If you have been looking for a massage chair, then finding good information to make a decision is important. Even better, finding an unbiased review of a given massage chair can be helpful. Here are 5 important categories to evaluate the total massage chair experience. This system gives equal weight to each of the 5 categories with each category having from 0 to 20. A 100 point score means the chair and the company has achieved total excellence. The 5 categories are Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. The discipline of a systematic approach provides for balance help those seriously considering a massage chair. The Omega Montage Elite is the subject of this review. This luxury shiatsu massage chair is in the $4,000 to $5,000 range.
Warranty & Customer Service: It is important that the manufacturer stand behind its product. A good gage of the company’s confidence is its warranty coverage and duration. Omega gives covers 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts, 3 years labor, 1 year shipping and 90 days in-home service. Omega is well above other manufacturers in this category with its parts and labor. Omega is, however, lower for the in-home service which some have increased to 1 year in-home. Customer service is competent and turnaround time on service is good. Our Rating in this category is 18.
Comfort & Ergonomics: A massage chair needs to be comfortable and fit the body. A massage chair needs to be more useful than just for massage. The Omega Montage Elite is comfortable and the upholstery is well padded and plush. The detachable head pillow is soft and the thickness is appropriate. The Omega Montage Elite comes with a wireless remote control about the size of a credit card for convenience. The foot rest is extendable out 4 inches for much taller people. Incredibly, this massage chair recliner fits people as short as 4′ 10″ to 6′ 6″. Our rating in this category is 19.
East of Use: These days companies are always adding advanced electronics, which can many times just be overwhelming without a technical degree. Omega has designed a main remote and a wireless sub-remote. The sub-remote controls 80% of the functions and is palm-sized. The footrest adjustment knobs are within easy reach. Extensive manual functions are on a side panel on the main remote. The Omega main remote is stylish and very intuitive to use. Our rating in this category is 19.
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 airside 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 massage functions are included in the Montage Elite includes 5 full body automatic courses, 4 manual massage courses, and 4 massage speed settings for a total combination of 64 manual massage courses. The automatic massage functions include the following: ShiatsuKneading, Tapping, Finger Press, and Kneading & Tapping (Shiatsu). The Montage Elite comes loaded with great massage therapy tools. Choose from the lower body traction, full body heat, lower body compression massage and 64 combinations of back massage. Music is probably the most overlooked feature in most massage chairs. The reality is music takes you away from your environment. The Montage Elite has music-massage synchronization function. Not only do you drift off to your favority music, but the massage will actually be to the tempo of the music. Simply outstanding! Overall Rating for the Omega Montage Elite massage recliner for massage therapy is 20.
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.
If you are looking for the absolute best massage chair for your money, then learn more about the Montage Elite. Omega designed this chair for your complete massage therapy requirements. You can find about all the Omega Massage Chairs at our website. We have massage chair reviews of Omega, Sanyo, Panasonic and Human Touch.
Items advertised as “True” HEPA air purifiers are often available when one is shopping about for a HEPA air purifier. Considering something is being labeled as true must mean there as some out there that are false, correct? You will not find any labeled “sub-standard”, “false” or any other such derogatory adjective. True HEPA air purifiers are simply comparing themselves to other systems and then leaving it up to the consumer to know what they need and how it will affect them. This article looks at what comparisons the “True” HEPA air purifiers are making.
Differences! True HEPA Air Purifiers Have Them
Even though they are HEPA air purifiers, if they do not say “True” or possible “Absolute” HEPA air purifier, they are not the same thing. When HEPA air purifiers are advertising effectiveness as stated by such government agencies as the EPA and OSHA, they are generally the true type even if not specifically stated on the packaging. Regardless of the other air purifiers on the market, institutions such as hospitals and laboratories are such sensitive areas that they only use true HEPA air purifiers.
Particles! True HEPA Air Purifiers Stop Them
Of the different specifications that True HEPA air purifiers have to meet, the most important is probably the 97% of all 0.3 micron particles. This stat is incredibly important, and not as technical as it may sound. Of all the different pollutants floating around out there, it’s been found that 0.3 micron particles generally are the hardest to filter, even including those that are smaller. They also are the most likely to cause problems in the human body, and have no problem scooting right past our natural defenses. See, 0.3 micron particles are more scary than nerdy, aren’t they? If you want an idea of the size we’re talking about, compare 0.3 microns to the human hair. Human hair is generally anywhere between 70 and 100 microns thick.
Best When Dirty! True HEPA Air Purifies Actually Work Better When Dirty
Another big difference between HEPA-type purifiers and True HEPA air purifiers is how they filter when they become dirty. This is where the “Absolute” part of the equation comes in. Any absolute filter media will actually become more effective as it gets dirtier. The more particles that are trapped in an absolute filter, the more effective it will be. The reason why is actually pretty simple. As dirt and other debris builds up around the air holes, those holes get smaller and smaller, allowing less to get through.
Is It A True HEPA Air Purifier? How To Know
Look for products that actually advertise that they are True HEPA air purifiers. The alternative is the HEPA-type air purifier, which is really just an imitation, and is not held to any particular standard. If you find a purifier that doesn’t say either HEPA-type or True HEPA, you can also reference other specifications on the box. Look for one that filters 97% or more of the 0.3 micron particles if you want a True HEPA air purifier.
Still not sure that a HEPA air purifier is for you? Visit HEPA Air Purifiers Info for answers to all of your questions.
Some folks will remember The Sharper Image, along with their infomercials and retail stores in some of the more populous areas. Since those stores closed, though, a lot of people believe ionic air purifiers are things of the past. This is just not true, even if ionic air purifiers with the name “The Sharper Image” on them are no longer obtainable as new. However, if you do want an ionic air purifier, there are a few different options for you to explore.
The Ionic Pro
The Ionic Pro is a lot like The Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze, but it’s a lot cheaper than the original ever was. It offers the same lack of maintenance as well. Just pull out the magnetized filter bar, clean it off, then replace. There’s nothing more to it than that. As there’s no fan, it’s uses a lot less energy and is quite a bit less noisy than HEPA air purifiers, though generally less effective. However, if a cheap solution for cleaning the air in a 500 feet is what you’re looking for, but you don’t want anything that makes noise, then an ionic air purifier might still be your best choice.
Generic Ionic Air Purifiers
There are also other ionic air purifiers that don’t have any branding at all. These are generally available for around a hundred dollars, and can be found in dollar or bargain stores as well as some websites. Be wary of a lack of warranty though as whatever return policy the retailer has may be your only safety net if it doesn’t work right. However, these cheap off brands can be considered at least somewhat safe since the tech that they use is pretty simple.
Noisy Ionic Air Purifiers
Generally speaking, an ionic air purifier doesn’t use a moving fan. Instead, it will use the motion of the air particles that are magnetically pulled toward the machine to create a very slight breeze. Consumer Reports did not feel that this was enough, however, and only certified one that did use a fan. This might not work for some people, though, since they may be considering an ionic air purifier simply because it is silent, even though it’s less effective. The advantage of cheaper, filterless maintenance still stands, though.
HEPA Air Purifiers
There’s also the ever present HEPA air purifiers. HEPA and Ionic air purifiers promise much of the same results, but work very differently. If you own a HEPA air purifier, you will occasionally have to purchase filters. There’s no worries about filter replacement with ionic air purifiers, though, since all you have to do is wipe all the offending pollutants straight off the static bar. HEPA air purifiers, however, have been consistently shown to be more effective than ionic air purifiers.
Check out Ionic Air Purifier Info for all the information on ionic air purifiers that you could possibly need.