Table of Contents
Osaki OS Champ Massage Chair Review
Pros
- For A 2D L-Track Chair, Pricing Checks Off Nicely!
- 2 Foot Rollers Rows Coupled With Airbags Makes For A Comforting Foot Massage!
- BlueTooth Speakers So You Can Listen To Your Favourite Tunes!
Cons
- Requiring 9'' Of Clearance, It's Not Exactly "Space Saving"
- Because It's A Smaller Chair, It's Unable To Comfortably Accommodate Users Over 6 Feet
At First Glance, The Champ Is An Impressive Massage Chair At A Reasonable Price!
Welcome to yet another massage chair review! Hope you guys had a splendid week and are taking care of yourselves during this pandemic.
Today we will be looking at one of Osaki’s recently released massage chairs, the OS Champ.
Aside from packing an L-Track as well as independent foot rollers, the Champ offers space saving recline as well as 2 stages of zero gravity. “Impressive” are my initial thoughts. The more I look at the Champ, the more I think it’s an upgrade/update to the now ancient, but still impressive 4000T.
Osaki, along with other big massage chair brands have come to realise that many individuals just do not have the budget to spend $2K for a massage chair. As recent as 2 years ago, the options these individuals would’ve had would be limited.
However, these days (in 2020) you can find a solid unit for less than $2K!
One trend I am starting to notice more and more especially in the last 6 months is the phasing out of S-Track chairs in favour of L-Tracks. We see more and more brands like Osaki/Titan/Infinity and other brands all favouring the use of L-Track rollers instead of S-Track.
This is definitely a positive as far as I’m concerned because you get an extended range of massage that goes all the way to the glutes, but….
The caveat is that S-Tracks give you that tight spinal tracking which in my opinion an L-Track might not. SL-Track is the best of all options but comes with a hefty price tag. An interesting evolution in technology and I just love being at the forefront of it all!
Here’s a quick synopsis of the Osaki OS Champ! (source: Official Titan Osaki Massage Channel)
5 Interesting Features Of The Osaki OS Champ Massage Chair!
#1 2D L-Track Rollers
I gotta say I’m impressed to see that more and more brands are introducing newly released L-Track chairs at very affordable prices. Previously it was the Riage CS from Infinity I reviewed that had an L-Track, and that chair cost less than $1K!
If you’re unfamiliar with 2D rollers, here’s a quick explanation on what they are and how they function!
The most basic of roller systems you can find on a massage chair are 2D rollers. They are called “2D” because they move in 2 dimensions: the x-axis which you can think of as the width of your back, and the y-axis which you can think of as the length of your back. The arrows in the image above depicts typical movement of a 2D roller system.But what are rollers? If you’ve never seen inside an actual massage chair, like inside the upholstery I mean, then it’s hard to have an appreciation.
Rollers are to a massage chair, as hands are to a massage therapist!
In other words, without rollers you’ve got no massage chair. They’re the most integral component responsible for delivering massage to the user. In most massage chairs, rollers have been designed and programmed to be able to perform several different massage techniques ranging from Shiatsu, kneading, tapping etc.
The Osaki OS Champ is fitted with a 2D roller system mounted on an L-Track. But what’s an L-Track?
Think of it this way….the roller needs to be mounted on something, a track of some sorts. The track is simply a means for the roller to move from neck downwards. It’s like the car and road analogy. In order to drive a car, you need a road. Same deal with the rollers!
So like this there are different types of roller tracks. There are 3 main types you should know about:
#2 It’s Got 5 Auto Modes To Pick From
I’m always very big on auto modes, so when I evaluate a massage chair, it’s one of the first few things I look for.
The more auto modes on a massage chair, the better!
5 auto modes is what you would expect to see in an entry level, budget massage chair. Seeing the price of the OS Champ, I’m not sure if it’s right for me to be disappointed. However, if this chair was upward of $2K, this for sure would be a shortcoming!
What are these 5 auto modes?
- Stretch—A full body stretch routine that makes use of the rollers as well as the airbags. You can expect a high intensity routine that works on the back, hamstrings, and leg muscles!
- Relax—Another mid to high intensity routine that works on the full body. It starts off light with mild kneading and tapping massage, but progressively becomes more intense over time.
