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This review covers the SA 5000 massage chair by Sanyo. We will evaluate the features, options and warranty of this mid range chair. There are many chairs on the market and many from small factories in China at very low prices. It is important to find good brands with strong warranties so you can have many years of peaceful and relaxing massage therapy. Let us take a look at this Sanyo massage chair.

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.

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.

This Sanyo mid range model delivers 5 manual massage treatments. The five manual massage treatments are Grip, Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping, and Combination. Grip is a unique massage function from Sanyo. The Grip uses what Sanyo calls its GK rollers. The GK rollers are specially designed to reach out around the shoulder and neck areas. This brings the gripping sensation that provides effective relief in this area. The other manual massages include Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping, and Combination. Shiatsu is for loosening tight muscles. The kneading massage is great for getting knots out of your back. Tapping targets loosening up tight muscles with a rapid target blows. The Combination massage consists of both the kneading and tapping.

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 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.

Learn why the Sanyo Massage Chairs are a fantastic massage chair brand. Browse our massage chair reviews and see why the SA-5000 KU Massage Chair is the best in class. You will find a excellent variety of massage chairs from Panasonic, Human Touch, and Omega.

With the current state of world affairs and the current economy more and more people are choosing to partcipate in “stay-cations” rather than going on an expensive vacation. What better way to optimize a stay-cation than with a pool in your own backyard. With a pool in your own backyard you can lounge around in the sun, take a refreshing dip all without the crowds that would be typically found at a hotel. And even with the current economy, if you don’t have the ready cash, there are many ways to find pool financing.

Before selecting a method of financing, you need to have an idea of how much money you’ll need, and to do this you will need to select a builder. This may be a harder process than actually securing financing, but a good builder will often be able to help you navigate through getting financing. Many wll know whether it’s currently better (read cheaper) to take out a second mortgage or apply for a line of credit as long as both options are available to you. Some builders will also offer their own financing. While this may be convenient, and you may like and trust your builder, please do your own research and pick the option that makes the most sense for you financially.

When people build or buy a new home they often want to get everything over with and put in a pool as well. In this scenario it is possible to tie your pool financing in with your home financing. However, this may not be the best option, as paying off a pool over 30 years can result in a hefty amount of interest (usually more than the original sum of the pool). This option while convenient may not be the smartest option. It is possible to apply for a separate shorter term loan in addition to your mortgage - although applying for so many loans at once may be daunting. Also, home builders often require you to choose a pool builder from their pre-approved list of builders.

A more common scenario involves the family who decides they want to add a pool to their existing home. In this case there are usually two options: a second mortgage or a line of credit based on the current equity in the home. The line of credit typically has a lower interest rate, but the interest is compounded more frequently (monthly rather than annually). The second mortgage may have a higher interest rate but the interest is compounded only annually. Therefore it is important to research your options. Which option is right for you will depend on your income, equity in your home, what type of interest rate you qualify for, and how quickly you plan on paying off the loan.

There are some other considerations when looking into potential lenders for your pool financing. For one, it is wise to choose a lender that is familiar with pool financing. This should enable them to give you a decision in a matter of days instead of weeks, moving the process along considerably. Also, some people attempt to pay the pool builder directly with a credit card. Most reputable pool companies will not accept this as a form of payment for many reasons. For one, it often signifies their inability to get other financing.

Mortgages, second mortgages, lines of credit, financing through a builder; all of these can sound confusing and daunting. However, there are many resources available, and if you do your research there is pool financing available to build your pool and have a vacation at your home on a daily basis.

Melvin Moore is a finance and swimming pool journalist who writes about pool financing

Omega Massage brings to you the best massage chairs on the market today. The Montage Premier is Omegas top of the line model which has the most complete set of therapeutic massage features. Here are some of the highlights of this extraordinary massage chair.

Five Automatic Programs: The Montage Premier has 5 pre-programmed massage treatments that work off one touch buttons. Each of the 5 automatic massage treatments uses the functions of the entire chair for full body relaxation. There are particular themes associated with each of the massage programs including Relaxation, Vitality, Activation, Morning and Night. Select the program that fits your needs at the time.

Four Manual Programs: The manual massage techniques are delivered by the roller mechanism contained in the chair back. The rollers can move up and down the full length of the back. The Montage Premier allows you to select kneading, tapping, rolling and kneading and rolling. Choose from 4 levels of speed to customize massage force to your needs.

