The iJoy 130 massager is a popular chair manufactured by Interactive Health and features the company’s proprietary Human Touch Technology (HTT). iJoy massage chairs have been designed to have a modern look, provide a realistic massage and offer good value for money. But is the 130 chair trendy or tacky, gives a massage indistinguishable from the real thing, and is it the best massage chair for its price? I’m not so sure.
iJoy’s 100 series of massage chairs retail for between $600 and $750. The 130 model retails for around $750. And, like the other models, the design emphasizes a lot on a young and trendy theme. First of all, I think the designs are horrible. To me, they look as if a children’s balloon artist was commissioned to design them. I’m sure a lot of people like the overall style of the chairs, but I wouldn’t put one in a room where no one else will see it.
But it’s not just the style of the chairs that anesthetically fails to please. The colors are horrible. There’s scarlet red, purple and the most incredible lime green on sale. There are only two colors that please; black and maroon.
There is one last problem with the design of these chairs and that is the choice of upholstery. All chairs are covered in faux suede. This looks good at first, but this type of fabric is very difficult to clean. The company should have used synthetic leather like any other manufacturer.
Another complaint I have is that the control panel is built into one of the armrests. The problem is; that’s where my arm rests. I don’t like having the panel under my forearm; I’m afraid I’ll press something by mistake. The control panel can be removed but that leaves a square hole in the arm which bothers me.
Something I like about the chair is that it is quite low to the ground. Most other robotic massage chairs are quite high up and I always feel like I have to climb on one instead of sitting down.
But that good point leads me to a big disappointment with the meat. It is low because there is no foot massager. If you don’t want one, you should order a freestanding iJoy ottoman that has a built-in massager. But, the ottoman isn’t cheap and adds considerably to the overall cost, in case you want a foot massager.
However, the iJoy 130 robotic massage chair comes in handy with its massage features. There are four modes in total; lamination, kneading, compression and percussion. There are 4 range options to use along with the massage options, there are; full, top, bottom and manual position. You can also manually adjust the rear rollers to whatever height gives you the best massage.
Does he give a good massage? Well, yes it does. However, the iJoy Human Touch technology is nothing like the real thing, but it’s good nonetheless. The massage is also a bit noisy which takes away from the ‘soothing’ and ‘relaxing’ experience you are supposed to feel. I found that listening to music helped.
To be fair, the iJoy 130 massage chair delivers on its promise of a good massage. If you ignore its design and wear headphones, using this robotic massage chair can almost be a pleasant experience.
