Table of Contents
Human Touch Super Novo Massage Chair Review
Pros
- Absolutely Phenomenal In Terms Of User Flexibility!
- 4D Rollers Coupled With A 43'' SL-Track Makes For The Best Massage Experience!
- 38 Modes Means You Can Pick A Mode Every Single Day For 1 Month & Still Have Some Left!
- Operating The Chair Is Incredibly Easy And Can Be Done By Voice!
Cons
- Hefty Hefty Price Tag! You Can Get A Decent Car At This Price!
It’s Finally Here!
I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this chair to release so I could finally review it! There’s much to love about Human Touch’s newest bad boy, and I can’t wait to share it all with you.
But before we dive right in to the specs and technical details, I wanted to give you a bit of a history lesson!
For those of you with zero knowledge about massage chairs, you’re probably thinking the Super Novo is just another massage chair. If that’s what you think, you’re dead wrong buddy!
The Super Novo in many ways is an evolution; a chair that’s the result of many years of hard work and dedication!
In fact the Super Novo is 4th in the generation of Novo Ascent series. The Novo Ascent series or generation of massage chairs consists of:
The original “granddaddy” of the lineup. This bad boy was released way back when and comes with 2D rollers.
A step up from the original design, the Novo XT has a much more sleeker look and comes packing incredibly powerful 3D rollers.
Because we couldn’t get enough of the XT, Human Touch decided to improve the design further in this release known as the XT2!
Step forth the 4th child in the Ascent series, the Super Novo. 4D rollers, and a whack of other goodies. Evolution has never been more beautiful!In case you’re wondering the original Novo is still available for sale online. However, Human Touch have discontinued the Novo XT. I think this was because they felt it didn’t make sense to have both the XT & XT2, 2 similar chairs both on the market at the same time. The XT2 is the better chair and it’s available online.
In fact I previously wrote a detailed review on the XT2, so if you’re interested in that chair, check out this post!
The million dollar question then: which is the better chair from the Ascent series?
The Super Novo is undoubtedly the best chair from all 4 in every single area, whether we’re talking user experience, massage technology, or just about anything else. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that the Super Novo is quite possibly one of the best massage chairs presently on the market!
What Makes The Human Touch Super Novo So Special? Here’s 7 Things!
When it comes to specs and features, there’s a ton of stuff to talk about! In this section i’ll only be touching on what I think are the 7 most important features of this chair.
#1 It’s Got A Whopping 38 Auto Massage Modes!
THIRTY EIGHT! It’s so incredible that I had to spell it out! For those who don’t know, auto modes are simply pre-programmed massage routines that can be activated directly from the remote control.
Why all the fuss around auto massage modes?
If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know my favorite massage chairs are those that pack the most auto modes. And the reason for this is simple: picture yourself coming home from work after a hectic 10 hour day…..all you want at this point is a massage!
Would you prefer to a.) reach home and jump right into that bad boy, pick a mode and start massaging or b.) get home, spend a solid 20 minutes adjusting the settings on your remote control only to find out while being massaged, that it’s too intense!
If you’re like 95% of people, you’d have gone with a.)!
That’s why I love auto modes. It makes things simple, and having many modes ensures the experience of massage stays fresh and interesting over the years!
What are these modes and how simple is it to activate one?
Here’s the deal when it comes to activating an auto mode:
- On the remote control’s main menu, there’s an option called “Auto”. Select this option.
- This will take you to another menu that looks like this.
What you see in the image above is basically how the auto modes have been categorised. Human Touch have 7 core auto modes, and within each one you’ll find several variations. Let’s look at each of these in greater detail!
- Yoga Studio—This category includes modes that have been designed to stretch the entire body.
- Full Body—This category includes modes that massage the entire body from head to toe.
- Upper Body—This category pays special emphasis on the neck, back, shoulders, and arms.
- Lower Body—Same deal as the upper body category, but focus is on the thighs, glutes, feet, and calves.
- Performance—If you’re looking for something more intense such as deep tissue, this would the category you would want to explore!
- Tension Relief—Quite the opposite from the “Performance” category! This group has modes of massage that employ soft to medium intensity strokes/motions.
- Demo—Not really a massage mode per say, more a narration of the chair’s features. That being said, it’s the perfect mode for first time users wanting a quick tutorial on the chair’s features!
