In a Nutshell:
Competing with the BestMassage EC 06C on price is hard. For under $1,000, the chair is loaded with features that you’d find on a higher-priced model. But from a quality standpoint, it’s likely that the chair under-delivers.
Overall Massage Quality
Customization options
Ease of Use
Value for the Money
Overall Rating
3.1/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
The chair is loaded with features that you’d find on a higher-priced model. But from a quality standpoint, it’s likely that the chair under-delivers.
As an educated consumer, you’re probably wondering: Why is the BestMassage EC 06C priced so low? There has to be a catch, right?
We were suspicious too. That’s why in this BestMassage EC 06C review, we pull back the curtain on this low-priced yet full-featured massage chair to show what you can really expect. After we go over the chair’s features and massage programs, we’ll make a side-by-side comparison with a similarly priced massage chair made by aname-brand company. The difference in what you get for the price is shocking.
BestMassage EC 06-C Massage Chair Features and Components
Intelligent Roller Massage
Like most modern robotic massage chairs, the BestMassage EC 06C uses a roller massage system for its primary massage functions. The system features two “intelligent” roller heads — intelligent because they have a certain amount of flexibility in order to roll over the curves of the back gently and with less resistance.
24-Inch Massage Track
The intelligent roller heads of the EC 06C are mounted to a 24-inch massage track in the backrest of the chair. While the company claims that the track allows the massage heads to travel all the way from the neck to the tailbone, 24 inches is quite short compared to most robotic massage chairs.
If you’re tall — over 6 feet — this shorter massage track might not give you adequate massage coverage for your entire back.
Body Scan
To increase the efficacy of the intelligent massage rollers, the EC 06C features a body scan system. With an eleven signal test switch and a hold sensor, the chair accurately measures both the height and the weight of the user.
The height measurement is used to adjust the maximum vertical height the massage rollers travel on the back. The weight measurement is used to adjust the intensity and pressure of the massage rollers.
Air Massage
Accompanying the chair’s roller massage functions is over 30 airbags that are located throughout the EC 06C providing air massage. 20 of the airbags are located in the lower portion of the chair and massage the seat, hips, thighs, legs, and feet. The other ten airbags are located in the armrests.
Side Flap Arm Massage
The BestMassage EC 06C features a unique armrest design that from the outside, looks like a standard armrest. But below the synthetic wood armrests are slots lined with airbags to massage the arms, wrists, and hands.
The armrests flip up, you slide your arms in, and when activated, airbags on the top and bottom surround the arms as they perform compression massage.
Heat Therapy
Beyond the air massage and foot nodes, the chair treats the soles of the feet with soothing heat thanks to under-foot heating pads. The EC 06C also features heating pads in the lower back portion of the backrest to warm and relax the lumbar muscles and spine.
Leg and Foot Massage
The leg ottoman of the EC 06C is also lined with airbags — eight in each leg slot, and eight in each footrest. When the airbags inflate, the muscles of the calves, ankles, and feet are squeezed and released, stimulating the muscles and increasing blood flow.
In addition to the airbags, special massage nodes are located under the soles of the feet. As the airbags inflate, the feet are pressed firmly against the nodes and various acupressure points on the feet are activated.
Seat Vibration Motor
Within the seat of the EC 06C, a vibration motor provides invigorating vibration massage for the thighs and buttocks. Vibration massage can be enjoyed on its own or added to any of the chair’s automatic massage programs.
Powered Backrest and Footrest
Both the backrest and footrest of the EC 06C are fully powered and are easy to adjust using the remote control. Although the EC 06C doesn’t offer zero gravity recline capabilities, the backrest reclines a full 170 degrees, bringing your back nearly parallel to the floor.
The footrest is powered by its own motor, which means it can be raised and lowered independently of the backrest. Independent adjustments make it easier to find a comfortable body position than if the backrests and footrests were linked.
Sleep Mode
If you often fall asleep during a massage, the EC 06C has a special sleep mode. When activated, sleep mode keeps the chair in the reclined position when the massage completes so you can continue sleeping in the chair undisturbed.
Full-Size Remote Control
Every function, feature, and adjustment of the EC 06C are made using the full-size, easy-to-use remote control. It’s a control panel-style remote that’s mounted on a stand attached to the chair’s armrest. The remote can be removed from its stand for convenient use while the chair is in any position, even completely reclined.
The remote features a screen that shows all the active functions of the chair including automatic massage programs, massage intensity, active air massage zones, and massage duration. A body diagram on the screen illuminates the area of the body that is currently being massaged and helps you select specific areas while in manual massage mode.
Below the screen, a flip-down panel provides access to the chair’s manual mode control. There are buttons to select and adjust all of the chair’s functions. This includes roller massage techniques, massage zones, arm massage, leg and foot massage, heat therapy, and vibration therapy.
