What is a zero-gravity massage chair?

Picture this: a tired, sore journalist wandering through a massive showroom at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas. After hours of browsing endless gadgets and displays, all he wants is to collapse in his hotel room. But then, something catches his attention. It's the Human Touch HT-7450 Zero-Gravity Massage Chair, which had just won a 2008 Innovations Design and Engineering award.

As a responsible journalist, he knew it would be wrong to leave without giving this chair a proper try. He set down his press kits, slipped off his shoes, and sat down on the award-winning chair. His legs fit perfectly into the leg rest's concave indentations. His head rested against the cushioned headrest. A friendly booth attendant smiled and pressed a button on the remote control. Instantly, the chair began to recline.

The chair continued to recline, lifting the writer's legs higher than his torso. A strange feeling washed over him — it almost seemed as though the chair might flip him over onto his head. Was this some sort of device designed to torture tired convention-goers? But those fears quickly faded, along with the tension and soreness from hours of walking through endless aisles of electronics.

The massage chair used a combination of rollers, air bags, heat pads, and vibrating surfaces to soothe his aches. After several minutes, the chair slowly returned him to a sitting position, completely relaxed. The writer put his shoes back on, grabbed his press kits, and headed back to his hotel.

While Human Touch claims the HT-7450 is the world's first zero-gravity massage chair, other companies have their own versions. But what exactly makes these chairs 'zero-gravity'? Do they float? Do they create a feeling of weightlessness? Or is it just an effective marketing strategy? We'll explore this in the next section.

The Zero-Gravity Recline

To be clear: This chair does not defy gravity. Even with all the massage functions on and in a full recline, you won’t be soaring into space. It neither floats, hovers, nor loses weight. In fact, the user manual specifies that the chair itself weighs 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms) [source: HT-7450 Manual]. So, what does it mean for a chair to be labeled a zero-gravity model?

The zero-gravity position is all about how the chair reclines. This position mimics the posture that astronauts take during liftoff on space missions. Astronauts face sudden and intense increases in gravity as they break free from the Earth's gravitational pull, so it’s crucial they position themselves to handle this added stress. By reclining, astronauts spread the stresses of launch evenly across their bodies, ensuring a safer experience. The chairs astronauts use during takeoff are designed to support this position.

Zero-gravity massage chairs can achieve this same reclined position, which helps distribute the user’s weight across the chair. Manufacturers claim this posture relieves bodily stress and enhances the intensity of the massage. Some even go so far as to say that the stress relief is so effective that you’ll feel virtually weightless afterward.

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While many massage chair brands offer models with the zero-gravity position, not all zero-gravity chairs are massage chairs. Some furniture makers provide regular chairs that recline into the zero-gravity position. These chairs support and distribute your weight, but they don't offer the tension-relieving massage effects.

Other manufacturers avoid claiming that their chairs provide the same effects as the zero-gravity massage chairs. Instead, they state that their chairs mimic the ones astronauts use during launch. These chairs are called zero-gravity not due to any sensation of weightlessness, but because of the posture they create when reclined.

One advantage of this position is that it helps improve circulation in the legs and reduces swelling. Raising your legs above the level of the heart while resting can help prevent conditions like varicose veins [source: VascularWeb]. Of course, you could achieve the same effect by lying down with pillows under your legs, but it doesn’t quite have the same impact.

During the author's experience with the massage chair — yes, the same weary journalist from earlier — there was no sensation of weightlessness. However, the reclined position proved to be quite comfortable and allowed for a deep, intense massage. Because the author's back was fully in contact with the chair's backrest, the massage's full strength was felt. Sitting upright would have likely reduced the intensity and thoroughness of the massage.

Are zero-gravity massage chairs worth the price? That's a choice each consumer must make. Some may find the chair’s convenience and effectiveness make the steep cost entirely worthwhile. Others might opt for a human massage therapist instead — after all, $4,000 could fund plenty of spa visits.