Massage Table Review: New Wave II Lite (Pisces Productions)

I am going to start by saying that as of this writing I am NOT an affiliate for Pisces Production’s products. I really don’t care, though. I love this table and I want to write about it.

When I first graduated from massage school, I researched tables to purchase for a long time, but inevitably I found myself on Craigslist looking for a discount table that another therapist no longer wanted.

On Craigslist I found the New Wave II Lite Massage Table and I had never heard about this brand before. I was expecting to ultimately purchase an Earthlite table because these are the most famous and most common (or at least they were in 2004) but the New Wave II Lite was such a good deal on Craigslist that I had to get it.

I have to say that I really lucked out with this massage table.  There are aspects to this table that I never would have expected to be important (mainly the weight of the massage table which can make mobile massage outrageously onerous if your table is heavy).

I am writing this for massage therapists that are looking for a table and want to get the best. They are more expensive than your average Earthlite, and certainly more than the low priced ones on Amazon and at Costco, but I am going to explain why this table is worth the money.

Let’s Start with the Downside

The only downside to this table is that the price starts above $550 for the base model.  

After you add in all the upgrades you will probably want (basic stuff like a face cradle that fits this table and possibly a carrying case) the price is about $700.

Yep, that price sucks when you compare it to an Earthlite massage therapy table, which is in the $400 range, or a Master massage therapy table for about $200.

But let’s look at this another way… You just put yourself through massage school and you are intending to stay in the industry for a very long time ideally. 

You may think you have a very clear idea of what your career will look like, but it may change and you may be offered massage work in a different way than you visualized.

Most beginning massage therapists think they will be working in a spa and so will not need a table or think they can get by with an inexpensive heavy massage table.

I am going to say that I thought that way when I first started, but I quickly realized that work as a massage therapist comes from EVERYWHERE, including outcall massage which can be the most lucrative if you are willing to carry your equipment to the client’s location.

I have a lot of requests for outcall massage and this made investing a bit more in a table (the New Wave II Lite that I found on Craigslist was not $700 but still more than an Earthlite would have cost) definitely worth it.

Lightweight Massage Table

The best thing by far about this table is that it is 22.5 pounds.

I have worked on clients in 2nd story walkups, in chiropractor offices where i had to bring my own table, at Renaissance Faires (that was interesting), at music festivals and other unexpected places. 

This table made it easy for me to be versatile and flexible with my set up location, and therefore able to earn way more money than the initial cost of a few extra hundred dollars for the table.

If you are going to three places in a day and have to carry in your massage table each time, you will be thankful for a 22.5-pound table (compared to most 28 pound tables).  The small difference in weight makes a huge difference for your own body.

I also worked out of a shared office for a while and only had to set up the table in the office each time (no carrying in), and the low weight of the New Wave II Lite even makes a difference in setting up and taking down the table.

Even without having to carry it anywhere can be hard to set up a massage table if the table is really heavy.

On the East Coast, I would work on family and friends at home on a Costco table I purchased that was 49 pounds.  All I had to do was set it up in the room I stored it in, but it was really exhausting to do that with a 49-pound table, and I was tired from that even before started the massage work!

So if you get nothing else from this review, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE know that massage table weight should be a HUGE consideration in your table purchase, and the New Wave II Lite is about as light as you can get in terms of a massage table.

Before leaving this topic, I must also remind you that in addition to the weight of the table, you also have the weight of the carrying case, the face cradle, bolsters, massage oil or cream, sheets, paperwork (like intake forms) and other stuff that you keep with you for your massage services. 

All of this adds to the weight you will be carrying with you, so even if you have a 28-pound table, you are most likely carrying about 35-40lbs.

And you will likely have to be pulling it in and out of your car.  Or even worse, through subways and buses with steps and possibly escalators.  Lighter is always better in these situations.

If you can save yourself from carrying some of that weight by purchasing a lighter table, it is definitely worth it.

Excellent Bed Construction

Most tables have plywood supporting the cushioned table where your client lays down for the massage. 

New Wave II Lite tables have a mesh support system, which is why the table is so light, but it is also, IMHO, very comfortable for the client.  

The woven web top offers a bit more give for your clients than massage tables that are supported by plywood.  

It may seem like a small difference, but think of the last few massages you have had… Did one massage setup have a heated topper and the other setup lack that? And did the experience with the heated topper feel more comfortable and luxurious and comforting from the moment you lied down on the table.

I’m not here to talk about heated massage table-toppers right now, but I will tell you that it is that kinesthetic experience from the moment the client is on the table that sometimes makes the difference of whether or not they will return again.

Holds Heavier Clients

For all the extra carrying weight of other tables, what is most interesting about the New Wave II Lite is that it also holds up to 500 pounds of weight. 

