Review - Omega Montage Premier With Mp3 Player

The Omega Montage Premier massage chair with MP3 player is one of the top chairs in its class ($4,000 to $5,000--see actual rank below). As with many of the chairs we have reviewed, the Omega Montage Premier has too many features to fully explain each one here. But let me describe the chair's most important features, qualities, and limitations, and especially those features that will not be found on other chairs.

As always, our review starts with the company that makes the chair. In our experience it is very clear that no massage chair is worth buying if the company that makes it will not stand behind it. Omega has shown an extremely high level of commitment to its customers and chairs, perhaps the best in the industry. Returns are rare, because of the quality of its chairs, and, within the restrictions of its returns policies, Omega honors its commitments without hassling its customers. Omega is responsive to customer inquiries and helpful if any problems arise. We give Omega a 10 out of 10 for its outstanding commitment to customer service.

Omega's commitment is reflected in its five-year warranty on the frame and three-year warranty on parts, which give the customer a high degree of confidence. These warranties sets this chair apart from some of the other leading chairs in this class.

Now to the features of the chair itself. I'll start with the weaknesses. As with every massage chair in the world, the technology simply isn't advanced enough to make a mechanical massage as good as a personal massage. Chair makers who claim to give you a massage as good as a personal massage are simply blowing smoke. Such a claim is much like an electronic razor manufacturer telling you the shave you get will be as close as a blade--baloney!

Having said that, some of these chairs (especially this one) are getting very close. And since it simply is impossible to have a human massage every time you need to relax, a massage chair can be a good substitute for the real thing (and in some ways, even better, since it never gets tired and never needs a massage in return).

Along with the inherent weaknesses of any massage chair, the Omega Montage Premier also uses air bags for the lower body massage. This can be a good thing, as it allows for greater flexibility and coverage. However, as the owner of one manufacturer of mechanically-based massage chairs told me, those air bags can never quite measure up to the force of a mechanical massage. This may be true, although the advancing technology is increasingly giving mechanical chairs greater coverage and air bag chairs greater pressure, so the difference between the two is definitely shrinking. I personally would prefer the flexibility and coverage of air bags over a deeper, more forceful massage.

Now to the positives--and there are many of them. The Omega Premier Montage offers several unique features. As a wannabe techie and music enthusiast, my favorite feature is the MP3 with headphones. All you need to do is download your favorite music onto the USB music stick and plug it into the chair. The chair can synchronize its massage to the music you choose. This is one of those extra little touches that makes a big difference.

As with the other chairs in this class, the Omega Montage Premier can deliver heat everywhere on your body. When you sit in the chair, it performs an infrared scan of your back to detect the location of your acupoints and customize the massage accordingly. The chair can accommodate users up to 6' 5" with a back massage length of 30 inches, which is very good coverage (although not quite as good as Sanyo's 31-inch Zero Gravity chair).

One excellent feature of this chair is the lower body traction function. The chair is able to grip your feet and calves in the footrest and stretch your legs from the hips down, which is intended to stretch your joints and ligaments in order to increase your range of motion. I don't know about any health claims the manufacturer might make, but stretching like this can really feel nice and add to the overall relaxation benefits of the chair.

Also in the lower body, this chair contains what Omega calls "reflexology nodes" for the feet and Footflex Massage Technology. This is a great feature that focuses the massage on refloxology points in the foot. Clearly, Omega has gotten the message from customers that the foot massage is an important part of the overall massage experience.

Working our way up, the Omega Montage Premier has a hip vibration feature that can be great for a limited time (but irritating if overused). As with all massage functions, overdoing it is a real risk, so paying attention to your massage is important. This chair includes pads that can be added to soften the massage until your body becomes accustomed to the massage "workout" delivered by the chair.

The Omega Montage has five pre-programmed massages named Relaxation, Activation, Vitality, Morning, and Night. It also has four manual massage courses for the entire back, upper back, lower back, and waist. The chair uses a back-lit LCD screen and sub-remote control so you don't have to move to adjust the chair. The chair can be reset to its original position with one touch.

The chair is covered with a high-quality leather-like material that acts like leather without the cracking and breaking that can plague real leather chairs. Its recline angle is up to 175 degrees, which is very close to a flat recline, and this full range of motion provides a very high-quality and complete massage.

