If you are looking for a massage chair, then it is important to find unbiased information regarding potential shiatsu massage chair options. Reviews and evaluations can point out the relevant aspects of each product. To assist apotential purchaser researching massage chairs, we evaluate 5 key categories which include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. Each category is worth up to 20 points. All points are added up to give a total score based on the 5 categories. A disciplined, systematic approach takes out bias and presents facts. We review the Luxury range of $4,000 to $5,000 and feature the Panasonic Real Pro Elite EP-3222 massage chair.

Warranty & Customer Service: First is how the manufacturer rates in both warranty coverage and customer service. The manufacturer needs to stand behind its product. Panasonic gives a 1 year labor, 1 year parts and 1 year in-home service as well as 1 year shipping. Panasonic puts a machine life cap of 1,000 hours of use. Panasonic gives a short warranty combined with the 1,000 hour cap (for heavy users), the warranty rates as ok. The electronics company's such as Panasonic (or Sanyo) like to sell extended warranties. Panasonic offers in-home technician service and will pay for shipping for the first year. Customer service is through your retailer. Service times vary on the service center location. Overall Rating for Panasonic warranty and customer service is 15.

Comfort & Ergonomics: The comfort and fit of a shiatsu massage chair is important. Otherwise, the chair will only be used for massage. The chair back and armrests of the Panasonic Real Pro Elite are comfortable and the upholstery is well padded. The head pillow is soft and the thickness is appropriate. The footrest is comfortable, but cannot be adjusted. If you are 5' 10" or more, then your knees must be bent when the footrest is raised. This is the least ergonomic part of the chair. The average person in the US is taller than in Asia, so the footrest can be an issue. Our rating in this category is 17.

Ease of Use: Massage Chair manufacturers are adding more technology and features into their chairs every year. Users need to be able to quickly, easily and intuitively understand how to use the product. The Panasonic Real Pro Elite has many advanced features as well as manual options. The main remote control has the auto programs in an easy to use location. The manual controls are located inside the side panel of the remote control. Overall, this remote is fairly intuitive. The Panasonic Real Pro Elite comes with Voice Guidance which can be helpful, but usually only in the beginning or for new users. Another good feature is Focus, which enables the user to repeat the massage that just occurred. It is a repeat function, which is great if you have an area that you want to concentrate on. The Panasonic Real Pro Elite is a 17 in Ease of Use.

Key Features: The most prominent features of the Panasonic EP-3222 are the Lower Body Air System and the Swede-Atsu massage system. The lower body air system has 33 airbags covering your hips, thighs, buttocks, calves and feet. There are 3 lower body massages including Grasp, Auto and Squeeze. The Swede-Atsu replicates the stoking of the palms of the hand, pressing by the heal of the hand, and kneading with the thumbs. The Swede-Atsu has rubber massage heads built into the rollers. These mechanisms can replicate the feeling of the palm, thumbs and heal of the hand. The Swede-Atsu is a good massage system. The Panasonic Real Pro Elite shiatsu massage chair is a 19 in Key Features.

Massage Therapy: The massage functions are included in the Real Pro Elite EP-3222 includes Four 14-minute Pre-Programs, One 5-minute Quick Program and One 14-minute Self Program has 4 full body automatic courses, 5 massage speed settings for a total combination of 14 massage courses. The automatic massage functions include the following: Shiatsu, Gentle, Deep and Refresh. Panasonic equips the EP-3222 its exclusive Swede-Atsu massage system providing a thorough and realistic array of massage therapy choices. The lower body has 33 airbags of coverage and three programs to choose from. This shiatsu massage chair provides good tension relief for the lower body and increased lateral coverage on the back. Overall Rating for the Panasonic EP-3222 massage recliner for massage therapy is 19.

How does the Panasonic Real Pro Elite EP-3222 stack up? Overall, our rating of the Panasonic is an 87/100. Panasonic continues to expand the range of capabilities of its massage chairs with greater back coverage, voice guidance and its Swede-Atsu massage system. The massage chair design is very modern, perhaps, too much so, but that is a matter of taste. Panasonic massage chair technology for both the mechanical and pneumatic provide for a thorough, firm overall massage. Panasonic needs to add an extendable footrest to accommodate taller people. Otherwise, the Real Pro Elite is a solid all-around therapeutic massage chair.

