Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair Review

Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair Review

7.9

Back Massage

8.5/10

Foot/Calf Massage

8.5/10

Air Compression Massage

8.5/10

User Flexibility (Height/Weight)

7.0/10

Value For Money

7.0/10

Pros

  • Assembly Is A Piece Of Cake!
  • 49'' SL-Track Is Seriously Impressive!
  • You Get A Ton Of Flexibility In Manual Mode!

Cons

  • 10'' Of Wall Clearance Might Be A Concern For Some
  • User Flexibility Is A Tad Lacking In Terms Of Height Range

Yet Another New Release From Osaki!

I’m impressed to see how many new massage chairs came out in 2019! Brands like Osaki, Titan, Human Touch showed no signs of slowing down, as they continued to release some fantastic models all throughout the year.

Osaki OS Aster is yet another model from Osaki’s much improved massage chair lineup in 2019!

We’ll get into the nitty gritty technical stuff later on in this post, but for now here’s how this bad boy looks!

Osaki Aster Massage Chair

It comes in 4 different color schemes: black and cappuccino, black and gray, black, and brown. My favorite is the black and cappuccino show above; it has this timeless look to it which makes it a perfect fit for any living room!

Current pricing for the chair is $2,999 on massage chair deals (5 year warranty included).

Is it good bang for your buck ($$$$)?
Should you consider buying the Aster?
How does it compare to similar chairs?

Don’t fret as we will answer each of these questions as we go through the review!

 

Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair: 5 Interesting Features To Know Of!

#1 2-Dimensional (2D) Rollers With A 49” SL-Track!

2-dimensional rollers are those in which the rollers are able to move up/down along the length of the back and side to side along the width of the back. The image below depicts the range of motion you would typically see in 2D massage chairs.

2D Rollers Move Up/Down & Left/Right

How do 2D rollers compare to other roller types?

When it comes to massage chair rollers, it goes like this: 2D are the most basic and oldest of all roller technology, 3D rollers have been around for a couple years and can be considered an intermediate, 4D rollers are fairly new and are the most advanced.

Even though 2D rollers are the oldest and least “technologically advanced” when compared to the other 3, they’re still incredibly effective at giving a solid massage!

And that’s testament as to why manufacturers like Osaki continue to use them even on their new models!

We’ve talked about 2D rollers are and how they function, but now let’s look at an important characteristic of the rollers: the roller track!

Roller track is essentially the shape and distance a set of rollers traverse. It might be a little hard to understand now, but I promise it’ll make complete sense in a bit!

Distance
This is simply how far a set of rollers can traverse from the neck downwards. The OS Aster can do a total of 49” which all things considered is pretty impressive!
Shape
“SL” describes the shape the rollers take on as they traverse from the neck downwards. “S” is along the spine, and “L” describes the overall shape from neck to hamstrings.

Osaki OS Aster SL Roller Track

How does the roller track on the Aster compare with other chairs?

In terms of distance, 49” is pretty good. The most I’ve seen is 53”, so 49” isn’t all that far off. In terms of shape, there are 3 kinds you’ll typically find on a massage chair:

    • S-Track or chairs with rollers that produce an “S” shape.
    • L-Track or chairs with rollers that produce an “L” shape.
    • SL-Track or chairs with rollers that produce both an “S” and “L” shapes.

If I had you guess which shape is the best, what would you pick? If you picked “SL”, you’re absolutely correct!

While the OS Aster may have relatively old roller technology, it’s been designed to have impressive roller tracking! All in all 2 thumbs up from me in this department!

#2 A Total Of 18 Airbags

Now I know most of you are thinking…..”18 airbags? Isn’t that too little?” The answer is it depends.

What if I told you that with 18 “specially designed” airbags you can get the same coverage as you normally would with 35 “conventionally designed” airbags? Well that’s basically all Osaki have done here!

In an attempt to reduce overall strain and power consumption, Osaki have opted for a more streamlined approach when designing the airbag system. Instead of going with more airbags, they’ve instead reduced the airbag count, while at the same time increasing the airbag surface area coverage. As a result you have 18 airbags that give a compression massage as good as any chair would!

