Originally founded in 1962, Inada has been one of the leading professionals in massage chair development. Their determination for better chairs and features led us to comprise our very own Inada Massage Chair Reviews.
Our reviews will look at Inada’s brand history as they were the pioneers of many features that consumers and major brands love. We will also look at the pros, cons and deliver a comprehensive examination of each chair. Check out the complete list below!
Top 3 Inada Massage Chairs + Bonus Chair
| Product | # of Massage Programs | Rating | Dimensions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inada HCP-S373 Flex 3s | 11 pre-programmed | 5/5 | 50.4 x 33.5 x 41.7 inches | |
| Inada Nest | 11 automatic programs | 5/5 | 47.5 x 55 x 42 inches | |
| Inada DreamWave Massage Chair | 16 pre-programmed | 4/5 | 82.7 x 36.6 x 47.6 inches |
Bonus Chair
| Product | # of Massage Programs | Rating | Dimensions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inada Sogno DreamWave | 8 pre-programmed | 3.5/5 | 55 x 48 x 37 inches |
Inada Brand History
As we stated earlier, Inada was founded in 1962 and are responsible for the creation of the first automatic massage chair in the world. Their philosophy of improving the health of society and changing the value of massage chairs has benefited them greatly. Inada’s company policy is based on the following 3 factors.
- Nintai – Using patience to carry you through to success
- Jikkou – Using courage to take your steps forward
- Kihaku – Focusing on using spiritual strength, in the most positive way, to overcome the impossible
World's Leading Massage Chair Innovators
After introducing the first automatic massage chair, Inada continued their innovative methods. This led them to create the world’s first pressure point detection system, spinal rollers, and air cell technology for massage programs.
Through our research, we found that Inada is the only company that uses professional Shiatsu therapists to lead their product development. Every single Inada massage chair starts with an automatic detection scan that emphasizes Shiatsu massaging techniques. This technology was developed with 10 medical clinics and researchers from 7 universities.
Inada Reviews
1. HCP-S373 Flex 3s Massage Chair
The Flex 3s was our favorite Inada massage chair and for several reasons.
Why it our favorite?
The main reason was that it significantly helps improve posture. This is accomplished through its S-track and massage programs that help eliminate the effects of hunching over and poor habits. By using the expertise of sports stretching specialists, Inada was able to deliver on their promise to improve consumer posture. Furthermore, the Flex 3s is able to encourage deep breathing by stimulating the core abdominal muscles.
Most Advanced Inada Chair?
What differentiates the Flex 3s from other Inada massage chairs is its ability to provide users with an aggressive massage. Many chairs from Inada lack this firepower to loosen tight muscles and improve spinal mobility which helps you stand taller, reduce back pain and improve overall posture. Simply by pressing the “Maximum Intensity” button, we were able to increase the intensity of the massage and get into tight muscles.
Which massage programs stand out?...
Our favorite Inada program was the “Full body stretch” which massages your back and retracts to give you a unique stretching feeling. This helps your lower back with the unnatural curve that occurs from bending and stretching in awkward positions. Our second favorite program was the “Stretch/Lower body” program which slowly brings your shoulders back and puts the rollers in the mid-back area. You then experience a pushing motion that helps create proper alignment and helps reduce the pain from backaches.
Small & Money Saving, say no more!
The Flex 3s is small and attractive, unlike many other massage chairs. It works well in smaller spaces, unlike bulky chairs that need an entire floor space. It also comes in two colors, black and dark brown. Lastly, the clinching factor was the price-point. From our Inada massage chairs list, the Flex 3s is the most affordable, space-saving, and provides a number of great massaging techniques to help with various issues and relaxation.
Pros
Cons
2. Nest Massage Chair
The Nest massage chair from Inada is engineered to create a cradling or “nesting” massage experience. This becomes more and more obvious the longer you examine the chair and test out its features. As you sit down in the chair, you feel surrounded by the softness of the padding and begin to feel the compact design. It was that feeling that created the identity of the Nest massage chair for us.
Revolutionized 3D Multidimensional LR!
As we tested this chair over and over again, Inada’s 3D Multidimensional LR Differential Massage stood out. It utilized independent movement of the rollers on the left and right side. We found this to be beneficial for different muscle tension areas on each side of the spine, as the independent operation of the rollers increased efficiency.
Hitting Acupressure points
This brings us to the new rollers that Inada is introducing. The Nest has unique rollers that are shaped to hit acupressure points with their contorted and rutted rolling surface. We found that they slightly increased the intensity of the massage, predominantly in the shoulder region. Furthermore, 11 automatic programs and 16 manual massage types work together with the air cell technology and rollers to provide varying degrees of intensity for the programs.
