saki massage chairs are the largest company in the industry in the United Sates. A common question we get is are brand name Osaki Massage Chairs made in the USA? What we find is the answer may surprise you.
Despite being known for high quality, all Osaki massage chairs are made in either China or Japan. In fact, Luraco is the only massage chair manufacturer who makes their chairs in the US.
There are a number of reasons for this:
Massage Chairs are a bigger industry in Japan and China
Incredible stat: 27% of Japanese households have massage chairs. The rest of Asia the massage chair adaption rate is around 10%. Compare this to the US market with about 1% of market penetration.
With such a large market, we see much of the innovation come from the Chinese and Japanese massage chair markets.
It's Much Cheaper To Manufacture In China And Japan
Massage chairs made in China are much cheaper to manufacture compared to other parts of the world. It's a country with excellent port access so a majority of massage chairs sold in the US come from China. Japanese massage chairs also have a large footprint in the US. Japan chairs are manufactured efficiently due to their advanced factory technology. This keeps the costs close to Chinese made massage chairs. Many other brands such as Kyota, JP Medics, Infinity, Positive Posture, Panasonic, Human Touch, are made in Japan or China.
American made massage chairs Have A Smaller Market
Due to the high Sea freight costs, almost all high quality massage chairs from the US are sold in the US. Luraco makes outstanding massage chairs and is very competitive within the US, but sells a very small percentage of chairs outside America.
There Is More Innovation With Chinese and Japanese Massage Chairs
With the massage chair industry being so competitive, manufacturers are forced to constantly innovate. In recent years this has lead to advanced features such as: Dual Track rollers, AI driven body scanning and health detection. It's now common for AI driven muscle tension detection to completely customize your massage based on your current state.
Other features that we've seen over the past few years are intelligent voice control, space saving technology and zero gravity massage inspired by NASA. My personal favorite is the heated foot and calf massage.
A Simple Guide To Where Osaki Massage Chairs Are Made
If you want to know where an Osaki massage chair is made, it's easy. All massage chairs made in Japan have a JP in the name. So a JP chair you can know is made in Japan. All of their other massage chairs are made in China.
Their are rare exceptions like the Inada Robo massage chair which is made in Japan.
Core Features Of Osaki massage Chairs
Osaki holds tight control over the manufacturing process so their fully body compression massage chair models are typically very consistent regardless of where they are made.
You will see features like space saving technology, zero gravity position, intelligent voice control, and advanced body scanning across almost all models.
In the past year, new models have AI body scan and Dual Track roller systems, which are huge upgrades over previous technology. Osaki as a brand has made a big push into lifestyle massage users who regularly use their massage chair to improve longevity. They continue to release new models in the high-end range.
For some customers the amount of models can be overwhelming, which is why we focus so much on sharing the best Osaki Massage Chairs on the market. We have the luxury of sitting in each model and having tons of customer research.
It's important to know what are the focus areas of the massage to make sure you get the intended benefit.
Do you want to focus on neck and shoulders?
Or are you more focused on a full body compression massage that stretches the lower back and waist?
Is calf and feet massage important?
Do you like open or closed foot massage?
Do you like a massage roller that is wide or rollers that are more narrow? (Important factor to decide on).
Are advanced AI body scan features or AI intelligent voice control a deal breaker?
These are all important questions for customers to ask.
The good news is Osaki has a wide selection because they are the biggest brand in the country. They've built their reputation on quality and value for money.
Will We See Another Brand Manufactured In The US?
Given the current world environment and the strength and quality of the Luraco Brand, we don't see another brand whose chairs would be manufactured in the US in the next 3-5 years.
It's a heavy investment to create a manufacturing line in the US with all the health and safety requirements. It's much easier for brands to purchase their chairs in Japan and China.
Also because there are most customers in Asia, it's likely that companies will continue to manufacturer in this area. While there are large upgrades in automation and robotics that have been set in motion within the US, these upgrades in technology aren't likely to attract investment in manufacturing for a number of years.
