Sanyo 5000 Massage Chair Review
This massage chair review is of the Sanyo SA 5000. We will review the key features, warranty coverage and other relevant items of this shiatsu recliner. Sanyo has integrated some interesting technology to provide effective massage therapy. This review is designed to help those looking for a mid range massage chair recliner. Let us take a look at this state of the art massage chair by Sanyo.
Like any purchase of electronic equipment, the warranty is your protection against defects in manufacturing and workmanship. The warranty is especially important on big ticket items. Massage chairs are big ticket items and you as the consumer want sufficient protection. The stronger the warranty, the more peace of mind you will have after your purchase. Sanyo provides a basic warranty of 1 year on the parts, 1 year on labor and 3 years on the roller mechanism. Sanyo has also started in home technician service and covers this for a generous 1 year. Sanyo also has a 24/7 call center which is another good step. The call center is fairly responsive and since it is run by Sanyo, it is more effective than if you had to rely on individual retailers as before.
The SA 5000 comes with a full remote control and also comes with wired sub remote. The main remote control has 4 automatic programs. You can turn the chair on and then select the automatic program. Additionally, you can select a particular area of focus for your back. For example, lower back and then the massage therapy will be confined to just this area. It also operates the rest of the chair regardless of the area of focus on your back. Manual massages involve a few more steps that take some getting used to until it is more intuitive. The remote is pretty intuitive to use, but again some investment of time is required to manage the manual massages effectively.
An interesting technology included in the Sanyo SA 5000 is based on lie detector technology. The lie detector technology monitors perspiration and your pulse rate. The sensor then directs the chair to specific stress points based on these readings. The user must grip the wired sub remote for this function to work. So far the chair doesn’t ask you any questions, so don’t despair! This is a feature of the high end Sanyo chair and is an interesting feature. You can also change the position of the leg rest and the chair back from the sub remote. If the massage just hit a critical area, you can hit the repeat button and the massage will be repeated in the area just covered.
Sanyo Massage Chair Comparison
There are four massage therapies in the Sanyo SA 5000. They have Stiffness, Recovery, Relax and Fine. Stiffness is a Shiatsu style massage targeting the upper body and legs. Recovery is for easing and loosening stiff and tired muscles. Relax is geared for whole body relaxation and tranquility. Fine is for increasing blood and lymph flow. These automatic massages run the entire chair and provide for full body massages. These are all one-touch controls. There are 3 stretch controls that can also be used in conjunction with the automatic massages.
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.
Acupressure Massage Chair Benefits
Are you looking for lower body relief? Sanyo provides an air compression system to provide a great squeeze, hold and release massage. This compression style massage is perfect for loosening up the tight muscles of the thighs, calves and feet. The airbags are designed with shiatsu style nodes to stimulate your acupressure points. These acupressure points help to induce whole body relaxation. If that is not enough, Sanyo has built in heating elements to warm the soles of your feet. This is a very comprehensive and thorough massage chair recliner.
The Sanyo SA 5000 is overall an impressive massage recliner. The massage therapy is well designed and effective. We especially like the Grip massage which is particularly effective for the neck and shoulder areas. This is unique to Sanyo and a positive step forward for massage chair technology. The look of the chair is a little industrial and plain. Sanyo needs to step up in the design arena to match their technology. The warranty coverage is great with the 1 year in home service, but is a bit substandard in other regards. You should consider an extended warranty to match the best manufacturers. Overall, this is definitely a model you want to consider if you are looking for a mid range massage chair recliner.