Product Review: M-2 Orion Massage Chair Recliner
Product reviews need to be informative. Usually a structured approach to evaluation provides better consistency. We employ a 5 category equal weight system to evaluate a massage chair. A category can earn between 0 to 20 points. The points earned in each category are added together giving a total score. The massage chair is evaluated in the following categories: Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. The discipline of systematic approach balances the review and provides for more facts. We take a close look at the M-2 Orion Massage Chair by Omega that comes in the price range of $1,500 and under.
Warranty & Customer Service: Warranty and customer service comes from the manufacturer of the massage chair. Warranty is important, since it protects the customer in the workmanship of the product. The other side of this is customer service. Customer service must solve issues one may have. With the M-2 Orion, Omega Massage covers 1 year on the frame, 6 months on parts, and 6 months labor and shipping for 6 months. For an entry level massage chair, Omega provides the most comprehensive warranty and exceeds the other manufacturers in this category. With the M-2 Orion, Omega provides strong warranty coverage. Now on the customer service side, Omega overall is responsive and competent. They have quick turnaround times when issues do arise. The M-2 Orion is an 18 in Warranty & Customer.
Comfort & Ergonomics: Comfort and ergonomics helps with relaxation. In a massage chair the body should fit well in the chair. It should be comforting to the body. The Orion has a plush back rest cover and a large rectangular shoulder pillow. The back cover is good. The second pillow is too wide and perhaps too thin. The fit of the chair is otherwise comfortable. The curved armrests are very comfortable and the chair can be adjusted from 115 degrees to 170 degrees. Another plus is the leg rest. It is extendable an extra 4 inches. The paddle mechanism in the calf massager is effective and can be positioned for maximum effect. The manual levers are fairly intuitive in their position. Our rating in this category is 17.
Ease of Use: A product needs to be intuitive and easy to use for consumers. The remote control is simple. It has full controls for the back, seat and leg rest. The remote also controls the calf massage, seat vibration and seat massage. Select from 3 timed auto programs and 3 back courses. The M-2 has a manual leg rest and backrest adjustments. The manual levers are in places that are easy to access, but it takes a time or two to get used to. The good thing is the hydraulics on the manual leg rest and backrest raise them, so the user only has to lean them back. Our rating for this massage chair recliner is 19 in this category.
Key Features: What are the key features of the Orion M-2 massage chair? This chair comes with the very relaxing sway massage which is based on Hawaiian massage. Hawaiian massage is known for its flowing strokes and swaying motion. There is thorough back coverage with the back massage. The Sway massage penetrates deeper and deeper around the back. This massage chair recliner comes with an eight massage head system for the buttocks and thighs. These eight massage heads provide an invigorating massage. An extra seat cushion is provided to moderate the penetration of the seat massage. Coupled with vibration therapy in the seat, the M-2 has a very good seat massage. The Omega M-2 Orion earns an 18 for key features.
Massage Therapy: The massage chair needs to provide effective massage therapy functions. The Omega M-2 Orion has 3 automatic timed massages ranging from 5, 10 and 15 minutes. There are 3 manual massages with 3 back courses. The manual massage techniques are Kneading, Swaying and Finger Press and have good strength. Select the speed of the manual massages. They have 3 levels to suit individual needs. The seat massage has 8 rotary massage heads and a seat vibration system. The level of intensity can be adjusted to 3 settings. The paddle system in the calf massage can be positioned on the thighs, knees and calves. It is extendable up to 4 inches. There is a strong combination of effective massage therapies for the whole body. Overall Rating for the Omega M-2 Orion massage recliner for massage therapy is 18.
The Omega M-2 Orion does very well in our evaluation. The total score for the M-2 Orion is a 90/100. We are impressed with the massage therapy for this price range. Omega has concentrated on getting the massage therapy effective and still hit the price point for an entry level massage chair. There is strong warrant protection for the consumer. The feature set of this chair makes for a versatile and invigorating massage lounger. This is the best value in its class. The M-2 Orion delivers an effective full body massage at a great price point.