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.
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 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 features rolled down from the higher end Sanyo is the perspiration and pulse sensor. This sensor is built into the wired sub remote. It detects areas of stress in the body. The sensor then feeds this information to the computer and the software will adjust the massage to target areas based on these readings. In order for this to function, the user must grip the sensor throughout the massage. Also, the sub remote allows you to change the position of the chair back and the leg rest. It also has a repeat function. The repeat function will command the chair to repeat the massage just given in the place it was given. This is convenient when it hits one of the key places and you need it to stay there a little longer.
This mid range massage chair has four massage treatments. You can choose from Stiffness, Recovery, Relax and Fine. Stiffness is a Shiatsu style massage for the back, neck, shoulders and legs. Recovery targets stiff and tight muscles. Relax is more tranquil and is focused on full body relaxation. Fine helps to increase circulation of blood and lymph. Each of these massages can be used in conjunction with the 3 stretching functions. These stretching functions work in conjunction with the full body massages.
The SA 5000 has some innovative and unique manual massages. In particular the Grip massage. The grip massage is possible through the GK roller system unique to Sanyo. These rollers are designed to reach out from the chair. The grip massage is effective for the shoulder and neck areas. Additionally, the manual massages are Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping, and Combination. Shiatsu uses a combination of the chopping and kneading actions. The kneading massage is a pinching action particularly effective in loosening tight back muscles and shoulders. Tapping is a rapidly delivered soft blows at a rate of up to 200 per minute. The Combination runs the kneading and tapping at the same time.
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.
We like the SA 5000 massage recliner from Sanyo. It has some great integrated technology like the pulse and perspiration sensor and the GK roller system. These are innovations you would expect from a large electronics company. We are less impressed with the look of the chair as it is a bit industrial in design. The warranty is fair and the 1 year in home service is an added benefit. You should really look at an extended warranty if it is offered for additional protection. If you are looking for a mid range massage chair, then this one should be on your short list.