Review For The Panasonic EP 30003 KU Massage Chair

The focus of this review is the Panasonic EP 30003 which is part of the Real Pro Ultra series of massage chairs. We will review some of the more relevant areas of the purchase of this product. The Real Pro Ultra series is replacing the Real Pro Elite which was the prior series of model from Panasonic. The Panasonic Real Pro Ultra EP 30003 is a mid range model in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.

First, we take a look at the post-sale protection for the consumer. This includes both the warranty and customer service in the event that you require service on the chair. The warranty covers certain aspects such as labor and parts covered by the manufacturer. The warranty coverage protects the consumer and takes some risk out of the purchase. Not all warranties are the same. Panasonic provides you with 3 years on the parts on the major components. Items like upholstery are excluded from the warranty. You also get 1 year labor and 1 year shipping of parts covered by the factory. This coverage is good on the parts, but is rather short on the labor. Panasonic is now offering in-home technician service to bring it up to the level of the best chair manufacturers. Most retailers will offer extended warranty coverage to match the better companies, but at additional cost. Customer service is provided by the retail establishment where the chair is purchased, so service levels are highly variable.

The features and options included in massage chairs are ever increasing. This means the controllers for these chairs become more complex. Therefore, ease of use is a key factor, since many features will not be used if they are not intuitive. Who has time to read the manual these days? Panasonic has deep experience in this area since they are a large electronics company. As such they include a helpful voice guidance system to navigate you through using the features. This is helpful in the beginner or for first time users. The remote is cleanly designed and fairly intuitive to use. The self programs take some getting used to, but are worth the effort. The remote is not very cluttered compared to many we see, which is a good thing.

The important features of the Panasonic EP-30003 are the Junetsu massage and the extendable leg rest. Panasonic research has yielded a new massage technique called Junetsu. This technique is aimed at deep penetration of the muscles. It uses small circular motions combined with firm pressure. This combination provides for a penetrating and invigorating massage to targeted areas of the back. Junetsu is defined as ultra fine kneading and this is an effective massage technique. The other key feature we like is the extendable leg rest. Although this is not quite as exciting as the Junetsu, it is important for the American market. With few exceptions, massage chairs are designed for the Asian market and secondarily exported to America. The typical American is taller and heavier than the typical Asian. This is reflected in massage chairs which are small for Americans. Panasonic finally introduces 5 critical inches to extend the leg rest. It is a start in the right direction.

You will want to make sure that your massage recliner is comfortable to sit in, since it can also be used as a recliner as well. Some are quite frankly, not very comfortable when not being used for massage. The Panasonic Real Pro Ultra comes with nice padded armrest covers. The upholstered chair back is plush and the synthetic leather is very soft to the touch. The chair comes with a detachable, contoured head support pillow. Panasonic has added an extendable leg rest which can be extended an additional 5 inches. This is a big improvement over their prior series without this feature. The chair is well designed and ergonomic.

There are one touch automatic programs in the Real Pro Ultra. These automatic programs include such programs as Shiatsu, Swedish, Deep, Stretch and Quick. The first four are 15 minute programs and the Quick is a 5 minute invigorating massage. Each of the automatic programs is targeted for specific benefits for the user. You are free to use the manual massage techniques. These manual massage techniques are Junetsu, Shiatsu, Swedish, Knead, Stretch, Tap and Full Roll. You can also select specific back courses to target your back. You can select the whole back, upper or lower back. This focuses the massage in that particular area. There is a built in air massage system which targets the feet and calves in the leg rest.

The Real Pro Ultra is the new series of massage chairs by Panasonic. The EP-30003 is the entry level lounger at the mid range price level. We like the Junetsu massage techniques for its deep penetration capability. This is a great innovation included in this chair. The aesthetic design of this chair is its only major issue with us. The quality and reliability of this chair is pretty solid. If you are looking a mid tier massage chair, this is definitely worth your consideration.

Learn all regarding the Panasonic Massage Chairs and their newest series the Real Pro Ultra at Massage Unlimited. We carry the best models and feature massage chair reviews regarding manufacturer’s like Omega, Panasonic, Sanyo, Human Touch and all.