Your massage chair is starting to get wobbly? Feel unsafe like you're in your massage chair on a roof?
Uh oh.
I told you not to get that $2,000 massage chair from Walmart or Amazon.
I’m just kidding.
Well, kind of.
Seriously though, if your massage chair has suddenly started feeling unstable, loose, or wobbly, there are a few things you should check before assuming the chair is completely broken.
First, Check Underneath the Chair
Yes, I know.
It is super obvious, and you probably already checked.
But do me a favor and check again right now. Just prove me wrong.
Make sure there is nothing underneath the massage chair that could be causing it to sit unevenly. A small object, piece of packaging, rug edge, or anything else underneath the base can make a heavy massage chair feel surprisingly unstable.
If you find something and that fixes the problem, congratulations. You just saved yourself a service call.
If not, let’s continue.
Have You Been Moving the Massage Chair A Lot?
This is actually more common than you might think.
Maybe the wife wants the chair facing the TV.
Then the husband wants it moved a little to the left.
Then someone decides it would look better over there.
Then two weeks later, you move it again.
I get it.
Most massage chairs have several rubber mounts underneath the base. Depending on the model, you will usually find around four to six of them.
If you have been moving the chair around frequently, those rubber mounts can wear out faster than they normally would. The mounting hardware can also loosen or the screw holding the mount in place can spin out.
This is usually going to be a two person job.
Unless you are a professional like me who has been doing this for the last 10 years, please take extra precaution.
Have one person carefully lift the chair while the other person inspects underneath. You can also use something sturdy to help support the chair while checking the mounts. A thick book can work in a pinch, but honestly, use common sense here. A heavy massage chair is not something you want falling on your fingers.
Now Here Is The One We Hope It Is Not
The third thing I would check is the connection between the base and the main frame of the massage chair.
This is where I start crossing my fingers.
The base of the chair is doing a lot of work. There are motors responsible for moving the chair forward and backward, as well as reclining and returning the chair to its upright position. There are also air compressors and other components working underneath the chair.
If the mounting area where the frame connects to the base becomes loose, that is a much bigger issue than a worn rubber mount.
And if your massage chair is only one or two years old and this is happening, this is where I say:
You get what you pay for.
A quality massage chair should be built to handle years of regular use. That does not mean nothing can ever go wrong, but the quality of the frame, motors, mounting points, and overall construction matters a lot.
This is also one of the reasons I always recommend buying from a reputable massage chair showroom instead of simply looking for the cheapest price online.
So What Should You Do?
If your massage chair is wobbling and you cannot figure out why, do not keep using it and hoping the problem disappears.
It probably will not.
And if the chair is still under warranty, this is the time to contact the manufacturer or the store where you purchased it.
If you bought your massage chair from us, give us a call.
We can inspect the chair and determine whether it is something simple that can be repaired or something more serious.
And if the chair has reached the point where repairing it does not make financial sense, we also have massage chair trade in programs available. Sometimes trading in the old chair and upgrading to a newer model makes much more sense than continuing to put money into an aging massage chair.
So before you panic, check underneath.
Then check the mounts.
And if the problem appears to be coming from the frame or base, give someone who actually works on these chairs a call.
That $2,000 Amazon massage chair joke might not be so funny anymore.