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This review covers the entry level massage chair made by Sanyo, which is model HEC-SR1000K. The SR 1000K massage chair recliner has some of the same features as some of Sanyo's higher end models. Our product review makes an evaluation in 5 separate categories and up to 20 points are awarded in each category. The total points are added up to give an overall rating for the massage chair. Here is our review of the Sanyo SR1000K massage chair recliner.

Warranty Coverage & Customer Service: We know you want to jump right into the features and functions, so we will put this first. The warranty coverage for the SR 1000 is very good for an entry level chair. The reason is Sanyo gives the same warranty for all their chairs. That is positively great for the SR1000. You get the following warranty: 3 years on the roller mechanism, 1 year parts and labor and 1 year of in the field technician service. Customer service is improved with a national call center. We rate this chair a 19 in this category.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Quite simply, a massage chair needs to be comfortable to sit in. We have seen some chairs that could not be used other than when the massage is running. Sanyo has figured this out and the SR1000 is a comfortable chair. The controller is well laid out and easy to figure out. The main power is to the side which takes a short training period to remember. The foot massager takes getting use to flipping out which is somewhat cumbersome. We give this chair a 17 for comfort and ergonomics.

Ease of Use: With so many features being added to today's massage chairs, we find some remote controls overly complex. This can be very frustrating to new users. The chair should be simple to use and intuitive to understand. The Sanyo SR-1000 comes with an advanced remote that has many features. It does take some time to get accustomed to it as a series of buttons may be required to get it to do what you want. We do like the light level indicators which helps you see the intensities. We give the ease of use a 16.

Key Features: This massage chair comes with the Sanyo stiffness detector. The stiffness detector uses technology borrowed from lie detectors. The stiffness detector in the SR 1000 can sense tightness in the muscles of the body and other points of stress. The user holds the side of the remote and the chair can detect these areas of stiffness. The chair will then target these areas for relief. The other interesting feature is the shape sensor. The shape sensor takes a measurement of the position of the shoulders. The chair then identifies where the shoulders are at and adjusts the massage accordingly. The rollers width will then become less when it gets to your shoulders and for your neck area. These are some advanced electronic features that are unique to Sanyo. We give a rating of 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: The Sanyo SR 1000 massage chair has the capability to massage your back, neck, shoulders, calves and feet. We consider a full body massage chair one that also has a seat massage which the SR1000 lacks. The SR 1000 comes with 2 automatic programs. One is for a more soothing massage and the other targets you after more vigorous activity. There are 3 manual massage techniques and there are 3 manual courses. The manual courses enable you to target a particular area with a massage treatment. You also get your calves and feet via the leg rest. The SR 1000 rates a 17 for massage therapy.

The SR-1000 massage chair by Sanyo earns an 87 out of 100 points in our review. The warranty coverage is very good for an entry level model. The massage therapy is done pretty well and is effective. We would like to have seen more automatic programs to enhance the variety of massage treatments. The advanced electronic features are novel, but may have caused some tradeoff in the massages that were designed in to meet the price point. This is a good chair and if you are looking for something in this range, then it is worth considering.

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With health care costs on the rise, everyone is looking to save money. Health care is looking to automation to help offset expenses. Most industries transition from labor intensive to capital intensive. Now we are seeing the potential of massage therapy transitioning to capital intensive or the use of machines/equipment. With the rise of massage chairs, many massage techniques can be delivered effectively with these chairs. How is money actually saved in this situation?

Have you ever gotten a massage at a day spa? If so, then you know that a time needs to be set with the massage therapist. We also need to go to and come back from the day spa. The massage therapist works for a fee. We need to pay the masseuse by the hour and also give a tip. Let us assume we go to the spa once a week for a year, then the massage therapy bill will be thousands of dollars.

