HT 7120 Human Touch Massage Chair Review 2024

In this Human Touch HT-7120 review, we’re walking you through everything you need to know about this massage chair. We’ll start with background information on Human Touch, then we’ll look at each feature, discuss what features are missing, and finally, see how it compares to other similarly priced models. Let’s get started!

A Quick Look at Human Touch

Human Touch is a massage chair company based in California. For over 35 years, they’ve been producing massage chairs that combine advanced technology and aesthetic design to create products that not only provide therapeutic benefits but match modern decor. They have received numerous Design Journal Awardsfor Design Excellence (ADEX) for their innovative designs. And their massage chairs are the only ones recognized by the World Federation of Chiropractic as being credible back therapy supplements. Although Human Touch’s engineering takes place in their California headquarters, their massage chairs are manufactured in China.

Today, we’re focusing on the Human Touch HT 7120 massage chair from the WholeBody Series which costs around $3000.

Features on the Human Touch HT 7120 Massage Chair

Dual Rollers and Adaptive Massage Comfort Control Technology

The HT 7120 uses dual — two sets of two — rollers that mimic the feeling of two hands and two thumbs. The rollers move along a 25-inch massage track that extends from the neck to about the beltline on most users. At first glance, the HT 7120 appears to be a 2D massage chair like its close relative, the HT 275. However, thanks to its Adaptive Massage Comfort Control technology, it’s not. It’s 3D.

The difference between 2D and 3D is pressure. On a 2D massage chair, the rollers move up and down and side to side, but the pressure (intensity) can’t be adjusted. On the 3D massage chair, however, intensity can be adjusted by moving the rollers closer or farther from the body.

The Adaptive Massage Comfort Control technology on the HT 7120 gives you up to seven levels of massage intensity adjustment. By pressing and holding the massage comfort buttons on the side of the remote — straight line for gentle and squiggle line for intense — the rollers extend outward into your back or retract farther away. LED lights next to a scale numbered one through seven light up to let you know which intensity level is currently active.

Although the 25-inch roller track will provide enough coverage for most users, it’s shorter than many other similarly priced massage chairs like the Human Touch HT 275, the Osaki OS 4000T and the Osaki OS 3000 which have 27, 30, and 36-inch tracks, respectively.

Calf and Foot Massager Ottoman

In addition to roller massage, the Human Touch HT 7120 features a calf and foot massager ottoman. The calf and foot massager is different than what you find on most massage chairs for two reasons: it’s open-toed, and it doesn’t have any airbags. Since the ottoman is open-toed (doesn’t wrap the feet) a calf and foot massage isn’t possible. But thanks to a smart design, you can enjoy a calf or foot massage.

Here’s how it works

The ottoman has two levers: an electric footrest lever and a rotation release lever. Using the electric footrest lever on the side of the chair, you deploy the ottoman and raise it to a comfortable height.

Then, you pull the rotation release lever on the side of the footrest and rotate the ottoman to reveal the calf and foot massager — just enough so it’s facing up but not “clicked” into place. Then, you put your feet into the massager, and you’re ready to go.

When you want to move from a foot to a calf massage, you continue rotating the ottoman until it “clicks” into place. Place your calves in the massager, and you’re ready to enjoy a calf massage.

There are four main ottoman positions: flush under the seat, a flat cushioned footrest, a calf massager or a foot massager. There are no controls for the ottoman on the remote, so all adjustments require using the levers. But since the ottoman is both retractable and rotatable, it’s easy to dial in the best position — both during a massage and after use.

FigureEight Massage Technology

Inside the calf and foot massager is Human Touch’s patented FigureEight technology. But before we explain the technology, let’s look at the massage components that make it possible:

For the majority of massage chair manufacturers, airbags are the go-to component for calf and foot ottomans. But there are no airbags in the ottoman on the Human Touch HT 7120. So what’s inside? Rubber-like paddles.

Paddles and airbags operate very differently. Airbags require air and can move in two ways: inflate and deflate, press and release. And although airbags can inflate at different intervals — one inflates, and one deflates — their movements are limited.

Paddle massagers, however, don’t require air and can move in three ways: press, release, and progress (continuous movement).

