How heavy is heavy (portable massage table)?

Hi there

Depends where and how you're using your table. If you're just planning an odd mobile treatment, live somewhere you go everywhere by car and can park outside clients' houses then maybe you can survive with an 18kg table.

If you're planning to do lots of mobile work or live in London, use public transport and your clients inevitably live on the 3rd floor without a lift then it's worth shelling out for the lightest good quality table you can get your hands on.

It's awful doing treatments when you're exhausted from heaving a table and (and all your other kit) to the client's house. Even if you have a car, if you're doing it several times a day and carrying a big awkward table there's a real possibility you can injure yourself.

When I first started in London I had a heavy wooden table but it was a nightmare to carry around all day. Bought a trolley which helped a little but added to the weight going up stairs. I then bought my Oakworks table which is still with me 15 years later and weighs 10.5kg. It was eye wateringly expensive but a brilliant investment over the years.

If you're just starting might be worth buying a cheap heavier table and see how you go. But once you're confident you want to do mobile work then would be worth shelling out for a lighter table with more features.

Hope that helps

Hi Jinx,

Thanks for your reply. So if I was basing this decision on using the couch for now in a mobile capacity (because I'm not going to try and build a business up until I move) but long term putting it in a treatment room other than occasionally visiting someone, then a heavy table in your opinion is ok?

I'm not in London thank goodness or I definitely would not consider heavy tables. I have a car and live in a very suburban area so probably won't come across flats as often as houses (I think?!).

Mind if I ask you to look at this table and tell me what you think?

[url]Multi-Purpose BodyChoice Massage couch - BestMassage.co.uk[/url]

xx
Kirsty

Hi Kirsty

Looks good value at £149 and weight isn't such a big deal if you can drive to clients. You can always get a set of wheels if it starts to annoy you.

Worst case is after a while you end up doing loads of mobile work and it's a pain to carry but then you can treat yourself to a super light luxury couch and leave this one for the static work 🙂

Cheers

Thanks so much for looking Jinx! Really appreciate you taking the time to help :045::047:

Most tables range in weight from 10-21kg. The back rest mechanism adds about 3kg to an existing flat table so its not really possible to get a light weight table that has a back rest unless you reduce the size of the table in terms of width or length.

To be mobile you really need to be under 14kg all in, thats including the cary case which normally weights about 1kg on top of the table weight.

The one you pointed out above looks like good value for money but be careful about having any warranty issues in future as the tables come from Germany. They run the businesss from Chicago and ship the items from Germany even though they have a uk address and phone number, those can bebought from an office address service by anyone. A colleague I used to work with had to send her table abck to Germany at her own expense when the cables underneath came away from the frame.

At 19kg plus carry case there is no way you could carry that. Even if you have a car it will be cumbersome to use. Pack up a suitcase to 20kg and if it has a strap put it on your shoulder and see how it feels.

Do you really need a liting back rest? I would advise to buy the table now that will do you for many years to come as it's a false economy buying one now and then getting another one in a years time or whenever. And think if you can do without a back rest. For the treatments you may need a back rest for you can use a wedge bolster or pillows to prop client up.

I regularily thank the day I bought the lightest table possible!!

Hi LuckyG

Your response makes me think maybe I should go with my first choice which I mentioned on the reflexology boards which is to buy a flat table now for massage and reiki which I can and will be offering now and worry about a chair for reflexology which is what I am going to be studying at the end of the month, later.

What do you think of this table? [url]Portalite Delta Lightweight Massage Table[/url]
It's between that and the Portalite Oval that I was deciding on before thinking about a lifting backrest.

I'm curious, what table do you have?

Many thanks
Kirsty

I have a Delta PortaLite for home visits. Very manageable to cope with on the go, and sturdy enough for my clients - I can definitely recommend it.

I use the Delta as well. It's light and sturdy and comfy, but no back rest of course. As for a back rest, you could always use a few pillows instead for reflexology treatments.

As for the comment about the back rest adding 3 kg. That may be the case for some models, but Starlite make a very light version but it's reeeaaaalllllyyyyy expensive.

RP

Hi Everyone

I got confused and put the Delta Portalite as the table I was considering but this morning when I went to click 'buy' I realised it was far more than I thought!! Checked with hubby and he nearly fainted at that price so had to think of a different one. So have eventually bought this one:

[url]The Advantage Portable Massage Table[/url]

Which is wide enough, light enough and seems like a decent table. I've decided to invest in a lafuma when the time comes for reflexology, or like some of you say, use pillows on this couch.

Thanks for all the help and time you've given to this. xxx

I use a triangular bolster by Oakworks to put on my couch for reflexology and pregnancy massages.

I have the Portalite Delta too! Love it!