Recently, our office was told that we were going to get a massage chair for our use. Three weeks straight, no questions asked.
Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve had a massage chair in the office (I know, perks of being in the media industry).
But this massage chair comes with 7 auto-programmes, 4 massage techniques, the ability to fully recline, and is worth RM11,999. Right now, it’s an online exclusive at RM6,599 and keep an eye out for upcoming festival promotions to get extra discounts.
For a chair of this size and price, Ogawa is branding this Smart Vogue Prime as affordably luxurious. We asked the Ogawa team what this means, and they explained, “We know many consumers assume that good massage chairs are expensive premium products. For the younger generation, they tend to assume that quality chairs are out of their budget, and they won’t buy one for themselves, or even their parents.”
“Because of this, we launched the Smart Vogue Prime to combine a premium experience with a more affordable price tag,” they said.
But we know even with its lower price point, it’s still not exactly an everyday purchase.
We were understandably nervous about anyone carelessly wrecking the chair, and even had a mini briefing to learn how to use it properly.
You’d think as the writer assigned to this piece, I’d be delighted. After all, I’d have the perfect excuse to spend long periods of time on the chair, and I’d get to call it work.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
I have always associated massages with pain, whether human or machine. This chair was no different, at first.
I never really got over the first bout of pain every time I used it, but I did finally find the setting that fit me perfectly.
(For the curious, it was the manual mode with the Kneading function, on the lowest speed, concentrated around my shoulders, with the calf and foot rollers turned on.)
Here are some basic facts about the chair:
| Material | A durable synthetic leather, in Espresso colour |
| Types of Rollers | SL-track, with adjustable and customisable roller widths |
| Auto-programmes | 1. Night – A gentle massage that uses tapping and kneading to promote blood circulation 2. Thai – A strong all-over massage that is meant to help flexibility 3. Recovery – Combines various techniques to help relieve body tension 4. For Him – A full-body massage with a focus on kneading and tapping 5. For Her – A heavier focus on the waist, mainly kneading and tapping motions 6. Circulation – A gentle tapping that also makes use of all the airbags 7. Refresh – A soothing massage meant to help the user relax |
| Massage techniques | 4 (Kneading, Clapping, Tapping, Rolling) |
| Air bags | Shoulder, hand, hip, upper and lower footrest |
Dictionary Time: In massage chair terminology, the S-track allows the rollers to move up and down the back of the user, following the curvature of the spine. The L-track is an extension of the S-track, beyond the low back to the seat and top of the hamstrings. This means that the SL-track is a continuous roller track from head to hamstrings.
The remote itself comes with an LCD screen, which I found very helpful as it lets me see exactly what area is being targeted, making it easy to adjust to my very specific liking.
Massages All Day Err’ Day
For obvious reasons, the massage chair soon became a crowd favourite.
As one colleague, Evelyn described it, “I already have two favourite auto-settings: the Night mode and the Circulation mode. They just hit the right spot, and I feel refreshed after.”
She likes the whole body massage provided by the Circulation mode as a great pick-me-up in the middle of the day, as she feels a lot more energetic.
Matt chimed in to add that he mostly used the Night mode for his neck and back. As someone who does have issues with insomnia, he told us that he tried the chair one Friday, and felt so relaxed that when he returned home, he ended up oversleeping the next day.
The footrest massager with its dual rollers (calf and foot) and additional airbags was a big hit, and almost everyone who used the chair agreed that it was one of the highlights.
One other thing we found was that the chair is great to nap in.
There is also a Bluetooth music function on the chair, where speakers can play music right next to your head.
I personally loaded up a “Relaxing” playlist from Spotify each time, but we also did use the Bluetooth feature to prank unsuspecting colleagues the first time they were in the chair.
Looking A Little Closer
For those of us with back issues, the heating function combined with the L-track focus (on the lower back and glutes) was a big relief.
However, especially if you’re not used to massages, we’d advise you to use lower strength intensity settings, as some of us did feel our backs hurt a little the first time we tried the chair.
One function that received more mixed reviews and reactions from the team was the airbags.
These airbags are located at 4 different areas on the chair, and are meant to help with relaxation. However, for some, the expanding airbags were more associated with a slight impending claustrophobia as they squeezed us in, at 4 different locations (the shoulder and arm airbags, in particular).
But some of us enjoyed the squeezing, and the pressure actually helped us relax. Luckily, these can be turned on and off at will, so if they’re not your thing, just do without them.
Verdict
I’m not going to hold back, having a massage on-demand in the office does feel amazing.
And as someone who actually hated massages before this, I found myself making time for an occasional massage. Not every day, but probably about twice a week.
I’m still quite on the fence of having one personally, but I can definitely see why it’s a luxury that many would enjoy having around.
As for my office, I know I’m speaking on everyone’s behalf to make this request: Ogawa, can we please keep the chair?
| Pros | Cons |
| Has many functions, comparable or better than other chairs on the market in the price range | Airbags can feel claustrophobic for some users |
| Material is a canvas-like synthetic leather, comfortable to sit on and easy to clean | The strength of the lower back massage is not for everyone. |
| The dual roller footrest massager is a big plus, and combined with the airbags, is one of the most satisfying parts of the chair | |
| The zero gravity function (where the chair fully reclines) is also great for relaxation and napping |
Ogawa is currently offering a special buyback programme with the Smart Vogue Prime. Customers can trade in any old massage chairs (which are still working). You will receive a RM1,000 Ogawa cash voucher (which can be redeemed on the Ogawa website). Just select the “Trade In” option when purchasing the Smart Vogue Prime on Lazada and pass the old massage chair to the transporter when they deliver the Smart Vogue Prime. Terms and conditions apply, and you can contact the Ogawa team in the Lazada chat for more information.
- You can purchase the Ogawa Smart Vogue Prime for RM6,599 from Lazada. Keep an eye out for special festival promos to get extra discounts (e.g. The 9.9 Mega Sale is coming soon!) **Promotion price is subject to change.
- For the month of September 2019, use the discount code SVPSEPT on Lazada to get a further RM300 discount.
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion into our Facebook page.