Which massage table?

June 20, 2005 6:21 AM

My son just finished massage therapy school, and we'd like to buy him a massage table.

What do you look for in a massage table? What are the better brands? What would you expect to pay for a "better" quality table? How about a "best" quality? And what is the difference between "better" and "best" in this case?

posted by bricoleur to health & fitness (4 comments total)

Let your son pick it. He may have developed a favorite at massage school; at any rate, he's the one who's going to have to fold and unfold it and work on it -- it's a personal decision.

(I'm a CMT, but have no current knowledge of the table market.)
posted by Zed_Lopez at 8:56 AM on June 20, 2005

They do sell tables, oddly enough, at (at least) some Costcos in the US. Guess there's more demand than I would have thought.

I have no clue whether they are considered good or not.

I think that with most crafts, letting the craftsperson choose their tools is a pretty wose rule.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 3:35 PM on June 20, 2005

Must agree with Zed_Lopez... let him pick it out. Surprise him with a card or something that says 'congrats... we'll buy you a table! (even if you don't give us free massages, haha)'

Honestly, the cost of the table really depends on a number of things, including the types of massage your son will be doing, what features he wants in a table (fully adjustable headrest? hydraulic? Interchangable parts for doing things like pregnancy massage? Size of the main body? Chair instead of table?), and where you buy it.

For reference: I'm an RMT student (in my final year this year) and also work in an RMT clinic. Several of my friends have the Costco tables, and they're happy with them, but realize that they'll probably want to buy a different table within a few years from graduation. They tell me they make a good 'beginner' table.
posted by nyxie at 5:20 PM on June 20, 2005

Thanks, all, for the good advice. I asked because he doesn't seem to have any distinct preference, but maybe he can confer with his teachers and they can guide him a bit.
posted by bricoleur at 2:57 PM on June 21, 2005