In a Nutshell:
The Kahuna Hani 2200 is an all-purpose entertainment massage chair. It’s equipped with features you’d expect from an entertainment chair like 3D surround sounds. Plus, it has high-quality features of a standard massage chair like roller massage and air massage. Although lacking in customization options, preset programs, and massage techniques, as an entertainment chair with massage functions, it’s a solid choice.
Overall Massage Quality
Customization options
Ease of Use
Value for the Money
Overall Rating
4/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Anyone looking for an all-purpose entertainment massage chair with 3D surround sound.
Unfortunately, the Kahuna Hani 2200 has been discontinued. Check these alternatives: Bestmassage Curved Massage Chair.
The Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair is called the “total entertainment massage chair,” and for a good reason. It comes equipped with powerful 3D speakers and its own bass control. Besides entertainment, it also features a great roller massage and air massage system. Even so, is it worth the $1,000-plus price tag? Let’s dive in to see!
Features of the Kahuna Hani 2200 Massage Chair
Adjustable Roller Massage
Inside the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair are dual rollers – two sets of two. It delivers a deep shiatsu-style kneading massage from the neck to the tailbone. Depending on how you fit in the chair, it could even massage your head. The roller massage is based on shiatsu therapy; a traditional Japanese treatment used to balance the body’s energy (called “Ki” in Japanese and “Chi” or “Qi” in Chinese) to stimulate mental and physical healing and wellbeing.
“In Japanese, Shiatsu means ‘finger pressure,’ and techniques include massages with fingers, thumbs, and palms to assist joint manipulation, mobilization, and stretching,” explains Kahuna.
The roller massage is adjustable allowing you to choose specific locations to treat as well as the direction you want the rollers to move — up or down, and clockwise or counterclockwise. We’ll go into more detail about the customization features later in the article.
Air Massage Technology
Airbags are the go-to component for massage chair manufacturers because they can go where rollers can’t — on the side of the body. In general, airbags and rollers are very different.
Rollers move and penetrate, while airbags inflate and deflate to press and squeeze. The benefit of air massage is its ability to increase circulation and stimulate tired or achy muscles.
With air massage, the airbags inflate to compress the area and then quickly deflate. When this occurs, it presses out the blood first out of the area and then quickly reintroduced. This moves stagnant fluid out of the muscles and increases the flow of new oxygen and nutrient-rich blood.
In the lower portion of the Kahuna Hani 2200 are airbags that provide compression massage to the lower back, hips, sides of the thighs, and buttocks. The airbags form a sort of “L” shape that runs along the side of your lower back to your hips and thighs.
Let’s take a closer look at the air massage areas on the Kahuna massage chair Hani 2200:
Heat Therapy
Another therapeutic feature on the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair is lower back heat therapy.
Heat is commonly used to help relax tired and achy muscles. It also increases circulation. When the body is heated, the blood vessels dilate, increasing the movement of blood and therefore oxygen and nutrients, which help repair damaged tissues.
On the Kahuna Hani 2200, you can enjoy those benefits in your lower back. The massage-friendly benefit: the more relaxed your muscles are, the more effective your roller massage.
3D Surround Sound System with Aux Input and Bluetooth Connectivity
Perhaps the most standout feature of the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair is its 3D surround sound system.
While built-in speakers aren’t a new or surprising massage chair feature, the speakers on the Kahuna Hani are. Rather than having two speakers located next to the shoulders, the Kahuna Hani 2200 has three speakers located on the outside of the chair on the back. The powerful speakers are positioned such that the sounds envelop and surround you — like a real surround sound system.
The sound system is controlled using a speaker control system located on the side of the chair. The speaker control lets you adjust the bass and volume and includes a DC in 12V power supply input and an aux input.
The Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair also features Bluetooth connectivity so that you can connect your music in two ways. It can either be an aux cable or with Bluetooth. If you’re a music lover, gamer, or want to experience movies in a new, immersive way, the 3D surround sound system on the Kahuna Hani 2200 won’t disappoint. Perhaps that’s why they named the chair “Hani,” which translates to “happy” in Hawaiian.
Lightweight and Compact Design
The Kahuna Hani 2200 is lightweight, only weighing 77 pounds. While it’s not the lightest massage chair available, it’s close.
Thanks to its lightweight design, moving the massage chair won’t be such a chore. Your friends and family will be glad to not have to drop what they’re doing each time you need to adjust the position of your chair.
The Kahuna Hani 2200 has a modern and ergonomic half dome design which is not only stylish but ideal for sitting. The upholstery is a leather-like polyurethane material which, like leather, is breathable, abrasion-resistant, durable, and soft. And which, unlike leather, is highly stain-resistant.
The Hani 2200 can fit anyone from minors to 250-pound adults. It comes in two colors: red and brown.
Massage Programs and Techniques on the Kahuna Massage Chair Hani 2200
For the price, the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair has a lot to offer, but not everything. You won’t find any massage technique options or massage programs, which might be a big concern for many users. So if you like the idea of pressing a single button and letting the massage chair take care of the rest, the Kahuna Hani 2200 might not be the best fit for your needs.
