This year the contest had grown greatly, with much more competition, and a strong number of judges to impress, and although so a few people had their other favourites, it was our new Shiatsu Elite that finished above the rest.

"I've come across plenty of chairs that certainly look flash, but then fail to maintain the expectation with a poor lack lustre performance. Yet I must say that the Shiatsu Elite delivers an all round great experience, definitely the best in value for money."

Andrew McBride

"As a chiropractor invited to be a judge at this contest I was looking for a chair that had great therapeutic benefits. I have come across many great chairs in this contest, all with great therapeutic value. However, if I was to recommend someone buying such a chair for themselves, then I would definitely put my money on the Shiatsu Elite simply because of the various types of programs and settings it has in comparison with others, and the mechanisms used are the strongest and most durable on the international market"

Dr Han Xiaowang D.C.

"This chair was definitely up there as far as great quality and value goes. It was not my definitive favourite choice, as I liked the style of another chair. However, it is definitely a winner and I am not surprised that it took the top spot in the contest"

Dr Heather Strawn M.D.

"I came as a spectator to the contest last year and was a great admirer of the Shiatsu 9000. Believing that Silverline could not best themselves on what seemed to be perfect, I was pleasantly impressed with the Shiatsu Elite. This chair has all the same great features as its predecessor, but with great improvements. I particularly enjoyed the new wireless control system and comfort pad"

Lucy Yoel

"A lot of these chairs here today have much to offer in terms of comfort and relaxation, but only few of them I feel have great medical significance to your wellbeing. The Shiatsu Elite is definitely one of them, and the reason why it has won this years contest."

Julian Hargreaves M.Pharm

"It has been a difficult choice to pick one chair as a favourite, as the best ones have great functions. However, when having to make my final decision I had to choose the Shiatsu Elite simply because of the sheer effort and research that has gone into it. Whilst enjoying its benefits, you can really feel that someone has taken care in providing a great rejuvenating massage"

Juliet Holmes

"What really impressed me about this chair is that it has a function that is not only useful for a person, but for a whole medical practice. It has a scan feature which identifies and meets the needs of your back in less than a minute with a totally customised data collection. For me, this is a huge breakthrough, and a great benefit for anyone to use. I am excited about getting to own one of these Shiatsu Elite chairs myself"

Dr Guang Tong DPT

"The Shiatsu Elite was not my first choice in this contest. Although it was up there with many, I came looking for new aged dynamic look of chair, and some of the outrageous and colourful chairs were the concepts that drew me. However, I must say that this chair does what it says, and that is that it gives you a great massage with many programs, and looks stylish too"

Meilin Zhen

"I have been thoroughly impressed with the Shiatsu Elite chair for many reasons, to say a few. The scanner program can show you all the points of stress in your back, and then adjust to give the best massage customised to you. It looks fantastic, and is very easy to use."

Samuel Ford DProf

"There are some many great chairs with some many great features that it has been hard to choose just one. At the end of it though the choice I had to make was the Shiatsu Elite due to quality of the materials used to make it, and functionality. These factors are what make this chair a great buy for anyone looking for a great purchase, and it will stand the test of time in durability and fun relaxation"

Julie Yusheng

"My first impression of the new Shiatsu Elite was that it looked very dynamic in comparison with its predecessor the Shiatsu 9000, but I didn’t know what to expect in terms of performance. Needless to say, it performs as great, and feels even better with the extra cushion provided with the comfort pad. The wireless controller is handy with a new visual screen and is really easy to use. The customised settings have greatly been tweaked, and this definitely is a fantastic gadget for pleasure and wellbeing"

Toni Kang

"This is a great quality chair with many aspects incorporated to maximise blood circulation, muscle movements, and bring peace to anyone’s mood. I felt this way whilst extensively testing the chair and looked into it further. My thoughts were correct as I found out that the Shiatsu Series chairs use a unique mechanism, which unlike other mechanisms, has been certified to give medical benefit to the user."

Yun Shuchun Psy.D.

"I have grown to become a loyal fan of another brands chairs, as I already own two, so I was more taken by their new designs and gadgetry innovations. Therefore, having not voted for this chair as my first choice, I must still say that it is no surprise to me that it had won the contest. It has great craftsmanship, an excellent range of healthy options, and looks very stylish. There has definitely been a lot of thought and ingenuity put into the Shiatsu Elite."

Alex Chen

"What I really love about the Shiatsu Series chairs is the strong mechanism. You can really feel the difference between the weak drive belts used in conventional massage chairs, and the strong gear mechanism used in these chairs. Even more great about having this durable mechanism is that the gears can individualise a massage to your own needs, and with the new scan feature this chair will always have a healthy and fun use at hand"

Kaito Takei DSc

"This chair has so many modes and features to suit everyone in any type of mood or physical situation. The materials used are the most durable in the market, and so at its very affordable price it definitely provides all the comfort and confidence of a well pursued purchase. Surely the best out there on the market"

Hui Wei Long, 2009 Shanghai Massage Chair Awards judge

"The Shiatsu 9000 was clearly the winner for me for many reasons. It looks like a natural chair and is not as bulky or undesirable as many others. The material and mass features that this has makes it the best value for money right now in the massage chair industry, and with a 5 year warranty customers can feel confident that they are making a strong purchase"

Stephanie Lawson, 2009 Shanghai Massage Chair Awards judge

"For one sleek looking massage chair to have so many features, be made at such a strong quality, and still be so affordable is a real treat for anyone looking for a massage chair. I think people will be extremely pleased to have a Shiatsu massage chair that doesn't need to include un-needed gimmicks or gismo and does exactly what it promises. It uses gears that will last the test of time, instead of flimsy drive belts, and avoids lowering experiences by using unconventional air bags instead of specially designed mechanical arms. Truly a Mona Lisa of the massage chair industry"

Timothy Gallivan, 2009 Shanghai Massage Chair Awards judge