This review will take a look at one of the Panasonic Real Pro Ultra series of massage chairs. The Real Pro Ultra is the current massage recliner series rolled out by Panasonic. We will look at the EP 30004 model. This chair will be reviewed in 5 key categories. Each category can earn up to 20 points for a total possible score of 100 points. We will evaluate the recliner in each of the following categories: Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. Let us see how this massage chair rates..
Warranty & Customer Service: In any transaction one party takes on more risk than the other. Warranty coverage helps to reduce your risk which is especially important on higher ticket items like a massage chair. You want to have long term protection. The EP-30004 is covered with 3 years on the parts and 1 year labor. This is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. It is rather short in comparison to the other top brands, so you really want to consider purchasing an extended warranty. Of course, this also drives the cost of this model up. Customer service is provided by the retailer, so this varies depending on your purchase the chair.
Comfort & Ergonomics: Massage chair recliners usually have a dual function. One is obviously to massage, but the other is as a recliner. Therefore, comfort is usually an important consideration, since the chair may not always be used in the massage mode. A recliner should be comfortable to sit on. The Panasonic Real Pro Ultra comes with padded armrests. There is a comfortable, soft upholstered head pillow to support the head. We found the recliner is comfortable to sit in. The leg ottoman is adjustable out an extra 5 inches, which helps to target your legs better. The Real Pro Ultra is well designed from an ergonomic point of view. Overall Rating for Panasonic comfort and ergonomics and customer service is 18.
Ease of Use: We are seeing an increasing amount to features being built into massage chairs. This is a very positive and beneficial development. The other side of this is being able to keep the control simple and easy to use. Panasonic has a good understanding of this dilemma and includes a voice guidance system built into the remote. If you need help with running a certain aspect of the chair, then the voice guidance is there to walk you through the steps. Otherwise, the controller comes with one touch automatic programs. It has an LCD showing what massage functions are running in the chair. There are a myriad of manual programming options which are fairly simple to use. We like this controller and its layout. We rate this chair a 19 for ease of use.
Key Features: The important features of the Panasonic EP-30004 are the Junetsu massage and the shoulder/arm stretch. Panasonic has developed the Junetsu style massage in the Real Pro Ultra. The Junetsu is an ultra fine kneading massage. This uses small circular motions that penetrate deeply through the muscles for a soothing massage therapy. Panasonic has developed a novel shoulder stretch in the EP 30004. The arm rest has padded covers that lift up, where the hands and arms can be placed inside. The airbags then activate to which hold the arms. The chair back then reclines slightly to extend the arms and shoulders. This slow, gradual stretch helps to elongate the muscles of the arms and shoulders. This stretch helps to remove tension from the muscles and increase the range of motion. Overall Rating for the Panasonic Real Pro Ultra for features is 19.
Massage Therapy: This massage chair makes use of the nearly 100 acupressure points on your back and neck. Choose from the soothing palm style of Swedish massage, or perhaps deep tissue kneading, or Shiatsu massage. This chair has a variety of techniques for invigorating these energy acupoints. Choose from manual massage courses for the back which focus on a particular area or region. There are two stretch functions included in this recliner. There is one for the lower body and one for the shoulder. For the feet, the foot wells have adjustable and removable plates that incorporate reflexology. The reflexology massages stimulates trigger points on your feet. This helps to increase blood and energy flow throughout the entire body. This chair has many beneficial massage treatments that are very effective. The EP30004 earns a 19 for massage therapy.
The Panasonic EP 30004 rates as a 90/100. We really like the new and innovative features of this recliner. The shoulder stretch is another important advance for massage chair technology. The Junetsu massage technique provides good deep penetration for those hard to get at areas in the back. The remote is simple to use and comes with the voice guidance feature. The manufacturer's warranty is a bit on the light side and should be beefed up with the purchase of an extended warranty. The only point of concern we have is the industrial look of the chair. We do not understand why Panasonic continues to neglect the design aesthetics of their massage chair line. But overall, this is a very solid chair from an important manufacturer. If you are in the market for a luxury massage chair, then this one should be on your short list of choices. - 16650
Warranty & Customer Service: In any transaction one party takes on more risk than the other. Warranty coverage helps to reduce your risk which is especially important on higher ticket items like a massage chair. You want to have long term protection. The EP-30004 is covered with 3 years on the parts and 1 year labor. This is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. It is rather short in comparison to the other top brands, so you really want to consider purchasing an extended warranty. Of course, this also drives the cost of this model up. Customer service is provided by the retailer, so this varies depending on your purchase the chair.