So there is no problem working on heavier clients.  And there is no problem working on normal weight clients while you use techniques that involve using your own body weight on the table.

I do a sacroiliac joint alignment technique that involves me pressing on the knee of my client who is in a supine position while I kneel on the table holding the knee above his or her body.

It is a comfort to know that even if my client is 300 pounds, I can safely do that without the risk of my table collapsing.

Industrial strength Tubular Frame

(These Bullet Points were taken from the Pisces Productions Website)

• All corners rounded for comfort and beauty
• Welded hinges and diagonal brace brackets
• Nylon washers and bushings at all joints provide friction-free and absolute quiet operation

  Most tables come with a wooden frame, but, again, in an effort to make this table as lightweight as possible, Pisces Productions created the New Wave II Lite with a strong but lightweight metal frame.  

Another key point, this table won’t squeak. Some lower-end wooden tables make creaking noises as you massage your client and that is really, really annoying. 

That won’t happen with this table.

I would also like to add that I had no problem storing the face cradle, a set of sheets and a half bolster in the inside of the folded table. I cannot say that is true with the low-end table I bought from Costco that I used on the East Coast.

Finally, after 7 years of heavy, heavy use, getting dragged up and downstairs, going in and out of the trunk of my Saturn Sedan, this table was still in perfect condition after a lot of bumps and potentially damaging bruises.  

I never had to repair anything on this table and it was purchased used, so who knows the last person who owned it treated it.

Luxurious Upgrades

This final section is about the upgrades you can get with this table.  My Craigslist massage table did not have many of the upgrades I am about to mention and I don’t feel like it was missing anything, but I will get into which upgrades I would choose and which I would not if I were going to purchase a new table today.

When you buy a new massage table directly from the massage table manufacturer, many of them will offer upgrades to the base massage table model. Some of those upgrades are worth it and some are not.  

Here are some offerings from Pisces Productions:

Size: 29 inch or 31 inch length

I would stick to the 29 inch length if you know you will be carrying the table around a lot or if you think that is a possibility in your future. 

Also, think about getting this table into your car.  

I DID NOT think about this at all, but I lucked out because the New Wave II Lite fits perfectly into my Saturn sedan trunk! 

Another half-inch and it would not have worked, but it slid right in and laid flat, corner to corner in my trunk.

So if I had had the 31 inch length that would have not worked for me.

The only reason you may want to go with the longer table is because you know you will be working on clients that are taller and larger.  

If you are a massage therapist for the NBA then you probably want as long a table as you can get!

Vinyl or Leather

My New Wave II Lite has vinyl and that works for me.

As I said, this table gets a lot of wear and tear and I think the vinyl is more durable and if it had ever gotten damaged, it would have been easier to repair the vinyl.

It is also less expensive than the leather, and there are certain cleansers you cannot use on leather, so I didn’t want to have to think about that.

Finally, you will always have sheets on the table when you are working on a client, so they won’t even be able to enjoy the soft leather under the massage sheet, so why bother investing in that.

Better to spend your money on a table topper (as mentioned earlier) or something like that.

Luxury Foam

You only get this option if you choose leather, so I would say no to this. Again, you can always add a massage table pad, and that will do nicely.

Face Rest

For this you have a choice of regular foam and memory foam.  

I only had the regular foam face cradle and that worked for me and I never got a complaint from my clients. 

It is possible that some clients would prefer the memory foam face cradle, especially if they have sinus issues.

Also, I must mention again that there are face cradle pads available to purchase as an accessory which might work better.

Carrying Case, Sheets, and Bolsters

The other options mentioned on the website that are available to purchase with the table I personally would not purchase on the website because I get that kind of stuff from other sources, but it might be easier to purchase them with your table.

The custom carrying case might be better than getting something random on Amazon, for example, but massage sheets never need to be custom, and in a future post I will talk about my massage sheet supply and what I feel is best while also being the most affordable.  

If you don’t have a bolster or two, you may want to buy it with the New Wave II Lite table.

Armrests and Table Extenders

I didn’t have any of these things for my table, and while there were times I wish I had armrests for clients with wider torsos, neither I or the client minded when I would position their arms to prevent them from rolling off.

Again, if you expect to be working on larger clients, you may want to invest in armrests and extenders.

New Wave II Lite vs. New Wave II Hardwood

The Hardwood version of the New Wave II is worth mentioning only so that you don’t get it mixed up with the Lite version.

But the hardwood version is more expensive and heavier and for that reason, I would always choose the Lite version over the Hardwood.

Final Bits and Pieces

These tables are manufactured in the United States and have a 3-year warranty. For more information about that here is the link to their warranty page: https://www.piscespro.com/warranty-return-policy/