Maybe you see a chiropractor. A chiropractor may adjust you and then put you through various therapies to stimulate and relax your muscles. You may need to do stretching and other activities to help you heal. Health insurance may cover some of these costs or if you are lucky all of these costs. The effectiveness of chiropractor visits is in the beginning. The chiropractor sets you on a course to recovery. In time, the effectiveness of the visits will start to diminish, but the cost is still the same or rising. Again, these bills can run you hundreds of dollars per month which turns into thousands of dollars per year.

Traditional massage therapy has been delivered by humans for centuries. Certainly this is a fantastic method to receive massage therapy. However, massage chairs now provide an alternative that delivers effective massage therapy. These therapeutic recliners range in price from $1,000 to $7,000.

People like to look at sticker prices and judge massage chairs as expensive. Of course anything that costs over a thousand dollars is expensive. On the other hand, they see seventy five dollars per hour for a masseuse and think that is cheap. But let us dig into the real economics of a masseuse versus a massage chair. If we pay $75 with a gratuity of ten dollars then each hours runs us $85.00. Now a good midrange massage chair runs $3,000. Let us suppose we get a weekly massage. How many weeks until we pay for the massage chair? It will take 35 weeks. The thirty five weeks means we received 35 hours of massage therapy.

If we look over the longer run, we find that paying for the massage by the hour will buy the massage chair after 48 sessions. OK, now let us look at this from the massage chair perspective. A $3,000 massage chair is designed to last 1,000 hours. How much do we need to pay per hour of massage therapy. Let us divide $3,000 by the 1,000 machine hours and we get $3.00. That is right, with a massage chair we are paying $3.00 for an hour of massage therapy. Compare that to the $85.00 we are paying our massage therapist!

The real economics of the massage recliner is that it is a vastly superior value to traditional massage therapy. Obviously, getting a massage from a masseuse has its advantages beyond just the economics. But massage chairs also have some major advantages of availability and accessibility. Not to mention the overwhelming economic advantage. There certainly is tremendous value over the long run with a massage chair.

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We are going to evaluate and review the HT-7120 massage recliner from Human Touch. Over the years, we have developed a 5 category review process to provide balance and consistency for our readers. We will review the HT 7120 in the following categories: warranty coverage and customer service, comfort and ergonomics, ease of use, key features and massage therapy. We score each category up to 20 points each and sum them up for an overall possible rating of 100 points. The Human Touch line is extensive and the HT 7120 is in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range.

Warranty Coverage and Customer Service: When purchasing a big ticket item such as a massage chair, you need to make sure you are comfortable with the warranty coverage. There is a wide range of warranty coverage with massage chairs. Human Touch provides you with 3 years for the structure, 1 year for parts and 90 days labor and parts shipping expenses. This is a rather light warranty compared to the industry. Customer service is very good and competent. We give Human Touch a 12 in this category.

Comfort and Ergonomics: With any massage chair design, ergonomics is an important aspect of design for comfort and relaxation. We like the ergonomics of the HT 7120. It has a very contemporary design, yet it fits the body well and is very comfortable to sit in. The controls are laid out well and positioned in good locations. The leg ottoman can be adjusted in the width of the wells, but you are unable to extend the leg ottoman. This recliner earns an 18 in this category.

Ease of Use: The massage chair industry is always adding features into chairs which is outstanding. The counterbalance to many features is ease of use. With so many new features, figuring out how to take advantage of them can be frustrating. The HT 7120 comes with a very well designed remote control. It is slim remote and has controls located on 2 sides of the remote. The remote is descriptive and fairly easy to use. There is no remote stand, so the remote tucks away in a pocket. The only cumbersome operation is flipping the leg ottoman, but other than that we give the HT 7120 a 19 in ease of use.

Key Features: The HT 7120 has some unique and innovative features. The calf massage width adjustment and the compression massage technique are the two key features we will point out. The leg ottoman comes with a width adjustment to better fit the feet or the calves. There are 6 different width settings to tailor to your specific needs. The compression massage emulates a sports type massage with deep tissue pressure. Two types of techniques are used which are alternating strokes and a rocking motion. The stroking spreads and applies pressure to deep muscle tissue. The rocking motion helps to loosen the spinal joints. This can help with overall posture and improve mobility. We give this massage recliner an 18 in key features.

