Massage Chair Review: Panasonic EP-30003 KU Massage Recliner

This is a massage chair review of the Panasonic EP 30003 shiatsu recliner. This is the new line of recliners called the Real Pro Ultra by Panasonic. This review will point out some of the important features, warranty coverage and specifications of this chair. The EP-30003 is a mid range model in the price range of $2,000 to $3,000.

Although warranty coverage is not as exciting as the features of the chair, it is important for you as a consumer. The warranty coverage should reduce the risk you are taking in the purchase of a given product. The warranty is to protect you from defects in workmanship of the product. The EP-30003 comes with 3 years on the parts and 1 year labor. Panasonic will cover the shipping for the first year. Panasonic has finally started to offer in home technician service for its massage chairs. Prior to this one had to take their chair to an authorized service center. An extended warranty is at extra cost, but is recommended, since this is a big ticket item.

The features and options included in massage chairs are ever increasing. This means the controllers for these chairs become more complex. Therefore, ease of use is a key factor, since many features will not be used if they are not intuitive. Who has time to read the manual these days? Panasonic has deep experience in this area since they are a large electronics company. As such they include a helpful voice guidance system to navigate you through using the features. This is helpful in the beginner or for first time users. The remote is cleanly designed and fairly intuitive to use. The self programs take some getting used to, but are worth the effort. The remote is not very cluttered compared to many we see, which is a good thing.

What are the most important features of the Panasonic EP-30003? Panasonic has developed an ultra fine kneading technique called Junetsu. This Junetsu technique utilizes small circular movements combined with firm pressure. This provides deep muscle penetration and invigorating relief. Junetsu is a welcome addition to the arsenal of massage therapies included in this chair. The other key feature we like about this chair is the extendable leg rest. The extendable leg rest is much easier to position to effectively get the areas of the leg you want to target. This also helps those who are taller, since most of these chairs are designed in Asia. Most taller people cannot find chairs to really fit them. The chair still has some limits for taller people, but the leg rest extension is a move in the right direction.

The Real Pro Ultra has a sleek, post modern design. It is somewhat industrial in its design and lacks some designer touches. This is a bit of a drawback. The massage recliner is comfortable to sit in. It has soft padded armrest covers. The synthetic leather is surprisingly soft to the touch. There is a contoured head pillow to give support. The backpad has adequate padding to be soft to sit in. The rollers do not stick out too far when not in use, so the chair is comfortable to sit in when not being used for massage. This is overall a well designed chair.

The EP 30003 comes with a vast array of massage therapies to choose from. The manual massage techniques include: Junetsu, Shiatsu, Swedish, Knead, Stretch, Tap and Full Roll. There are one touch automatic programs. Just select from four 15-minute Pre-Programs, One 5-minute Quick Program. The automatic programs include Shiatsu, Swedish, Deep, Stretch and Quick. Each of these automatic massages targets specific results ranging from relieving tight muscles to increased blood circulation to stretching. There is an air massage system also included. This covers just the calves and feet only. There is no thigh or seat massage included in this chair.

The Real Pro Ultra is the new series of massage chairs by Panasonic. The EP-30003 is the entry level lounger at the mid range price level. We like the Junetsu massage techniques for its deep penetration capability. This is a great innovation included in this chair. The aesthetic design of this chair is its only major issue with us. The quality and reliability of this chair is pretty solid. If you are looking a mid tier massage chair, this is definitely worth your consideration.