We present review of the Sanyo model HEC SA5000 massage chair. Our intention is to provide a massage chair buyer with an objective review and evaluation of a given massage chair. We use a 5 category system. Equal weight is given to each category. Each category can earn from 0 to 20 points. The points are then summed up to provide you with an overall score. The 5 categories cover the following: Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. This system gives us a disciplined process of evaluating a massage chair. We hope you find this helping in your search for the best massage chair for your needs. The Sanyo HEC-SA5000 massage chair recliner price is in the $3,000 to $4,000 range.

Warranty & Customer Service: Let us start at the company level and rate the warranty and customer service for Sanyo. Warranty coverage is a good benchmark of the manufacturer's confidence is its product. Sanyo gives a 1 year labor, 1 year parts and 1 year in-home service. It does cover the roller mechanism for 3 years. For a company as large as Sanyo, the warranty is a little weaker than we would expect. Sanyo did start offering in-home service, which is an important service upgrade to match others in the industry. At least with in-home service they provide 1 year. Overall, customer service is competent. They have a national hot line with 24/7 service. Turnaround time on service is ok. Our Rating in this category is 15.

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: Massage chairs have evolved to full body massage loungers. This is an excellent development, but on the flip side, manufacturers need to ensure that their product remain simple and easy to use. The SA 5000 remote control is fairly straightforward to use. It has 4 single touch automatic programs. You have a Program Memory button that memorizes the last few minutes of massage and will store it for future use. There is a side panel that contains the manual massage functions. The SA 5000 comes with a wired sub remote. This sub remote has the pulse monitoring system and has the program memory function and enables you to work the foot rest and chair back. This recliners earns an 18 in this category.

Key Features: The prominent features in the Sanyo SA 5000 are the Stiffness Detection Sensor and the GK Rollers. The stiffness detection sensor is based on lie detection technology. This sensor detects stress points throughout your whole back. The stiffness detection gauges fatigue by monitoring changes in your perspiration and pulse rate. This information is then fed into the computer and the software will adjust the massage programs to target areas of stiffness or tight muscles. The GK Rollers are specially designed rollers that have the capability to perform a grip or grasping massage. The GK roller technology ?reaches out? and grabs you. This is especially effective for the neck and shoulder area. These rollers squeeze your shoulders and neck area to emulate the grasping and kneading of a professional masseuse. Our rating in this category is 18.

Massage Therapy: This massage chair comes equipped with 4 full body automatic courses including Stiffness, Relax, Recovery and Fine. There are also 4 programs stored in Memory, 4 manual massage techniques and 4 massage courses. Select from 5 roller width setting and 5 massage speed settings. This model also comes with an air system for the lower body. This system has 24 airbags and covers the feet, calves and thighs. There is also a multi-point shiatsu massage for targeting the lower body for a soothing and relaxing lower body massage. The massage therapy is very effective in the SA 5000 and it scores an 18 in massage therapy.

How does the Sanyo SA-5000 stack up? We give this massage chair an 84/100 in our overall rating. There is some innovative technology contained in this mid range model. We are impressed with the GK roller system which is also in the high end Sanyo model. 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.

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