Table of Contents
Kahuna Hubot HM-078 Massage Chair Review
Pros
- Incredibly Long 51.2'' SL-Track Provides A Solid Full Body Massage!
- 15 Auto Programs Makes For An Immersive & Interesting Massage Experience!
- Complete Heat Therapy Throughout The Chair!
Cons
- Too Expensive For What It Can Do
- User Flexibility, Particularly Height Is Lacking
A Review By Popular Demand!
A whole bunch of you asked for this chair to be reviewed, so here we are! I’m not all to familiar with the Kahuna series as a whole, but I have previously reviewed two of their models:
The Kahuna Hubot HM-078 is part of Kahuna’s HM series of massage chairs. If you’re on instagram much, you’ll have seen this particular model being endorsed by famous celebrities such as Johnathan Cheban & Martha Stewart. Kahuna’s HM series is comprised of 2 chairs:
This is the model we are going to be looking at today! Biggest highlight is it’s extended track with 3D rollers.
A more technologically advanced massage chair than the Hubot. We’ll review this bad boy in the near future.
Kahuna Hubot HM-078 Massage Chair: 7 Interesting Features To Know Of!
#1 It’s Got 3D Roller Technology (Which Kahuna Doesn’t Do A Good Job Explaining!)
Looking at the description on Kahuna’s site, I don’t think they do a good job explaining how the rollers on this chair function. In their promotional material they refer to the roller technology as KMS-08M-225L. As a consumer (in my case a reviewer), this means absolutely nothing!
Also the “massage ball” system isn’t explained properly either. If you ask me, I think it’s poor marketing. In any case I don’t wish to digress from this review so let’s talk about 3D rollers!
What are 3D rollers and how do they function?
I categorize massage chairs in this manner: entry level chairs come with the most basic 2D roller technology; mid-level chairs come with 3D rollers, and advanced chairs come with 4D rollers.
2D rollers move up/down along the length of the back and side to side across the width of the back. 3D rollers are an extension to their 2D predecessors in that they can also move in and out of the back. It’s this additional protruding dimension that makes chairs with 3D rollers able to massage at a much greater intensity than the 2D chairs.
For the Kahuna Hubot HM-078, the rollers can protrude in/out a total of 3 inches. However, something very important to note about this chair is that you can’t adjust the protrusion. All of that is preset and the only thing you can change is the speed. This for me is a major shortcoming.
#2 It’s Got An Incredibly Long SL-Track!
Probably my favorite thing about the Kahuna Hubot HM-078 massage chair is its incredibly long roller track. How long? I’m talking 51.2” from neck to glutes and hamstring. Not many chairs can match the Kahuna here!
Kahuna refers to this feature as HSL, which translates to hyper SL-Track.
So we know the rollers can traverse a massive distance, that’s why the “H for hyper” in “HSL” but what does the “SL” portion mean? In the world of massage chairs, there are 3 common roller tracks:
At this moment in time “SL” tracks are the most advanced you can find on a massage chair. That being said, the roller length and track is an area the Kahuna Hubot HM-078 doesn’t disappoint!
#3 Full Heat Therapy!
Another thing I love about the HM-078 is that it comes equipped with heating elements pretty much all over. You have heating pads on the upper back, lower back, legs, and feet areas of the chair. What this means is you get full body heat coverage as the rollers and airbags do their thing!
Why is heat therapy so important?
Application of heat during massage makes your muscles more workable, or in another words more pliable if you will. It’s akin to a therapist applying hot oil for certain Ayurvedic or Asian style massages. The idea is to reduce friction, muscle stiffness and rigidity, so that the massage is not only easier to deliver but it’s also much more effective!
Heat therapy is an area that’s lacking in most massage chairs. It’s common to only see lower back heating elements on majority of the chairs, so it’s nice to see Kahuna make an improvement in their design!
#4 A Whopping 15 Massage Programs To Choose From!
