All Things Considered: Is a Massage Chair Safe to Have Around Children?
Safety is critical in any home, but even more so when there are children present. Thankfully, all it takes these days is an internet search to determine whether a product poses any risks to you or your family. In order to help you in your quest for optimal home safety, here are a few things to know when investigating any furniture options, including a massage chair.
As a precursor, please be aware that no product can possibly guarantee it will be 100% safe under ALL circumstances. Objects like plastic bags, household cleaners, and even paperclips can become harmful if ingested or used improperly, so it’s important to monitor children closely in order to prevent injuries. Massage chairs are clearly no different, and children should never be left to play near one without adult supervision.
Critical Safety Precautions to Look For.
Massage chairs are heavy, and they have a lot of moving parts. These are the two primary concerns that most people have when deciding whether to have one around their families. Make sure that the chair you choose has a wide, sturdy base, which will give it a lower center of gravity and make it difficult to tip over. You’ll also want to look at how enclosed that base is, and make sure that there are no exposed areas with gears or wires. Human Touch performs a comprehensive design hazard analysis on its products to minimize any potential hazards.
As many massage chairs include a one-touch or programmed (automatic) backrest recline feature, be sure to keep kids and pets away from the chair at all times when in use. With a motorized retracting (lowering) footrest, make sure to purchase a chair that either has sensors (which can detect foreign objects beneath it), or one that raises the footrest away from the floor as the back of the chair moves forward into the upright position, or one that enables the calf massager to raise on its own if it encounters an object on the floor as it retracts. This will allow you to visually confirm floor clearance before you lower the footrest. Other safety precautions to look for are recline and incline buttons that must be pressed down and held, versus a one-touch “push and forget” method. If a foreign object is accidentally bumped by a moving part of the chair, you can quickly release the button before there is any damage to the person or pet.
Home Furnishing Regulation & Safety Standards.
There are also a number of additional safety standards with which home furnishing companies should comply with. Some people may not be aware of these standards, especially as they apply to chemicals that are invisible to the human eye. But these regulations will protect your family against health risks that extend beyond pinched fingers.
Human Touch massage chairs comply with 14 of these safety standards in the U.S. & Canada, as well as 8 International standards. This list includes (but is not limited to):
cETLus/cTUVus Certification of Compliance, including UL 1647, UL 962, UL-1431, CSA 68 and CSA 60335-1 as applicable. This demonstrates compliance to the requirements of widely accepted product safety standards, which includes regulated enclosures and guards for moving parts, stability against product overturn, and emergency stop switch regulation.
CA TB-117-2013 Standard. This is a flammability standard for upholstered furniture. This code is mandatory for all furniture manufacturers selling product in California.
CA SB1019 – This bill mandates labelling to indicate whether the product contains flame retardants, which are of concern to many consumers because of the harmful effects of many flame retardants.
Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) commonly known as CARB. This establishes formaldehyde emission standards for panels of layered wood with wood-binding adhesives.
CPSIA Regulation. Regulates/enforces the use of lead in surface coatings such as paint and lacquer.
FCC/EMC (electromagnetic compatibility). Ensures that electrical products do not generate electromagnetic disturbances that may influence other products.
CE certification. This states that the product complies with the essential requirements of the relevant European health, safety, and environmental protection legislation.
Consumer Precautions
As an additional precaution for massage chair use in the home, we also suggest that you use parental discretion to decide if your child should be allowed to use massage chairs as a form of therapy. Children whose bodies are not yet fully developed should not engage in mechanical massage, as it may result in injury.
Additional safety tips and precautions can also be found in individual massage chair user manuals. If you have any questions about using your massage chair, please feel free to call the Human Touch Customer Experience team at (800) 355-2762.