6 Manual Massage Courses: One of the important features of any massage chair is the ability to customize and target the massage to hit your particular trouble spots. The Montage Premier comes with 6 manual massage courses which are full back, lower back (lumbar), middle back, upper back, lower neck and upper neck. Additionally, you can pinpoint the massage by moving the back rollers to a particular spot and then selecting the massage technique you want.

Compression Massage: A compression massage is delivered by using a compressor to activate specially designed air bags. These air bags are designed to provide a relieving squeezing sensation. The Montage Premier massage chair has airbags for the feet, calves, hips, buttock, hands and arms. You can select the area to focus or you can rotate through all of them. Pick the air pressure setting from 4 levels to suit your requirements.

Lower Body Traction System: This massage recliner comes equipped with a lower body traction system. This traction system will stretch out the lower body including the hips, knees, legs and ankles. The leg rest is used to hold onto the ankles. It is then raised to a horizontal position. The leg rest will then lower to 3 successively lower positions which stretch the lower body.

Full Chair Heating Elements: The Montage Premier massage chair has full body heat. Heating elements have been placed throughout the chair including the chair back, seat and leg rest. These can be individually controlled from the remote control. Apply soothing heat to where you most need it at a touch of the button.

Music Player with Headphones: This is a seemingly simple feature that actually has much more impact that people think until they try it. Every massage therapist knows that the environment of getting a massage must induce relaxation. If the person is distracted by their thoughts then it is hard to relax. Music is always used to relax the mind and calm it so the body can relax. Select your favorite relaxing music and let your body relax.

Foot Reflexology Massage: The feet are one of the more important areas to have massaged. The feet are believed to have gateways to the major organs. These reflexology points as they are known can be stimulated and help to reverse the effects of stress on the body. A reflexology massage just feels great after being on your feet all day. That alone can be priceless.

If you are looking for the best massage chair on the market, then check out the Montage Premier massage chair. You will find the most complete set of useful features of any massage chair on the market. It is also designed to accommodate persons up to 6′6″ and 300lbs. This is truly a massage chair that provides uncompromising massage therapy to the most demanding of users.

This review will take a look at one of the Panasonic Real Pro Ultra series of massage chairs. The Real Pro Ultra is the current massage recliner series rolled out by Panasonic. We will look at the EP 30004 model. This chair will be reviewed in 5 key categories. Each category can earn up to 20 points for a total possible score of 100 points. We will evaluate the recliner in each of the following categories: Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. Let us see how this massage chair rates..

Warranty & Customer Service: In any transaction one party takes on more risk than the other. Warranty coverage helps to reduce your risk which is especially important on higher ticket items like a massage chair. You want to have long term protection. The EP-30004 is covered with 3 years on the parts and 1 year labor. This is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. It is rather short in comparison to the other top brands, so you really want to consider purchasing an extended warranty. Of course, this also drives the cost of this model up. Customer service is provided by the retailer, so this varies depending on your purchase the chair.

Comfort & Ergonomics: To provide relaxation, a massage chair needs to be comfortable to sit in. Also, the design of the chair must be ergonomic, so you do not have to struggle to make adjustments with the chair. The Real Pro Ultra has soft padded armrests. The head pillow can be adjusted for each user and is also detachable. The chair back and seat are plush when seated. The leg ottoman can be adjusted up to 5 inches of additional extension. The controls are located in easy and accessible areas. The EP-30004 is well designed for comfort and ergonomics. We rate this recliner an 18 in this category.

East of Use: The massage chair industry increases the functionality of its chairs every year. With the increase in functionality comes increasing complexity of controls to run them. Our ease of use category is for making the controls of the chair as intuitive as possible for the user. Panasonic is one of the premier electronics companies in the world, so we expect them to completely understand this issue. Panasonic has pioneered the use of a ?Voice Guidance? system in their chairs to help consumers with ease of use. This interactive system enables novice users to quickly understand and use the chair to maximum benefit. The remote is very cleanly designed and intuitive. It is not cluttered like many controllers we evaluate. The remote comes with memory functions that can remember the favorite massages of up to 4 different users. Manual controls are located in the side panel of the remote. Overall Rating for the Panasonic EP 30004 for ease of use is 19.