Massage Therapy: You get a virtual arsenal of massage therapies with the HT-7120 recliner. Select from 3 pre-set programs, 5 manual massage techniques and 3 height adjustments for the back. The 3 pre-set programs include sore muscle relief, energy rejuvenate and auto-demo. The 5 manual massage techniques include rolling, kneading, compression, percussion and vibration. The height adjustment enables you to set where you want the massage on your back. Additionally, you can stretch your lower body, or add heat to your lumbar area as well as massage your feet and calves. This recliner gets a 19 in this category.

The overall rating we give the HT 7120 is an 86 points out of 100. We like the contemporary design of this classic massage chair recliner. The massage therapies are thorough and invigorating. We are concerned with the light warranty with this recliner. The HT 7120 comes with some advanced features and has an easy to use remote. If you are shopping for a mid range model, then the HT 7120 is a massage chair recliner worthy of your attention.

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This review evaluates the Panasonic EP-1273KL shiatsu massage chair. Panasonic offers a full range of massage chairs and is known for its electronics division. Panasonic is known for its quality and its solid state electronics. The Panasonic EP-1273KL is a midrange model in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range. This review will point out some of the advanced features of this shiatsu massage chair.

Massage chair companies are a diverse group. Panasonic obviously has a solid name and reputation. You can buy with confidence and be assured your warranty will be covered. Just a note of precaution if you are considering other brands: Just make sure any chair brand you buy sells to retail clients. If they do not, then be cautious about how they will back their warranty later. Saving a few hundred dollars now may translate into many more times that to fix a chair later.

How good is the warranty of the Panasonic EP-1273KL massage chair? Panasonic provides just an average warranty directly from the manufacturer. The standard Panasonic manufacturing warranty covers 1 year parts, 1 year labor, 1 year shipping and 1 year in-home service. Panasonic provides an average warranty protection for the customer. The warranty coverage can be extended by purchasing an extended warranty through the retailer. The larger electronics companies follow the extended warranty model which is no doubt a carry over from their electronics divisions. Coverage on the extended warranties vary by retailer, so check out what the coverage and cost for the Panasonic EP-1273KL.

Almost everyone's favorite subject about massage chairs is how they look. The Panasonic does OK in this regard, but it looks a bit sterile for the general public. At least that is the comment we get a lot. This massage chair seems targeted to health professionals with its neo-industrial design aesthetics. Not to take away from the chair, but just make sure you like the look of this chair. We actively encourage our suppliers to make chairs that fit in any room.

The Panasonics Swede-Atsu massage replicates the hands of a master masseuse. The sophisticated movements of fingers, thumbs and palm have been imitated in the Panasonic arsenal of massage chairs. Choose from 8 massage techniques which include Hawaiian, Shiatsu and Swedish to find the relief that is right for you. 3 manual courses let you choose specific target areas in your back. 15 minute timed auto programs include the following: Deep, Gentle, Shiatsu and Refresh

Air compression technology is advancing and Panasonic has included a calf air massage in the EP-1273. Target both the calf muscle and the feet. Gentle air pressure will squeeze, hold and release those areas. Get stretched out with the automatic leg rest with this massage chair recliner. Lower body muscles can be extended with the leg rest. The stretching function is built into the auto programs.

The EP-1273KL massage chair by Panasonic is a good value for its class. It provides a strong and thorough back massage and has a tension relieving lower body massage. One of the nice features of the Panasonic EP-1273KL is the dual-use ottoman with the built in stretch system. For this price range, there is not a massage chair that will have more than one position of stretch. Only drawback with the ottoman is there is no foot well. The user must bend their knees to position their feet to get a foot massage. Other than that the Panasonic EP-1273KL is a strong contender for shiatsu massage chairs in this mid-range class.

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This is a review of the mid range massage chair produced by Sanyo. This model is the SA 5000. There are so many massage chairs on the market and we hope this review will help to guide those looking for a quality massage chair recliner. We will cover some of the salient features and the warranty coverage of the SA 5000 by Sanyo.

