Despite being founded and managed in Singapore, when you buy an OSIM massage chair, you are actually buying a product designed and built in Japan. This is because all OSIM chairs are manufactured by the Family Inada company in Japan, the makers of some of the best and most advanced massage chairs in the world. So considering who built it, how does OSIM iSymphonic rate?
Ron Sim founded OSIM in Singapore more than 20 years ago. Initially, the company sold electrical products, but during the recession of the mid-1980s, Sim realized that to survive and prosper, the company had to have its own brand-name products. Sim saw that there was a growing international demand for home wellness products and therefore decided to market and sell robotic massage chairs under his company name.
OSIM had no background in chair manufacturing, so design and production were outsourced to Inada in Japan. This was a cunning move. Inada was already the market leader in the sale of high-quality chairs to the Japanese (and international) market. Using Inada to manufacture the chairs, OSIM ensured a brand that would be respected and would place its chairs at the top and high value of the market.
So when you buy an OSIM massage chair, you get the same technology and components as an Inada chair. They share many of the same features, like infrared sensors to accurately measure you before a massage to find the correct shiatsu pressure points, powerful motors, the same massage modes, and build quality.
Both companies have launched a chair with an integrated music therapy system. There’s the Inada W. 1 massage chair and the OSIM iSymphonic – the OSIM chair was launched before the Inada.
The music therapy system in both chairs is not a simple matter of listening to your favorite music during a massage; it is much more sophisticated. Essentially, the massage is synchronized and orchestrated by the music that is being played. So if you play something like ‘hard rock’ you are going to take a good beating, but if you play some Brahms you will get a much more relaxing massage.
It should be noted that this unique system was developed by Inada and not OSIM and took several years to develop. It works by automatically altering the intensity of the rollers and altering the type of massage mode in response to music. The rollers on the back respond to bass sounds and the leg vibrators respond to mid frequencies. Sounds in the treble range trigger shocks and vibrations near the spine.
The OSIM iSymphonic comes with 5 healthcare programs and you can set up your own massage courses, giving you complete control of your personal massage – each program is 15 minutes long. The motorized recline has a range of between 120 and 170 degrees. There are airbags in the legrests and in the seat. Leg massage uses vibrations in conjunction with airbags. The chair does not have an arm massage, which is a real shame.
If you are wondering how OSIM compares to Inada, I must say that in terms of functions and features there is no difference, which is not surprising since Inada does both. What will influence you in any direction is style. Personally, I prefer the OSIM look. Another consideration is headphones. With OSIM you get a pair of headphones that you use; With the Inada, the headphones are integrated into the headrest. Again, what is preferable is a subjective matter. Some do not like to wear headphones during a massage, as they may feel somewhat restricted. I prefer headphones as the only sounds I want to hear during a massage is the music I am listening to; wearing headphones does this better than built-in ones.
As for the price, there is very little in it; OSIM is a bit cheaper.
The OSIM iSymphonic massage chair is undoubtedly a very good chair; It offers a good back and shoulder massage, although the airbags and vibration in the leg massage are not the best I’ve had. But the real selling point is the music therapy system; once you’ve tried the chair, you’ll want to take it home with you.