- Cheryl Tan
Osim Smart DIY Massage Chair Review: Incredibly Versatile!
When you think massage chair, what pops into your mind? Most likely it's a big bulky chair that requires a dedicated spot in the house. That's what I thought too, until I tried out the Osim Smart DIY Massage Chair.
It's not actually a massage chair in the strictest of terms, since it actually comes in two parts and you'll need to prop the backrest portion against an actual chair, but the best part of having two separate parts is that you can move the device around anywhere and basically have a massage chair right there, whether it be in the living room, your study, in your bedroom or more.
So the Osim Smart DIY Massage Chair comprises of two parts: the uJolly 2 Smart back massager as well as the uSqueez 2 Smart leg massager. Together, they combine to be able to cover the whole back as well as legs, essentially being able to do what a massage chair does.
That being said, each part can be used separately, so I'll talk about them individually first before moving on to using them as a whole.
Starting with the uJolly 2 Smart back massager, it's actually my favourite part. I've been having lower back pain for a while now, and after changing out my office chair, it's helped quite a bit, but there are still occasions where my back's sore, and the uJolly 2 Smart really came in handy here. With four auto programmes - Neck & Shoulders, Lumbar, Relax and Energise - there's something for everyone here. I personally used the Lumbar programme the most as I found that the rollers focused mostly on the area around my lumbar and coccyx (tailbone) which I needed. That being said, the Neck & Shoulders V Grip tech is also pretty good for stiff shoulders, pressing against the top of my shoulders and the back.
There are a few options aside from the programmes too, Rolling & Tapping, which was more of a vibration really, Press Grip, which was the kneading that I wanted as well as a Warm Air option for heat therapy. I didn't use the Warm Air option all that much since, well, it's really quite warm in Singapore these days, but it did result in a pleasant warmth all along my back which was definitely nice on rainy days. That being said, once the feature is turned on, you do hear a very audible humming from the back massager, so that could be a bit distracting if you're looking to zone out.
Of course, there's the ability to adjust the shoulder position, width of the rollers and all that through the remote control that's wired to the base of the back massager.
As for the uSqueez 2 Smart leg massager, it's interesting in the sense that it doesn't just handle the lower calves and feet. There are kneading plates that actually cover the upper calves and they can even be flipped up for massaging thighs, which is excellent for massages after exercising.
The kneading plates can also be adjusted narrower or wider to adjust for different calf and thigh sizes, which is a pretty thoughtful detail.
There are a total of six auto programmes, Reflexology, Calves, Thighs, Sleep, Circulation and Deep Comfort, although I mostly stuck to the Reflexology programme. What I can say is that the uSqueez 2 Smart leg massager is definitely intense. Even for someone like me who does foot reflexology massages on a more regular basis, I could feel the strength of the rollers.
Thankfully, there are a few different settings for the intensity, with High, Low and Pulse for the vibration and kneading strengths. There's also a Warm Air feature that's similar to the one in the uJolly 2 Smart, although again, I didn't really use this function much.
Now that we've talked about both, let's talk about using them together. There's the Osim Smart DIY Massage Chair app that needs a bit of easy set-up to make sure both the leg and back massager are both connected, then from there on out, there are three HarmonySync programmes that target different areas. There's the Full Body De-Stress, Sports Recovery and Deep Tissue.
Of course, there's also Mix & Match which allows for users to pick what programs they want for the back and leg massagers and combine that into a custom programme.
There's even an Osim Music feature to play relaxing music while the massagers are running, but I didn't try that one out.
As I said before, the best part of the Smart DIY Massage Chair is that it can be moved really easily to anywhere in the house, instead of being stuck in one location like a traditional massage chair. With the back massager weighing around 9kg and the leg massager weighing around 10kg, it's not the lightest to carry around but compared to a proper massage chair of around 70kg, it's definitely manageable.
Another good point is that the back and leg massagers can be purchased separately, so if you only want the back massager, you can just get that one device, although you wouldn't get the benefits of being able to have synchronised massages for both your legs and back.
The uJolly 2 Smart back massager retails for S$549 and the uSqueez 2 Smart leg massager retails for S$699. That would usually tally up to S$1,248, but purchasing the Smart DIY Massage Chair bundle would drop it down to S$999, which is a pretty fair price in my opinion. More information about the Smart DIY Massage Chair bundle can be found on Osim's website here.