What you should consider before purchasing.

Whilst we have made some slight changes to the wording of this document to reflect the United Kingdom market, we wish to take no credit for its contents.

We have been given kind and exclusive permission to use this text by our friend and colleague, Dr Alan Weidner. He is very much the guru on everything massage chairs in the USA.

We cannot thank Dr Weidner enough. We consider everything in this article to be Dr Weidner's inspiration but our copyright. We know a very high percentage of visitors to our website will come from the United States. If you live in the USA, you could not be in better hands than dealing with Dr Weidner's company, Massage Chair Relief.

If you are based in the United Kingdom, then we believe that Rotai UK and the Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900 is the best option for you to purchase. If you are one of our many visitors from the United States, we can do no more than point you in the direction of massage-chair-relief.com to buy your massage chair. In short, Dr Alan Weidner not only understands the massage chair market "inside out", but he has also had his own chiropractic clinic for many years.
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Should you decide that the Rotai Ultimate is not for you, we hope you'll still learn valuable information in the following pages.

Over the years, the massage chair industry has developed its own vocabulary. Words like 4D, SL-track, L-track (as mentioned before), zero gravity, quad rollers, quick keys, retractable ottoman, body scan, J-track, auto programs, and footrest extension, among others.

Rather than make a boring list of definitions, we can do no better than suggesting that you visit Dr Alan Weidner's YouTube Channel at youtube.com/massagechairrelief. This is a fantastic resource for learning about massage chairs.

Unfortunately, there are many, many "knock-off" massage chairs being sold online, including chairs that are hacked together cheaply in Chinese factories. In short, they don't live up to their promises or do what they're meant to do and are prone to breaking at a moment's notice without much warranty support.

When looking for your first massage chair, you will discover two significant factors to consider to ensure that you get a quality chair that will last you for years to come. They are:

How Long is your chair's warranty?

Generally speaking, the more extended the parts & labour in-home warranty the chair manufacturer offers, the more confidence a distributor has in their product. But don't be fooled by fly-by-night online companies who provide outrageous 10-year warranties on a £2,000 massage chair. A 10-year warranty doesn't mean anything if you can't get a hold of the company that sold you the chair! Good luck finding your retailer or massage chair importer in 6 months or a year from now when you have a problem with your chair!

Rotai UK offers a 4-year part and labour warranty in your home, including 2 years of spare parts.

Most companies will also offer extended warranty options for 1 or 2 extra years of parts & labour and in-home coverage. Our experience is that these extended warranty options are a good investment. Parts alone can cost upwards of £500, not to mention the labour costs to install the new part, so an extended warranty is a good insurance policy

What's the reputation of the brand?

Beware of off-brand/no-name brand massage chairs. Yes, a little-known, lower-priced brand may have a good quality product, but you want to be safe, not sorry, with a substantial investment like a massage chair. We're not just talking about a good quality product, but a warranty and customer support that will back it up. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is spot on in the massage chair industry! But don't let fear get in your way.

We thoroughly recommend Dr Alan Weidner's video "Cheap v Premium Massage Chairs" (massage-chair-relief.com/blog/cheap-vs-premium-massage-chairs). We thought it would be boring to anyone else rather than us when we first saw this video! Most of us are only interested in the car's shape rather than what's under the bonnet. We believe that you will be amazed by the contents and how the chassis of the cheap massage chair compares to a premium model.

The following link also shows you the chassis of the Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900

Dual-Core RT8900 Disassembly

Rotai.uk

In this particular case, even if you are not technically minded, it's really fascinating to see what makes the Rotai Ultimate tick.
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Customer support is something the massage chair shopper often does not consider or takes too lightly before taking the plunge with their hard-earned money. For some people, price is everything, with little thought given to after-sale support. We feel that this is a critical mistake! What good is a cheap chair without a warranty and customer support should something go wrong with your new chair? Check the reputation of the retailer and the massage chair company before buying.

Even the best massage chair may break down. Make sure your massage chair is built with a modular design (most are nowadays) so that it can be easily repaired without having to send the whole chair back to the manufacturer. The Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900 could not have a better modular design. All chairs by the Rotai factory in Shanghai enjoy an excellent reputation for durability. Be careful of warranties that, in the small print, expect you to ship the chair back to the company if you need a repair. We prefer to recommend chairs with in-home warranties, especially during the first year. Make sure that whichever massage chair manufacturer you choose has an easy-to-reach Customer Sales Support Service.

