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The focus of this product review is the mid range Sanyo SA5000 massage chair. We will evaluate this massage recliner in 5 separate categories ranging from warranty coverage to massage therapy. Each category can earn up to 20 points. An overall rating is given by adding up the scores for each category for a total of 100 possible points. This structured review helps to balance the review and provide a consistent basis for comparison. Let us take an in depth look at the Sanyo SA5000.

Warranty & Customer Service: The warranty coverage helps to reduce your risk in any electronics purchase. This gives you protection of defects from manufacturing of the product. The SA 5000 comes with the following warranty coverage: 1 year parts, 3 years roller mechanism, 1 year labor and 1 year in home technician service. We think the 1 year in home technician service is a good addition for Sanyo. We would like to see all parts covered for 3 years like the top manufacturers do. The customer service is good. Sanyo has a 24/7 call center which is technically competent. The SA-5000 earns a 15 in this category.

Comfort & Ergonomics: When one thinks of a massage chair, you think of comfort and relaxation. The ergonomics of the chair design needs to be comfortable and fit the users. The SA 5000 has a nice appearance with the triangular armrests. The armrests are well padded and comfortable. The side view of the chair is a little plain below the armrest detail which is a little industrial from our point of view. The chair is comfortable to sit in. The upholstered back pad is plush and soft to the touch. The headrest pillow can be adjusted to accommodate different users. The leg rest is one area of concern in that it cannot be adjusted or extended. Taller users may want to see how well they fit in the chair. This chair was originally designed for the Japanese market, so it is scaled for the target population. Our rating in this category is 15.

Ease of Use: We are always concerned with how easy a massage chair is to use. There are an ever increasing number of features and options, but the manufacturers need to make it easy to use. Everyone wants the best technology has to offer, but not at the expense of a steep learning curve. We like the Sanyo remote for the SA 5000. This is a clean and simple design. There are 4 automatic programs with one-touch buttons. If you like the massage you are getting and the area, then hit the Program Memory button and the chair will remember. This is like having additional automatic programs at your disposal. The side panel controls the lower body air system with individual controls for the lower body, calf, foot and thigh. Our rating in this category is 18.

Key Features: The SA-5000 comes with some unique technology from Sanyo. They include their GK roller systems for neck and shoulder massage. They also have a stiffness detection system integrated into the massage recliner. The GK roller system can reach out over the shoulders. It performs a grip massage that is effective to relieve tension and soreness in the shoulder and neck regions. The stiffness sensor is based on lie detector technology. It monitors your pulse and perspiration to determine areas of stiffness in the body. This is then fed into the computer which then directs the massage for those specific areas. The SA 5000 earns an 18 in this category.

Massage Therapy: The SA 5000 comes with 4 automatic programs, 4 programs stored in Memory, 4 manual massage techniques and 4 massage courses for targeted relief of stress areas. You can select from 5 roller width setting and 5 massage speed settings. The 4 full body automatic courses include: Stiffness, Relax, Recovery and Fine. Sanyo incorporates its exclusive multi-point shiatsu massage for the legs and feet. The air system covers the lower body including the feet, calves and thighs. There are a total of 24 airbags. The air only comfort course includes a multi-point shiatsu massage is delivered to the lower body for a comforting lower body massage. There is also an ankle grip massage. The ankle grip massage is performed by holding a range of built in airbags around the foot. Our rating in this category is 18.

Overall, we rate the Sanyo SA-5000 an 84/100. The SA 5000 comes with many of the same technologies as Sanyo’s high end version the DR7700. The stroke length of the back rollers is 28 inches compared to 31 inches for the DR 7700, but most of the same technology is in the SA 5000.

This provides superior coverage of the neck and shoulder regions. The warranty coverage is a bit light on the parts side and you may want to consider an extended warranty. The memory program is another nice feature enabling the chair to memorize a particular massage and its settings for repeat use. If you are looking at a mid range massage chair, this one is definitely worth a serious look.

The Prestigio massage chair is the subject of this product review. The OM-510 is made by the prestigious Omega Massage Corporation. We will submit this massage chair to a test of 5 separate categories. Each category can get between 0 and 20 points. We will look at the following areas for evaluation: Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. A maximum score of 100 points is possible in this review process. We now take a look at the OM-510 Prestigio massage chair recliner.

Warranty & Customer Service: You need to take the warranty serious with massage chairs. There are complex moving parts and you can avoid costly future issues. Look at it like an insurance policy. The Prestigio comes with 5 years on the frame, 3 years covered on parts, 90 days of in home service and also 1 year of parts shipping. This is very comprehensive for the mid-tier level. Customer service is competent and responsive. We score it a 19.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Ergonomic design considerations are paramount with a luxury lounger. One must be able to relax afterall! We like the Prestigio’s contoured feel of the back and how you can sink into the seat and chair back. The leg rest is comfortable and soothing. Controls are laid out well with large buttons, making it easier for the less dexterous among us. Switching to manual is two step process which takes getting used to. Overall, we score the OM-510 a 17 in ergonomics.

