Beauty Vs Massage What to look for when you need a table for both

In 2012 we spent four weeks visiting many factories in China. We were looking for a quality manufacturer who could make our Australian designed entry level electric Value - Lift table range, designed to compete with the influx of cheap imported tables in the Australian market.

Out of the 20 factories that we visited we did not find a single beauty chair that was suitable for serious massage treatments or that met our strict quality standards. This was not surprising because even many of the top end European chairs struggle to cater for both massage and beauty treatments equally well.
This is because many beauty chairs are predominately designed for seated beauty treatments - where little or no downward pressure is applied during treatments.

This is what to look for when you need a treatment table to do both beauty and massage treatments.

Consider the design.
When performing a massage treatment the above style of chair offers poor structural support to the backrest and footrest. During a massage treatment the applied pressure will significantly flex these table sections. Lateral stability can also be an issue, and the higher you set the chair height the worse it will get.
With continued use performing massage treatments this type of treatment chair will soon develop rattles and squeaks. If you are considering this style of chair for your clinic, and you intend to offer massage services, ensure that you test the chair to ascertain its suitability for massage treatments.

Check the specifications.
You can tell if a treatment chair/table has been suitably designed for massage treatments by checking some key product specifications.

• If the minimum table height is more than 55 cm then shorter stature therapists (165 cm or less) will not be able to give an effective massage treatment, this would be even more difficult when larger patients are being treated. To be suitable a table‘s minimum height must be no higher than 50 to 55 cm. This allows the practitioner to more effectively use their body weight during the treatment.
• A table designed with a maximum height of under 80 cm would be far too low for many taller beauty practitioners (178 cm or taller) to perform many beauty treatments without slouching. As a minimum requirement the chair needs to rise to at least 83 to 90 cm high.
• Beware of chairs that offer a minimal overall height range, there are chairs available that only offer a height range of only 21 cm that is NOT very height adjustable for an electric treatment table.
• Does the table come in a choice of widths? Suitable approximate widths for remedial massage are: 60 cm (sports); 68 cm (a good general width for most massage treatments); 73 cm wide (for larger patients, international day spas, or relaxation treatments).
• A table that is over 78 cm wide is considered too wide for shorter practitioners for most remedial massage treatments.

Other considerations:

• What track record does the seller have with designing and manufacturing treatment tables?
• Does the support structure adequately support the dynamic loads that the table will be subject to? Are the bushes designed so that the table operates without any noise or creaks throughout the treatment? Does the table even have bushes on all moving pivot points?
• Is the structure solid enough so that patients feel secure and fully supported throughout the treatment, including getting on and off the table? A good design will cater for all these considerations and too many more to list here.

We are beauty and massage specialists with over 25 years’ experience in designing and manufacturing treatment tables. Athlegen beauty chair designs are suitable for both beauty and massage treatments and will work flawlessly at any height range and you can configure them to a chair or a flat massage table position.

Just to name a few recent customers: New Melbourne Crown Casino ; Eforea Spa at Hilton Surfers Paradise, QT hotels and spas throughout the country. These customers purchase our products because they know from experience that our tables will perform in heavy duty environments, day in day out.

In the long run our tables require less repairs, experience less downtime, therapist love working on them, and they do not need to be replaced every few years. We also provide the best Australia wide after sales service in the industry - by our own employees.

Professional products that are proven to meet your requirements are the Athlegen Pro-Lift Venus Table, Access RMS, Access ABR (Access models if the focus is more on massage), or for a more economical alternative consider, the Beauty Lift MKIII.

Our less expensive range of imported tables (Value-Lift range) will also be suitable for massage and beauty treatments, but they are a compromise. Like most things you get what you pay for.

When we shop on price alone it is easy to lose sight of what we are getting for our money. i.e. it may be cheap but is it good value?