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This was the first thing that came to mind when I glanced upon the Pro Ekon. For those who don’t know, the Pro Ekon is a fairly new addition to Osaki’s “Pro” lineup.
If you think the alien spaceship look is weird, below is an even more weirder video from Osaki that showcases the Pro Ekon!
Did you watch the video? If so, what did you think? Aside from the bizarre, slightly creepy editing, I think it’s a pretty impressive massage chair to be honest.
Jokes aside, the Pro Ekon’s 49” 3D SL-Track roller system is nothing to laugh at, it’s incredibly powerful! Let’s look at 6 key features that make the Pro Ekon the future of massage technology!
There’s much to talk about here, so we’re gonna break it all down piece by piece. I’m assuming that your knowledge of massage chairs is limited. If you’re well versed and know of the different technologies, feel free to skim through and scroll ahead!
First things first, what are rollers, what do they do, and why should I care? Rollers are one of the most critical components to a massage chair. They are responsible for massaging the upper half of the body i.e. from the neck all the way down to the hamstrings. In many ways, it’s the rollers that determine how good or bad a chair is.
In terms of functionality, 2D are the most basic, and 4D are the most advanced. 3D rollers are somewhere in between.
These days there’s a lot of buzz around “3D” technology. You have 3D movies, 3D video games, and now 3D massage chairs. In case you didn’t know, 3D stands for 3 dimensions. With respect to massage chairs, all it means is that the rollers will massage in 3 dimensions of space. What are these 3 dimensions? Vertical (up/down), horizontal (left/right), and in/out. The image above depicts all 3 dimensions.
The only difference between 2D and 3D is the additional dimension of inward/outward protrusion you get with a 3D chair. How significant is this difference and does it justify the additional cost to buy a 3D chair versus a 2D chair?
The truth is it really depends. Because of the inward/outward movements, 3D chairs can typically massage at much higher intensities compared to 2D chairs. If you’re looking for a chair that can massage at high intensities, then it’s probably a good idea to look at a chair with 3D rollers!
In #1, we spoke in detail about 3D rollers and how they work. Now we must look at roller track. What is roller track? Roller track is the path the rollers follow as they massage from the neck downwards. There’s 2 things to look at when discussing roller track: distance, and shape.
SL-Track is what you get when you combine S-Track and L-Track. You get the “S” contour along the spine, with the extended roller tracking to the hamstrings.
When inflated, airbags fill with compressed air to provide a compression style massage to surrounding muscles and tissue. If done properly, compression massage has several benefits, one of which is to improve circulation.
More important than airbag numbers, is placement and design. If the airbags are properly designed and placed, then the rollers will function in harmony with the airbags to provide one complete experience. As such, rollers and airbags must always function in a synchronized manner working in tandem with each other.
The Pro Ekon’s 44 airbags have been strategically placed in various areas of the chair, including the feet, calves, shoulders, hips, and arms. They can be adjusted to 5 different intensities ranging from weak to strong. I suggest starting off at a low intensity and then working your way up as you get more and more comfortable!
Zero gravity is a recline position that was first developed and used by NASA. It’s considered to be the position where the human body experiences the least stresses.
As can be seen from the animation above, the chair first slides forward and then reclines to zero gravity, whenever the zero gravity function is selected. When you’re seated in a reclined position, you’re basically supported by the backrest, so roller massage is just that much more effective. Also, the effects of gravity on your spine are at a minimum, so your spine is able to relax and naturally decompress.
Here’s where the Pro Ekon really stands out from the competition. Instead of having static calf airbags, as is the case in 95% of massage chairs, the Pro Ekon has airbags that squeeze inwards while simultaneously moving up and down. This “kneading” motion promotes a much improved circulation of blood from the legs to the heart. Something you don’t see with traditional calf airbags!
But it doesn’t stop there. Read #6 and it’ll become glaringly clear that the Pro Ekon is one of the best chairs for leg massage!
The Pro Ekon comes equipped with calf rollers behind each of the calves. The calf rollers work incredibly well with the oscillating calf airbags discussed in #5. The chair also has spinning foot rollers on either side of the ottoman.
95% of massage chairs I’ve reviewed don’t have calf rollers. Is this a big deal? Absolutely! The calves are an important area that are often neglected by most chair manufacturers. There’s a lot of people who think calf rollers are probably not as beneficial. I completely disagree. Have you ever been massaged by a trained therapist? What have you noticed when it comes to the calves specifically?