- Lower Back—A focused routine that’s designed to work the lower back area of the body. It’s especially useful for those suffering from pain in the lower back.
- Upper Back—Same as lower back but focused on the neck, shoulders, and upper back area. Also great for pain relief!
- Demo—A short mode that goes over a demo of all the other modes. This is a 5 minute program.
Note: If you don’t count the demo mode, the OS Champ has a total of 4 auto modes. All things considered, it’s not much at all. My current massage chair has about the same number of modes, and I can tell you that it didn’t take me long to get bored of these 4 routines.
#3 It’s Got A Total Of 18 Airbags
What are airbags?
Airbags are pouches that simultaneously inflate/deflate with compressed air. Because these airbags are located adjacent to muscles, they push against and compress these muscles thereby resulting in a compression style massage.
Foot airbags give a compression massage to the feet. Hand airbags give a compression massage to the hands, and so on so forth. The OS Champ has a total of 18 airbags located in various parts of the chair such as the arms, shoulders, calves, feet and waist. Below image shows the approximate locations of these 18 airbags.
Word Of Caution: Compression massage can be pretty painful if a high intensity is selected. It’s always best to start off at a low intensity setting and then make your way up as your body feels comfortable. You can always adjust intensity from the remote control to a lower setting as required.
#4 Foot Roller Massage Covers The Bottom Of The Feet!
Definitely impressed to see foot rollers on the OS Champ. For how little it costs, I wasn’t expecting a design that has foot rollers.
Are foot rollers important and should you look for them when buying a massage chair?
In my honest opinion (and this is just my opinion and nothing more!), foot rollers are absolutely necessary in a massage chair. Without them, foot massage is severely lacking. The airbags in the foot area are not enough to deliver a comprehensive foot massage, and that’s why foot rollers are required.
I say this after having used a chair with foot rollers and without, and my experience tells me that they are a must. I know that other bloggers might feel differently and that’s totally fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion and this is mine.
Anyways, let me know what you guys think. Are you for foot rollers or do you think they don’t matter? Leave it in the comments!
#5 Space Saving Recline (But Not Really….)
Space saving recline is a feature common to most modern massage chairs. It’s an incredibly simple feature that allows large massage chairs to fit in tight, constrained spaces. This typically would not be possible, but with space saving recline, it is.
What is space saving recline?
It’s a pretty simple feature where the chair moves forward on a base as it’s reclined backward. What this essentially does is reduce the overall clearance required from the back of the chair to the wall. But by how much does it reduce this distance?
Different chairs perform differently when it comes to this. I’ve seen chairs that only require one or two inches of clearance, and then I’ve seen chairs that require several inches.
The OS Champ requires about 9 inches of clearance!
Which is quite a bit if you ask me. While most chairs from Osaki have excelled in this area of “space saving”, I must say I’m a little disappointed with how they’ve designed the OS Champ. Anyways, more on this in the cons section below!
Osaki OS Champ Massage Chair Specifications
- Osaki OS Champ Massage Chair Specs
- Roller Type: L-Track
- Roller Length: 49 Inches (Approximately)
- Total Airbags: 18
- Upright Dimensions: 57.1"L x 29.5"W x 44.1"H
- Recline Dimensions: 78"L x 29.5"W x 33.9"H
- Chair Material: Synthetic Leather
- Height Range: 5’0 – 6’0 ft (approximately)
- Maximum Recommended Weight: 260 lbs
Osaki OS Champ Massage Chair Pros & Cons
- Price Is Reasonable—When I take it all into account, the OS Champ is reasonably priced for everything that it offers. This includes the extended L-Track, foot rollers, and the Bluetooth sound system.
- Extended L-Track Does Wonders!—I’m a huge fan of L-Track chairs. I think they’re the way forward for massage chairs, and I strongly feel they will evolve into a full body roller track over time. That being said, the L-Track on the OS Champ doesn’t disappoint!
- Foot Massage—The 2 roller row foot massage system along with the airbags deliver a powerful foot massage to both feet. Intensity can be adjusted to suit your needs.
- Not Really Space Saving!—I touched on this above, but the 9 inches isn’t true space saving recline to be honest. The OS Champ is by no means one of the largest massage chair I’ve ever come across, so I do feel that Osaki could’ve done a better job with the space saving recline.