Now that you know what each category is, you can drill further down depending on what you like. For example, if you’re in the mood for something soft and relaxing…..go with the “Tension Relief” category!
From there you can pick from Shiatsu, Swedish, Sports, or Thai! All 4 are relatively soft to medium intensity massages, except maybe Thai which starts off pretty intense and then gets softer as it progresses!
Last but not least, you’ll need to pick your approximate height so that the shoulder width can be correctly set for the rollers. That’s it, sit back, relax and prepare for ultimate relaxation!
#2 It’s Got 4D Roller Technology!
This is definitely one of the standout features of the Super Novo! There’s not many chairs on the market that have 4D rollers at this time, and that’s because 4D is a new technology that’s quite expensive to design and implement.
What are 4D rollers anyways and how do they function?
To understand and appreciate 4D rollers, you first need to know 3D rollers. In theory and operation, 3D rollers are actually pretty simple. Let’s look at both 3D & 4D in greater detail!
The “D” stands for dimension, so when we say 3D what we mean to say is that the rollers can move in 3 dimensions. What are these 3 dimensions? Vertically along the length of the back, horizontally along the width of the back, and pushing in/out of the back. These 3 dimensions have been represented by the arrows in the image.
4D rollers have the exact same functionality as 3D rollers, but with one improvement. In 4D rollers, the speed and rhythm of massage are automatically determined and adjusted by the roller system. The idea is to closely mimic the hands of a skilled massage therapist. And so what you get in a 4D chair is much closer to the real thing!At this present time, 4D rollers are the most advanced you can find in any massage chair. That’s why 4D chairs carry such a hefty price tag!
#3 43” SL Roller Track!
You’ll notice that I give a lot of focus and emphasis to a chair’s roller system; there’s a reason for this. The most integral component in a massage chair is its roller system.
A well designed set of rollers can “make” a chair. The opposite is true for rollers that are poorly designed!
In #2 we spoke about the Super Novo’s 4D rollers and how they function. In this section I want to divert your attention to roller track. What is roller track?
Simply said, roller track explains how a set of rollers traverse or move during a massage!
Specifically roller track looks at 2 things:
For the Super Novo, the total distance is 43”. That is, the rollers can move 43” from the neck all the way right down to the hamstrings. While it does this, it forms two shapes: initially you get a tight “S” shape contour with the spine, and as the rollers reach the hamstrings, you get an overall “L” shape.
43” is pretty decent for distance, although I’ve seen slightly longer tracks on other chairs. Although, you can’t do much better than the SL-Track these days!
#4 A Chair Capable Of Delivering Intense Massage!
One of the things I love most about the Super Novo is its ability to deliver an incredibly high intense massage.
This kinda goes hand in hand with what we’ve been discussing all this while. Because the Super Novo comes with such a powerful roller system, super deep tissue and high intense massage routines are possible!
At the same time, you don’t lose out on the flexibility of getting a low to mild intensity massage. The rollers can deliver whatever you require!
#5 User Flexibility Is Off The Charts!
User flexibility is all about how well a chair is able to accommodate various body types.
Most people don’t realize it, but “one size fits all” doesn’t necessarily always apply when it comes to massage chairs!
Some chairs are more flexible and can accommodate a wide range of user heights and weights. Other chairs aren’t as flexible, and as a result may be restrictive to certain body types.
The Super Novo has to be one of the best massage chairs when it comes to accommodating various body types!
It’s got a stupendous user height flexibility ranging from 5’0 all the way to 6’9! That’s almost 2 feet of height range the chair is able to accommodate. As far as weight is concerned, the Super Novo can accommodate a maximum weight load of 285 lbs (pretty standard on most massage chairs I’ve reviewed).
#6 You Can Talk To It! (Voice Activated)
Most people were stoked to know that the Super Novo can be controlled by voice commands. To be honest, it’s definitely a cool feature but it didn’t have me “head over heels” so to speak!
Fancy features like voice commands are nice to have, but they ultimately have no impact on the overall massage experience!
That’s why I try not to dwell on features like this. In any case since it’s the first massage chair I’ve seen that has voice control, let’s discuss it a little more.
How does the voice control work on the Super Novo? Heard of this thing called Alexa? Alexa is a virtual assistant AI developed by the folks over at Amazon. If you own an iPhone, it’s basically like Siri but the non-smartphone version. If you’re interested in reading more about Alexa, here’s an informative post to check out!