FigureEight technology is how the paddles move, which is an upward “figure eight” wave motion. Starting at the feet, the paddle massagers move up the calves, directing blood toward the heart. As blood moves toward the heart, new blood carrying oxygen and nutrients enters the legs.

Since the paddle movement is progressive (continuous), circulation in the feet and calves is never blocked — even when pressed. On the other hand, since most airbags can only press and release, Human Touch claims they can actually obstruct circulation.

Dual Lumbar Heat

In the lower portion of the backrest are two heating pads — one on each side of the spine — that warm and soothe the lower back. The heat is gentle and takes a few minutes to reach a noticeable temperature. But once it does, it helps to increase circulation and relax the muscles.

With the muscles relaxed, the massage head rollers can penetrate deeper into the tissue for a more effective massage.

Massage Techniques

The Human Touch HT 7120 features five massage techniques, including:

The first four techniques — compression, kneading, percussion, and kneading and percussion — are stationary, which means they are fixed massages. So when you select one, the rollers will stay in place on the back until you move them using the up and down “Position” arrows on the remote. The stationary techniques can be combined with the rolling technique and customized using the manual mode options we’ll cover later.

Massage Programs

Using a combination of massage techniques above, the Human Touch HT 7120 features three 15-minute massage programs. Human Touch calls them auto-immersion programs that target specific areas of the body. The programs are:

Full-Body Stretch Program

In addition to the massage programs, the HT 7120 features a full-body stretching program. During Stretch, the feet are held by the calf and foot massager as the chair automatically reclines and inclines to pull and stretch the body. Although not technically an auto-immersion program, it’s fully automated. To start the program, press the “Stretch” button until the remote beeps twice — up to 15 seconds.

Manual Mode Options

If you want to skip the massage programs or dial in a more customized experience, Manual Mode gives you control over settings like massage zone, width, and range.

If you’re concerned about customization or like having control over your massage, pay attention to the manual mode options. That way, even if you aren’t thrilled with the auto programs, you can always customize a massage to fit your needs.

Let’s look at what’s available on the HT 7120…

Let’s illustrate how you could combine these manual mode options to customize a massage.

Let’s say you have a sore lower back. First, determine where on your back you want the massage rollers to focus. Then, select one of the stationary techniques or combine one with rolling. Next, use the “Position” arrows to move the rollers to the achy area. Adjust the roller speed. Then, increase or decrease the intensity using the Massage Comfort Controls. Keep making adjustments until you reach your ideal settings.

Removable Padding

If you want to take your massage intensity even further, two removable pads give you additional opportunities for customization. There’s a removable head pillow that can be flipped behind the chair to increase the intensity of neck massage. Or, if you want to increase the intensity of your back massage, there’s a removable massage-softening pad located inside the backrest pad.

To remove it, flip the backrest behind the chair, open the zipper and remove the pad. Keep the pad in a safe place in case you want to add it back in the future. If it does get misplaced, you can purchase an additional pad from Human Touch.

Performance PU Upholstery

On the exterior of the Human Touch 7120 massage chair is PU upholstery — a leather-like material made from polyurethane. Like leather, PU upholstery is abrasion resistant and breathable. Unlike leather, it’s remarkably stain resistant. The PU upholstery on the HT 7120 is soft and pliable enough, so the massage rollers move freely without losing pressure or contact with the body. It’s also what gives the chair its high-end look.

Although considered a reliable leather alternative, some users have reported the PU upholstery may flake and peel with years of consistent use.

Handheld Remote

All of the manual mode options and massage programs are clearly labeled on the remote. There’s no display screen, just buttons and LED lights that mark the current settings. Buttons are located on the front and side of the remote.

At the top, a session timer counts down the time remaining in any active 15-minute massage program. In our opinion, it’s one of the simplest remotes to use. And when you’re finished, store it in the pocket on the side of the chair.

Swivel Base

At the bottom of the Human Touch HT 2170 massage chair is a swivel base with a 30-degree rotation radius. With the swivel base, you’re able to adjust the position of the chair — much like a computer chair — without having to lift or move the entire chair.