- Not The Best Choice For Taller, Larger Users—If you’re 6 foot and some, I would strongly suggest you consider an alternate to the OS Champ. The OS Champ is designed for the small to medium body type. Anything over the 6 foot threshold, and the fit will be uncomfortable. From a weight standpoint, it can safely accommodate up to 260 lbs.
Should You Buy The Osaki OS Champ Massage Chair?
There’s only one way to properly answer this question, and that is to do a side by side comparison of the OS Champ against other similar 2D L-Track massage chairs!
Now you’re probably wondering “why don’t we compare a 2D chair to a 3D or 4D chair?” If you wanted to, you can compare anything against anything! But the risk with doing this is you’re not seeing like to like.
Ever heard the saying compare apples to apples? Same deal applies with massage chairs! Compare 2D to 2D, 3D to 3D, and 4D to 4D!
This way you will get the most benefit, and you’ll be able to clearly see which is the more superior product. It’s for this reason I always compare one chair to another chair that’s similar in terms of technology. Let’s do the same here!
We will be comparing the Osaki OS Champ to the Osaki OS Pro Maxim and the Apex AP Pro Ultra massage chairs. Both are fantastic chairs in their own right and have earned a solid reputation as best selling units!
Speaking 2D L-Track massage chairs, the Pro Maxim is a truly exceptional unit. The SL-Track that powers this chair is incredibly designed, and Osaki have done a phenomenal job in other aspects as well. Truly an incredible unit!
This used to be my favourite 2D massage chair before I fell in love with the Pro Maxim. What I love most about the Pro Ultra is that it comes loaded with calf rollers. There’s not many chairs in the market that have this!
- Osaki OS Champ
- 5’0 – 6’0 ft & 260 lbs.
User Height/Weight - $
Price - 49″ L-Track
Roller Track - 18
Airbags - 5
Auto Modes - No
Calf Rollers - Music Only
Music & Chromotherapy Lights
- APEX AP Pro Ultra
- 5’0 – 6’3 ft & 265 lbs.
User Height/Weight - $$$
Price - 50″ L-Track
Roller Track - 30
Airbags - 5
Auto Modes - Yes
Calf Rollers - Music Only
Music & Chromotherapy Lights
- Osaki OS Pro Maxim
- 5’1 – 6’4 ft & 285 lbs.
User Height/Weight - $$$
Price - 47″ SL-Track
Roller Track - 22
Airbags - 12
Auto Modes - No
Calf Rollers - Yes
Music & Chromotherapy Lights
What do you think?
Price is usually the deciding factor for most people, as it should be! Knowing this let’s talk about pricing. The OS Champ is about $1K and then some cheaper than the Pro Maxim and the Pro Ultra. Granted the Pro Maxim and Pro Ultra are better chairs in terms of performance and functionality, but….the OS Champ is still a decent chair!
If you’re on a tight budget, but you want a 2D L-Track chair no matter what, the OS Champ is definitely a decent option!
It’s got decent rollers coupled with a solid foot massage system. The only 2 shortcomings are the reduced auto modes as well as the chair not being able to accommodate larger body types. Otherwise, I can’t see anything wrong the OS Champ!
Again, this is my opinion and how I see and evaluate chairs. That’s not to say everyone else’s opinion agrees with mine. As you should with any big investment, do your due diligence! Read up on other reviews and then decide for yourself based on what makes most sense for you and you only. If you got anything from this post, let it be this!
Hope You Got Some Value!
If you enjoyed reading and got some value from this post, please consider sharing it! If you have any unanswered questions, feel free to chuck them down below in the comments and I’ll be sure to get back to ya! Otherwise, have a splendid week ahead!
Osaki OS Champ images were used with permission from Osaki Massage Chair
What is your opinion of Ergotec Jupiter chair. Erogotec is Ogawa sister brand if I am not wrong.
It is a 3D L track chair.
Hi Sandeep, thanks for dropping by! I have not reviewed the Ergotec Jupiter chair just yet. I have reviewed the ET-150 and ET-100, and while I think they are decent chairs, I do lean more towards the Osaki’s & Infinity’s of the world. Also, I am not sure they are a sister brand to Ogawa, may I ask where you found this?
Eve