Choosing a Reiki Treatment Couch
Recommendations on buying the best Reiki treatment couch for you
The technology for sturdy, lighter-weight couches has come a long way in the last 20 years. With so many options out there, how do you find a couch that will be good for your Reiki treatments?
Firstly, you need one that’s height adjustable and a safe weight for you to manoeuvre easily. On any couch you want open leg ends, also known as Reiki end panels, as this is best for sitting at. A height adjustable, gas lift stool or chair, will also help protect your spine.
A Jikiden Reiki treatment often lasts a long time, and when people feel safe and comfortable lying on your couch… they relax… which is a great start!
Expect to pay anything from £250 upwards for a good quality portable couch or massage table and it should last you a lifetime. Even if you choose to upgrade to a stationary electric couch you might want to take your original portable couch with you if you travel for teaching purposes, or to Reiki shares.
Let’s look at a couple of things about the people that you will be treating with Reiki
Most clients lie down flat so you won’t need a height adjustable or lifting back-rest, which can add 2-4 Kg to the total couch weight! You can use pillows or bolsters for comfort where needed. Couches come in a selection of widths, 25” to 30”, and a variety of shapes, but a couch that’s too narrow will not encourage your client to relax. Some narrow 25” couches come with arm rests that fit into the side of the couch. 28” is a good, comfortable width, wide is 30”.
There will be a range in your clients’ age, height & weight. Hopefully they can use a step to get onto your couch if required, that way the height of the couch can be set to suit your body. This is so important to ensure you are sitting or standing comfortably without leaning too far over your client whilst treating or finishing with Kekko*.
Questions for you before you buy a Reiki Treatment couch
Will you travel to your clients or will they always travel to you?
This will determine the couch weight and whether it needs to be portable. Are you going to be lifting it in and out of a vehicle, going on public transport or moving it around in the same building?
Do you have a dedicated or shared space/treatment room?
Can you leave the couch up all the time? Does it need to be folded away? Is there storage space in the same room, or close by?
How tall are you?
There are couches with rounded ends, oval tops and even figure of 8 shaped. This ergonomic hourglass shape, gives a wide top bit for the clients arms to lie comfortably by their sides and a narrower mid section lets you reach to do Kekko* without straining your back. If you are short in stature, or have short arms, this is a really good shape for you.
What weight can you lift safely?
The maximum weight that can be safely moved or manually handled, for the average person is 16Kg for a woman and 25Kg for a man and that’s at hip height, with the couch kept close to your body. In the following PDF link look at the illustration on page 7, figure 1, entitled ‘Lifting and lowering risk filter’. https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg143.PDF
Wooden Vs Aluminium frame to your Reiki Treatment couch
The newer aluminium couches start at 10kg in weight, some are 16kg plus. The lighter ones can be pricier, around the £400 bracket, but save long-term wear and tear on your body if you are offering mobile treatments. The aluminium leg height is quickly and easily adjustable… just press a button and pull or push the leg. A flat couch with with a sprung bed, like a trampoline, is also much lighter and really comfy to lie on. I’ve had one for 10 years, it’s really saved my back and everything fits inside the one protective carry case. The working weight, which means possible weight of client, is around 35 stone.
Couches with wooden frames and legs are heavier. They feel sturdy but the legs can be fiddly to adjust in height. You can still fold it up for storage, but they are a great option if you are able to leave them up and are usually a bit cheaper. A good quality one is around £250.
Tips and other things to consider when choosing a Reiki couch
The current Health & Safety regulations, ‘working loads’ means the total weight being lifted in and out of your vehicle, up and the down stairs etc., in one go. Splitting the working load by carrying some accessories in a separate bag is a good idea instead of stowing everything inside the folding couch. It helps reduce the strain on your body.
DO keep your clean and used linens in separate plastic bags, for best practice and good infection control. The pandemic taught us that it’s preferable to wash these at 60 degrees C. You can now buy sanitary barriers to go over the couch, that can be washed and disinfected.
When your client is lying facedown, you want a breathe hole, or an adjustable/ detachable face cradle. The latter also increases the couch length for tall people, and they come with slings or a shelf for clients’ arms, allowing them to come forward and opening the shoulders for Kekko*.
The density and amount of foam covering on your couch is important, you’ll want a good 3” so they can relax and let go.
The material covering the couch is also important. A high quality PU fabric will feel soft and flexible to the touch, be easy to wipe clean between clients and won’t go brittle with age.
Most of the time you will set the couch height and leave it. To get the right working height for you, stand by your couch, rest your arms by your sides and ensure the bed height of the couch is somewhere between your knuckles and finger tips. This should give you comfortable leg room under the table when sitting and your client’s body won’t be too high, or too low, for your Kekko*.
Most good quality couches come with protective carry cases specifically for that couch, with various zipped pockets. Some come with wheels attached to the case, as an upgrade option, and you can also buy couch trolleys which is worth considering if you have to travel far with it.
Where can you buy a treatment couch?
There are lots of online options. Do factor in delivery costs and look at their after sales service. Check whether it comes with any guarantee. You get 10 years at Massage Warehouse and they are based the UK. This is where I send my students.
They also offer a 30 day money back, no quibble, guarantee on their professional couches. I sent one back because it was too narrow when my husband lay on it, I swapped a Porta-Lite Delta 25” and got the 28” width instead. I have three different couches from here, upgrading over the last 20 years… all ready for my Reiki courses and shares.
Avalon Couches is where I bought the British made, electric couch for my Reiki treatment room. They have excellent customer service and also sell a range of good quality portable couches.
I wish you all the best on your hunt for the perfect treatment couch for you!
*kekko technique is taught in Jikiden Reiki for practitioners to use at the end of a treatment.
Written by Debbie-Ann Champion
Please note: the author does not receive any remunerations for the websites or products in this article, they are purely personal recommendations from experience. The author takes no responsibility for any products bought through these sites. Please purchase your couch at your own discretion and your own risk.
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