Auto modes, auto modes, and more auto modes! I cannot stress the importance of auto modes. Yes it’s true manual operation is also important, but 95% of people who are interested in buying a massage chair are doing so for the simple convenience of it!
In other words, no one wants to mess around adjusting roller and airbag settings for 15-20 minutes trying to get a massage set up!
Most of us just wanna sink into our chair after a long day of work, hit the power button, pick an auto mode and zone off to relaxation avenue! That’s why having auto modes becomes so important, and the more you have the better. That way you’re not bored of doing the same routines time and again.
A little more description around these 15 modes:
- Deep Tissue—A full body massage that is sure to leave you wincing. Both the rollers and air cells perform on intense settings!
- Sleep—Another full body routine, but this one’s a lot more gentler than deep tissue. Expect gentle, relaxing roller strokes!
- Golfer—A fancy shmancy way of saying lower body massage, specifically massage around the waist, hips, legs, and calves.
- Anti Stress—Basically a deep tissue massage of the upper body segment. Expect intense roller strokes and strong compression from the air cells.
- Rocking—A gentle full body session that makes use of the rollers and air cells, all while rocking the chair to further enhance the experience!
- Renew—Moderate intensity full body massage that employs both the rollers (kneading and tapping) and air cells.
- Kahuna Stretching—Basically a full body stretch routine that employs the chair’s air cells to pin and hold certain parts of the body in place.
- Kahuna Yoga Stretching—A stretch mode and then some! In addition to the air cells, this mode makes use of the rollers to knead and roll the back!
- Kahuna Chiro—A routine that focuses on the spine by performing all knocking, tapping, kneading, and rolling motions.
- Kahuna Active Stretching—The most intense of the 3 stretching routines. This routine is a combination of the stretching and yoga stretching modes!
- Twist Chiro—A routine especially designed to strengthen the core by performing twisting routines on the waist and hips.
- Air Mode—Employs the 107 air cells to inflate/deflate with compressed air thereby providing a “squeeze” style massage to adjacent muscles!
- Dynamic—Designed to be a sort of “wake me up” type routine. Moderate to high intensity massage that primarily employs the roller system.
- Fast Recovery—A full body routine that’s been designed to recover and rejuvenate muscles after a strenuous workout. Expect light, gentle strokes!
- Athletic—A combination of the “fast recovery” and “dynamic” programs is what this routine is all about. Expect moderate intensity.
#5 A Total Of 107 Air Cells!
A lot of times I get asked the question: what is the difference between air cells and airbags?
There is no difference between air cells and airbags. They mean the same thing and both terms are typically used interchangeably.
Air cells or airbags are empty pouches or sacks that fill up with compressed air. The high pressure air causes the airbag to expand and push against adjacent muscle. This is in essence compression massage, or the action of “squeezing” or compressing muscle. It’s kinda like when you get your blood pressure taken at the doctor’s!
Is it true that the more airbags a chair has, the better?
Not necessarily. Airbag surface area coverage is more important than airbag count in my opinion. I’ve seen chairs with only a few airbags but incredible surface area coverage for those few airbags. As a result you still get an awesome compression massage!
All that being said, 107 air bags is the most I’ve seen on a massage chair yet!
Kahuna have done a fantastic job in equipping the chair with airbags in all important areas such as the arms, neck, head, legs, calves, and feet!
#6 It Can Be Controlled From Your Smartphone
The Kahuna Hubot HM-078 has the ability to be controlled directly from your Apple or Android smartphone. You simply download an app and you’re basically good to go!
I like smartphone control for 2 reasons:
- Easier & More Convenient—Rather than a panel or remote control, I’ve found smartphone apps to be a lot more streamlined and simpler when it comes to operation and control.
- Can Make Changes On The Fly—My favorite thing about smartphone control is the seamless ability to make changes on the fly during a massage routine! The alternative is harder to do when you need to reach for a remote control thereby interrupting a massage session!
How does this all work? Your phone pairs up to the chair via Bluetooth. By the way, the chair also comes built with Bluetooth speakers, so you can enjoy some tunes all the while sinking into a relaxing massage!
