COBRA MENTALISM CHAIR REVIEW – By Brett Barry

Brett Barry:
   "Mentalism is a lot like my other hobby of cooking: even after many years following the same recipe, the addition of one extra spice or ingredient can (if you are lucky) vastly amplify the flavors, evolving into a dish/routine that is even more tasty. Sometimes these potent extras take years to reveal themselves to the chef after hundreds of performances; when one discovers (in many cases by accident) that a teeny change or twist can transform a treasured mentalism recipe into something fresh & new.
For almost a decade I have been performing my own take on the classic “Invisible/PK Touches” ideas geniusly pioneered so many years ago by Lior Manor and Banachek, using a variety of techniques which (like any timeless technique) has evolved over the years into something that I thought was close to perfection.
Man was I wrong.
The newly updated “Cobra Magic Mentalism Chair” is one of the most potent and cool tools to spice up your old PK Touch routine into a feast for the senses. After using the Cobra Chair, my PK Touch routine will never be the same again. This new chair is a genuine game-changer for the working pro.
I received an early version of the sleek new Cobra chair some weeks ago, and I was somewhat familiar with the original folding wood chair version that was developed in Israel. I had seen the original chair at Mindvention 3 years ago, and since then had been wanting one badly.
This all new 2nd generation mentalism chair has been redesigned from the ground up, with super light materials (all aluminum frame) and completely hidden secret components which can add hands-free “taps” and touches to your PK routine. The new chair has a sleek light-weight design, folds compactly, and comes in a convenient padded black carrycase. One minor gripe is that the case itself says “Cobra Magic Technologies” emblazoned in big white letters on the side – which is probably not something I want to advertise at my shows when I walk in the doors. But that minor quibble aside (I used a bold Sharpie marker to hide the writing), the wonderful new Cobra Magic Chair offers many James Bond cool capabilities that would even make Q proud.
The first difference you will notice with this new mentalism chair is the sleek modern design, light weight, and even if you know what you are looking for – you will see absolutely NOTHING. There is no wood to be found here. The electronics are 100% hidden, and the main sweet spot area which makes all the magic happen – is beautifully hidden with durable opaque stretchy black cloth which is part of the overall seatback covering. In other words – everything is invisible, and as a performer you will have ZERO worries about anyone ever seeing anything other than a basic metal chair.
For those who are familiar with the Cobra mentalism chair from the past, this chair adds the useful capability of adding hands-free touches and taps to one of the seated spectators, which can be accomplished by the performer or an off stage helper. Like any good routine, the PK touch routine is an escalating series of unexplainable phenomena experienced by two people that builds and builds. The
new Cobra chair offers 4 different settings including touch on both sides of the chair, a vibration setting at the seat, and an electric shock setting with 2 strengths (which is frankly something that I will not use).
The chair is easily activated with a small push button keychain remote (2 provided). The remote has 4 small buttons, one for each mode. The chair is powered on with a well-hidden small thin black slider at the chair back, and the chair provides visual confirmation when turned on. The built-in lithium ion batteries are charged with a USB port, and battery life in initial testing seemed to be very robust.
I couldn’t wait to put my shiny new Cobra Mentalism chair through its paces at a recent corporate holiday show, and I can confidently say that this chair supercharged my usual PK routine. I was able to add multiple hands-off & baffling touch moments with two blindfolded spectators. I do feel that using blindfolds is wise when using this chair, better hiding the workings. I also mixed up my methods, using the more traditional PK methods combined with the chair’s capabilities. I could tap one person on the right, and the other person would feel the touch on her right side (back). I could tap on the left, and the other person would immediately describe a finger touch on her left.
The price of the Cobra mentalism chair is certainly not inexpensive – but it is also a very well designed 2nd generation piece of high-tech gear that looks as ordinary and low-tech as the fold out chairs in your garage (in fact I found a nearly matching 2nd chair in my own garage). The overall build quality was very impressive, and the unit feels solid and bullet proof.
I can also immediately see that Cobra has made many design improvements from their original wood folding chair, and this state of the art unit raises the bar to the sky. If you are looking to take your PK to the next level, I cannot recommend any product more highly than the Cobra Mentalism Chair. There is (literally) nothing else like this on the market, and your investment will pay for itself quickly, as this is a reputation maker of the highest order"