What’s Missing on the Human Touch HT 7120 Massage Chair

We’ve covered every feature on the Human Touch HT-7120 robotic massage chair — and there’s a lot. Even so, there are a few features you won’t find on it that you’ll find on many other similarly priced massage chairs, including:

Foot Vibration Massage

Another feature you won’t find is foot vibration massage, a common feature — one you can find on the similarly priced Human Touch ZeroG 4.0 and ZeroG 5.0. It uses a high-frequency vibration plate in the calf and foot massager to stimulate blood flow.

Arm and Hand Massagers

For $3000, you can find a massage chair that provides head-to-toe treatment. On the HT 7120 massage chair, however, the massage is limited to the neck, back, calves and feet.

Since Human Touch massage chairs tend to be “aesthetically pleasing” they often lack features like airbags and arm massagers. Instead, the armrests on the HT 7120 are padded and upholstered with the same PU upholstery that’s on the rest of the chair.

If arm massage is an important feature to you, there are similarly priced chairs like the Osaki OS-4000 that have arm and hand massagers, plus loads of other features like shoulder air massage.

The most affordable Human Touch models with arm massagers are the AcuTouch 6.0 and AcuTouch 8.0 Bali that cost around $5000 and $6000, respectively.

Body Scan Technology

As we mentioned above, there’s no body scanning technology on the HT 7120 massage chair. With body scan, the chair can detect your height and shape before automatically adjusting the massage range to match your particular build.

This feature ensures the rollers are hitting all the right areas. It also makes adjusting for multiple users easy.

Zero Gravity

The Human Touch HT 7120 is an ergonomically designed chair, but it’s lacking a quick and easy Zero Gravity function.

Zero Gravity is a popular massage chair feature that positions the body into an almost weightless position by dispersing the majority of the body’s weight across the backrest. At the same time, the legs are elevated, and circulation is increased.

What’s the Difference Between the Human Touch HT 7120 and HT 275?

At first glance, the HT 7120 and HT 275 appear to be identical. And they nearly are, but with two major exceptions: the Massage Comfort Intensity settings on the HT 7120 and the 2 inches of additional massage track on the HT 275.

Since the HT 275 lacks any kind of intensity settings, it’s considered a 2D massage chair, while the HT 7120 is a 3D massage chair. Although it lacks intensity settings, the HT 275 has an additional 2 inches of massage track extending its range massage to 27 inches. That’s about it!

How Does the HT 7120 Compare to Other Human Touch Massage Chairs?

Don’t get us wrong, the Human Touch 7120 massage chair has a lot to offer. But there are a few other similarly priced Human Touch models that offer more features for the money. For example, the Human Touch ZeroG 5.0 massage chair. At $3000, it’s packed with additional features like:

The ZeroG 5.0 offers a more comprehensive massage. That said, it looks entirely different than the HT 7120 — more like a recliner and less like a high-end executive chair. So if you’re drawn to the design of the Human Touch HT 7120 — even without the added features — it might be the best option. Or perhaps you don’t need the extra features? Either way, you’d be hard-pressed not to enjoy either one of these massage chairs.

Human Touch 7120 Massage Chair Specifications and Dimensions

Chair dimensions (reclined)	73″L x 28” W x 25″ H
Chair dimensions (upright)	49” L x 28” W x 45” H
Recommended maximum user weight	285 lbs
Recommended user height	5’0″ to 6’4″
Required Recline Clearance	16”
Power Consumption	130W
Chair weight	159 lbs

Human Touch 7120 Massage Chair Review Final Thoughts

The most impressive features on the HT 7120 are its executive look, massage comfort intensity settings, full-body stretch program, and five massage techniques. It could easily complement an upscale office. And thanks to its customization options, it could comfortably benefit anyone who sits on it. However, if you’re looking for a chair that offers a bit more massage for the money, we recommend checking out a more comprehensive Human Touch model like the ZeroG 5.0.

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Official Manufacturer Support

References & Resources

• Human Touch, Official Brand Website.
• What is Shiatsu Massage, Well Mother.
• Benefits of Heat Therapy for Lower Back Pain, Spine-Health.
• 5 ways stretching benefits your health, Body and Soul.
• Massage Techniques and How They Are Different, Universal Spa Training Academy.