Ease of Use: Design of items with technical or complicated interfaces can frustrate users. We hear complaints about ease of use and this why it is an important category. We like the Prestigio with its color coded, large format buttons. The remote is laid out in a simple way with clear descriptions. The change from automatic and manual is a two button process which could be simplified. We give it a 16 for ease of use.

Key Features: The two outstanding features of the OM-510 in our minds are the foot massage with the reflexology nodes and the soothing shiatsu massage. Relax your feet after a tiring day with the Prestigio’s reflexology foot massage. This applies a firm compression massage over the tops of the feet while reflexology nodes gently push up into the bottom of the feet. Very soothing! The Shiatsu massage is a very invigorating and can penetrate deeply in the lumbar area. We are impressed with the deep tissue potential of this massage. First time users should attach the included softening pad. This is a relieving shiatsu massage recliner. We give it an 18 for its key features.

Massage Therapy: This category is what the culmination of the massage chair is all about–The Massage. The OM-510 comes with 3 excellent automatic massages. This chair hits the lower lumbar better than most luxury level massagers even though it has a shorter stroke length. The shiatsu and kneading massages provide soothing relief to the neck and shoulders. The lower body is invigorated with the air massage system. This uses compression style massage to gently squeeze, hold and release the buttocks, thighs, calves and feet. This is one massage therapy arsenal. We rate the massage therapy a 19 for the OM-510 Prestigio massage chair.

How does the Omega OM-510 rate overall? Overall, our rating of the Prestigio is an 89/100. This is a very impressive chair for the mid range level. This is perhaps the most strikingly beautifully designed chair on the market. This massage chair comes with handsome varnished wood armrests and silver accents on the arm supports. It has a warm and contemporary look. Omega adds a handsome wood side table as an extra designer touches. The massage therapies are very thorough and comprehensive. The warranty coverage is terrific. The OM-510 provides for a strong massage, which can be softened with the extra back pad included with the chair. If you are looking for a mid range massage chair, this is one of the best.

We present the 5 top features you should consider when buying a massage chair. These features help you really tailor the massage chairs to your needs. There are so many choices when it comes to massage chairs. You want to sort the wheat from the chaff. If you are seriously considering a massage chair, then think about these most important features and how they might help you.

Kneading Massage: The kneading function in a massage chair recliner is the most important. The kneading massage is a gentle or firm squeezing movement. The rollers must move sideways across your back to perform a kneading massage. Make sure that the massage chair you purchase has a motor that is dedicated just to the kneading massage. This is ensures that the kneading will have sufficient torque from the motor to perform flawlessly.

Air Massage System: The lower body massage is more effectively covered with an air massage system. An air massage system uses airbags to perform squeezing and holding movements. Air bags can be designed in any shape and size. They are used for the feet, calves, thighs, hips, buttocks, arms and hands. Since they are very flexible, they can be used throughout the massage chair recliner. Air systems use a compressor and a manifold to regulate the air flow to the various airbags. For effective relief for the body extremities an air massage system is the way to go.

Massage Courses: Massage courses are different areas that can be covered for your back. The massage rollers in the back of the chair can be moved to one spot, an area or the whole back. Massage courses enable the user to choose which area to cover with a manual massage. Basic massage chairs have 3 massage courses (upper, lower and whole back). In top level massage chairs, 4 or 5 manual courses are typical. If you have lower back pain, then select the lower back massage course and the chair focuses on that region.

Footrest Extension: This is a rather simple feature, but since massage chairs originated in Japan, they have always been small for the American market. To accommodate taller users (i.e. the average American), a footrest extension is critical. Most foot rest extensions allow the foot rest to go out an extra 3 to 4 inches. This doesn?t seem like a lot, but it is the difference between fitting in the massage chair and not. If you are five foot ten or over, you definitely want to investigate this further.

Wireless Sub Remote: It is amazing how many massage chairs are coming out with 2 remote controls. However, most 2nd remotes or sub remotes are tethered by a wire to the chair. The idea of a remote control is well to use it remotely–not tied to the chair. There is finally a wireless sub remote available. You can sit all the way back in the chair and operate most every function. This is important, because you do not want to have to get up to make adjustments to the massage. Sit back, relax and just click on the wireless sub remote.

Here are the 5 most critical features you may want to consider for your massage chair. Massage chair companies are always adding and upgrading their features. There are many innovative and effective features in the recliners of today. Take your time and find out what features are right for you. A massage chair is an important long term health decision. Understand what benefits you want out of a chair and make sure that your find the best massage chair for your needs.

We will take an in depth look at the Human Touch HT 7450 Zero Gravity massage chair in this review. This is a state of the art massage recliner with many advanced features and the Human Touch patented massage system. We will describe some of special features of this chair and also touch on the warranty coverage. Let us take a look at this luxury massage chair from Human Touch.