Sanyo has made some changes to its warranty for the benefit of the consumer. Sanyo covers the roller mechanism for 3 years, provides 1 year on the other parts and 1 year labor. They have started in home technician service and will cover the first year. This is a great step forward, because before you needed to take your chair to a service center. This was not much fun for anyone who had to do it. Also, Sanyo has a national call center which is open 24/7. This has allowed them to centralize control over parts logistics and improve service levels.

This mid range Sanyo has a remote control as well as a wired sub remote. The main remote control has 4 automatic programs and a selection of manual programs. It has one button automatic programs which initiate the massage at the touch of a button. The manual massages come with manual massage courses. The manual massage courses enable the user to target particular areas to focus the massage. You can target the upper back and the massage will be confined to this area only. The control takes a little investment in time to get to know, but overall is fairly intuitive to use and learn.

One of the interesting features in the SA-5000 is the sensor contained in the wired sub remote. This sub remote has a pulse and perspiration sensor. It monitors your pulse and perspiration to determine areas that are need of further attention during the massage. For this to work, you must grip the sensor throughout the massage. The chair will actually adjust the massage based on feedback obtained from the sensor. Sanyo has also included some chair controls on the sub remote. You can adjust chair back and the foot rest with the sub remote. They also included a repeat button. This enables you to repeat a massage that just occurred. This is nice if you want further attention in a given area that the chair just covered.

This mid range massage chair has four massage treatments. You can choose from Stiffness, Recovery, Relax and Fine. Stiffness is a Shiatsu style massage for the back, neck, shoulders and legs. Recovery targets stiff and tight muscles. Relax is more tranquil and is focused on full body relaxation. Fine helps to increase circulation of blood and lymph. Each of these massages can be used in conjunction with the 3 stretching functions. These stretching functions work in conjunction with the full body massages.

The manual massage techniques include the following: Grip, Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping, and Combination. Grip makes use of the exclusive GK Rollers specially designed by Sanyo. The GK roller system can extend further outward than most roller systems. This makes gripping or grasping over the tops of the shoulders or around the neck possible. This is effective to provide relief in this area. Shiatsu is a combination of chopping and kneading actions. The kneading massage is a side to side pinching action which is very relieving. Tapping is a rapid succession of soft blows to loosen stiff muscle areas. Combination is using kneading and tapping simultaneous.

The Sanyo SA-5000 also has an effective lower body massage. The lower body massage is an air compression system which utilizes airbags to give a compression massage. The airbags are located to target the thighs, calves and feet. There are specially designed shiatsu pressure point nodes in some of the airbags to hit your trigger points. These trigger points are based on acupressure massage and help induce full body relaxation. The air bags provide an effective squeeze to loosen and invigorate tight muscles of the thighs, calves and feet. Sanyo has also included a heater element in the foot wells to warm the soles of your feet.

We like the SA 5000 massage recliner from Sanyo. It has some great integrated technology like the pulse and perspiration sensor and the GK roller system. These are innovations you would expect from a large electronics company. We are less impressed with the look of the chair as it is a bit industrial in design. The warranty is fair and the 1 year in home service is an added benefit. You should really look at an extended warranty if it is offered for additional protection. If you are looking for a mid range massage chair, then this one should be on your short list.

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There are many massage chairs on the market today and you have more choices on the types of features and functions. We will provide a product review of the Sanyo DR 6700K massage chair. This is a higher end massage chair from Sanyo. Our product review will cover the more important features of the massage recliner. We will also touch on the warranty included with the Sanyo DR 6700 massage recliner.

Warranty coverage is the dryer of the subjects that we are obligated to cover, but in the long run it can be very important. Massage chairs are complex machines with both electrical components and mechanical mechanisms. Quality levels continue a steady improvement, but there are occasional issues. Make sure you protect yourself with an adequate warranty.

The warranty coverage of the Sanyo DR 6700K is 3 years on the roller mechanism. The roller mechanism is contained in the chair back and is responsible for providing the massage therapy for your back, neck and shoulders. Parts and Labor are both covered for 1 year for the rest of the massage chair. Sanyo also gives you 1 year of in home technician service. That means a qualified technician will come to your house and repair the massage chair.

