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.
We start with the unexciting topic of warranty coverage. The warranty coverage is to help balance out the risk of problems in the future. This is especially important on more expensive items to protect against defects. The better the warranty, the more peace of mind for the consumer. Sanyo covers the roller mechanism for 3 years, 1 year on the rest of the parts and 1 year on labor. Sanyo has finally introduced in-home technician service and is giving 1 year. Sanyo has a national call center to handle warranty items which gives them better control over service levels.
The mid range Sanyo SA 5000 has many of the same features as the higher end Sanyo. In addition to the remote control, Sanyo provides a wired sub remote. The sub remote allows operation of the chair back and foot rest. It also has the pulse and perspiration sensor to detect stress in the body. The SA-5000 comes with 4 automatic programs that can be started at the touch of one button. There are a variety of manual massages and also you can choose from preset manual courses. The manual courses target specific regions of the back or you can also pinpoint to hit one specific area.
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.
There are 4 effective massage therapies built into the SA-5000. They are Stiffness, Recovery, Relax and Fine. Each has specific target areas and results. All of them deliver full body massage therapy. Stiffness is based on Shiatsu massage and is for the back and legs. Recovery helps to loosen stiff and tired muscles. Relax is for achieving total body relaxation and tranquility of the mind. Fine helps to increase blood and lymph flow. The SA 5000 also has 3 stretching functions for the lower body. You can activate a stretch function and it will seamlessly plug into the massage treatment already activated.
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.
The Sanyo SA 5000 is a solid massage chair. It has a very modern and somewhat industrial looking design. There are minor designer accents with wood grain inserts on the side panels. The massage therapy is fairly effective and comprehensive. The GK rollers provide a unique Grip massage which literally reaches out over the shoulders. This is perhaps the most effective technique in the chair. The pulse and perspiration sensor is novel, but requires the user to hold it throughout the massage making it less convenient. The warranty is great on the in home technician service with one year, but less coverage is given on the chair with the exception of the rollers which are covered for one year. If you are looking at a good mid range massage chair recliner, then you should definitely put this one on your short list.
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