Massage Chair Review: Panasonic EP30004 shiatsu massage chair

Written by Steve Esquire

Friday, 19 September 2008

by SteveEsquire

Panasonic has its newest line of massage chairs. The Real Pro Ultra series incorporates some of Panasonic's newest technologies in massage therapy. The subject of this review is the EP-30004 shiatsu massage recliner. This model is a high end luxury massage chair model. We will take a look at some of the new features and warranty coverage for this shiatsu massage recliner.

Panasonic is a household name in electronics, so you do not have to be concerned about having your warranty honored down the road. We like to caution potential massage recliner buyers to also go with a reputable brand. There are many small importers that offer cheap massage loungers with great warranties that are never honored down the road. With that said, Panasonic will be there down the road.

So what does Panasonic give you for warranty coverage? With the EP-30004 you get 3 years on parts and 1 year on labor. You do get in home technician service for that first year as well. This is perhaps the most generous part of the warranty. The 1 year labor is just too short. Most manufacturers give you 3 years on the parts. Maybe you can get an extended warranty, but you need to find out.

So enough warranty, let us move on to bigger and better things like features. The EP30004 comes with many advanced features like the lower body stretch and the shoulder stretch. Panasonic has added the Junetsu massage therapy technique. This is a kneading type massage and makes small motions in a circle. It can penetrate in a given area with a radius of about 1 inch. There is also firm pressure to penetrate deeper into the muscle tissue.

The EP-30004 comes with an arsenal of massage therapies for your enjoyment. There are four pre-programs which are shiatsu, deep, Swedish and stretch. There is also a 5 minute Quick pre-program for which covers a variety of massage techniques and functions. You can use the some massages in manual massage mode for a total 8 possible manual massages. These include ultra knead (Junetsu), shiatsu, kneading, Swedish, stretch, tapping, rolling and grip. There are also 5 ways to target certain regions of your back including: neck, shoulder, middle, lower and full back.

You can also create self-programs to target specific regions with particular massage techniques. These are fairly simple to create. For example, you can select the lower back and a deep tissue massage. You then select the time duration and the massage intensity that you desire. You can also save these programs. It will save programs for up to 4 different users. There is also a voice guidance system for those less inclined to read through the user manual to figure these things out.

Now if we take a look at the lower body, we will see that Panasonic takes care of it with an air massage system. Air massage systems use airbags and compression style massage therapy. This is very effective to loosen tight muscles. Air bags provide great flexibility and can easily cover large muscles of the body effectively. The compression massage is very soothing and relieving as your muscles relax. There are also stretching capabilities which can elongate the shoulder and legs.

The chair design is fairly industrial looking, which is probably the most disappointing aspect of the massage recliner. The leg rest is extendable out another 5 inches, which is an important feature. The air massage for the hands and arm is concealed underneath the arm rest covers. These arm rest covers open to the side and the hands or arm can be placed inside. This is nice to conceal this apparatus within the armrest and not make it visible.

Overall rating for us is an A-. We like the Junetsu massage and the air massage for the hands. The arm is weak because of the angle that the arm rest tilts up. The warranty needs a little more beef. The massage therapy is strong and effective. There are advanced features such as voice guidance and memorizing self programs. If you are checking out massage chair recliners in this price range, then use the EP 30004 as the benchmark to beat.

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Check out the whole Panasonic Massage Chair Series. We have the Best Massage Chairs from the top brands like Omega, Sanyo, Takasima and more. We review our chairs, so inform yourself and enjoy

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