Massage Techniques and Programs of the BestMassage BM EC06C
4 Roller Massage Techniques
The BestMassage EC 06C features four roller massage techniques that are used both on their own in the chair’s manual mode and the automatic programs. They are:
4 Automatic Massage Programs
The automatic programs of the BestMassage EC 06C allow you to sit down, make a selection, and enjoy a thorough full body massage with minimal effort. Each massage uses a combination of the four previously mentioned massage techniques and air massage. They are:
Manual Mode Massage with the EC 06C
For the most control over your massage, the EC 06C features a set of manual controls that allow you to create a customized massage experience.
In manual mode, you have complete control over your massage. This makes it possible to adjust the chair’s settings to match your specific massage needs any day of the week. During the massage, you can change as many settings you’d like — switch massage techniques, turn the intensity up or down, change air massage zones. It’s all up to you.
Color Variants of BestMassage EC 06C Massage Chair
How Does it Compare? BestMassage EC 06C vs. Human Touch iJoy-2580
As you can see, the BestMassage EC 06C has many of the same massage features found on more expensive models. It’s not often that you find a massage chair with roller massage, air massage, arm massage, and foot and leg massage for under $1,000. The number of features you get for the low price raises some alarms regarding the overall quality of the chair.
How good can it be for such a low price?
One way to find out is to see what the same amount of money would get you with a brand known in the massage chair industry for producing chairs of exceptional quality: Human Touch. Let’s take a look at one of Human Touch’s lowest priced models, the iJoy-2580, and how it compares to the BestMassage EC 06C.
Roller and Air Massage vs. Roller Massage Only
In the world of high-quality massage chairs, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a chair with both roller massage and air massage for under $1,000. That’s why we were surprised to discover that the BestMassage EC 06C offers both massage modalities despite its low price.
With the Human Touch iJoy 2580, however, roller massage is the only massage method you get. Like the EC 06C, the iJoy 2580 features a 24-inch roller track equipped with a pair of massage roller heads. The chair offers similar roller techniques as the EC 06C, including rolling, kneading, compression, and percussion.
The main difference between the roller systems of the two chairs comes down to the quality of components used. Human Touch is well-known for producing premium chairs made with high-quality components, and this holds true for the iJoy 2580, even though it’s one of the company’s lowest-priced models. Had the company decided to incorporate air massage into the chair’s design, you could expect to see either a significant increase in price or a significant decrease in quality.
Foot Massage vs. No Foot Massage
The BestMassage EC 06C is booked as a full-featured chair. It’s designed to compete with higher-priced models, packing in as many features as possible. But with the iJoy 2580, a less-is-more approach is apparent in the chair’s design, resulting in fewer features overall. That means no foot massage.
Backrest Recline and Footrest Incline vs. Backrest Recline Only
While the BestMassage EC 06C features a full-powered backrest and footrest, the iJoy 2580 only offers a reclining backrest. It’s yet another example of how the iJoy 2580 features fewer features for the same price as the EC 06C.
Arm Massage vs. No Arm Massage
Similarly, the iJoy 2580 lacks arm massage. In many ways, the foremost purpose of a massage chair is to provide back massage. And the iJoy 2580 does that exceptionally well. Features like a foot massage and arm massage can be thought of as extras, and although they are nice to have, are not as important as high-quality back massage.
The bottom line is: The iJoy 2580 has a stronger focus on providing fewer, high-quality features. The BestMassage EC 06C, on the other hand, tries to cram as many features as possible into a very low-priced chair. It’s reasonable to assume that as the number of features increases, the chair’s overall quality decreases.
Final Comparison
The purpose of comparing these two vastly different chairs is to illustrate what the same amount of money will get you in terms of quality. One of our main concerns about the BestMassage EC 06C is that it offers too much for too small of a price, leading us to believe that the overall quality of the chair suffers in order to deliver such a high number of features.
The upside of this is that you get more features for fewer dollars. However, the downside is that the chair might not function as well, last as long, or provide the high-level of massage quality that you desire and expect.
No matter how you run the numbers, investing in a massage chair is expensive, even if you’re buying the lowest-priced model on the market. You want to spend your hard-earned money on a massage chair that will not only deliver a great massage, but will function properly and last a long time. Be wary of a super bargain chair! Don’t get duped into buying something of inferior quality just because it sounds good on paper!
Final Thoughts on Bestmassage EC 06C Massage Chair Reviews
We hope our BestMassage BM-EC-06C review was helpful in determining whether or not you should buy this low-priced chair, or pass for something of higher quality. If you’re only looking for a chair that has a lot of features and you want to spend as little as possible, the BestMassage EC 06C could be a good option. But if you believe that “you get what you pay for,” be sure to weigh all your options and consider investing in a higher-quality chair, such as the Human Touch iJoy 2580.
References & Resources:
- BestMassage, Official Brand Website.
- 6 Fantastic Benefits of Shiatsu Massage Therapy, Massage Tut.
- Health Benefits of Massage Chairs, Comfort Critic.
- Why Massage Chairs Are THE Thing For Lower Back Pain?, Lower Back Pain Relief.