First we want to point out that when looking for a massage chair, it is imperative to go with a reputable company with retail distribution. There are so many imported massage chairs, which offer very low prices and unfortunately the same quality to match. This only becomes evident down the road when you have a problem with the massage recliner. We have heard too many horror stories, so go with a top brand. Rest assured, Human Touch is one of the top American brands out on the market and has national distribution. You will be covered down the road.

So let us look at the warranty coverage from Human Touch. The high end HT7450 gets the best warranty coverage from Human Touch in its product line. The HT 7450 comes with 5 years on the chair’s structure. There is a 3 year warranty on parts. You get 1 year labor and 90 days in home service. This is the most extensive warranty coverage offered by Human Touch. It is somewhat below average compared to the other name brands. Customer service is pretty good and turnaround is quick.

This massage recliner is what is known as a zero gravity lounger. What is a zero gravity lounger? This is a combination of the chair back and leg rest position that makes it a zero gravity position. This position is where your knees are elevated above your heart. It is supposed to take the direct pressure from the spine and distribute it across the whole back.

The recline function to the zero gravity position is highly engineered for ergonomics and that translates into comfort. For example, the armrests move independently of the chair back at the perfect ratio between the arms and the body. This ensures there is no stress or tension on the neck, shoulder or arms in the zero gravity position.

The seat in the HT 7450 automatically tilts downward when reclining to the zero gravity position. This allows the body to move naturally to the most comfortable position to support your lumbar. These are highly advanced functions to get you in a very comfortable zero gravity position.

You may or may not be a fan of zero gravity, but what are the massage functions with this massage recliner? The HT 7450 comes with 8 automatic programs that work off a touch of a button. There are 8 seat massage choices with pulsating action. You can also select from 4 manual massage treatments. There is also a dual lumbar heating system built into the chair back. The leg rest has a built in calf massager.

One of our favorite pre-programmed massages is the Full Body Sore Muscle Relief massage treatment. This massage treatment has a warm up, full massage and then a warm down in its program cycle. The warm up massage lasts for 3 minutes and is to loosen the muscles for the main massage cycle. The main massage cycle is a deep tissue massage to relieve sore, aching muscles. The recliner then shifts into a warm down to relax the muscles for the final three minutes.

The HT-7450 zero gravity massage recliner is a high end massage lounger. It has a contemporary design and has some advanced zero gravity features. The chair comes in top grain leather and also has heater, so we do not know the long term affect on the leather. This recliner comes with some effective massage therapy and compliments any room in your house. The HT 7450 is worth checking out if you are in the market for a high end massage chair recliner.

I am a mother of two children (one girl and one boy) and as a result I have received a lot of baby gifts. Some gifts which I have loved and some that sat in the back of the closet. This article is for anybody who is wondering what to buy for a baby shower gift. What most parents need is not the cutest outfit out there; they also need it to be functional.

1) Do not buy blue or pink clothing:

This is a personal preference but I have talked to other mothers who feel the same way. When my daughter was born everybody bought pink outfits. The closet was a sea of pink, there was so much pink that I was sick of the colour. My husband’s and my favourite outfit soon became a rusty orange colour set. It complemented her skin tone and - it was not pink. That colour came back to haunt me for a second time when I had my son; I found that I could not reuse the generic clothing like sleepers, socks and onesies because they were all pink.

Your gift will be used more if it is a gender neutral or a “different” colour from the standard baby girl pink or baby boy blue.

2) Stay away from clothing with snaps or buttons down the back:

In order to get a practical gift ask yourself two questions: 1) It is in the middle of the night, it is dark, can I change this outfit without waking the baby? and 2) When the diaper leaks (and trust me it is going to eventually) can this outfit come off easily without spreading the mess everywhere?

Any clothing item that is too difficult to either put on or take off a baby will soon be sent to the back of the closet.

What moms need are cute and practical outfits!

3) If it needs ironing - forget it!

A supermom could run the household perfectly and take care of a newborn - that was not me. Once the exhaustion sets in after having a new baby, most moms consider it an accomplishment some days just to manage to have a shower and get dressed.

The laundry got done, but I never ironed one piece of clothing. The only time my daughter got to wear the adorable frilly outfits is whenever grandma visited and actually ironed them for me. Wash and wear was my motto, if it did not look good without ironing then it wasn’t used.

Remember wash and wear clothing will be appreciated by the new parents.

4) Out of season baby clothes:

How big will the baby be in six or nine months? How can anybody know for sure?

The out of season clearance racks may allow you buy a lot of clothes at a great price, but stay away from them.

A quality gift is something the baby can use. No matter which brand name you buy out of season, if it is not used then it is not a quality gift.

From personal experience, I have stored beautiful out of season gifts in the hope to eventually get to use them. In the end when my kids needed the clothing they did not fit so the gifts went from the closet to the storage bin without even being worn once.

When you buy a baby gift you are really buying a gift for somebody you do not know and that can be really hard. In our lives we have all received well intentioned but impractical gifts that have sat unused - how often have you wished for something else instead - with some thought that wont happen to your baby gift.

To find a great baby shower gift remember the 4 rules.