Virtual Library For Researching Features Of A Robotic Massage Chair

I present a review of the Panasonic EP 30003 KU. The goal is to present a potential massage chair purchaser with an unbiased, thorough and comprehensive review of the Panasonic Real Pro Ultra. I have developed a 5 category system to evaluate a massage chair. I give equal weight to each category and give 0 to 20 points rating and then add them up to present an overall score.

The categories include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. We hope this disciplined method of evaluating a massage chair will help to guide anyone looking at massage chairs. The Panasonic Real Pro Ultra EP 30003 KU shiatsu massage chair price is in the mid range of $2,000 to $3,000.

Warranty & Customer Service: It is important that the manufacturer stand behind its product and provides good customer service. Panasonic has 1 year labor and 3 year parts. Panasonic uses a counter to monitor the machine hours. The warranty will expire after 1,000 hours of use. Panasonic has average warranty coverage. Customer service is through your retailer or national service centers. Service time and quality is variable and dependent on where service is obtained. Our Rating in this category is 16.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Ergonomics is the practical element of design for comfort and fit of the body. The massage chair is built for relaxation, so the design must assist in getting the user comfortable and within reach. Panasonic takes ergonomics serious and does a solid job with the Real Pro Ultra. The back pad is plush, with an adjustable head pillow. The armrests are padded. The remote is fairly simple and intuitive for a massage chair. One area that is lacking is a footrest extension. This chair was not originally designed for the American market, so taller users may not fit as well. We rate this chair as a 17 for ergonomics. The head pillow can be adjusted to fit different heights of users. The arm rests are padded and are fairly wide. The footrest does not extend, so this can be problematic for taller users. Taller users would have to bend their knees to get a foot massage or extend the footrest horizontal to and put their legs through. Our rating in this category is 17.

Ease of Use: Intuitive and easy to use are some of the hardest elements to get right with today's electronics. Massage chairs have so many features, that some controllers become an unsightly mess. You have to spend hours over the manual to figure some of them out. This severely detracts from the massage therapy environment. Panasonic has a simple control. They incorporate along the top of the control the automatic massages for one button selection. You can tailor massages fairly easy and the learning of the control is rather fast. We give an 18.

Key Features: The key features for the EP 30003 is the Junetsu massage and the reflexology foot massage. Panasonic has developed an ultra fine kneading technique. Junetsu uses one-second circular thumb-like movements. This helps to loosen knotted or tight muscles. The circular motion penetrates down through the muscle tissue. The foot reflexology massage reflexology nodules built into the foot wells of the foot rest. An air compression system is used to gently squeeze the feet. The reflexology nodules then push up into the pressure points in the feet. The reflexology massage helps to relieve tension throughout the entire body helping you to relax. Our rating of the Panasonic EP30003 KU in this category is an 18.

Massage Therapies: The lower body air massage has 14 strategically placed air bags. These air bags cover the calves and feet. It also includes the foot reflexology massage. The really fine kneading is a new feature by Panasonic called Junetsu. This massage penetrates deeply providing effective relief. At the top of the control there are 5 automatic programs which include: Refresh, Shiatsu, Deep, Swedish and Stretch. You can also select from 4 manual massage techniques and choose 4 manual massage courses. Manual controls include tapping, kneading, rolling and combination. This midrange model scores a 19 rating from me.

Adding up the individual scores, the overall rating for the Panasonic EP 30003 is an 88/100. This is a solid rating for a solid chair. The Real Pro Ultra is a good performer in the mid range massage chair market. The reflexology foot massage and the addition of Junetsu massage is great value at this price point.

The warranty for the Real Pro Ultra is about average. You may want to investigate extended warranties for additional protection. Some taller users may find the chair too small, but try it to be sure. The massage chair is solid and reliable with some good technology for the price point. If you are looking at massage chair recliners in this range, you should check this one out for sure.

Many spas and wellness centers are adapting to the changes affecting people in today's economy. Many people are feeling much more stress and anxiety. However, many understand that using natural therapies to counteract the build up of stress is vital to maintaining balance in their lives. These spas are using the concept of a relaxation room. This is an area for calmness and relaxation. Many of these relaxation rooms are equipped with a massage chair to provide comfort and relaxation.

The body needs time to heal and recuperate. The mind also needs to be able to escape from its sources of stress and find balance. Spas have picked up on this need and are providing these natural environments for their clientele.

Body work has in a common practice with many of these places of natural health. Using a combination of nutrition, stretching, exercise and massage therapy provides a whole some way to restore health to the body, mind and spirit.

We are what we eat. It is important we eat more natural foods and avoid foods high in fat and cholesterol. Many health spas have nutrition advice. They can help plan and use and teach you to count calories to maintain a healthy diet.

Exercise and stretching is another important element to wellness centers. There may be a variety of classes which include light aerobics, yoga and other methods of stretching. The exercise helps to build up the muscles and endurance. The stretching helps to restore flexibility and relieve stress and tension.

Massage therapy is commonly used to provide a balance to diet and exercise. Diet is the food for the body and exercise maintains its strength. Massage therapy helps to restore elasticity and flexibility in the soft tissue areas.

Most spas or wellness centers have massage therapists on staff. They provide a range of massage types and durations. Hands-on massage therapy is very therapeutic to the body and mind.

The concept of the quiet room is an important element in the total health program. We simply do not take enough time to relax and combat are stress. This leads to the body getting out of balance. Quiet rooms use low lighting and soft music to provide a soothing environment. Massage chairs are used to provide a comfortable environment for relaxing.

Massage chairs are a perfect complement for a quiet room. They are comfortable to sit in and have motors to recline the chair back and the leg rest. A variety of massage therapy options are available and program to into the massage chairs computer.

Music therapy is often used to help induce relaxation and quiet the mind. Massage chairs come equipped with music players and headphones to assist in this process. Slip on the headphones and let the mind drift off to the rhythms of the music.

To provide comfort and warmth, massage chairs come with heating elements built in different parts of the recliner. Individual controls are used to select which areas to apply heat. Heat helps provide a relaxing environment and can reduce swelling while enhancing blood flow.

The use of quiet rooms as an integral element of a wellness program is growing in popularity. It is even more important in these stressful times that we find ways to successfully cope with stress. Massage chair therapy provides an automatic means to provide further relaxation in a quiet room.