The 5 Best Massage Chairs

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Find relief and relaxation with these editor-tested massage chairs. Eyes Massager Machine

At-home massage chairs can offer many of the same benefits as in-office professional massages. According to Preston Brown, DPT, physical therapist and owner of Prestige Therapy Wellness in Wisconsin, massage chairs can reduce muscle tension, improve relaxation within the body, and help decrease pain or muscle tightness caused by chronic conditions like arthritis. A quality massage chair can provide physical relief to areas like the back, shoulders, hips, and feet by combining shiatsu techniques, heat therapy, and compression massage. Brown explains that when shopping for a massage chair, you should consider the chair’s size and look for a proper fit while also considering your personal needs.

To help you find the right massage chair, we tested top-rated options in the Verywell Health lab. Then we narrowed down our list based on criteria such as comfort, ease of use, pressure, design, and value. These were our favorites.

Not ideal for larger bodies

Our best overall pick, the Osaki OS-Champ Massage Chair is incredibly effective at relieving pain and tension in all of the right places. It’s a full-body massage chair that delivers cloud-like comfort the moment you sit down, with extra cushioning and rollers that span your entire body (even down to your feet).

This chair is ideal for those who prefer more intense pressure relief over a gentle massage. When we tested it, the roller system moved downward from our neck to our glutes and back up again, which felt divine against our tightly wound muscles. The zero gravity feature allowed us to lay all the way back and helped us relax more during the process, which was effective for breaking through tight knots. Our editor who tested this chair suffers from major neck and back aches (as a result of sitting at a desk for long hours at a time) and she emphasized that this chair gave her unrivaled relief in just 20 minutes. It has five automatic massage settings as well as heat therapy for added relaxation.

The remote wasn’t very intuitive, which made using it a little confusing. Also, the foot massager was very intense and may be too aggressive for some.

The Homedics Shiatsu Elite II Massage Cushion is a portable, over-the-seat massager that's lightweight and fits most types of chairs. We think this is a great option for people who find themselves on the go, whether it’s long-distance travel or frequent commuting. It weighs only 1 pound and is fairly compact, however, we did notice it works better for chairs with significant depth as it can hang over the edge of shallow chairs. We particularly love that it offers lumbar support to help you maintain better posture during long bouts of sitting.

During testing, we first noticed that the instructions were simple, easy, and illustrated. The massage settings can be personalized depending on your needs. Regardless of the settings we chose for our massage, we were pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness of this portable massager. We found relief up and down our back, especially on our neck, where we felt the most intensity. The heat therapy feature also gets pretty hot and offers a welcome sensation of relaxation.

We feel that it’s a little pricey given that it lacks extra comfort features such as arm and footrests. However, we think it's worth the price if you require something portable yet effective.

If you’re tall and you’ve struggled to find a massage chair that doesn’t feel awkward, the Human Touch WholeBody 7.1 Massage Chair may be the best option for you. During testing, we noticed this full-body ergonomic massage chair is slimmer than most and has a longer backrest that can fit longer torsos very well. The neckrest is also angled so that taller people may benefit. And even though it's suited to longer bodies, it's not too bulky and will fit well in smaller living spaces.

We loved this massage chair during testing because it offered a customizable experience. We could change the intensity levels of the three massage settings (stretch, tone, and flex) to get the exact level of pressure we needed to soothe our achy bodies. The most intense setting applied hard enough pressure that it could work out tougher kinks and knots. The foot massager also stood out to us because it swiveled and massaged our calves in an upward motion that relaxed us. There’s also a gentle setting as well that gives average massage pressure.

We thought the manual was a bit too comprehensive, and the remote wasn't particularly intuitive. We also wished there was more lumbar support in this chair. However, if you're tall and tech-savvy, this is a solid option for you.

Compression helps with blood circulation

Heat feature offers added relief

Not great for larger bodies

While a massage chair isn't a replacement for physiotherapy if you're experiencing arthritis symptoms, studies show massage chairs can be cost-effective and helpful for pain control. If you struggle with arthritis pain, we particularly like the iRest Zero Gravity Massage Chair. The pressure massage delivered effective pain relief and increased our blood circulation.

