Hydraulic or electric treatment table: choosing controls for a massage practice
- 13 min reading time
A hydraulic treatment table makes sense in a permanent massage room if you want foot-operated height adjustment without having to locate a power socket beside the table. An electric treatment table becomes attractive when you prefer a wired hand controller and can plan a suitable power connection and cable route. The right choice is not determined by the word “electric” or “hydraulic” alone. It depends on where you stand while treating a client, when you change the height, and whether the relevant control remains accessible.
Two current products at Prohaar illustrate the decision. The Balance Solidum 3 hydraulic table, SKU 155368, offers 47–93 cm height adjustment, three tabletop sections, manual head- and foot-section settings, and foot controls described as accessible from both sides of the base. The Balance Eso 2 electric table, SKU 155370, has one motor for 50–93 cm height adjustment, a wired remote, and a manually adjustable headrest. One motor does not mean that every section is powered. These exact product details were checked on 14 October 2026.
1. Two lifting systems, two ways of reaching the controls
The Solidum 3 uses a hydraulic mechanism to set the height of the whole treatment surface. The current product description identifies operating levers on both sides of its base. As a result, the height adjustment does not require a connection to mains electricity. That freedom is valuable only if you also leave the correct floor area clear for your foot. A trolley, stool base or low cabinet beside the couch can undermine what looks like convenient two-sided access on paper.
The Eso 2 raises or lowers the tabletop by electric motor using a wired controller. Its listed features include a lock function and a holder underneath the table. In the room design, this creates three related decisions: where to connect the table, how to guide its power cord and where to position the remote-control cable. No independently checked cable length is available for this comparison. It would therefore be misleading to promise that the controller reaches any chosen side of the room.
| Question | Balance Solidum 3, SKU 155368 | Balance Eso 2, SKU 155370 |
|---|---|---|
| Height setting | Hydraulic, 47–93 cm | Electric, 50–93 cm |
| Control | Foot levers accessible at both sides of base | Wired hand controller; holder beneath tabletop |
| Mains supply for lift | Not required | Required |
| Other adjustments | Three sections; head and foot areas adjusted manually | Headrest adjusted manually; one height motor |
| Documented accessories | Four retractable wheels; face opening | Two interchangeable head cushions; controller lock |
| Planning question | Clear foot-access zone | Suitable socket, cable route and remote reach |
2. Start with your normal position beside the client
Consider where you actually work during a session. A back treatment may take you from one long side to the other. Work near the head may keep you at one end; other routines involve a stool or a mobile trolley. In that setting, the distance to the height control matters more than the mere presence of an adjustable lift. Mark the places you stand and the points where you would need to raise or lower the table.
For Solidum 3, the product description specifically mentions levers reachable from either side. Test whether your foot has space to move when the table is near a wall or another item of furniture. Dual-sided access does not guarantee the same ease of operation in every room layout. A cabinet that sits close to the base may prevent you from approaching the control without stepping awkwardly around the table. The exact operating movement must come from the model's user instructions, not an invented technique.
For Eso 2, ask a different question: can you reach the wired controller from the place where you normally make height changes? The holder under the tabletop helps establish a storage position, but storage and active operation are not the same thing. If you work on both sides, determine how the cable would be managed and where the controller will rest when your hands are busy. A locking function must be used as the manufacturer describes; it is not evidence that careless cable positioning is acceptable.
3. Electric adjustment requires a power and cable plan
An electrically operated table is not simply a furniture rectangle on a floor plan. For the Eso 2, locate an appropriate power point before deciding the final position. Consider how the mains cord reaches it without crossing walking routes, becoming trapped beneath furniture or being pulled as the tabletop moves. The connection should remain accessible to the extent required by the manufacturer's instructions. A cable stretched diagonally across the treatment room is not an acceptable substitute for a planned installation.
The wired controller has its own route. Decide whether the remote belongs in the supplied holder between uses and how it reaches your working position when needed. Because the table changes height from 50 to 93 cm, the cord arrangement has to be assessed throughout the permitted movement, not just in a single catalogue photograph. Check the original instructions for routing, fastening, operating clearances and the controller's lock before clients use the table.
For both tables, check the delivery route, level floor, maintenance access and specific installation conditions. For electrical connection, follow only the exact unit’s instructions. No cable length, plug type, fuse rating or extension-lead approval has been verified here. If the electrical installation needs alteration, have its suitability assessed by a qualified professional.
4. What do the 47–93 cm and 50–93 cm figures tell you?
The confirmed lowest position is 47 cm for Solidum 3 and 50 cm for Eso 2. Both list a 93 cm upper position. This gives the hydraulic example a three-centimetre lower minimum, but it does not automatically make that table safer for entry or more ergonomic for a particular client or therapist. The figures are product specifications, not independent clinical or human-factors assessments.
The stated range describes the table position, not automatically the effective height of every body area. A mattress, cushion, towel and the client’s build affect the level where you actually work. Tabletop width also affects reaching distance. The ranges 47–93 and 50–93 cm are therefore a starting point, not a complete ergonomic assessment. Request full external dimensions and the exact height-measurement reference if these determine suitability for your room.
5. How often do you change height in a real working day?
Two practices treating the same number of clients may use height adjustment very differently. One practitioner sets the table once before each appointment; another changes it while moving from one body area to another. It is therefore better to map the actual adjustment moments than to use an arbitrary client-count threshold. Include preparation, settling the client, changes in treatment focus and finishing the appointment. Mark which changes are essential and which are merely preferences.
Make a short log of three different services your practice actually offers. For each, record when a height change is necessary, helpful or undesirable and which side you work from at that moment. If almost all changes occur at the beginning or end and a socket is difficult to provide, Solidum 3 has a different value from Eso 2 when adjustments during treatment are frequent and a fixed electrical position is available.
