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I’m going on a massage chair review marathon, and i’m not about to stop any time soon. Last week I reviewed the Titan Prime 3D: a fantastic, reasonably priced 3D massage chair capable of delivering a solid full body massage.
In today’s review we’ll be looking at yet another 3D chair. This time it’s Osaki’s Monarch, an older chair released back in 2017. It might be 3 years old, but it’s still a popular massage chair. It’ll become pretty clear why this is later on in the post!
The honest truth is that most consumers won’t be able to tell the difference. That’s not because there aren’t any differences, it’s because the differences probably won’t impact the overall experience for most average body types. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t compare chairs!
Think of it like this: you’re in the market for a luxury product, say a car for example. Because you can’t spend a crazy exorbitant amount, you might consider options such as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus etc.
All of these cars are great to drive in their own ways. But something about one of them stands out to you….for example maybe you love how the BMW is able to handle in tight corners! That’s what you end up selecting as a result.
It really boils down to what’s important to you specifically. Yes these reviews will provide recommendations at the end, because I do feel that’s important. However, that does not mean my recommendation is necessarily right for you. Use the information in these review posts to analyse for yourself. If it makes sense for you, go for it! If not, consider something else!
Okay enough of that! Let’s look at the Monarch in more detail!
For those of you who’ve been following my blog, it might feel like i’m repeating myself, especially when it comes to rollers.
Just like an engine is to a car, rollers are to a massage chair. The very brain of the massage chair! That’s why I always pay special attention to the rollers when reviewing a massage chair. It’s absolutely paramount.
Talking about the Monarch, it comes packed with 3D rollers mounted on an L-Track system. Let’s look at it in greater detail.
So the Monarch has an L-Track with 3D rollers. This is an intermediate system that will work really well to satisfy most user’s needs. 90% of individuals need nothing more advanced than this!
Note: The total distance the rollers are able to traverse is 48” from neck all the way to glutes/hamstrings.
Auto modes are built in massage routines that can be easily accessed from the remote control by the push of a few buttons. I love auto modes because there’s no setup involved. In other words, you don’t need to mess around with manual settings to get a massage going. Simply push a button and boom!
The Monarch comes with a total of 9 auto modes. There are 5 traditional modes and 4 special modes. These are:
Impressive to see a chair at this price point with these many auto modes! Kudos to Osaki!
Important: The chair itself is programmed to deliver 4 different massage strokes. These are kneading, knocking, tapping, and shiatsu. Knocking and tapping are percussion type strokes. Kneading is a circular type stroke done specifically to break fascia and improve circulation. Shiatsu is focus on specific pressure points.
Out of all the massage chairs I’ve reviewed, I can’t recall ever seeing a 13.5” extendable foot rest. That’s more than a foot of extension!
Manufacturers employ extendable foot rests to improve user flexibility. They are in place to allow for greater height flexibility, particularly for taller users. If you’re a shorter individual much like me, you won’t care too much about this feature. However, if you’re 6 foot and over this becomes important.
Important: The Monarch is able to accommodate a height range of 5’0-6’2 ft, and a maximum weight load of 285 lbs. Pretty decent on the weight flexibility, but the height could be a tad better. It has me a little surprised because with a 13.5” extendable foot rest, I was expecting a lot more than 6’2 ft!
Important: Should you always massage with heat therapy turned on? This is more of a preference, but I recommend to leave the heat on. Heat loosens up tight muscles thereby making it easier for the rollers to massage. It makes for a much more effective massage.
I’m all about chairs that pack the latest technology. The other day I reviewed a massage chair that can be operated by voice by using Alexa as the interface!
Sure it’s nice to have Bluetooth speakers, but they don’t impact the effectiveness of massage. They may improve the overall experience, but that’s about it. I know I sound boring and lame, but this is the way I’ve come to look at massage chairs. It’s not about all the bells and whistles for me. It’s about how well a chair can massage, and that’s that!
All that being said, I think it’s still important for you to know that the Monarch comes with Bluetooth speakers that are located on the headrest area. It’s definitely nice to kick back and listen to some beats!
Other than actually trying it, what is the best way for us to determine how good a chair really is?
In this case we will compare the Monarch to 2 similar 3D L-Track chairs. Specifically, we will be comparing it to Osaki’s Pro Admiral and Titan’s Prime 3D. Both are fantastic chairs that are relatively new in terms of when they were released. They’re both newer than the Monarch.
A fan favourite since release in 2019, and no reason to be surprised about that! It’s a phenomenal unit packed with the latest technology. Osaki have done a tremendous job!
It’s so so difficult to decide isn’t it!? Especially when all the competing chairs are just as awesome. At this point it really comes down to preference, truth be told.
If user flexibility and auto modes (user experience) are most important to you, Osaki’s Pro Admiral is worth considering. With 16 auto modes and a 5’0-6’4 ft height range, rest assured you will be getting a phenomenal unit! However, the Pro Admiral doesn’t come cheap. It’s gonna cost you a little!
The Prime 3D is a newer chair with fewer massage modes than the Monarch, so the Monarch is better in that sense. However to compensate the Prime 3D has calf rollers, something the Monarch doesn’t!
Good luck in whatever you decide. I hope the chair you get lives up to your expectation and serves you well!
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Osaki OS Monarch massage chair images were used with permission from Osaki Massage Chair
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