It’s an important muscle that requires focus. When it comes to massage chairs, calf airbags unfortunately are not enough. A combination of rollers and airbags is the way to go!
Note: The Pro Ekon has an enclosed foot ottoman. While this design results in a more effective foot massage, keeping the feet enclosed for long durations is probably not the best idea from a hygiene standpoint!
You’ll notice I always have a comparison section in most of my reviews. The reason I do this is to give you a taste of what’s out there, that way you can make a well informed buying decision based on your specific needs.
This means researching and comparing several chairs, not just one. Doing comparisons like the one below helps you understand the key differences. In this case, we will be comparing the Pro Ekon to 3 other chairs. These 3 chairs are similar to the Pro Ekon in that they are all equipped with 3D roller technology. I have written detailed reviews for all 3.
Let me start by saying this: without considering price, the Pro Ekon is a phenomenal chair. It’s the only chair from all 4 that has an SL-Track, so in that sense one could argue that it has the best roller technology. It’s also far superior than the other 3 at massaging the calves and feet, and that’s because of the kneading calf airbags and the calf rollers. I have only one concern with the Pro Ekon: price.
If it were $3000-4000 less, then yea absolutely it makes sense, but the current pricing is just too much.
So what should you get then? My recommendation is to go with the Pro Jupiter XL. It’s got a 53” L-Track roller, 10 auto modes, and a bunch of other awesome features. Currently at $3,995 on massage chair deals, it’s incredible value for money in my opinion! If you want to read more about the Pro Jupiter XL, you can check out my review by clicking here. Otherwise, you can head over to massage chair deals if you’re ready to buy!
If you’re still hell bent on buying the Pro Ekon, here’s a few more things you should know.
Unlike most massage chairs, the Pro Ekon is designed with 2 color shades. The choices you have are black and grey, brown and grey, white and brown, and white and cream.
My favorite from all 4 is the white and cream shade, it looks absolutely stunning! Only downside with these lighter colors of course, is that they tend to “appear” dirtier than the darker shades. It’s easy to see grease marks on the lighter colors than it is on the darker ones. This is one of the reasons I’ve always gone for the darker colors like black or brown.
The Pro Ekon consumes 250 W of power. It’s also equipped with overheating and power surge safety protection.
I can tell you based on my experience with massage chairs that most of them consume 200-250 W. More often than not, that number is usually 250 W. Is that a lot of electricity to be wasting? Well, it depends on what your energy bill is and how much you’re comfortable paying each month.
To give you some sort of idea, a light bulb typically consumes 60 W, which if left on for an hour means you would have consumed 60 W hours. If you used the Pro Ekon for an hour, you’ll have consumed 250 W hours. Hopefully that makes sense!
Just like most Osaki chairs, the Pro Ekon is made in China, but ships from the USA. 2 decades ago everyone would be concerned with Chinese electronics, but a lot has changed since. There are some highly reputable massage chair factories based in China, and it’s not just Osaki who use them. Other well established massage chair manufacturers also have their chairs manufactured in China. Based on what I’ve seen and experienced, the workmanship and parts are of a fairly high quality.
Both are good, but if you forced me to pick, I’d go with Japanese, and that’s cause they have a ton of experience when it comes to massage chairs. Heck the first ever massage chair was Japanese!
In case you haven’t realized, massage chairs aren’t exactly cheap! When you’re spending a couple thousand dollars, it’s always a smart idea to see if there are ways you can save $$$. You might ask “what’s the best time to buy? ” and the answer is there really isn’t a best time.
Sales and discounts happen frequently, so it’s up to you to monitor the price every week. That being said, there is a way you can save some extra $$$ if you decide to buy a massage chair right away.
Now about the discounts…..
Because I’m an affiliate of massage chair deals, I’m able to offer you a code that will save you 5% off the total cost. At first glance it may not seem like much, but when you do the math it is! For example, let’s say you bought a chair that costs $5000 in total. 5% off means you save $250. Quite the chunk of change if you ask me!
Note: The above code applies for all chairs on massage chair deals.
And that concludes this review post! If you enjoyed reading, please show your support by sharing on the socials. Leave a comment below and let me know what you want me to review next!
Osaki OS Pro Ekon massage chair images were used with permission from Massage Chair Deals & Osaki Massage Chair
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