#7 User Flexibility Is Bang On Average…
I’ll talk about this more in the “cons” section, but I also wanted to mention it here as it’s important.
The HM-078 can accommodate users with a height range of 5’2-6’2 feet, weighing up to a maximum of 350 lbs.
My issue is not so much with the weight rating. My issue is with the height range, and that’s because having 1 foot of variation/flexibility may not be enough.
If you’re like most people, you buy a massage chair not only for you to use, but also for your family (kids, spouse, grandparents etc.). It then becomes especially important to consider height/weight flexibility for all those individuals when deciding on a massage chair.
The greater the height range, the more flexible will be the chair at accommodating various body types!
What should you do if you (or someone you know who will use the chair) are outside the 5’2-6’2 ft height range? Should you still consider the Kahuna Hubot HM-078? My recommendation is for you to consider something else. Don’t worry we’ll talk more about recommendations and alternatives later on in this post!
Kahuna Hubot HM-078 Massage Chair: Pros & Cons
- 51.2” HSL Track!—If you’ve been following my review posts, you’ll know I love extended roller tracks. The longer, the better! 51.2” is about as good as you can get these days!
- Auto Program Galore!—I keep repeating myself like a broken radio: the more auto modes, the better! 15 auto modes are sure to keep things fresh and interesting every time!
- Full Heat Therapy—It’s rare that you’ll find a chair that has full heat therapy (entire back, legs, calves). As mentioned earlier, heat therapy makes massage all the more effective!
- Looks Amazing!—The chair looks pretty sweet from an aesthetics standpoint, especially the champagne color scheme which I think looks incredible!
- Price Is Out Of Whack—I can’t get the pricing to make sense to me. No matter which angle I look at it, the HM-078 is overpriced for what it does.
- User Flexibility—As previously mentioned, my problem is with the limited height range of 5’2-6’2 ft. It’s not an issue for me, but I can see how it could very well be for others!
Kahuna Hubot HM-078 Massage Chair Specifications
- Kahuna Hubot HM-078 Massage Chair Specs
- Roller Type: SL-Track
- Massage Auto Routines: 15
- Total Airbags: 107
- Dimensions (L X W X H): 49″ x 36″ x 53″
- Chair Material: Synthetic Leather
- Recommended Height Range: 5'2 - 6’2 ft.
- Maximum Recommended Weight: 350 lbs
Kahuna Hubot HM-078 Massage Chair: 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Question #1: Does this chair come with space saving technology?
For those who don’t know, space saving technology is a common feature you see on newer massage chairs. It’s basically the chair’s ability to slide forward on a base while reclining backward. As you can imagine this greatly reduces the amount of wall clearance needed from the back of chair to the wall. Unfortunately the Kahuna HM-078 doesn’t have space saving recline.
It requires about half a foot (5 to 6 inches) of wall clearance.
Question #2: Can it recline to a zero gravity position?
Yes the Kahuna HM-078 is capable of reclining to a single zero gravity position. You can select/activate zero gravity directly from the remote control.
Question #3: I’m below 5 feet in height, should I consider this chair?
The restrictive height range of 5’2-6’2 ft means anything outside those bounds might be risky. Risky in the sense that it will either be too tight of a fit, or too large to fit in. Either way, massage will be ineffective in both these cases.
That being said, no I would not recommend you consider the Kahuna HM-078. There’s plenty of other awesome 3D chairs in the market. We’ll look at these in the comparison and final recommendation sections below!
Question #4: Is it possible to manually adjust the airbag intensity?
Yes this can be done directly from the app. You have a choice of 1-5; 1 being the lowest intensity, and 5 being the most intense. I always recommend you start with a lower intensity and then build your way up over time!
Question #5: Can I try the chair before I buy?
A lot of massage chair models are now online exclusive, and unfortunately the HM-078 is no different. That being said, you can still try the chair if you happen to be in Cypress California. The address to the location is here.
Otherwise you will need to make a decision based on all the relevant information presented online. Hopefully this review provides some sort of guidance towards that!