The Omega Montage Premier massage chair is almost the same chair as the Omega Montage Elite massage chair, except for the look and the arm rests. Personally, I prefer the look of the Premier. Its silver body with complementary trim gives it a sleeker and more modern look, while the Elite provides a more classic appearance. However, the Premier is slightly more expensive, so the customer has to make that call.

In our experience, all the Omega chairs are well-built. They are constructed in China with Japanese components, so the customer gets the quality of the Japanese components without the high costs of Japanese assembly. Returns have been rare, and the manufacturer is responsive when concerns do arise. We've been very impressed with Omega.

Overall, (and largely because of its reliability and warranty) we rate the Omega Montage Premier massage chair a very close second in its class ($4,000 to $5,000 range). (In fact, for those who desire the lower body stretching function, the Montage would rank number one.) It is exceeded only by the Sanyo Zero Gravity massage chair, which is more expensive but has a few features that are lacking in the Montage. We'll discuss those features in the upcoming article devoted to the Sanyo Zero Gravity massage chair HEC-DR7700K.

This product was reviewed for http://massagechairs.com , which sells most massage chair brands and attempts to provide unbiased reviews for its best massage chairs. Reviews for the rest of the MassageChair.com Top 25 can also be found on the same site. More information on this specific product can be found at http://massagechairs.com/Montage-Elite-Massage-Chair-w-MP3.html

How to Pick a Robotic Shiatsu Massage Chair As a Daily Massage Therapy Alternative

Massage therapy provides relief to people from all walks of life... the weekend athlete, the home gardener, the over-stressed executive, secretaries, waitresses, laborers... virtually anyone can feel a need for massage therapy.

Research studies conducted in the United States, Europe, and Asia have documented that massage therapy has an impressive range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits including, but not limited to reducing the effects of stress, relaxing tense muscles, increasing blood circulation, decreasing chronic pain, strengthening the immune system, improving nerve functioning, benefitting sleep, and improving skin tone.

The problem with massage is simply getting them. At typical massage therapy prices of $60 per hour one massage per week ends up costing $3,120 per year... year after year. For people with chronic problems like back pain, arthritic pain, poor circulation in the extremities, and chronic stress, one massage a week is just not sufficient to produce desired therapeutic effects... and the $15,600 annual price tag of 5 day per week massages it out of the question for most people.

A viable solution for people who want or need regular massage therapy is the robotic massage chair. They have the power to bring the health benefits of regular massage therapy directly into your home. Robotic massage chair technology has come a long way in the last several years. While no robotic massage chair matches the benefits received from a skilled human massage therapist, many chairs achieve amazing results by electronically and mechanically simulating the actual hand movements of Swedish, deep tissue, and Shiatsu massage therapists. It's almost like having your own resident personal massage therapist.

There are many different mechanical devices that claim the title of massage chair. That means consumers need to be cautious because it's very important to get a chair with the right features. It's possible to get too few features, but also too many features.

There are a couple of massage chair devices that you should stay away from. At the lowest end of the spectrum are the massage cushions that slip over an existing chair. Some simply vibrate, others have what they call a "shiatsu" massage, and both varieties may have heat. From a therapeutic viewpoint, these types of devices are worthless. There is one minor exception. Some that can work off the cigarette lighter or accessory outlet in a car can provide some benefits to circulation on long auto trips. One level above the slip over massage cushions are vibrating chairs. All they do is vibrate. These are also not particularly useful from a therapeutic view.

The chairs that are worth considering are like super-recliners. There are many different features available and the key to getting a good chair is to get one with the features that you really need. Focus on the chair's ability to give a good massage. Forget the high end chairs with stereo speakers built in. It's fancy, but not therapeutic and it adds to the cost of the chair. Also forget the chairs with built in heating. Usually, the heat from these chairs is not sufficient to really get much therapeutic benefit. A better approach is to purchase a separate professional heating pad used by massage therapists. They are available at any good online massage supply shopping site.

Robotic massage chairs typically feature vibration, rolling, kneading, and knocking for the back. Vibration is self-explanatory and is the least useful. Kneading simulates the thumbs of a massage therapist rotating in circular motions on the two muscles that are on either side of the spine. Knocking is like having someone gently tapping on your back to eliminate both stiffness and muscle fatigue. Rolling simulates the hands of a Swedish massage therapist's hands moving on your back. Pick a chair that has a control panel that lets you control the speed and/or pressure in these back massage techniques. If back pain is a challenge for you, then select a chair that has a back scanning feature. With this feature, the chair will automatically scan up and down your back at the beginning of the massage cycle to determine the exact shape of your back. That allows the chair to provide a back massage tailored to the unique shape of your back. If you do not have back problems, then you may wish to not include this feature because the scanning feature tends you move you up into a slightly higher price bracket.