For those struggling with pain, an aggressive massage can be daunting. However, even on the highest setting, we'd characterize this chair's pressure as gentle. It delivers equally balanced pressure through the five massage functions—knead, tap, knock, knead and tap, and shiatsu. The bottom chamber offers compression, which helps us alleviate our exhausted feet from constant walking. We also noticed increased circulation in our hands and feet. To top it off, the heat feature offers added relief and soothed us into a warm, meditative state which can often aid in pain reduction.

The massage chair itself is very narrow, so this may not be the best option for larger bodies. Additionally, the manual wasn’t very useful for troubleshooting so you may have to do some extra leg work if you run into problems with the massage chair.

Heat feature isn't powerful

The Real Relax Favor-03 ADV Massage Chair is the best budget massage chair, easy to use, comfortable, and effective. We were surprised to find just how much value this massage chair offers at its low price point. It has three different intensity levels, an LCD screen controller, and features like zero gravity and Bluetooth. We found that during testing, the right amount of pressure was applied to all the targeted areas, leaving us feeling comfortable and loose. Not to mention, it's well-cushioned with great lumbar support.

We noticed that even though there were different levels of intensity, it still wasn’t as harsh as other massage chairs we tried. Thus, it's also a good option for people who prefer a gentler massage. We were impressed by the foot roller setting, which felt great on our sore feet. Plus, this chair looked more aesthetically pleasing than other options (to ease sore eyes).

The heating function wasn’t very powerful. If you’re looking specifically for heat therapy, this may not be the best option for you.

We tested six massage chairs in the Verywell Health Lab. Before beginning, we made sure we wore comfortable flexible clothing so we could really get a feel for the massage chairs’ capabilities. We also consulted our doctors if we had arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, or any neurological or sensory deficits. During testing, we looked out for the following criteria:

A massage chair can be used for brief sessions once a day or several times per week in most cases; there are exceptions, though, depending on your condition or the reason you’re using the chair. Dr. Prestipino says you shouldn't sit for longer than 15 to 20 minutes, and if you need a longer time do more frequent shorter sessions throughout the day. She also says if you have muscle soreness or tightness, it's okay to use a massage chair several times per week for several months at a time but to be careful if you have herniated discs, neuropathy, vascular issues, or osteoporosis or bone density issues as it could worsen symptoms.

Yes. According to Dr. Prestipino, massage chairs can help with injury recovery by reducing stress and promoting relaxation, which can speed up the recovery process. She adds that they can also help with injuries by increasing circulation and blood flow, decreasing post-exercise soreness, assisting in tissue repair, and decreasing inflammation.

Massage chairs are good tools to help alleviate aches, sore and tight muscles, and pain. Related, Dr. Abraham suggests that theoretically because stress levels are higher when you are in pain, your blood pressure could lower post-massage when you're freshly relaxed, both mentally and physically.

Both types of rollers refer to the massage rollers in the back of the chair. S-track rollers move between your neck and lower back, following the curve of your spine. L-track rollers, similarly, also follow the curve of your spine, but reach even lower and can massage areas like the glutes and thighs.

Sarah Bradley has been writing health content since 2017—everything from product roundups and illness FAQs to nutrition explainers and the dish on diet trends. She knows how important it is to receive trustworthy and expert-approved advice about over-the-counter products that manage everyday health conditions, from GI issues and allergies to chronic headaches and joint pain.

Kim SK, Min A, Jeon C, Kim T, Cho S, Lee SC, Lee CK. Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of massage chair therapy versus basic physiotherapy in lower back pain patients: A randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Mar;99(12):e19514. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000019514. PMID: 32195952; PMCID: PMC7220115.

By Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley has been writing parenting content since 2017, after her third son was born. Since then, she has expanded her expertise to write about pregnancy and postpartum, childhood ages and stages, and general health conditions, including commerce articles for health products. Because she has been homeschooling her sons for seven years, she is also frequently asked to share homeschooling tips, tricks, and advice for parenting sites.

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