Comparing The Kahuna Hubot HM-078 With 2 Other Massage Chairs!
As the Hubot HM-078 is a 3D chair, it’s only fair that we compare it against similar 3D chairs. That being said, let’s compare it against the Osaki Pro Admiral and the Titan Pro Jupiter XL. Both are 2 of the best as far as 3D chairs are concerned!
16 auto modes, 49” L-Track, 3 rows of foot rollers and much more! A phenomenal chair with a more than reasonable price tag!
Another fantastic 3D chair! It’s standout features are the extended 53” roller track, incredible user flexibility (both height & weight), and 3” space saving technology!- Titan Pro Jupiter XL
- $$$
Price - 5’0 – 6’6 ft & 285 lbs.
User Height/Weight - 53″ w/ 3″ Protrusion
Roller Track & Protrusion - 10
Auto Modes - 44
Airbags - 3″ Clearance Required
Space Saving Recline - Lower Back, Seat, & Calves
Heating Pads
- Kahuna Hubot HM-078
- $$$$
Price - 5’2 – 6’2 ft & 350 lbs.
User Height/Weight - 51.2″ w/ 3″ Protrusion
Roller Track & Protrusion - 15
Auto Modes - 107
Airbags - 6″ Clearance Required
Space Saving Recline - Upper/Lower Back, Legs, Feet & Calves
Heating Pads
- Osaki OS Pro Admiral
- $$$
Price - 5’0 – 6’4 ft & 240 lbs.
User Height/Weight - 49″ w/ 3.5″ Protrusion
Roller Track & Protrusion - 16
Auto Modes - 24
Airbags - 2″ Clearance Required
Space Saving Recline - Lower Back & Calves
Heating Pads
So Which Chair Should You Buy?
Well well well moment of truth! Which of the 3 chairs should you pick? Based on the comparison above, there’s a few things to consider:
Price ($$$)—The Pro Admiral and Pro Jupiter XL are significantly cheaper than the Hubot HM-078.
User Flexibility—Both the Pro Admiral as well as the Pro Jupiter XL outclass the HM-078 in the user flexibility department. This there’s no question about!
Roller Track—The HM-078 has an SL-Track whereas the other 2 chairs have L-Tracks. HM-078 is the clear winner here!
Auto Modes—Pro Admiral is the winner in this department with 16 auto modes!
Space Saving—Pro Admiral is the clear winner here with an incredible 2” clearance!
Heat Therapy—HM-078 has the best heat therapy from all the chairs.
Taking it all into account, my final recommendation is to drop the HM-078 and consider the Pro Admiral and Pro Jupiter XL instead.
Why? 2 things in particular decide it for me. One is the price tag for both chairs which are significantly cheaper than the HM-078, and two is the user flexibility which is also better.
As I mentioned earlier in the post, the pricing on the HM-078 just doesn’t make sense. At the same time Kahuna don’t do a good job of explaining the roller technology, so that part is also iffy. If it were me, I would pick the Pro Admiral or Pro Jupiter XL and that’s why I advise you the same.
But Wait….Here’s How You Can Save Some Extra $$$!
Now’s a good time to tell you that if you were to buy any of the 3 chairs discussed in this review using the links placed in this post, I would receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you got some value from this post, think of it as a way of showing your support and gratitude. It really does go a long way in helping me run this site!
That being said, I am able to offer you some perks!
If you choose to buy the Pro Admiral and Pro Jupiter XL from massage chair deals using my affiliate links placed below, you can enter in “MAM5” during checkout for an additional 5% discount!
5% might not seem like much, but it’s pretty significant when you do the math! For a chair that costs about $4K, 5% off will mean you save $200! Pretty darn good if you ask me!
Share If You Got Some Value From This Review!
If this review post was helpful to you, please consider sharing on the social platforms. Lastly, if you have any questions about this or any other massage chair, please do not hesitate to get in touch by leaving a comment below. Happy new year and I will see you next week!