Many robotic chairs claim to have a life-like Shiatsu massage capability. It's really not true. If you have ever had a massage from a well-trained Shiatsu therapist you should not have the expectation that any chair can really get close to that. Even so, the Shiatsu-like features of good chairs can provide excellent stimulation and energy flow to the spine. There is no doubt that the chairs will relieve stress and promote better health. The Shiatsu-like robotic movements are among the best features in most chairs.

Another feature to look for in chairs with the back scanning technology is the ability to do over the shoulder massage. That means that the mechanisms in the chair actually slightly roll over the top of the shoulders. It really is great for getting rid of that staring at the computer terminal all day shoulder tension.

Good massage chairs also provide massage for the calves using an airbag technology. The air bags inflate and deflate in succession to simulate the hands of a massage therapist's hands moving along your legs with constant motion toward the heart. This is excellent for anyone with leg circulation problems. It most definitely increases circulation in the legs. However, there are two important things to look for. First, the number of independently inflating air bags makes a difference. More air bags tends to enhance the simulation of an actual therapist. Of course, the price increases with more airbags. Do not consider a chair with a small number of airbags. Shop around. Second, some chairs have airbags on just one side of the leg. So the feeling is like the leg is being squeezed against a cushioned board on one side. Airbags should be on both sides of the legs for maximum therapeutic benefit. The chair should let you adjust the amount of pressure applied by the airbags.

Air bags can also be used for the feet, thighs, and butt. The same considerations apply to the feet as to the calves. Go for a minimum of six airbags for the feet. The thighs and bottom will only have airbags applied to the back of the legs and bottom. There is no way to apply it to the top part of the thigh. Don't overlook these features, particularly if you have leg circulation problems.

Robotic chairs typically have several different pre-programmed massage cycles that you can select from. There has been a battle in the industry to claim the most different automatic sequences. In point of fact, though, the number of pre-programmed cycles is not that important. These pre-programmed cycles are great for an overall massage, but if you have problem areas what you really want is the ability to create your own massage sequences. For example, you may want to focus on the lower back and the feet. Look for chairs that allow you to store at least 10 of your own sequences. The more features that you can control like speed, pressure, style of massage, and duration and the more parts of the body that you can independently target like the upper back, lower back, thighs, and feet, the more you will enjoy storing your own custom tailored massage sequences.

Consider a few of the "nice to have" features. All good robotic chairs have motorized operation of the reclining mechanism. Look for chairs that allow you to independently control the back and leg reclining mechanisms.

These robotic chairs typically weigh 250 - 300 pounds. So make sure the chair is on rollers so that it can be moved around easily. Some will even fold down so that they can be easily rolled away and stored. Honestly, these chairs are so comfortable, even when they are not providing a massage, that it seems strange that anyone would actually want to store it somewhere, but the rollers are pretty important when it comes time to vacuum.

Finally, keep in mind that if you have a genuine therapeutic need for regular massage you can probably get your doctor to write a prescription for a robotic chair and it's very possible your insurance will pick up part or all of the cost of the chair.

And speaking of cost, expect the retail price of good robotic massage chairs to be in the $3,000 to $6,000 retail price range. To get the best prices look online. There you will find the same chairs in the $1,300 to $2,000. Don't forget that shipping on these chairs to anywhere in the continental USA is about $200, so pay attention to whether or not shipping is included.

If you get the right chair, you and your family will experience years of enjoyment... unless, of course, you end up fighting over who gets to use the chair next.    

Ron Morefield received certifications in acupuncture and in the NADA protocol and has authored the book "Natural Energy Balancing" as a text for ordinary people who want to use acupuncture and energy medicine in their lives. He was the owner of the Harmony Day Spa. Get more information about massage chairs at [http://www.thebestmassagechairs.com] and more information about health related issues at the blog Enjoy A Better World -- a resource that provides information, tools, and tips for people who want to make a positive change in their world and begin to really enjoy it. http://www.enjoyabetterworld.com