Coming back to the point, the Super Novo comes pre-loaded with Alexa, and that means you can speak to Alexa and give it all sorts of voice commands. I’m not familiar with all of them to be honest, but I imagine you’d have pretty much the same level of control as you would with the remote control and control panel.
What I can confirm for sure is that the virtual assistant will start of by asking you a series of questions about your massage preferences. It stores this information and then retrieves it next time you wanna get a massage.
Again, all pretty cool to see on a massage chair, but by no means is this something I would go crazy for!
Important: There’s a few different ways to control the chair. You can use the Alexa enabled virtual assistant, the LCD remote control, the built in control panel (which is on the hand-rest), or you can download the Human Touch app and control directly from your smartphone (iPhone or Android).
#7 It’s Got A Total Of 36 Airbags
Human Touch have designed the chair with a total of 36 airbags, each of which are strategically placed to massage various parts of the body that the rollers are unable to target.
These include the calves, upper/lower arms, feet, hands, thighs, hips, and shoulders.
Airbag intensity can be adjusted from various levels ranging from weak to strong. This can be done pretty easily on the remote control.
Important: When starting out on a massage chair, it’s always a good idea to take things easy when it comes to massage intensity. That is, start off with low intensity settings and then build your way up when you start to feel more comfortable. I found this out the hard way after using my own massage chair!
Human Touch Super Novo Massage Chair Specifications
- Human Touch Super Novo Massage Chair Specs
- Roller Type: SL-Track
- Roller Length: 43 Inches
- Total Airbags: 36
- Upright Dimensions: 63"L x 34"W x 46"H
- Recline Dimensions: 74"L x 34"W x 32"H
- Chair Material: Synthetic Leather
- Recommended Height Range: 5’0 – 6’9 ft
- Maximum Recommended Weight: 285 lbs
- Power Usage: 1.9A
Human Touch Super Novo Pros & Cons!
- User Flexibility Is Off The Charts!—It’s so difficult to design a massage chair to fit all body types, especially when there’s so much variation from one to another. That being said, Human Touch have pulled out all the stops by designing the Super Novo to accommodate users ranging anywhere from 5’0-6’9 ft!
- Those 4D Rollers & That 43” SL-Track!—If you’re looking for the most advanced massage technology on the market, it doesn’t get much better than 4D rollers! Couple that with an equally impressive SL-Track and we’re looking at a seriously powerful machine capable of delivering a solid massage experience!
- 38 Auto Modes Equals 38 Reasons To Use The Chair!—My massage chair has a measly 6 auto modes, so there’s a lot of repetition as you can imagine, and sometimes it can get a little boring. 38 auto modes is unheard off! Seriously, this is not something you’ll find on any other massage chair.
- Seamless Operation & Control—Another thing I love about the Super Novo is the amount of flexibility you have to control and operate the chair. As mentioned earlier, you can use the LCD remote control, the control panel that sits directly on the hand rest, your smartphone by downloading the app, and last but absolutely not least…..Alexa the virtual assistant from Amazon!
- Lacking In The Heat Therapy Department—I know this might be a little harsh considering the Super Novo still has pretty decent heat therapy (heating elements in the lumbar, knee, calf, and feet areas), but for a chair that’s so expensive I was expecting to see heated rollers or something more than just your basic heating elements.
- It’s Pricey, But I Can Understand Why—I’m being completely honest with you when I say the Human Touch Super Novo is wayyyy over my budget! However, I can kinda see why it’s priced as much as it is, especially when you look at all the features and technology Human Touch have incorporated into the design.
Human Touch Super Novo: 3 Frequently Asked Questions!
Question #1: Can I try the chair before I buy, or is this an online exclusive only?
The Super Novo is not an online exclusive model. That means you can purchase it either online of offline (in-store). If it were me, I would 100% without a doubt try the chair before buying. You’re spending a stupendous amount of money, so you’d better test drive the thing before deciding!
Should you buy online or offline?
Well it really depends. Reviews like this one can only help you to an extent. It’s up to you to do your research and determine what the most cost effective option is.
If online is cheaper (usually this can be the case), than search out the best prices online and buy online. Conversely, if buying in-store is cheaper and more convenient, then buy in store!
Important: here’s a link that’ll locate the closest stores where you can find Human Touch products in your area!
