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I review a variety of massage chairs; different brands from Osaki, Titan, Apex, Human Touch, Ogawa, Kahuna, Real Relax and many more.
Medical Breakthrough is one such brand. A reader of my posts mentioned to me and asked what I thought about Medical Breakthrough chairs. Truth be told, I don’t know much! Hopefully I’ll know a lot more as I research this chair to write this review.
First things first, who are Medical Breakthrough and what makes them unique from all the other massage chair brands?
Medical Breakthrough are a no nonsense manufacturer and designer of massage chairs with one primary objective: design chairs that can actually relieve pain and improve posture.
Their viewpoint is that most massage chairs available in the market are lacking severely and only provide a massage for relaxation purposes, but do nothing to help with pain relief or posture correction.
Medical Breakthrough also claim that their chairs are backed by doctors, engineers, surgeons, and chiropractors. They specifically claim that their chairs are recommended by more than 26 MD’s!
Now I know you’re probably thinking anyone can say anything about their product and make all sorts of claims. Yes I get that, but I also think there is a lot of truth to what Medical Breakthrough claims. I say this because names of Doctors have been provided. Medical Breakthrough have gone to the extent of even providing the list of Doctors who use these chairs. Here’s where you can check it out!
There’s also a ton of reviews and testimonials on their site from engineers, technicians, chiropractors, massage therapists, pain specialists, and surgeons alike.
Why am I telling you all this? Well I think it’s just as important knowing all of this as it is knowing the technical details/specs of a chair. As consumers it gives us an appreciation of the effort that goes into designing these chairs!
This is especially important when you’re making a purchase upwards of a thousand or more dollars. Don’t you care to know how the design came into conception, and how it differs from all the other variations on the market? Don’t you care to know the quality and workmanship details that go into making a superior product? I think it’s very important to consider all of these things before buying!
Okay, now that you have a bit of history about Medical Breakthrough, let’s look at the Medical Breakthrough 6 v4 in greater detail. Let’s look at why MD’s from all around the globe love this thing so much. Let’s look at why Chiropractors are recommending this to their own patients!
I’m just a tad surprised here. Surprised because when I see the price tag for this chair, it doesn’t quite add up as to why this chair only comes with 3D rollers. For how much it costs, there’s no excuse for it to not have 4D rollers.
What are 3D rollers and how do they function? In terms of massage chair roller technology, 3D rollers are sandwiched between 2D & 4D. 2D being the oldest technology and the least advanced, and 4D being the newest technology and most advanced.
L-Track simply describes 2 characteristics of the rollers. It looks at the shape a set of rollers take on as they move from neck to hamstrings (in this case L), and the total distance that is traversed (typically more than 47” for most L-Tracks).
The more I read about the Medical Breakthrough 6 v4, the more skeptical I become. That’s not because the features that are being presented are too good to be true, but more so because I don’t see how this chair is better than any other of a similar price point.
Okay fair point. Below is the map of all the parts of the body the 6 v4 can massage. Out of everything shown here, the only thing that stands out to me is the finger and reflexology hand massage. Everything else is all pretty standard. I can give examples of chairs that massage all of these areas. In fact, if you find a chair that has an extended SL-Track, your upper/mid body is pretty well covered.
My intent is not to bash Medical Breakthrough! However, I do think it’s important for me as a blogger to identify these differences to you, so you’re able to make a well informed decision. Medical Breakthrough have done well to cover so many areas no doubt about this. Does that make them the only chair to do it? Nope not in my opinion!
That means having the ability to massage the chest, inner thighs etc. Now that would be something different!
The “Reflexology Foot Massage System” is something that Medical Breakthrough really pride themselves on. What does it consist of? Based on my research, it consists of 3 foot rollers rows as well as airbags (air cells) that massage the feet at the bottom, top and sides. Medical Breakthrough also mention something known as the Artificial Human Scraping Therapy Massage which is a system that ensures massage happens from heel to toes.
I can show you tons and tons of massage chairs that have an exactly similar configuration of 3 roller rows and airbags to massage the feet. I’m failing to understand what makes the Medical Breakthrough more special than all of these……maybe I’m missing something.
If it’s a software thing with the rollers, then I do think Medical Breakthrough should mention that, but for now I’m failing to see how the 6 v4 is better than any other chair with foot rollers.
I might’ve been a little too critical on a few of the points above, but I will say that one thing I absolutely love about the Medical Breakthrough 6 v4 is its user flexibility. In other words, how well the chair is able to accommodate a variety of heights and weights.
It can accommodate a maximum weight of up to 250 lbs.
While there have been several advancements in the world of massage chairs, there are still a number of areas that could use improvement. One such area that’s severely lacking in most chairs I review is massage of the lower extremities from the waist down.
This is especially true in places where the rollers can’t reach. I’m talking specifically anything from the knees downward, and this applies even for L-Track chairs. Very few chairs have looked at addressing this issue. I’m glad to see that the Medical Breakthrough 6 v4 is one of them!
A simple addition: calf rollers. Calf rollers compensate for the lack of massage from the knee downwards. Foot rollers of course take care of the feet. It surprises me that so many other manufacturers don’t take this seriously. All massage chairs should be fitted with calf rollers!
Note: Also another really cool feature added on the 6 v4 calf and foot rollers is heat therapy. That is, the rollers are heated and thereby provide a heated massage as they roll your calves and feet!
“World Massage” is Medical Breakthrough’s take on auto massage modes. The idea is this:
The following modes are available on the 6 v4:
The above 9 auto modes offer something for everyone. If you’re looking for a low intense session with mild strokes, there is something for you. If you’re looking for deep tissue or stretch modes, there’s something for you also. If you’re just looking for a compression massage, this is also available.
Try them all out and see which ones you like most. I typically prefer the deep tissue modes and modify them to have a lower airbag intensity setting. To each their own!
The best way to make an informed buying decision is to compare one product to another. This is no different for massage chairs! To be sure you’re getting the most “bang for your buck”, you better make sure you’ve done all your research and seen what the market has to offer.
Now then what should we be comparing the 6 v4 against? Well we could compare it to really any massage chair, but I don’t think that would add much value. If the 6 v4 has you interested then that means you’re probably looking for a chair with similar or better technology.
For this reason we will compare the 6 v4 to 2 similar chairs with 3D rollers packing an extended L-Track. Specifically, we will be comparing it against the Titan Prime 3D & the Osaki Pro Admiral.
One of my favourite massage chairs on the market. It might not be the cheapest option, but it’s overall performance does make up for the expensive price tag. 16 auto modes is what it comes with!
By looking at the table above we can see that the Medical Breakthrough 6 v4 is not at all better than most of its competitors. It might have the edge when it comes to some things such as user flexibility and heat therapy, but definitely not other things! (auto modes for example!)
It’s a pretty good massage chair actually. It’s just not very economical, that’s all! Don’t know about you but when I’m spending thousands of dollars, I want to be absolutely certain I’m getting the best deal, and I don’t think the 6 v4 is the best deal currently on the market.
So what should you buy? My final recommendation is to consider the Pro Admiral instead of the Medical Breakthrough 6 v4. Everyone has their own opinion, and this is mine. I guess I’m not entirely sold on all the features and why I should spend such an exorbitant amount when other chairs are giving me pretty much the same at a lower cost.
Look guys (& gals), the only way you can be sure you’re getting the best deal is to do your research. See what’s out there and filter down your search to a few chairs. Once you have this done, it’s just a matter of finding the best price on the market.
Whoever said buying a massage chair was a simple task is dead wrong! Research, research and more research! Good luck, be happy, be well and be safe! I’ll see you in next week’s post!
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