Lift, massage chairs on the rise
Aging Baby Boomers looking for relief
Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, November 17, 2005
 Berkline’s lift chair is now available with a new mechanism that includes a motorized recliner. |
| Berkline’s lift chair is now available with a new mechanism that includes a motorized recliner. |
HIGH POINT -- As the Baby Boom generation approaches retirement, producers of reclining chairs see a growing market for specialty chairs that soothe aching muscles and assist those whose muscles don’t work as well as they once did. These chairs typically include features such as massage units and motorized lifts, and producers say they are becoming an essential element of a furniture retailer’s motion lineup. Dozens of recliner producers have chairs with a variety of massage units, and some have even added them to larger pieces such as motion love-seats. In addition, many of these same resources, notably Berk-line, Catnapper, Flexsteel, Franklin and La-Z-Boy, also offer recliners with motorized lift mechanisms that enable the elderly and the infirm to easily get in and out of the chair.
 Interactive Health’s iJoy massage chair is aimed at younger consumers. |
| Interactive Health’s iJoy massage chair is aimed at younger consumers. |
“If you look at the numbers on the aging population, you can easily see the growth potential for this product,” said Kevin Armstrong, director of reclining chairs at Berkline.
At the recent High Point market, Berkline had success with a new lift mechanism that can be used with virtually any recliner in its line. The mechanism, which also includes a power-reclining unit, adds about $400 to the retail price, but Armstrong said that didn’t cause dealers to shy away from the product.
“It solidifies our brand positioning in mechanisms,” he said.
An emerging market
 The Cardinal recliner from La-Z-Boy is available with massage and heat options. |
| The Cardinal recliner from La-Z-Boy is available with massage and heat options. |
Armstrong and other executives said such features are critical if furniture stores are to wrest market share away from stores that sell home health care products — long the pre-eminent distribution channel for lift chairs. “It’s an important market for us,” said Mark Hedden, merchandise manager for recliners at Flexsteel. “(Furniture stores) can offer consumers more fashion and more features than they will see at other stores.” Don Hunter, senior vice president of major accounts at Catnapper, said he recommends dealers employ a good-better-best merchandizing plan with any type of specialty chair program. And if the product is a lift chair, the floor models need to be displayed in the raised position.
 Lane’s Shiatsu recliner massages the upper and lower back. |
| Lane’s Shiatsu recliner massages the upper and lower back. |
“Otherwise, it’s going to look just like any other recliner in the store,” Hunter said. Although most lift chairs start at about $899 retail, Catnapper has some models as low as $499. The sky’s almost the limit on the upper end, which includes models such as La-Z-Boy’s Luxury Lift chair. Retail prices on the La-Z-Boy models can go as high as $1,849 when heat and massage options are added. The pricing spectrum is similar for massage chairs, which are targeted to slightly younger and healthier consumers who need to massage sore muscles after a
 Hawaiian Lomi Group recently unveiled home theater seating with massage units. |
| Hawaiian Lomi Group recently unveiled home theater seating with massage units. |
tough day at work or play. Franklin, for example, has reclining chairs with massage that retail for as little as $299, while upper-end producers such as Interactive Health have some models at $2,000 and above.
 Panasonic’s newest massage lounger includes a remote-control unit with voice-activated commands. |
| Panasonic’s newest massage lounger includes a remote-control unit with voice-activated commands. |
The more expensive models typically have variable-speed motors, and offer more than one method of massage, such as kneading or rolling. Some even have a foot and calf massage unit in the ottoman.
The popularity of massage chairs even spread to home theater at the High Point market, where Hawaiian Lomi Group, a Portland, Ore.-based resource, unveiled home theater chairs with massage units that retail for $799 to $1,499 per seat.
“Watching a big-screen TV with surround-sound is nice – but watching it in theater-style seating while getting a great back rub and foot massage is the ultimate home theater experience,” said Tim Loveday, a spokesman for the company.
| Catnapper’s lift chairs generally retail for $499 to $799. |
 Catnapper’s lift chairs generally retail for $499 to $799. |
 This skirted lift chair is one of Flexsteel’s best sellers. |
This skirted lift chair is one of Flexsteel’s best sellers. |
| BackSaver recently made its debut in lift chairs with this model with a naugahyde cover. |
 BackSaver recently made its debut in lift chairs with this model with a naugahyde cover. |
-
Lift, massage chairs on the rise
Nov 27, 2005
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