Unfortunately, many "fly by night" online companies sell massage chairs to make a quick pound. Many massage chair sites you see online are not really companies but just marketing intermediaries. They do not provide real value and often operate a website from their bedroom.
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When investing seriously in a massage chair, you will want to ensure that the distributor/retailer reseller has plenty of testimonials and reviews. An excellent reputation for customer service and proof that they always put the customer first is essential. Whichever massage chair distributor you are dealing with, they must have a physical showroom to fully demonstrate the chair.
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Rotai (UK) Ltd forms part of the Salmon Group of Companies, and we specialise in the service industries. Our companies have banked with Coutts & Co (www.coutts.com) since 1976. Hopefully, that will more than inspire confidence as to our credentials.

As Dr Alan Weidner at massage-chair-relief.com comments (and we are pleased to echo his thoughts), we always ensure that the customer is content with the product.

Unfortunately, the Rotai Ultimate is not a "one-size fits all " product; thus, it can't be all things to all people. We suggest checking out third-party review sites that allow for objective reviews, like Google and Trustpilot. Of course, you can always visit our showrooms to check out the chairs and our service. You will see that we are real people, and we really do what we say!
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We currently have three showrooms in London, which are all "by appointment" only.
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This is not because we are a "cloak and dagger" operation! We are here to serve! In short, when you visit us, we offer a 90-120 minutes time slot to thoroughly demonstrate the Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900. So you will be given ample time to determine whether this is the chair of your dreams (we suspect it will be!) or otherwise. Either or, you'll walk out less tense than when you arrived! If two hours isn't enough, just make another reservation.
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Don't expect any heavy salesman because we do not have any. All we will do is demonstrate the chair and answer all of your questions. We will also throw in a sandwich, tea and coffee! The only salesman will be you.
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As mentioned previously, reviews can be critical in buying, but be mindful that reviews are often manipulated. This is particularly true of reviews on some massage chair websites.
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With reviews that you see posted on any platforms for our company, just as and we will be pleased to demonstrably show that they are totally genuine.
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When you are on a website for massage chairs with no negative reviews or all the chairs on those websites seem perfect because everyone has rated it 5/5 on the star scale, those reviews are very likely being manipulated. This is particularly prevalent on UK massage chair websites, where 90% or more of the reviews are not from typically English names. As Dr Alan Weidner (massage-chair-relief.com) helpfully suggests,

We agree wholeheartedly.

Dr Weidner mentions, "In all the years I've been involved in the massage chair industry, it was always commonly accepted and known that the Japanese made the best quality massage chairs. After all, Japan is the "fountainhead" of massage chairs, where they were invented and have been produced since the 1950s. Manufacturing of massage chairs began in China some years later because of lower production costs. Nowadays, most massage chairs are being manufactured in mainland China. Of course, there are still some "Japanese-made" chairs. Many components are manufactured in China and then exported to Japan, where the chairs are assembled, tested, and programmed. They are then exported to other countries and dubiously labelled as "Made in Japan". I am not aware at the time of writing any massage chair that is 100% "Made in Japan". Although the component production is in China, and many Chinese factories build great components, the secret to superior massage chairs is quality control testing, something the Japanese have a fabulous reputation for."

The same goes for chairs that claim to be"Made in Korea" or "Made in Singapore". The components are made in China, but assembly, testing, and programming (may or may not) be done in Korea or Singapore.
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There is a legitimate argument that the best luxury/premium Chinese chairs made in the most modern factories are equal to or better than those purportedly "Made in Japan".

A recent development in the massage chair industry is the advent of cheaper off-branded massage chairs that can be had for as little as £500 up to just under £2000. These chairs have become popular because so many buyers want to get a massage chair but cannot afford the price tag of the luxury, £12,000/£15,000. You can find them online on Amazon and eBay. However, "let the buyer beware".

Lower Quality Components

You don't get the same quality in a lesser model Kia as in a Lexus because each vehicle is made with different quality components, justifying the different price points. As we have said in this report, you get what you pay for. The massage chair industry is no different. Cheaper chairs cost less because of the components with which they are cheaper, which equates to lower quality. With more inexpensive components comes higher failure rates and lower life spans. It also comes with poor massages!

Warranty Coverage

You can't pay £500/£1,000 for a massage chair and expect to get a comprehensive 1-3years parts and labour in-home warranty. It is simply not viable from a business standpoint. Indeed, you may get some sort of warranty, but don't expect it to be the same as a major brand name chair. To put this into perspective, we can do no better than to suggest you visit Dr Alan Weidner's video comparing a $500 chair with a luxury premium model. The chairs are opened up in this video, and the guts are analysed and compared. It would be an understatement to suggest that it is very telling

$500 Brand "X" massage chair vs...

youtube.com

Perhaps that lovely adage by the 19th Century writer and philosopher John Ruskin says it all.

When checking out massage chairs online, you may find a model that looks just perfect for you. It has all the features you want, a body styling that is "cool", and a price that fits right within your budget. On "paper" it is everything you want.
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You order your perfect chair, get it in your home, assemble it, and then get a chance to sit on it. Within a few seconds, you realise that this chair just doesn't fit your body correctly. That is not uncommon, by the way.
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Rotai UK will not sell a massage chair online. We will tell you blatantly whether the Rotai Ultimate chair is for you or not. The Rotai Ultimate is definitely not to everybody's liking. This chair is not for you if you simply want a gentle massage. While it can give a relatively gentle massage, its real value is to those who want to feel that the massage has been therapeutically beneficial. When you are making such a significant investment, it is essential that you not only have the chance to sit in the chair to ensure that it fits appropriately but to spend an hour or two with us so we can show you every single function.
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However, as we have mentioned previously, very few chairs currently being marketed in the UK are compliant (in any way) with British Fire and Safety Regulations. It's one thing to buy a cheap chair that may not be electrically safe or compliant with BS standards; it's certainly a more serious problem if the chair develops an electrical fault and bursts into flames. So, here are a few things to consider when checking massage chairs to find out if they will be the right fit for you.

Body Height

All massage chair models have a recommended height and weight limit. Some chairs do not easily fit users over 6ft very well, while others are not great for shorter frames.

The Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900 comfortably fits users from 5ft to 6.4ft. There are very few chairs that are designed for users over 6''4". However, users can adapt to the chair's restrictions and still get a great massage. We have found very few potential customers where we have had to say that perhaps chair is "not for them". It's not called the Rotai Ultimate for nothing!

Body Weight

The Rotai Ultimate is probably the heaviest and best-built massage chair currently being marketed. The Rotai Ultimate has a weight restriction of 120kg (19 Stone). The chairs have weight restrictions because the guts may break down if the strain on the components is too much. So long as you keep the weight restrictions in mind, there is no reason it will not give you 12/15 years or more of great use.

It does not mean that you cannot sit in the chair if your weight is above the recommended restriction; it simply means that the chair's working lifespan is likely to be dramatically less than you will expect if you keep within limits.

A Note of Caution

Please be mindful that the published height recommendations for massage chairs are sometimes misleading. One company may say their chair fits someone 6'4", which may be true. However, the same manufacturer may be silent that the rollers in the chair may not reach the top of that tall person's neck. So, and in short, (pun intended!) a 6.4ft user may fit, but if the rollers don't reach to the top of their neck, they may be left "wanting" for lack of a full neck massage.

Body Girth

You may fit fine within the recommended height and weight restrictions of the chair you want. Still, the shape of your body, i.e., the girth of your body, may not be a good match for the chair you are looking at.

What comes to my mind are the shoulder airbags and hip airbags that we see on many chairs nowadays. For example, if you are a broad-shouldered or broad-chested male, you may not fit well in a chair with a less forgiving distance between the shoulder airbags. These shoulder airbags fit in a rigid, durable housing that does not give at all. If your shoulders are so broad that you cannot fit your chest between the shoulder airbag housings on each side of the chair, that chair will not work for you.

Also, if you have a large pelvis/hip area, you may not fit as well in a chair with hip airbags that take up a significant portion of the seat width. When finding a chair that fits you well, be aware of these two things.

In both of the above cases, the Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900 is well-placed to cope with these scenarios.

Massage chairs are getting progressively larger and more space-consuming. These chairs can take up a lot of space with arm airbags housed in armrests, larger body frames, and bigger chair backs to accommodate larger motors and electronic components. You will need to consider this when deciding on a chair, mainly if you are limited in your residential or business space.

Of course, beyond the actual dimensions of the chair itself, you will have to allot space away from the wall to recline the chair back to a full extension position. So, you will need to take that into consideration as well.

The Rotai Ultimate (Dual-Core) RT8900 is one of the few chairs on the market with a space-saving "wall hugger" feature allowing you to place your chair within a few inches of your wall. When the Rotai Ultimate is turned on and begins a massage programme, the chair body will slide forward on its base before it reclines to start the massage. When the massage program ends, the chair will slide back on its base to its resting position against the wall.

If you get a chair that does not have a space-saving feature, it is strongly recommended that you set it up 13-16" away from the wall. When the chair is assembled, recline it fully and slide it up against the wall in the fully reclined position. Then you will know how far away from the wall the chair should be in an upright position. This will prevent you from getting holes in your wall from a reclining chair back that is too close to the wall in the first place.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this report, so much of this information has come from Dr Alan Weidner's own experience. He was a Chiropractor for over 20 years with a vested interest in the health and wellness of his patients and customers. He decided that top-quality massage chairs can have the same benefits of keeping pain at bay.

His opinion is that the Rotai factory in Shanghai is arguably the best-quality massage chair manufacturer globally (massage-chair-relief.com).