Different kinds of massage tables have been around for a very long time. In fact looking at the history of massage tables we can go back thousands of years. Back in these historic times massage tables used to be made from wood or stone. In fact in ancient Rome craftsman builds massage tables from marble and limestone around 300 B.C. Now even though my bill is a beautiful material, it’s not that difficult to realize that this wasn’t the most common portable option. Marble is still a stone and stone is very hard.

Fast forward about 200 years and we have “massage couches” – these were made from wood and they were stuffed with the hair of horses that was inside the upholstery. Horse hair was used because it was more resistant than cotton.

It was in the 1920 that the first precessor of what we nowadays call “massage table” has been developed in the USA. Then around 1930 the first portable massage table was created. In the late 1940s someone came up with the idea of cutting a whole where the face could rest and this idea started to spread. Also in the 1940s “The Battlecreek Company” manufactured the first lightweight massage table that was made from aluminum – a complete portable folding table.

In 1972 a book came out called “The Massage Book”, and in that book author George Downing showed his own version of a massage table – many massage practitioners copied this massage table. It was after this publication that these kinds of massage tables became widely available.

In the 1980s then the facerest got established (the one that can be attached or detached from the main body of the massage table).

In recent history different kinds of paddings have become very popular. Hay paddings have been replaced with modern materials. Scientific advancement is a wonderful think, also for massage therapists and people would love to get massages. Because, you kinds of paddings have been introduced. Nowadays there is no more problem with hygiene when it comes to paddings. Massage table paddings nowadays can easily be cleaned. They are also water resistant and oil resistant. And they are very durable. And they are more comfortable than they ever were before.
If you get a high-quality massage table the padding also will be hypo-allergen. This is a great advancement for people who suffer from allergies.

Just a couple of years ago most massage tables where produced in the United States. Even today most high-quality massage tables are being produced in the United States. However nowadays also many massage table manufacturers are located in Europe and Asia. And some of them produce top-notch quality. While in Europe the labor costs are still so high that it’s often cheaper to buy an American massage table, Chinese massage tables are very competitive when it comes to pricing. And some manufacturers have drastically improved their quality. But you still get what you pay for. So in most cases low cost massage tables also mean low quality.
However keeping things in a historical perspective, it’s pretty safe to foresee that in the years to come the prizes of massage tables will decrease, while the quality of the massage tables will continue to increase. This is good for us massage therapists, because we get more bang for the buck. And it is good for all clients because they will get better service to, and by providing them with a better experience real more likely it is to get more repeat customers.

You can find more information about massage tables on our website.