Panasonic has been making massage chairs for about 30 years. They have a full range of massage chairs at many different price points. We are going to review the EP1273 which is in the 2 to 3 thousand dollar price range. We make a comprehensive review by rating a massage chair in five important categories where it can get up to twenty points. The sum of the points then yields the chair's overall rating out of 100 possible points. Here is our evaluation of the Panasonic EP 1273 massage chair recliner.
Warranty Coverage & Customer Service: We start with the dry subject of warranty coverage. It is less glamorous than going through the wonderful features on this massage chair, but nonetheless, it is important. Warranty coverage is like insurance. It protects you from disaster-just in case. With large ticket items, you want some protection for shelling out your hard earned money. Panasonic gives you rather light coverage on parts and labor which is covered for only 1 year. Other chairs in this range are longer from the factory. The best coverage which exceeds the norm is one year coverage for field service. Customer service is OK. Overall, we give the EP 1273 a 16 in warranty coverage.
Comfort & Ergonomics: We have this category because with the increasing number of features, some functions are not easily accessible or hard to reach. Also, we have tried massage chars that were simply not comfortable to sit after a few minutes. Panasonic has designed the EP 1273 to be comfortable to relax in. The materials are soft to the touch and it comes with a pillow to support your head. The remote control is laid out well and easy to understand. This model rates an 18 for this key area.
Ease of Use: One of the challenges of modern day equipment is that there are so many features that are now included. The design challenge comes in making these devices simple to understand and easy to use. Panasonic has been involved in this arena for a long time and takes this very seriously. The remote of the EP1273 is very well laid out. It is simple to understand and using it takes hardly any time. We are impressed with the simplicity of this chair and give it an 18 in this category.
Key Features: There are quite a few important features, but we will narrow it down to two. The two key features are the 8 manual massage treatments and the Swede-Atsu massage mechanism. Panasonic incorporates an amazing array of eight manual techniques. The manual techniques include Shiatsu, Swedish, Hawaiian, tapping, rolling, kneading, compression and percussion. There is a massage therapy for virtually every need. The other key feature is the Swede-Atsu massage mechanism. This is a mechanical feature that is designed to replicate the feel of the use of thumbs and the palm of the hand. The mechanics were patterned after real hand movements and then built into the massage chair. These advance features rate an 18 in our book.
Massage Therapy: This is the most important category for a massage chair. Obviously, the massage therapy needs to be effective or else it is a disappointment. There are eight manual massage techniques that will please the most demanding of massage enthusiasts. You also can choose to target specific regions of the back or pinpoint a specific place. The pre-programs provide effective full body massage at the touch of a button. There are 3 fifteen minute massage programs and a five minute program. These are well programmed and provide effective relief. The air massage system adds the calves and feet into the equation. Overall, you get a very good set of massage treatments for this price range. We give the EP 1273 an 18 in this category.
Overall, the EP 1273 earns a score of 88/100. The EP-1273KL massage chair is certainly one of the better values provided by Panasonic. You get some excellent massage therapy treatments which are also available in their higher end models. The dual use ottoman is nice with the built in stretch system. We feel that the foot massage could be better, since you have to raise the leg ottoman and then bend your knees to perform. The aesthetic design of the chair is also lacking. However, the massage therapy is solid and you get a good variety of choice with this chair. If you are looking at a massage recliner in this class, then it is worth your time to check out the EP 1273 massage chair from Panasonic.
Warranty Coverage & Customer Service: We start with the dry subject of warranty coverage. It is less glamorous than going through the wonderful features on this massage chair, but nonetheless, it is important. Warranty coverage is like insurance. It protects you from disaster-just in case. With large ticket items, you want some protection for shelling out your hard earned money. Panasonic gives you rather light coverage on parts and labor which is covered for only 1 year. Other chairs in this range are longer from the factory. The best coverage which exceeds the norm is one year coverage for field service. Customer service is OK. Overall, we give the EP 1273 a 16 in warranty coverage.
Comfort & Ergonomics: We have this category because with the increasing number of features, some functions are not easily accessible or hard to reach. Also, we have tried massage chars that were simply not comfortable to sit after a few minutes. Panasonic has designed the EP 1273 to be comfortable to relax in. The materials are soft to the touch and it comes with a pillow to support your head. The remote control is laid out well and easy to understand. This model rates an 18 for this key area.
Ease of Use: One of the challenges of modern day equipment is that there are so many features that are now included. The design challenge comes in making these devices simple to understand and easy to use. Panasonic has been involved in this arena for a long time and takes this very seriously. The remote of the EP1273 is very well laid out. It is simple to understand and using it takes hardly any time. We are impressed with the simplicity of this chair and give it an 18 in this category.
Key Features: There are quite a few important features, but we will narrow it down to two. The two key features are the 8 manual massage treatments and the Swede-Atsu massage mechanism. Panasonic incorporates an amazing array of eight manual techniques. The manual techniques include Shiatsu, Swedish, Hawaiian, tapping, rolling, kneading, compression and percussion. There is a massage therapy for virtually every need. The other key feature is the Swede-Atsu massage mechanism. This is a mechanical feature that is designed to replicate the feel of the use of thumbs and the palm of the hand. The mechanics were patterned after real hand movements and then built into the massage chair. These advance features rate an 18 in our book.
Massage Therapy: This is the most important category for a massage chair. Obviously, the massage therapy needs to be effective or else it is a disappointment. There are eight manual massage techniques that will please the most demanding of massage enthusiasts. You also can choose to target specific regions of the back or pinpoint a specific place. The pre-programs provide effective full body massage at the touch of a button. There are 3 fifteen minute massage programs and a five minute program. These are well programmed and provide effective relief. The air massage system adds the calves and feet into the equation. Overall, you get a very good set of massage treatments for this price range. We give the EP 1273 an 18 in this category.
Overall, the EP 1273 earns a score of 88/100. The EP-1273KL massage chair is certainly one of the better values provided by Panasonic. You get some excellent massage therapy treatments which are also available in their higher end models. The dual use ottoman is nice with the built in stretch system. We feel that the foot massage could be better, since you have to raise the leg ottoman and then bend your knees to perform. The aesthetic design of the chair is also lacking. However, the massage therapy is solid and you get a good variety of choice with this chair. If you are looking at a massage recliner in this class, then it is worth your time to check out the EP 1273 massage chair from Panasonic.
About the Author:
We put some of the main features in this massage chair review, so check out the fabulous features and functions of the Panasonic EP-1273 Massage Chair at our site. We carry the full line of Panasonic Massage Chairs with the addition of the Real Pro Ultra series, which is the newest line by Panasonic.
No comments:
Post a Comment