Massage Chair Review for Panasonic EP30004 Massage Recliner
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.
First, we want to look at the long term protection given to the customer. You want to make sure you get adequate warranty coverage. It is just like an insurance policy. You hope you don’t need it, but if you do, then it is there. The other factor is to make sure you go with a name brand company. You want to make sure the company will be there down the road as well.
The Panasonic warranty coverage is the following for the EP 30004 massage chair recliner: 3 years parts, 1 year labor, 1 year shipping on parts and 1 year in home technician specialist service. The 1 year in home service is generous, but they jip you on the 1 year labor. We would expect more from a name such as Panasonic. There are situations where you can get additional warranty coverage, so find out if you are interested in this model.
There are some outstanding new features incorporated into the Real Pro Ultra massage chair series. The EP 30004 has both a lower body stretch and a shoulder stretch. There is also a new massage technique called Junetsu. The Junetsu massage technique literally means ultra fine kneading in Japanese. The Junetsu massage technique uses small circular motions and a one second of thumb-like firm pressure. The effect of this massage is to reverberate through the muscle and penetrating to the surface of the bone.
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.
One interesting feature of Panasonic massage chairs continued in the Real Pro Ultra series is the self-programming. You can memorize certain programs that were just performed by hitting the self program button. This means you can repeat that particular program on demand. This is great as your trouble spots shift in time. This allows you to target areas for recurring treatment. This is available for up to 4 users.
The EP-30004 make use of an air massage and compression system. Air is pumped with an air compressor to airbags. These airbags provide a squeeze, hold and release action. This soothing compression massage covers the calves, feet, hips, shoulders, arms and hands. This air massage system provides adequate coverage to the major muscle groups. There is also a shoulder stretch and a lower body stretch function.
We will say that the style of the chair is very sterile and industrial. This unfortunately is a Panasonic trait. Function over form one might say. Anyway, it is certainly functional. The EP 30004 has the arm massage concealed underneath a lift up arm rest pad. Open it up and slide in your arm for some invigoration. At least they got this right. Other than that, one ergonomic feature is an extendable leg rest up to four critical extra inches for us Americans.
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.