6. Height adjustment and sectional positioning are separate functions
The Solidum 3 has a three-section top, with head and foot sections described as manually adjustable. The hydraulic mechanism changes the overall table height. It would be incorrect to suggest that pressing a foot lever raises every section independently. Moving the foot section or head section is a different operation and may require a different position beside the table. Follow the exact instructions for each adjustment rather than applying a general rule from another couch.
The Eso 2 is documented with one motor for height and a manually adjusted headrest. Its product card additionally describes two interchangeable head cushions, one with a face opening and another with a closed surface. Those cushions provide head-area configurations; they do not provide additional electric actuators. The Eso 2 must not be credited with the movable leg section or powered segment features of Eso Pro, Eso 4 or Eso 5.
Do not infer from a product description that head or foot segments can be adjusted under any level of client load. Movement procedures, locks, permissible positions and loading restrictions require the instructions for the exact model. A face aperture or interchangeable cushion also does not determine the medically suitable position of an individual client.
7. Designing the permanent treatment room around the controls
Draw the table and the free zones along the long edges, head and foot ends. Add your stool, working trolley, storage and any other equipment that occupies the floor. Now add a second layer showing control access. For Solidum 3 this means clear approach to the foot levers from the sides. For Eso 2 it means an appropriate powered location, a protected mains route and a safe position for the wired controller.
8. Safe-use questions and the limits of available evidence
Prohaar's current product cards and the exact-model supplier pages confirm the quoted mechanisms, height ranges and main fittings. They are not a complete operator's manual. Before initial use, obtain the instructions for setting up, using locks, changing sections, moving the couch and performing the recommended checks. The permitted conditions for changing position with a client on the table must come from those instructions rather than this purchasing guide.
The Solidum 3 requires attention to its hydraulic levers, manual head and foot sections and retractable wheels. For Eso 2, the control unit, lock, mains lead, motor and manually adjusted headrest are distinct items. Damage, instability, unfamiliar movement or unclear instructions should be resolved before the equipment is used. There is no justification for providing an improvised unlocking, repair or maintenance procedure here.
A supplier's figure for the table's own weight must not be read as its maximum safe working load. Load limits are model-specific and need direct verification for SKU 155368 or SKU 155370. Similarly, wheels do not themselves establish that occupied transport is allowed. We do not transfer figures from Eso 1, Eso Pro or Solidum 5, and we do not extrapolate from photographs that lack independently checked scale drawings.
9. Practical purchase scenarios
Your preferred position lacks a suitable socket. First examine the hydraulic Solidum 3: the height mechanism does not require mains power. Confirm that the foot levers can be approached and the table meets the other model-specific requirements. If powered height adjustment is essential, resolve the electrical installation rather than relying on an unverified cable arrangement.
You make repeated adjustments from one predictable side. Explore whether the Eso 2 remote is within comfortable reach from that location and has a protected route for its lead. Assess the whole height range and the position of the holder, not merely the appearance of the control in a product photograph.
You need to position the client's legs independently. Review the manually adjusted foot section on the three-part Solidum 3. Do not ascribe an identical movable foot section to Eso 2 because it has a headrest and an electric motor. This is a sectional requirement distinct from the drive used for height.
Your main concern is a low initial setting. The documented minimum is 47 cm on Solidum 3 and 50 cm on Eso 2. Consider the individual user's access needs and the operating instructions. The three-centimetre difference cannot be converted into a general claim about fall prevention, disability access or clinical suitability.
Before ordering, answer five questions: Where do I stand? How often do I adjust? Where will power and leads run? Which sections must move? Which dimensions, load data and operating instructions still need checking? Use the Prohaar massage-table collection to place the two products in context. For broader furnishing choices, see massage and spa furniture. For a different hydraulic model and a room-layout focus, the older Solidum 5 guide is useful background, not a substitute for Solidum 3 documentation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Solidum 3 need electricity to adjust its height?
No. Its height adjustment is hydraulic and foot-operated according to the current product information. It still needs correct placement, adequate foot access and operation in accordance with the supplied instructions.
Can I use the Solidum 3 foot controls from either long side?
The supplier describes operating levers on both sides of the base. Their actual reach in your room depends on clearances and surrounding furniture. Check the proposed position before purchasing.
Does the Eso 2 motor also move the headrest?
No. Its single documented motor adjusts table height between 50 and 93 cm; the headrest is set manually. Other powered Balance variants may have different functions.
Where should the Eso 2 wired remote be kept?
The product card lists a holder beneath the tabletop. Plan where it will be stored and operated without creating a trip or pinch hazard. Follow the exact manufacturer's routing and lock instructions.
Is a 47 cm minimum automatically safer than 50 cm?
No. These are numerical product specifications. Whether a particular person can access the couch safely depends on more than three centimetres and cannot be guaranteed here.
May these tables be moved with someone lying on them?
The presence of transport wheels does not establish permission. Read the exact product instructions covering movement and support before attempting to relocate either unit.
What if several practitioners share the same room?
Have each practitioner assess their normal positions and adjustment frequency. Compare the Solidum 3's two-sided foot levers with the planned reach of Eso 2's wired controller, and verify all missing use and loading information for the exact SKU before ordering.
Choose Solidum 3 hydraulically adjustable if foot access on both sides and freedom from a height-lift power cable suit your room. Choose to examine Eso 2 electrically adjustable if a properly planned power supply and wired controller better fit the routine. Confirm full dimensions, permissible loading and exact installation and operating instructions before ordering.
Prohaar editorial team — current product information and sources checked on 14 October 2026. Manufacturer sources: Balance Solidum 3 · 155368; Balance Eso 2 · 155370.