Inada also included small helpful additions to the Nest. The most notable is the self-adjusting headrest, which fixes the constant moving from the rollers during your neck and back massage. Another fan favorite was the targeted shin massage which incorporated nodules to help reduce tight muscles and provide much-needed relief. Lastly, the chair uses air cells that help improve circulation from timed upper and forearm squeezing.
Downfalls..
Even though the Nest Massage Chair is great and offers a much better price-point than the DreamWave and Sogno, it still has downfalls. And one of the major ones is that it lacks zero gravity reclining which is now a staple of high performance. The chair also doesn’t have any foot rollers which is disappointing for folks that are on their feet all day. Finally, the chair lacks deep tissue massaging, which is a re-occurring deficiency of Inada massage chairs.
Pros
Cons
3. Dreamwave Massage Chair
The DreamWave by Inada is the new and improved version of the original Inada Sogno. After years of testing, design alterations and research, Inada have released the newer version of one the most technologically revolutionizing massage chairs.
Inada continued the emphasis on Shiatsu massaging techniques and high-quality Japanese construction and design. They also doubled-down their focus on consumer health and reducing stress. Although all of this is great, the real question came down to, what has improved?
What has improved?
Massage Programs: The new DreamWave includes 16 pre-programmed massages which are double the amount of the Sogno. When we tested out the chair, we found this to be a significant improvement, simply because of the options available. It made finding the perfect massage a lot easier and allowed people with different needs to find what they were looking for. Another improvement that Inada made was increasing the massage time. Instead of one 15 minute massage session, you can now use the chair for consecutive sessions (2 maximum). This can be great for when you want to fall asleep and combine different massage programs.
Full Body Scanning Improvement: With the Sogno body scanning technology, users would have to wait for their massage programs until the scan was completed. However, with the new DreamWave, we were able to sit down, pick any massage program and begin right away!
Heating Functions: Independent operation of the seat and back heating functions is included. The Sogno didn’t allow for adjustability of each heater which was slightly inconvenient.
Stronger Massage: By increasing the number of air cells Inada increased the pressure of the massage programs. Although this was an improvement it wasn’t anything significant.
Automatic Reclining: When your massage session begins, the DreamWave automatically begins to recline you into the ideal position. Inada also combined their 2-second pause function and interrupted massage auto restore feature to increase the stop and starting abilities of each massage program.
Pros
Cons
Bonus Chair!
4. Sogno Dreamwave Massage Chair
Original Sensation
After the release of the Sogno in 2008, it was obvious that the chair was special. However, we are no longer in 2008 and technology has advanced. That is the main reason that this chair is in our “bonus chair” section. Even though years have passed, the Sogno is still an award-winning chair that revolutionized massage technology.
With its emphasis on Shiatsu traction massages and Shiatsu techniques, the Sogno performs soothing massages to perfection. It features 8 pre-programmed massages and includes a light heating function. Users are also given air compression and massage balls for supportive neck and back massaging. Furthermore, the chairs massage features cover an extremely wide surface area which helps accommodate users as tall as 6’8.
Who is it good for?
The Sogno is ideal for younger people (14-17) and older people. This is because the chair doesn’t provide an intense or aggressive massage. Which reader should note, if you are looking for a chair that helps with therapeutic or medical issues, then the Sogno is NOT right for you. It doesn’t have the strength to provide strong massages to help solve extreme tightness or intense aches.
What it does provide is a tremendously RELAXING and LIGHT massage. This chair won’t dig deep into the muscles, but it will provide elderly folks with the perfect amount of intensity. It also is great for younger users because its youth session is designed for children 14 years and up. Lastly, the Dreamwave feature is consistently pleasant and puts you to sleep easily!
Pros
Cons
Putting it all together - Editors Pick included!
As we come to the end of our Inada Massage Chair Reviews Guide, we hope you found a chair that was right for your needs. Inada has been one of the greatest innovators in massage chair technology and development so it was a no-brainer creating a review guide. Many of their chairs are seen as foundation pieces to the development of the industry and other brands. So far, we have seen Inada keep up with the times and continue to develop their technology. Consumers need better rollers, pads, massage programs, and intimate intensity control and the brands are responsible for this.
Before we end off, our editor’s pick for the Inada review guide is the Inada Flex 3s Massage Chair. It separated itself from the group through its aggressive massaging options, posture correction, and improved pricing. Although this is our pick, we still advise readers to look through the guide and figure out which chair is best for their specific needs. If you have any questions leave them below and we will be happy to help!
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