Comfort & Ergonomics: Massage chair recliners usually have a dual function. One is obviously to massage, but the other is as a recliner. Therefore, comfort is usually an important consideration, since the chair may not always be used in the massage mode. A recliner should be comfortable to sit on. The Panasonic Real Pro Ultra comes with padded armrests. There is a comfortable, soft upholstered head pillow to support the head. We found the recliner is comfortable to sit in. The leg ottoman is adjustable out an extra 5 inches, which helps to target your legs better. The Real Pro Ultra is well designed from an ergonomic point of view. Overall Rating for Panasonic comfort and ergonomics and customer service is 18.
Ease of Use: We are seeing an increasing amount to features being built into massage chairs. This is a very positive and beneficial development. The other side of this is being able to keep the control simple and easy to use. Panasonic has a good understanding of this dilemma and includes a voice guidance system built into the remote. If you need help with running a certain aspect of the chair, then the voice guidance is there to walk you through the steps. Otherwise, the controller comes with one touch automatic programs. It has an LCD showing what massage functions are running in the chair. There are a myriad of manual programming options which are fairly simple to use. We like this controller and its layout. We rate this chair a 19 for ease of use.
Key Features: The important features of the Panasonic EP-30004 are the Junetsu massage and the shoulder/arm stretch. Panasonic has developed the Junetsu style massage in the Real Pro Ultra. The Junetsu is an ultra fine kneading massage. This uses small circular motions that penetrate deeply through the muscles for a soothing massage therapy. Panasonic has developed a novel shoulder stretch in the EP 30004. The arm rest has padded covers that lift up, where the hands and arms can be placed inside. The airbags then activate to which hold the arms. The chair back then reclines slightly to extend the arms and shoulders. This slow, gradual stretch helps to elongate the muscles of the arms and shoulders. This stretch helps to remove tension from the muscles and increase the range of motion. Overall Rating for the Panasonic Real Pro Ultra for features is 19.
Massage Therapy: This massage chair makes use of the nearly 100 acupressure points on your back and neck. Choose from the soothing palm style of Swedish massage, or perhaps deep tissue kneading, or Shiatsu massage. This chair has a variety of techniques for invigorating these energy acupoints. Choose from manual massage courses for the back which focus on a particular area or region. There are two stretch functions included in this recliner. There is one for the lower body and one for the shoulder. For the feet, the foot wells have adjustable and removable plates that incorporate reflexology. The reflexology massages stimulates trigger points on your feet. This helps to increase blood and energy flow throughout the entire body. This chair has many beneficial massage treatments that are very effective. The EP30004 earns a 19 for massage therapy.
The Panasonic EP 30004 rates as a 90/100. We really like the new and innovative features of this recliner. The shoulder stretch is another important advance for massage chair technology. The Junetsu massage technique provides good deep penetration for those hard to get at areas in the back. The remote is simple to use and comes with the voice guidance feature. The manufacturer's warranty is a bit on the light side and should be beefed up with the purchase of an extended warranty. The only point of concern we have is the industrial look of the chair. We do not understand why Panasonic continues to neglect the design aesthetics of their massage chair line. But overall, this is a very solid chair from an important manufacturer. If you are in the market for a luxury massage chair, then this one should be on your short list of choices. - 16650
About the Author:
The Real Pro Ultra Series is the latest massage recliner line from Panasonic. This line features the Panasonic EP-30004 which is a great chair for massage treatments. Browse all the Panasonic Massage Chairs at our website. We provivde massage chair reviews to help you find the perfect massage chair for your most demanding massage treatments requirements.