What kind of massage therapy do you get with the DR6700? The DR-6700 comes with four pre-programmed programs. Sanyo has developed themed massage programs which consist of Fine, Recovery, Stiffness and Relax. These programs are well designed and provide for effective massage therapy depending on the focus selected.

Additionally, the Sanyo chair is armed with manual massage techniques. These can be used to target specific symptoms or areas of the body for relief. One of massage techniques for instance is called Grip. The Grip massage treatment uses a gripping action that can soothe and relieve tired and sore muscles. This type of massage is particularly effective for the shoulder and neck areas.

When in manual mode, you can select many different options to suit your needs at that moment. You can adjust the intensity of the massage to be more or less penetrating. You can adjust the width of the rollers for certain manual massages. This lets you get more around the spine or you can get a wider coverage to get the shoulders.

Another set of functions integrated into the DR 6700 are manual massage courses. Manual massage courses will move the roller mechanism in a certain zone or region of the body. For instance, you can select neck and shoulders as the region and then select the kneading massage. The kneading will be done exclusively in this area for the duration of the massage.

The DR-6700 comes with some advanced electronics that are also integrated into the massage chair. There is a Stiffness Detector. This measure the degree or perspiration and pulse rate when your fingers are placed on the secondary remote sensor. The massage chair is then able to determine areas in the body that have unusual tension or stiffness. The on board computer then automatically targets these areas for relief.

The lower body also needs some attention and the DR6700 has just the answer. An air compressor has been installed underneath the seat which activates air bags in the chair. The air bags provide a soothing compression massage. The air bags are specifically designed for each major muscle group in the legs to provide effective relief.

If you are considering a high end massage chair, then you may want to check out the HEC-DR6700 from Sanyo. It has many advanced electronic features that can automatically identify trouble areas of tension and stiffness. There are many relieving massage programs built into the recliner. You also have many manual options to target exactly where you need the attention the most. The Sanyo DR-6700 is certainly a solid massage chair for your long term needs.

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We know how important it is to find good information regarding a given product. For this reason we have developed a systematic and comprehensive review process. This process helps take out the bias. Our system consists of a 5 category system to evaluate a massage chair. Each category has equal weight and the value of each category is between 0 to 20 points. All the scores of each category are added up to give an overall rating. Our categories include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. This systematic approach forces us to a disciplined method of evaluating a massage chair to help guide anyone looking at massage chairs. In this review we evaluate the Omega M-2 Orion Massage Chair which is in the entry level price range of $1,500 and under.

Warranty & Customer Service: This category is about the consumer being protected and taking less risk in the transaction. The product is covered by the warranty and customer service is how well the company supports its customers. Omega Massage, manufacturer of the M-2, covers it with the following: 1 year on the frame, 6 months on parts, and 6 months labor and 6 months shipping. This is strong warranty coverage at this price range. What about the customer service side? Our experience has been very positive with Omega. They diagnose quickly, and turn things around in minimal times. We rate the Omega M-2 Orion an 18 in Warranty & Customer.

Comfort & Ergonomics: This category is about how well the massage chair is designed with comfort and fit to your body. These elements are important keys to relaxing while in the chair. The Orion is fairly ergonomic in design. The side arm pads are fully padded and plush. They provide a back pad and a shoulder pillow which is detachable. The chair?s angle of recliner is from 115 degrees to 170 degrees. This is a great range for an entry level chair. The leg rest has a 4 inches extension range. This is good to accommodate taller people and to position the calf massager anywhere on your legs. We give the M-2 a 17 in this category.

Ease of Use: A product needs to be intuitive and easy to use for consumers. The remote control is simple. It has full controls for the back, seat and leg rest. The remote also controls the calf massage, seat vibration and seat massage. Select from 3 timed auto programs and 3 back courses. The M-2 has a manual leg rest and backrest adjustments. The manual levers are in places that are easy to access, but it takes a time or two to get used to. The good thing is the hydraulics on the manual leg rest and backrest raise them, so the user only has to lean them back. Our rating for this massage chair recliner is 19 in this category.