Key Features: The important features of the Panasonic EP-30004 are the Junetsu massage and the shoulder/arm stretch. Panasonic has developed the Junetsu style massage in the Real Pro Ultra. The Junetsu is an ultra fine kneading massage. This uses small circular motions that penetrate deeply through the muscles for a soothing massage therapy. Panasonic has developed a novel shoulder stretch in the EP 30004. The arm rest has padded covers that lift up, where the hands and arms can be placed inside. The airbags then activate to which hold the arms. The chair back then reclines slightly to extend the arms and shoulders. This slow, gradual stretch helps to elongate the muscles of the arms and shoulders. This stretch helps to remove tension from the muscles and increase the range of motion. Overall Rating for the Panasonic Real Pro Ultra for features is 19.

Massage Therapy: The massage functions built into the Panasonic EP-30004 include both automatic and manual programs. There are four 15-minute Pre-Programs, One 5-minute Quick Program and One 15-minute Self Program. There are 4 full body automatic courses and 5 different massage speed settings. The automatic massage functions include the following: Shiatsu, Gentle, Deep and Refresh. Panasonic has developed its exclusive Junetsu or ultra fine kneading massage system in the Real Pro Ultra. This chair provides high quality and realistically replicated massage therapies. There are two stretching functions. There is a lower body stretch and the shoulder stretch. The lower body is covered with 22 airbags including the hands, arms, buttocks, calves and feet. This chair also provides both Swedish and shiatsu style massages for excellent massage coverage. Overall Rating for the Panasonic EP 30004 massage recliner for massage therapy is 19.

We score the overall rating of the EP 30004 as a 90/100. This Real Pro Ultra series lounger is a solid and well built massage recliner. It has some new and innovative features such as the shoulder stretch and the Junetsu massage. It provides comprehensive and thorough full body massage capability. We have to say we are still disappointed with Panasonic’s lack of design aesthetics. The chair just has a very industrial look which unfortunately continues to be their trademark look. The warranty is a bit light and an extended warranty should be considered for adequate protection. This is definitely one of the best massage chairs in its class and if you are looking for one, then check this one out.

Every industry has its myth about products, technology or features. The massage chair industry is no different and many myths have been put forward. One paticularly persistent one is about the number of motors. This myth claims that the more motors the better. There were claims of shiatsu massage chairs having 6, 10 or even 18 motors. Of course, having more motors can be advantegeous, but also has tradeoffs. Are these claims sustainable in reality. This myth is put to the test.

This myth buster will challenge the more motors the better the chair. There are inherent advantages to having more motors, such as more massage movements. As with anything, there are tradeoffs, such as quantity versus quality. Can a massage chair with 18 motors have the same quality motors in a chair with only 3 motors? Keep in mind that motors are one of the most expensive items in a massage chair. Since, motors are not cheap, as the number of motors increases, the cost of the chair increases holding the quality level equal. Obviously, there is a great chance as motors are added; the quality level of the motors will drop.

Weight is a consideration since motors weigh between 2 lbs to 5 lbs each. Imagine a massage chair with 18 motors, each weighing 5 lbs for a total of 90 lbs just in motors. Motors can quickly add more weight. Space is another important consideration. There is only so much space in a shiatsu massage chair for the motors and the mechanisms driven by the motor. Shiatsu assage chairs with 3 motors in the chair back are already constrained, where do the other 15 motors go?

How is the quality of massage with more or less motors? High end luxury massage chairs generally have 3 high quality motors to power the back massage rollers. There are individual motors to run the kneading massage and to run the tapping massage. The third motor drives the roller unit up and down the chair back. The tapping and kneading motors can be run simultaneously for the shiatsu massage.

There is a 5 motor design where the kneading and tapping use two motors each. This is done by having a motor on both the left and right side rollers for both the kneading and tapping. Having 2 motors for kneading splits the duty and should lead to longer motor life. Did it make any difference in the massage capabilities? There was no noticeable difference. Is more better?

There are still massage chair companies that claim to have very high numbers of motors. Certainly, they are not motors performing massage functions. These massage motors are expensive, heavy, take up space and are integral to a long, trouble-free life. Many massage chair companies jumped on this fad and perpertuated the myth. If adding motors does not add massage functions, then what is its value? In this case more is not better. More motors creates more potential problems, complicates the design and servicing. More motors also means the quality level is being sacrificed versus models with less motors. This myth is built on hype. Simple is beautiful!