The animation below shows how the airbags pulsate in their designated locations on the Aster.

Osaki OS Aster Pulsating Airbags

#3 6 Auto Modes To Pick From

Auto modes are the bread and butter of user experience when talking massage chairs. The more auto modes, the more choices users have, and quite likely the better the overall experience!

When you purchase a massage chair, the last thing you want to do after a 12 hour workday is mess around with the remote control trying to find settings that work!

If you’re like most people, you wanna sink into the chair, maybe hit a few buttons at most on the remote control, and poof away you go into the land of relaxation and bliss! That’s why auto modes are in my opinion so important to consider when buying a massage chair.

All that being said, the OS Aster comes with a total of 6 auto modes to choose from. These are:

    • Relax—A full body program that employs acupressure and deep tissue therapy to provide pain relief from sore muscles. Not sure why the mode is called “Relax”. Expect high intensity!
    • Stretch—Another highly intense full body routine. This one employs both the rollers as well as the airbags to aid in performing a comprehensive stretch of the upper and lower body.
    • Comfort—The perfect beginner mode if you’ve never experienced massage on a massage chair before! Expect light to mild strokes/intensities.
    • Neck & Shoulders—As the name suggests, this is a targeted massage mode that aims to focus specifically on the neck and shoulder regions.
    • Full Body—Full body program that covers everything from the neck right down to the feet and toes. Intensity is moderate on this one.
    • Back & Waist—Another targeted programs that focuses specifically on the lumbar, lower back area. This is a great mode for sufferers of lower back pain!

Osaki OS Aster Auto Massage Modes

#4 Manual Mode Is Pretty Awesome Too!

In addition to the 6 auto modes discussed above, you can also operate the chair in manual mode. Of course manual mode is more involved in that it requires you to take control of a few different settings. Having this ability to manually control a massage chair is definitely important!

As I became more accustomed with the auto modes on my own chair, I started more and more to experiment with tweaking various settings on manual mode. The end result was an incredible massage!

So what all can you do in manual mode anyways? Below are a few of the settings you can tweak:

    • Airbag Intensity—There’s 3  levels of intensity ranging from weak to intermediate to strong that can be adjusted. You can also alter the “upper” airbags intensity and have it different from the “lower” airbags intensity setting.
    • Roller Speeds—You can alter the roller speed to slow, medium, or fast. Remember, the faster the rollers, the more intense the massage!
    • Roller Widths—In addition to roller speed, you can also adjust roller width to narrow, normal, or wide. Normal is your standard setting, while the other 2 are more so for individuals with a slightly narrower/wider body frame. However, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t experiment with wide or narrow roller widths. Try it and if you like the setting, then keep using it!
    • Foot Roller Speed—Just as you can alter the main roller speed, you can also alter the speed of the foot rollers. Again you have 3 speed levels to choose from.
    • Roller Massage Techniques—In manual mode Osaki have given us the flexibility of picking any of these 5 techniques: shiatsu, kneading, tapping, kneading & tapping combo, and knocking.
    • Geo-targeting—Probably my favorite feature in manual mode! What is geotargeting? Basically it’s a mode where you can pick any point on the 49” SL-Track and have the rollers focus on that specific point. This is referred to as fixed point massage. If you wanted to instead focus the rollers on an area, you can also do that. This is referred to as partial massage.

Osaki OS Aster Massage Techniques In Manual Mode

As you can see, driving this chair in manual mode gives you quite a bit of flexibility!

#5 Assembly Is Straight Forward!

If there’s one thing I totally despise it’s assembly and install! I’m all about technical details and specs, but when it comes to assembly and install…..I usually pass the buck!

That being said, I do love it when manufacturers like Osaki make our lives easy, and that’s exactly the case with the OS Aster!

As far as assembly is concerned, all you need to do is connect the footrest to the rest of the chair. This has been detailed in the user manual which you can find by clicking here. Once you’re done connecting the footrest, all you gotta do is plug to a power outlet and you’re golden!