Key Features: What are the key features of the Orion M-2 massage chair? This chair comes with the very relaxing sway massage which is based on Hawaiian massage. Hawaiian massage is known for its flowing strokes and swaying motion. There is thorough back coverage with the back massage. The Sway massage penetrates deeper and deeper around the back. This massage chair recliner comes with an eight massage head system for the buttocks and thighs. These eight massage heads provide an invigorating massage. An extra seat cushion is provided to moderate the penetration of the seat massage. Coupled with vibration therapy in the seat, the M-2 has a very good seat massage. The Omega M-2 Orion earns an 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: Just how good is the massage therapy delivered by the massage chair? The M-2 comes with 3 automatic massages. These are timed massages of 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Select from 3 manual massages and select a region of your back with 3 back courses. The M2 has strong manual massages including Kneading, Swaying and Finger Press. The seat massage is very invigorating. It has eight rotary massage heads and a vibration system for the seat. The leg rest has a mechanical kneading system to soothe the legs. With the extendable leg rest, target your thighs, knees or calves. This is a very effective massage chair for its price category. This massage recliner earns an 18 for massage therapy.

The Omega M-2 Orion does very well in our evaluation. The total score for the M-2 Orion is a 90/100. We are impressed with the massage therapy for this price range. Omega has concentrated on getting the massage therapy effective and still hit the price point for an entry level massage chair. There is strong warrant protection for the consumer. The feature set of this chair makes for a versatile and invigorating massage lounger. This is the best value in its class. The M-2 Orion delivers an effective full body massage at a great price point.

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If you are looking for a massage chair, then finding relevant information regarding potential shiatsu chair candidates is important. Reviews and evaluations can point out the relevant aspects of each product. To assist potential purchaser researching massage chairs, we evaluate 5 key categories which include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. Each category is worth up to 20 points. All points are added up to give a total score based on the 5 categories. A disciplined, systematic approach takes out bias and presents facts. We review the Luxury range of $4,000 to $5,000 and feature the Omega Montage Elite massage chair.

Warranty & Customer Service: It is important that the manufacturer stand behind its product. A good gage of the company's confidence is its warranty coverage and duration. Omega gives covers 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts, 3 years labor, 1 year shipping and 90 days in-home service. Omega is well above other manufacturers in this category with its parts and labor. Omega is, however, lower for the in-home service which some have increased to 1 year in-home. Customer service is competent and turnaround time on service is good. Our Rating in this category is 18.

Comfort & Ergonomics: A massage chair needs to be comfortable and fit the body. A massage chair needs to be more useful than just for massage. The Omega Montage Elite is comfortable and the upholstery is well padded and plush. The detachable head pillow is soft and the thickness is appropriate. The Omega Montage Elite comes with a wireless remote control about the size of a credit card for convenience. The foot rest is extendable out 4 inches for much taller people. Incredibly, this massage chair recliner fits people as short as 4' 10" to 6' 6". Our rating in this category is 19.

East of Use: Massage Chair manufacturers are building in more technology and features into their chairs. Users need to be able to quickly, easily and intuitively understand how to use of a product. The Montage Elite has many advanced features and many manual options. The main remote control has 5 auto programs and a wheel button for adjusting the footrest and chair back. This remote is fairly intuitive. The wireless remote is a distilled version of the main remote and is simple in design and allows for virtually all the controls of the massage. The only significant exception is the air pressure on the lower body can only be adjusted from the main remote. Like most main remotes, a side panel contains many manual controls including manual massages and adjustments to the lower body air system. The wireless remote is compact, convenient and now a must have. The Montage Elite is a 19 in Ease of Use.

