5 Tips to Buying a Massage Table

The massage table is the first and foremost equipment that a student or professional in massage therapy must have. There are many types of massage therapies and all of these are carried out most comfortably on a massage table.

There are many manufacturers offering a variety of massage table designs, each with its own model. Because of this it can make buying such tables somehow confusing even to those who have been doing this for some time.

Buying a massage table should not be done haphazardly because the right table needs to make the client feel comfortable during the therapy session but should also make the therapist feel equally comfortable as he or she applies any form of massage.

The therapist should also consider his or her comfort when buying tables because this is his or her bread and butter. Besides when the therapist is not comfortable, this will affect the way he or she applies pressure, which in the long run translates to an ineffective therapy session.

Before a therapist buys a table, there are 5 points that he or she has to put into consideration first:

1. Strength and stability is very important because the therapist will be using the table on a variety of clients in a variety of shapes and sizes after all no one wants the table to suddenly collapse in the middle of a session.

The would be user should see to it that the table does not sway when heavier clients lie on it or when pressure is applied on a client thus the therapist should choose tables that can carry up to 500 pounds of weight. Another consideration is that the material used to construct the table should be top quality material only.

Now if the user is considering a table for portable massage, he or she should buy a lightweight table that can still support heavy weight. Many massage practitioners are of the opinion that the maximum carrying capacity of portable table should be between 22 and 30 pounds.

2. The type of massage that the therapist masters on should also be a consideration when purchasing tables as there are plenty of tables that are designed for specific types of massage, just as there are many types of massage covers for these tables.

In pregnancy massage the table should have recesses for the breasts and abdominal supports that can be easily adjusted. If the therapist engages in sports massage the best table is one that has a thicker tabletop and extra supports in the middle of the table.

To be able to save money on the purchase, one should consider buying a table where he or she can perform more than one type of massage.

3. The frequency of use is another factor to consider when one is planning to buy a massage table. Mind you, not only are therapists the only one who can consider purchasing this type of table, an ordinary individual can opt to buy one for personal use.

When the usage is personal and only occasionally, then there is no need to shell out lots of money however this does not mean that the table should lack in quality. On the other hand, if the usage is frequent then one should invest in one with more to offer.

4. Adjustability and width are other factors to be considered. The table should be height adjustable so that the therapist can easily lower or raise the table to his or her comfortable height level.
Of course width is an important consideration too and is entirely up to the user. If the table is narrow there will be easier access however if the table is wide the client will be more comfortable lying face down.

5. Lastly, in buying a table it is important that the would-be user is familiar with the customer service and warranty that is being offered by the seller. The former is important for instance in those times when your table needs servicing and what you are going to use for the meantime.

A high quality massage table comes with good craftsmanship and is designed to last for a long time thus most often it will be covered with warranty. The warranty should clearly stipulate what happens when the table needs repair and or replacement.