 

Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair Specifications

  • Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair Specs
  • Roller Type: SL-Track
  • Roller Length: 49 Inches
  • Total Airbags: 18
  • Upright Dimensions: 44″H x 29″W x 57″D
  • Recline Dimensions: 38″H x 29″W x 63″D
  • Chair Material: Synthetic Leather
  • Recommended Height Range: 5’0 – 6’2 ft.
  • Maximum Recommended Weight: 265 lbs

 

Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair Pros & Cons!

Pros—The Stuff I Like!
Cons—The Stuff I Don’t Like!
    • 49” SL-Track—This is by far the standout feature of this chair. When you look at the specs, the 49” SL-Track is what it’s all about!
    • Fewer Airbags—Most people might list this as a con, but for me it’s a pro. Less noise, reduced power consumption, all the while maintaining airbag surface area coverage. Two thumbs up Osaki!
    • Manual Mode—While it doesn’t have too many options in auto mode, Osaki have really beefed up the manual mode on this chair!
    • Easy Assembly—Touched on this earlier, but I love how simple and easy it is to get this chair setup and running.
    • User Flexibility Is Slightly Lacking—Specifically the height flexibility is lacking in my opinion, as the chair can only accommodate users ranging from 5’0-6’2 ft. It’s not the worst I’ve seen, but it’s definitely worth pointing out.
    • Clearance Required—The clearance required from back of the headrest to the wall is approximately 10”. Again, it’s not the worst thing in the world, but it’s worth noting, especially when the chair is said to have space saving technology as a feature. Not sure with that clearance!

 

Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Question #1: What is the maximum time you can operate the chair for?

The maximum operating period for the OS Aster is 20 minutes. That is, 20 minutes is the longest duration you can get a massage for. Of course you can always reset or redo a mode again once the 20 minutes are over.

Question #2: Where is the chair manufactured?

Like 95% of all massage chairs, the OS Aster was fully made and assembled in China. Although it’s made in China, the unit still ships out of the USA.

Question #3: Does it have any safety feature to protect it from power spikes and such?

Yes it does. The OS Aster comes with both overheating and power surge safety protection. Peace of mind when you know this right!

Question #4: Does the chair have the ability to recline to a zero gravity position?

Yes absolutely it does. You can select zero gravity recline directly from the remote control. Massage in zero gravity is even more effective!

Question #5: How simple is it to operate the chair?

Pretty darn easy! Take a look at the remote control and see for yourself. Most of it is all routine and cookie cutter once you’ve read the user manual and used the chair a few times.

Osaki OS Aster Remote Control

 

Should You Buy The Osaki OS Aster Massage Chair?

The only way to properly answer this question is to see how the OS Aster compares to chairs with similar technology in the market. That is how does the Aster stack up against other chairs with 2D SL-Track rollers?

To answer this question I will do a side by side comparison of the Aster against 2 very well known 2D massage chairs: Osaki’s Pro Maxim & Ogawa’s Active L.

Osaki Pro Maxim
Pro Maxim ComparisonIf there ever was a contender for best “all round” massage chair, the Pro Maxim would be front runner! It’s reasonably priced, packs a ton of awesome features, and is beautifully designed!
Ogawa Active L
Ogawa Active L Massage Chair ComparisonOgawa’s response to the Pro Maxim was the Active L. Another fantastic chair that’s eerily similar to the Pro Maxim in terms of specs and technical details!
  • Ogawa Active L
  • $$$$

    Price
  • 43″ SL-Track

    Roller Track
  • 9

    Auto Modes
  • 44

    Airbags
  • 5’0 – 6’4 ft & 300 lbs.

    User Height/Weight
  • 5 Inches Clearance Required

    Space Saving Recline
  • Osaki OS Pro Maxim
  • $$

    Price
  • 47″ SL-Track

    Roller Track
  • 12

    Auto Modes
  • 22

    Airbags
  • 5’1 – 6’4 ft & 285 lbs.

    User Height/Weight
  • 5 Inches Clearance Required

    Space Saving Recline
  • Osaki OS Aster
  • $$$

    Price
  • 49″ SL-Track

    Roller Track
  • 6

    Auto Modes
  • 18

    Airbags
  • 5’0 – 6’2 ft & 265 lbs.

    User Height/Weight
  • 10 Inches Clearance Required

    Space Saving Recline

To make it as clear as possible, let’s go through some of the key differences in detail!