Key Features: The most prominent features of the Omega Montage Elite are the Footflex reflexology and the Lower Body Traction. The Footflex reflexology foot massage uses airbags to gently hold, squeeze and then release your foot. Additionally, there are airbags for the arch and the heel with reflexology points for total body relaxation. Omega has brought the lower body air massages up to par with the back massage technology. The air compression massage of the lower body is superb. With the Lower Body Traction, let the massage chair stretch out the lower body. The footrest holds onto the feet and raises to the horizontal position. The footrest starts to lower to 3 successive positions. Each position stretches out the lower back, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. You can hear the popping sound now with the Montage Elite massage chair. Our rating in this category is 19.

Massage Therapy: The Montage Elite has 5 full body automatic massages, 4 manual massages, 4 massage speed settings and in a total combination of 64 manual massage courses. The manual massage techniques include the following: Kneading, Tapping, Finger Press, and Kneading & Tapping (Shiatsu). The Kneading and Tapping functions have independent speed controls which allows you to adjust them in combination. The lower body massage is terrific, especially with the lower body traction. Something about being massaged and stretched to relieve those tensions. Relax to the music-massage synchronization function, which will massage you to the tempo of the music. The Montage Elite massage recliner has an arsenal of massage capabilities that will please the most discriminating, simply superb. Our rating in this category is 20.

How does the Omega Massage Montage Elite rate? Overall, our rating of the Montage Elite is an 95/100. The technology, intuitiveness and simplicity of this massage chair recliner is what the luxury category is all about. With Omega, the . Montage Elite has the best manufacturer's warranty without the added expense of an extended warranty. The massage chair is easy to use, has advanced features, a wireless remote and thorough massage therapy. This shiatsu massage chair can accommodate both short and tall people alike. The Montage Elite was built for the American market. This is as good as it gets!

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Sanyo has developed a full line of massage chairs. The entry level Sanyo massage chair is their model SR 1000K. The SR-1000K has some very unique features. It also comes with some features that Sanyo has in some of its luxury models. We will point out some of the more important features and functions and touch on the warranty of the SR1000K massage chair by Sanyo.

The warranty coverage is similar to an insurance policy. You get insurance so that you are not affected by a catastrophe. You want sufficient warranty coverage to protect you from defects in components or workmanship of the massage chair. The warranty for this massage recliner is from Sanyo. Sanyo gives the following coverage for the SR-1000K recliner: 3 years for the roller mechanism, 1 year labor, 1 year parts and 1 year in home service. The Sanyo warranty is the same for all their models. However, for this price range, the warranty is very good.

There are two automatic programs designed in the SR 1000K massage chair. The first program is called Relax and as the name implies, it provides a softer, soothing massage. The second program is named Recovery and it is more like a warm down type of massage. Both of these auto-programs work with the touch of one button.

An intriguing and innovative feature is called the Stiffness Detector. This system using readings of your pulse rate and perspiration levels and correlates those to areas of the body having more tension. The massage chair then focuses the massage treatment to those areas detected. This is a fascinating technology integrated into the SR 1000 massage chair.

Would you enjoy a good leg stretch now and then? In addition to the manual massage techniques, Sanyo has built two different stretches into the chair. You can select the manual massage technique and then select stretch 1 or stretch 2 and the chair will seamlessly integrate the stretching into the massage program.

The SR1000K also comes with a unique leg rest massager. The leg rest can be used to target the following areas: calves, back of the knees, sole of the foot and the Achilles tendon/heal. The leg rest contains a roller mechanism that massages the calves and the back of the knees. You can flip down the unit and then put your feet on it. This allows you to target the soles of your feet for a nice soothing massage. You can vary the speed of the massage and also the direction of the rollers.

There is a remote that runs all the functions of the SR1000. The design is fairly simple and intuitive for first time users. The buttons are a good size and easy for the average user to push. There are little lights that are used to show the level of intensity of the massage and also the roller width.

The SR-1000 massage chair has some very good features for an entry level massage chair. It contains some of the electronics from Sanyo's high end chairs like the stiffness detector and the physical shape sensor. The warranty for this recliner is also good for this level of chair. The design is a little funky and unfortunately Sanyo located a power box on the side of the chair which takes away from its attractiveness. We also wished they had more than 2 automatic massage programs in the recliner. But, if you are looking for a solid massage chair with some fairly contemporary styling, the SR-1000K is a nice massage chair.

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