Saturday, October 24, 2009

Product Review For The Panasonic EP 3222 Massage Chair Recliner

By Rebecca Beck

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: It is important that the manufacturer stand behind its product. The warranty coverage is always a good benchmark of the manufacturer's confidence in its product. Panasonic has a 1 year labor, 1 year parts and 1 year in-home service as well as 1 year shipping. Panasonic has a machine hour counter and the warranty expires 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 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 Real Pro Elite are the 33 airbags in the lower body air system and the Swede-Atsu massage system. The lower body airsytem has a total of 33 airbags and provides great coverage for the hips, thighs, buttocks, calves and feet. The compression air massage gently, but firmly squeezes the lower body to release tension and soreness. The Swede-Atsu uses rubber massage heads. These rubber massage heads coupled with the software replicate the stoking of the palms of the hand, pressing by the heal of the hand, or the kneading with the thumbs. The massage is solid and does a thorough job of relieving tension and stress. Our rating of the Panasonic EP-3222 in this category is 19.

Massage Therapy: The Panasonic Real Pro Elite comes with One 5-minute Quick Program, Four 14-minute Pre-Programs, 4 full body automatic courses, One 14-minute Self Program, 5 massage speed settings for a total combination of 14 massage courses. Automatic one button massage functions include: Shiatsu, Gentle, Deep and Refresh. The lowerbody massage is powered with 33 airbags for full coverage. The Swede-Atsu massage system has realistic massage therapy techniques similar to a massage therapist. This shiatsu massage recliner provides increased back coverage with rollers that can go wider to cover more of the back. Our rating in this category is 19.

How does Panasonic Real Pro Elite EP-3222 rate? Overall, our rating of the Panasonic Ep-3222 is an 87/100. The remote control is easy to use, intuitive and comes with the Voice Guidance. The back and lower body massages are pretty comprehensive and effective. The warranty is a bit of a concern, since the direct factory warranty is rather short. It is possible to purchase an extended warranty, but this impacts the delivered price. If you are tall, then the footrest is an issue, since it cannot be adjusted. However, the technology used seems reliable and delivers a thorough massage. If you are looking for a shiatsu massage recliner in this category, this is definately one to seriously consider.

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