OSIM massage chairs are among the most technically advanced on the market and compete directly with Japanese manufacturers such as Sanyo, Fujikura and Inada. They are also among the most expensive. What follows is a review of the current range of OSIM massage chairs and how they rank in terms of features per dollar.

OSIM is not a Japanese company; was founded and is still run by Ron Sim in Singapore. The company has only been around since 1980, but has quickly established itself as a big player in manufacturing robotic massage chairs. Currently, the company offers 4 chair models; the NORO Harmony, iMedic, iSymphonic and iDesire. Let’s take a look at what each one offers and how it compares to other brands.

The OSIM NORO Harmon (NR-75) massage chair is the cheapest, retailing for around $900. The chair comes with an integrated calf massager and is upholstered in faux suede. I have to be honest and say that I don’t like this chair. I know that it has been designed to cater to the cheaper sector, but it looks very dowdy. It reminds me of the iJoy range of massage chairs which are also cheap chairs that try desperately to look stylish but fail miserably.

Anyway, it’s much better than any iJoy. You get 5 massage modes; rocking, kneading, tapping, dual (rhythmic percussive tapping with kneading massage) and combination of 3 manual modes (kneading, tapping or dual with full or partial rocking). You can manually adjust the rollers to position them exactly how you want them. Each massage program lasts 15 minutes.

It’s an adequate chair, but if you can stretch your budget to around $1,500, you’d be better off looking at the Human Touch HT 100 Massage Chair. This chair looks the best, and it also comes with a calf massager that can be manually repositioned to give a foot massage as well. You get pretty much the same massage modes, but you also get full, partial, and spot features.

The OSIM iMedic massage chair is a better bet. It retails for around $2,000 and looks quite nice with faux leather upholstery. There are 3 massage programs; a 30-minute health care program that gently massages from the neck and shoulders to the lower back while airbags massage the calves; a 20-minute Wellness program with a gentle tapping massage on the entire back, shoulders and neck, while massaging the legs; finally, there is a relaxation program that lasts between 10 and 99 minutes.

What I really like about this chair is that before each massage the rollers slide along the backrest to calibrate the massage for a more responsive therapeutic experience.

What I really don’t like about this chair is that it completely lacks any kind of foot massage. The Fujikura 2000 massage chair is a much better option and costs less. You get calf and foot massages, as well as arm massages (the iMedic doesn’t), plus airbags, and it comes with a built-in music system. For its cost, the OSIM iMedic disappoints.

The OSIM iSymphony, on the other hand, does not disappoint. It sells for around $3,500. Again, it lacks a foot massager, but it does come with infrared scanning that scans your frame and automatically adjusts the rollers to give you the best massage. It also comes with a music therapy system, but it’s much more sophisticated than the system that comes with the aforementioned Fujikura. The massage is directly influenced by the music you play. If you play loud and fast music you get a very strong and intense massage, but if you play something a bit slower you get a much softer massage.

The OSIM iDesire can be just about everything you could want in a robotic massage chair. It retails for around $4,500 but is packed with features and functions. At last we have a calf and foot massager: the foot massager comes with a reflexology map and uses extrusions to press vital reflex points on the soles of the feet. And while you are enjoying your foot massage, you can also enjoy a three-action arm massage. There are 8 Healthcare programs or you can program individual massages of your choice, combining up to 9 massage actions.

Of all the ISOM massage chairs, the only models would be the iSymphony and the iDesire; both offer something a little different from their competitors and, while pricey, offer good value for money.