Question #2: Do I need lots of space to be able to fit this chair in my home?
It’s a pretty big chair, and so you’ll definitely need to review and consider the dimensions prior to buying.
In addition to the above, Human Touch have designed the chair such that it only requires 2” of wall clearance from back of the chair to the wall. Here’s a few other technical specs you should know about:
Question #3: What colours does the Super Novo come in?
You have a choice of 6 different colour schemes: saddle, espresso, cream, gray, red, and black. My 2 favourites are the saddle and the red, as they’re both unconventional/unique from what you typically find on other massage chairs!
Should You Buy The Human Touch Super Novo? Or Should You Consider Something Else?
Before we even begin to answer this, it’s important to ask yourself:
Am I specifically looking for a chair with 4D rollers, or am I willing to go with something less advanced that can still give a solid massage?
If you are indeed looking for a chair with 4D rollers, keep reading! If it’s the latter, then there’s a ton of much cheaper 3D chairs that are incredibly effective. Check out my reviews on the following 3D chairs:
One of my favourite 3D chairs on the market! It checks off the list on pretty much everything from price, to roller track, to user flexibility and much more!
Another fantastic model that was only recently released by Osaki (mid 2019). 16 auto modes, 3D rollers and a whack of other features!
If you’re hell bent on buying the creme de la creme of massage chairs, that is buying a chair with 4D rollers….then stick around!
Should you buy the Super Novo?
The only way to fairly answer this question is to compare the Super Novo against other similar chairs on the market. Because of how advanced the Super Novo is, there isn’t many chairs we can compare it to……except one….step forth the pride of Osaki, the Osaki Pro Maestro!
I Call It The Lamborghini Of Massage Chairs!
What’s not to love about about this chair!? It’s got 4D rollers with a whopping 52.8” SL-Track, great user flexibility and a low rate of power consumption. Oh and the roller system is fully heated!
- Human Touch Super Novo
- $$$$$
Price - 43'' SL-Track
Roller Track - Yes
Zero Gravity - 38
Auto Modes - Conventional Heating Pads
Heating System - 1.9 Amps (228 Watts)
Power Consumption - Yes
Foot Rollers - 36
Airbags
- Osaki OS Pro Maestro
- $$$$
Price - 52.8'' SL-Track
Roller Track - Yes
Zero Gravity - 8
Auto Modes - Heated Rollers
Heating System - 250 Watts
Power Consumption - Yes
Foot Rollers - 32
Airbags
Looking at the above comparisons, it’s so very tough to decide on which chair comes out on top!
This is the first time it’s not quite as clear to me on what chair i’d pick. Up to this point, i’ve reviewed 40-50 chairs and I’ve always been able to provide a final recommendation! Let’s look at this a little closer.
Comparison Point #1: Rollers
It’s pretty clear to see that the rollers on the Pro Maestro are more superior to the rollers on the Super Novo. The winning difference for me is in the roller track. 52.8” (heated rollers) in the Maestro versus 43” (non-heated rollers) in the Super Novo. Pro Maestro is the clear winner here and in a big way!
Comparison Point #2: Price
The Pro Maestro is slightly cheaper than the Super Novo, but not by much. Even still, the Pro Maestro is the winner here.
Comparison Point #3: Auto Modes, User Flexibility, & Operation
I’ve listed these all in a single point, but that should not take away from the fact that these are 3 major areas! The Super Novo is the clear winner in all 3 of these departments!
And the winner is…..
IT’S A TIE!!! BOTH CHAIR’S ARE INCREDIBLE IN THEIR OWN RIGHTS!
If rollers are most important to you, pick the Pro Maestro; if user experience, auto modes, and flexibility are most important to you, pick the Super Novo. One thing is clear: both of these chairs in their own right can be called the best massage chair currently on the market!
If you choose to buy using any of the affiliate links in this post, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions are used to offset costs needed to run this site and continue to able to write these reviews, so if you enjoyed reading and have decided to buy, using my links would be massively appreciated!
Last but not least, if you decide to buy the Pro Maestro you can save an extra 5% if you buy on massage chair deals. How? Enter in “MAM5” during checkout after using my link.
That’s it from me folks. I hope you enjoyed reading this review post and got some value out of it. If you did, a share on the socials would be hugely appreciated. Leave your questions and comments below. I’ll see you next week!