Every massage function on the Kahuna Hani 2000 must be manually selected. In other words, there are only manual mode operations, which brings us to our next section.
Customization and Manual Mode Options
Like we touched on above, the rollers on the Kahuna 2200 massage chair are adjustable. Other than that, there are few other manual mode options. Let’s take a look at what’s available:
Handheld Remote
All of the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair’s function (except speaker volume and bass) are controlled using a handheld remote. There are only 11 buttons, each with its own LED light to indicate when it’s active. At the top of the remote is a “Music” and “Power” button.
The center of the remote is where you’ll find all of the roller massage functions: neck direction, neck rise, neck down, full back, upper back, and lower back. At the bottom of the remote are the air massage options — hip airbag and waist airbag — and the heat function. That’s it!
In terms of remotes, the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair is as simple as it gets.
Removable Padding
You won’t find any intensity adjustment buttons on the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair, but there is removable padding. A removable head and back pillow let you get closer to the rollers, increasing the intensity of your massage.
What’s Missing on the Kahuna Hani2200 Massage Chair
The Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair is a particular style of massage chair: an all-purpose entertainment chair. As such, it won’t have the same features of a massage chair that’s designed to replace a massage therapist. Even so, it’s a good idea to understand what the Kahuna Hani brings to the table and what it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at the features you won’t find:
Kahuna Hani2200 Massage Chair Specifications and Dimensions
Now that we’ve covered what the Kahuna Hani 2200 massage chair features and doesn’t feature, let’s see how it compares to other similarly-priced massage chairs: the Apex iCozy and Human Touch iJoy Active 2.0.
Kahuna Hani 2200 vs. Apex iCozy
The Apex iCozy is similar to the Kahuna Hani in terms of massage chair type — it’s also an all-purpose entertainment chair. It is, however, a lot less expensive at $600. Both chairs have roller massage and hip air massage. And both lack arm and foot massage. What separates these two models is:
L-Track
The iCozy features an L-track that extends the massage roller range an additional 20 or so inches. With an L-track, the massage rollers move from the neck into the seat of the chair and under the buttocks and thighs.
Aesthetics
Although similar, the aesthetics between the Kahuna Hani 2200 and Apex iCozy are very different. The Kahuna Hani has leather-like upholstery and modern design. It could easily fit into a modern living room or theater. The Apex iCozy, on the other hand, looks more like a gaming chair that could fit into a dorm or game room.
Massage Techniques
The Apex iCozy features five different massage techniques, including tapping, two types of kneading, tapping and kneading combination, and rolling. There are also two speed settings for tapping. The Kahuna Hani, however, only features one massage technique: shiatsu. Although they differ in terms of massage techniques, both massage chairs lack preset massage programs.
No Heat
Unlike the Kahuna Hani 2200, there is no heating feature on the Apex iCozy massage chair.
Kahuna Hani 2200 vs. Human Touch iJoy 2310
Another similar massage chair is the Human Touch iJoy 2310. Human Touch is a US-based massage chair company. Their iJoy massage chair series consists of affordable, lightweight chairs. Although “affordable,” the chairs are designed with an emphasis on aesthetics — ergonomic design and leather-like materials.
The Human Touch iJoy 2310 isn’t an all-purpose, entertainment chair. It features a more robust set of massage features but is still very affordable at $400. However, the chairs do have some features in common: both lack arm and foot massagers. Let’s look at what separates these two models.
Preset Massage Programs
The iJoy 2310 massage chair features three preset programs: Sore Muscle Relief, Stress Therapy, and Back Wellness. Each program uses a combination of massage techniques to treat the neck and back.
Massage Techniques
The iJoy 2310 massage chair features four massage techniques: kneading, rolling, compression, and percussion. You can use the techniques individually or combine them.
Customization Options
In the Human Touch iJoy 2310, you can select from one of the three preset programs. You can choose a technique, move the position of the rollers, and adjust massage location using a “Zone” button.
Chair Reclining
The iJoy 2310 allows you to adjust the recline of the chair using a lever on the side of the chair. It’s not fancy, but is a nice feature to have in you want to be able to adjust your position.
No Air Massage
The iJoy 2310 is a roller-only massage chair — no airbags. This is standard for Human Touch massage chairs. In fact, you won’t find any Human Touch models with airbags until you get into the $5000 price range.
No Speakers
There are no speakers on the iJoy 2310, which means there’s no way to connect to or listen to music. Another common occurrence on Human Touch massage chairs since they focus on aesthetics.
No Heat
There is no heating feature on the iJoy 2310.
Which Massage Chair is the Best?
Each of these massage chairs has their own strengths and weaknesses.
Kahuna Hani2200 Review Final Thoughts
The Kahuna Hani 2200 is the ultimate entertainment chair: it’s stylish, equipped with roller massage, air massage, heat therapy and 3D surround sound. Although lacking in customization features and massage programs, for what it is, it’s a solid choice that would make any gamer or movie-goer “Hani.”
References & Resources
- Kahuna Massage Chair, Official Brand Website.
- Shiatsu – The Art and Science of Touch, Shiatsu Society (UK).
- Spine Health, Official Website.
- American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), Official Website.