Every massage table gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Tables are grouped by type (portable, stationary and electric lift) and ranked within their group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | working weight or lift capacity, never the static rating | 30% |
| Value | price, against other tables of the same type | 20% |
| Portability or lift | table weight for portable tables; height range for stationary and electric tables | 20% |
| Cushioning | tabletop foam thickness | 15% |
| Warranty | frame warranty length | 15% |
Where the numbers come from
Working weight, size, height range, table weight, cushioning and warranty come from the maker’s product page, spec sheet or manual, or the maker’s own copy on a retail listing. Where two of the maker’s own figures disagree, the maker’s product page is used and the difference is noted on the product page. Prices are checked at Amazon and the maker’s own store, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used.
The factors
Capacity is the working weight, or the lift capacity for an electric table: 300 lb scores zero and 800 lb full marks. Working weight is what the table is built to carry in use, with a therapist leaning on it. Many makers also print a static rating several times higher, for a load that doesn’t move; that figure is shown on the product page and never scored. Some listings print a single figure with no label, and that figure is scored as given and marked “not labeled”.
Value is the price on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. Each type has its own reference points: for portable tables $700 scores zero and $100 full marks; for stationary tables $1,500 scores zero and $250 full marks; for electric lift tables $3,000 scores zero and $900 full marks.
Portability or lift depends on the type. For a portable table it is the table’s weight without accessories: 40 lb scores zero and 25 lb full marks. For stationary and electric tables it is the height range from lowest to highest setting: 5 in scores zero and 20 in full marks.
Cushioning is the tabletop foam thickness: 1.5 in scores zero and 4 in full marks.
Warranty is the frame warranty: 1 year scores zero and 10 years full marks, and a limited lifetime frame warranty scores full marks.
What isn’t scored
Width, length, the static rating, frame material, included accessories (face cradle, carry case, bolster), reiki panels, shiatsu cables, backrests, storage shelves and release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
Working weight is the main thing that separates one table from another, so a table whose maker publishes no working weight or capacity scores zero on capacity, marked estimated, rather than a middle score. The same goes for warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero and is marked estimated. A stationary or electric table with no published height range is scored as fixed height, zero for that factor. Any other missing figure (a portable table’s weight, or the foam thickness) gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.