Friday, February 27, 2009

Product Review of HT-7120 Massage Chair Recliner

By James Knolan

This product review is of the HT 7120 massage chair recliner by Human Touch. We will review this massage recliner in 5 separate categories including the following: warranty coverage and customer service, comfort and ergonomics, ease of use, key features and massage therapy. Each category can earn up to 20 points for a total possible rating of 100 points. The HT 7120 is a mid range massage chair in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.

Warranty Coverage and Customer Service: Warranty is at the company level, but nonetheless, warranties vary significantly with massage chairs. You want to make sure you have sufficient long term protection for this key investment. The HT 7120 warranty coverage is as follows: structure is covered 3 years, parts are covered 1 year and labor is covered 90 days. Human Touch also covers shipping expenses for parts for the first 90 days. The warranty coverage is on the low end for the industry and this price level. Customer service is provided by Human Touch and is effective. The HT 7120 earns a 12 in warranty and customer service.

Comfort and Ergonomics: This is a well designed massage chair. The massage recliner is very comfortable to sit in when not being used for a massage. The head support pillow is detachable and adjustable for different users. The armrests are sufficiently padded. Human Touch has a unique controller for the chair. It has functions on two sides which is simple and easy to use. The leg ottoman cannot be extended which is a drawback, but you can adjust the massage well width. This is a unique feature for this recliner line. The HT 7120 rates an 18 for ergonomics.

Ease of Use: The massage chair industry is always adding features into chairs which is outstanding. The counterbalance to many features is ease of use. With so many new features, figuring out how to take advantage of them can be frustrating. The HT 7120 comes with a very well designed remote control. It is slim remote and has controls located on 2 sides of the remote. The remote is descriptive and fairly easy to use. There is no remote stand, so the remote tucks away in a pocket. The only cumbersome operation is flipping the leg ottoman, but other than that we give the HT 7120 a 19 in ease of use.

Key Features: The HT 7120 has some unique and innovative features. The calf massage width adjustment and the compression massage technique are the two key features we will point out. The leg ottoman comes with a width adjustment to better fit the feet or the calves. There are 6 different width settings to tailor to your specific needs. The compression massage emulates a sports type massage with deep tissue pressure. Two types of techniques are used which are alternating strokes and a rocking motion. The stroking spreads and applies pressure to deep muscle tissue. The rocking motion helps to loosen the spinal joints. This can help with overall posture and improve mobility. We give this massage recliner an 18 in key features.

Massage Therapy: You get a virtual arsenal of massage therapies with the HT-7120 recliner. Select from 3 pre-set programs, 5 manual massage techniques and 3 height adjustments for the back. The 3 pre-set programs include sore muscle relief, energy rejuvenate and auto-demo. The 5 manual massage techniques include rolling, kneading, compression, percussion and vibration. The height adjustment enables you to set where you want the massage on your back. Additionally, you can stretch your lower body, or add heat to your lumbar area as well as massage your feet and calves. This recliner gets a 19 in this category.

So how does the HT 7120 rate overall? We give this recliner an 86/100. The main area of concern is the short warranty per the industry average. This is a well designed and constructed massage chair and we don't necessarily understand the short warranty. The massage chair boasts some excellent massage therapies with the compression massage. You get lower lumbar heat controls and a stretching function. If a mid range model is something you are considering, then the Human Touch HT 7120 may be a good massage chair recliner option. - 16083

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