Monday, February 23, 2009

Review for the Human Touch HT7120 Massage Chair Recliner

By James Knolan

We are going to evaluate and review the HT-7120 massage recliner from Human Touch. Over the years, we have developed a 5 category review process to provide balance and consistency for our readers. We will review the HT 7120 in the following categories: warranty coverage and customer service, comfort and ergonomics, ease of use, key features and massage therapy. We score each category up to 20 points each and sum them up for an overall possible rating of 100 points. The Human Touch line is extensive and the HT 7120 is in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range.

Warranty Coverage and Customer Service: Warranty is at the company level, but nonetheless, warranties vary significantly with massage chairs. You want to make sure you have sufficient long term protection for this key investment. The HT 7120 warranty coverage is as follows: structure is covered 3 years, parts are covered 1 year and labor is covered 90 days. Human Touch also covers shipping expenses for parts for the first 90 days. The warranty coverage is on the low end for the industry and this price level. Customer service is provided by Human Touch and is effective. The HT 7120 earns a 12 in warranty and customer service.

Comfort and Ergonomics: This is a well designed massage chair. The massage recliner is very comfortable to sit in when not being used for a massage. The head support pillow is detachable and adjustable for different users. The armrests are sufficiently padded. Human Touch has a unique controller for the chair. It has functions on two sides which is simple and easy to use. The leg ottoman cannot be extended which is a drawback, but you can adjust the massage well width. This is a unique feature for this recliner line. The HT 7120 rates an 18 for ergonomics.

Ease of Use: With so many new features being added at a furious rate to massage chairs, we are always concerned with the average user being to navigate the controls and other functions. Human Touch has a very nice remote control with this chair. It is slim and fits easily in the palm. The controls are well laid out and it is simple to navigate the functions. We are impressed with the controller and it does not come with a remote stand, but tucks away in a special pocket. The only manual control is for the rotating the leg ottoman. Most users need to lean quite a bit forward to reach the control and then you need to use your feet to rotate it. The HT-7120 earns a 19 in ease of use.

Key Features: The features that stand out in the HT 7120 are the compression massage and the width adjustment in the leg ottoman. The compression massage is similar to a sports therapy massage. Sports therapy massages use deep tissue and firm pressure to stimulate the muscles. The HT-7120 uses a rocking motion and stroking. The rocking motion loosens the spinal joints and the stroking elongates and applies pressure to the muscles. The width adjustment of the leg ottoman is a novel function. The channel can be set to different widths to better fit your calves or feet. The channel has airbags, so the compression can be increased or decreased by changing the channel width. The 7120 gets an 18 in this category.

Massage Therapy: The HT-7120 comes equipped with 3 pre-set programs, 5 manual massage programs and 3 level height controls for your back. The 3 pre-set programs are sore muscle relief, energy rejuvenate and auto-demo. The 5 manual programs are rolling, kneading, compression, percussion and vibration. There are heating elements built into the lower back or lumbar area to soothe lower back pain. There is a full body stretch mode which decompresses your spine. The feet and calves are massaged with the rotating leg ottoman. This is a therapeutic massage chair with effective massage therapy. We give the HT 7120 a 19 in massage therapy.

The overall rating we give the HT 7120 is an 86 points out of 100. We like the contemporary design of this classic massage chair recliner. The massage therapies are thorough and invigorating. We are concerned with the light warranty with this recliner. The HT 7120 comes with some advanced features and has an easy to use remote. If you are shopping for a mid range model, then the HT 7120 is a massage chair recliner worthy of your attention. - 15438

About the Author: