The iJoy 130 massager is a popular chair manufactured by Interactive Health and features the company’s patented Human Touch Technology (HTT). iJoy massage chairs have been designed to be trendy in appearance, deliver a realistic massage and offer value for money. But, is the 130 chair trendy or tacky, does it give a massage indistinguishable from the real thing and is it the best massage chair for its price? I’m not so sure.
The 100 series of massage chairs from iJoy retail from between around $600 and $750. The 130 model retails for around $750. And, like the other models, the design emphasis is very much on a young and trendy theme. First off, I think the designs are awful. To me, they look as though a children’s balloon artist had been commissioned to design them. I’m sure a lot of people like the overall styling of the chairs but I wouldn’t put one in a room where it would be seen by anyone else.
But, it isn’t just the style of the chairs that fails to please anesthetically. The colors are hideous. There’s scarlet red, purple and the most unbelievable lime green on offer. There are only two colors that please; black and cashew.
There is one final problem with the design of these chairs and that’s the choice of upholstery. All the chairs are covered in faux suede. This looks fine at first but this type of fabric is very hard to wipe clean. The company should have used synthetic leather like every other manufacturer.
Another gripe I have is that the control panel is built-in on one of the armrests. The problem is; that’s where my arm rests. I don’t like having the panel under my lower arm; I’m afraid I’ll press something by mistake. The control panel can be removed but that then leave a square hole in the arm which just annoys me.
Something I do like about the chair is that it’s quite low to the ground. Most other robotic massage chairs are quite high off the ground and I always feel as though I have to climb into one rather than sit down in it.
But that good point brings me to a major disappointment with the chair. It’s low because there’s no foot massager. If you won’t one you have to order a stand alone iJoy ottoman that has a built-in massager. But, the ottoman isn’t cheap and considerable adds to the overall cost – should you want a foot massager.
However, the iJoy 130 robotic massage chair does come good with its massage functions. There are four modes in total; rolling, kneading, compression and percussion. There are 4 range options to use in conjunction with the massage options, there are; full, upper, lower and manual position. You can also manually adjust the back rollers to whatever height gives you the best massage.
Does it give a good massage? Well, yes it does. However, the iJoy Human Touch Technology doesn’t feel at all like the real thing, but it is good never the less. The massage is also a little on the noisy side, which kind of takes away from the ‘soothing’ and ‘relaxing’ experience you’re supposed to feel. I found listening to music helped.
In fairness, the iJoy 130 massage chair does deliver on its promise of giving a good massage. If you ignore its design and use earphones, using this robotic massage chair can be almost an enjoyable experience.