Key Difference #1—Price

Of course the biggest deciding factor when buying a massage chair is price! All of us are only comfortable spending a certain amount and not any more than that. For some people this may be $2K, for others it might be $4K. Fact is everyone has a cap on what they’re willing to spend!

  •   Osaki OS Aster---$$$
  •   Osaki Pro Maxim---$$
  •   Ogawa Active L---$$$$

Pro Maxim is the cheapest from all 3, and therefore the winner in terms of price!

Key Difference #2—Roller Track

All 3 chairs employ 2D SL-Track rollers so the only difference to look at here is how far the rollers on each chair can traverse.

  •   Osaki OS Aster---Employs a 49” SL-Track System.
  •   Osaki Pro Maxim---Employs a 47” SL-Track System.
  •   Ogawa Active L---Employs a 43” SL-Track System.

OS Aster is the winner here with a 49” SL-Track, although the Pro Maxim isn’t far behind with its 47” SL-Track!

Key Difference #3—Auto Modes

This one’s pretty simple!

  •   Osaki OS Aster---6 Auto Modes.
  •   Osaki Pro Maxim---12 Auto Modes.
  •   Ogawa Active L---9 Auto Modes.

And the winner is….Pro Maxim with a whopping 12 auto modes!

Key Difference #4—User Flexibility

All 3 chairs have a fairly decent weight rating (maximum weight a chair can accommodate), so that’s not going to be our focus here. Our focus will be specifically on the height range or the flexibility in user height that each chair offers.

  •   Osaki OS Aster---5’0 – 6’2 ft.
  •   Osaki Pro Maxim---5’1 – 6’4 ft.
  •   Ogawa Active L---5’0 – 6’4 ft.

Ogawa Active L has the best height flexibility, but the Pro Maxim is pretty much about the same as well. OS Aster is the only one that’s slightly lacking in this department.

Key Difference #5—Space Saving

Space saving is about how well a massage chair is able to fit in a limited space. Specifically it looks at the required wall clearance from back of head rest. Obviously the lower the clearance in inches, the better!

  •   Osaki OS Aster---10 Inches Wall Clearance Required.
  •   Osaki Pro Maxim---5 Inches Wall Clearance Required.
  •   Ogawa Active L---5 Inches Wall Clearance Required.

This one ends in a draw between both the Pro Maxim and Active L! Both require about 5 inches of wall clearance from the wall. OS Aster requires 10 inches. If you’ll recall, this was a shortcoming I discussed in the cons section earlier.

Key Difference #6—Entertainment Considerations

Not the biggest thing to scrutinize as it has zero impact towards functionality, but it’s worth mentioning here anyways.

  •   Osaki OS Aster---No Bluetooth Speakers.
  •   Osaki Pro Maxim---Bluetooth Speakers Included.
  •   Ogawa Active L---Bluetooth Speakers Included.

Both the Pro Maxim and Active L come with built in Bluetooth speakers, so you can enjoy some tunes while getting a massage. OS Aster doesn’t come with any built in Bluetooth speakers.

 

Considering Everything We’ve Talked About, My Final Recommendation Is…

My final recommendation for what it’s worth is:

PRO MAXIM!!! It’s The Better Chair All Things Considered!

And hopefully that’s clear to you from the comparison table and key differences we went through above. If you wish to read more about the Pro Maxim, you can do so by checking the chair out on massage chair deals using the link below.

If you decide to purchase the chair from massage chair deals using the link above, you can earn an extra 5% off by entering the code “MAM5” during checkout.

I also want to mention that should you decide to purchase any of the chairs on this post using my links, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I use these commissions to offset any costs required to run and maintain this site, so if this review post was informative and helpful, and if you’ve decided to buy, then feel free to use my links if you please.

Lastly, if there’s anything else you would like answered about this chair or any other for that matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can either drop me a comment below or email me at support@massagersandmore.com. Until next time folks!

Osaki OS Aster massage chair images were used with permission from Massage Chair Deals & Osaki Massage Chair

About Eve

Just an average bloke intrigued by massage and its incredible benefits. Oh, did I mention I also own a massage chair? More on that in the blog posts!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *