Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Review: The Omega Montage Premier Shiatsu Massage Chair

By James Knolan


Reviews can be very helpful in determining the types of products that might fit your needs. The most effective reviews are ones that cover the salient issues regarding the product you are interested in obtaining. Our experience is that most customers want to know about key aspect of a massage chair such as warranty, ergonomics, ease of use, massage therapy and key features. As such, we have developed a systematic approach to evaluating massage chairs based on the above 5 categories. We also weigh each of these categories equally and give a score up to 20 points. The total possible rating for a massage chair is therefore 100 points. This review will take an in-depth look at the top of the line Omega Massage chair. This is the Montage Premier which is in the luxury range of $4,000 to $5,000.

Warranty & Customer Service: For the consumer, the warranty is a form of risk reduction. In any transaction, one party takes on more risk than the other. The warranty is to reduce the risk of the consumer and balance out the transaction. Therefore, warranty is especially important on higher ticket items. The Montage Premier is backed by one of the best warranties available. Omega Massage gives you 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts, 3 years labor and 90 days in-home service. Omega also covers any parts shipping expense for one year. This is a more comprehensive warranty than any reputable manufacturer. From a customer service standpoint, Omega has a national warranty call center and is responsive and technically competent with minimal turnaround times. The Montage Premier earns a 19 in Warranty & Customer.

Comfort & Ergonomics: We like the ergonomics of this well designed massage recliner. This chair is designed for the American market. It can fit users up to 6' 6" and has a weight limit of 300 pounds. The recliner is wheel chair accessible for those individuals who might have trouble getting in and out of the chair. There is a wireless sub remote that offers tremendous convenience for the users. The chair is comfortable to sit in and has a very nice synthetic leather which is very soft. The synthetic leather is also very easy to clean. We rate the comfort and ergonomics a 19.

Ease of Use: This category is about intuitive use of the massage chair controls. They should be simple and easy to use for first time users. This recliner comes with many advanced features in the remote control. It comes with a wireless sub remote which is well designed and simple to use. There are 5 single touch automatic programs. The chair back and footrest work off a wheel control like an ipod. The LCD control panel shows exactly what massage functions are being applied. The myriad of manual controls have great descriptions in the side panel of the remote. We rate the ease of use for the Montage Premier a 19.

Key Features: There is an array of great features in this massage chair, but we find the full body heat and the lower body traction system to be key features to point out. The Montage Premier comes with heating elements in the chair back, the seat and the leg rest. Each of these areas can be individually controlled. This allows the user to target the use of heat where they most need. We find heat is a great compliment to massage therapy and is used in spas throughout the world. Omega has added an effective lower body traction function. This traction function gently stretches the lower body including the lower back, hips, knees and ankles. The leg rest is brought to the horizontal position. The airbags are activated to hold your ankles in place. The leg rest then lowers successively to 3 positions. When the leg rest lowers, it stretches the muscles and tendons throughout the lower body. The Montage Premier earns a 19 in Key Features.

Massage Therapy: The Montage Premier comes with automatic and manual massage functions. The Montage Premier has 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). One nice feature is the kneading and tapping speeds are independent and can be individually control in the shiatsu technique. The lower body traction is integrated with the automatic programs when activated. To ensure your total relaxation, Omega has a music-massage synchronization function. The Montage Premier is truly a full body therapy and relaxation machine. It provides a total sensory experience. The Montage Premier earns a 20 in Massage Therapy.

How does the Montage Premier rate overall? Let us sum up the score in each of the five categories which provides an overall rating of 96/100. The Montage Premier is an excellent massage chair. You will get a thorough and comprehensive full body massage. Omega provides great complimentary therapies to its arsenal of massage therapies. There just is not a massage chair available that includes full body heat, traction and music therapy. Omega is known for its invigorating massage therapies and the Montage Premier delivers. You get comprehensive warranty coverage directly from the factory with having to purchase extended warranties. If you are looking at the best of the best in the luxury massage chair class, then this is one of the best there is on the market today.

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