Panasonic EP-1273 KL Shiatsu Massage Chair Review
Panasonic has been manufacturing 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 price range of 2 to 3 thousand dollars. We do a thorough review rating a massage chair in five major categories where you can score up to twenty points. The sum of the points yields the president’s overall rating out of a possible 100 points. Here’s our review of the Panasonic EP 1273 massage recliner.
Warranty Coverage and Customer Service – Even though Panasonic is one of the most famous brands out there, you still want to make sure you get the proper warranty protection. Even the best companies have bad days and you certainly don’t want to be stuck with a massage chair made on a bad day. This is the warranty you get with the EP1273: there’s one year of parts and labor coverage. For this price range, these are shorter times than other competing brands. You get 1 year of free parts shipping, which is nice. The best coverage is the one-year home service. This is above industry norms for this price range. Panasonic customer service is average. We give the warranty coverage for this model a 16.
Comfort and Ergonomics: We have this category because with the increasing number of features, some functions are not easily accessible or difficult to reach. Also, we’ve tried massage trays that just weren’t comfortable to sit on after a few minutes. Panasonic has designed the EP 1273 to be comfortable for relaxing. The materials are soft to the touch and it comes with a pillow to support the head. The remote is well designed and easy to understand. This model rates an 18 for this key area.
Ease of use: One of the challenges with modern computers is that so many features are now included. The design challenge is to make these devices simple to understand and easy to use. Panasonic has been involved in this field for a long time and takes it very seriously. The remote control of the EP1273 is very well designed. It is simple to understand and it hardly takes time to use. We are impressed with the simplicity of this chair and give it an 18 in this category.
Key Features: The EP 1273 massage recliner has several great features. The features we want to highlight are the Swede-Atsu massage and the stretching function of the leg rest. The Swede-Atsu massage is a specially designed massage mechanism integrated into this massage chair. The Swede-Atsu replicates the movements of the hands of a master masseur. This is fabulous technology. Panasonic also incorporates a lower body stretch feature. This stretch is achieved by bringing the legrest to a horizontal position. Then hold your feet and come down, straightening your legs. This is very relaxing and a great way to unwind after a long day. The EP1273 gets an 18 for its features.
Massage therapy: This is the most important category for a massage chair. Obviously, massage therapy must be effective or else it is a disappointment. There are eight manual massage techniques that will please the most demanding massage lovers. You can also choose to target specific regions of your back or point to a specific location. Pre-programs provide an effective full-body massage at the touch of a button. There are 3 fifteen minute massage programs and one five minute program. These are well timed and provide effective relief. The air massage system adds the calves and feet to the equation. Overall you get a very good set of massage treatments for this price range. We give the EP 1273 year 18 in this category.
We rate the EP 1273 an 88/100 in our overall rating. The EP-1273 is packed with excellent massage techniques. This full body massage chair offers the most massage techniques in its price category. You get a full arsenal of massage treatments. The stretch function is a great addition and provides an effective method of relieving tight leg muscles. The warranty on this model is less than we would like to see. If you’re looking for a full-body massage chair, the EP1273 certainly provides solid massage therapy compared to massage chairs in its class.
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