Monday, January 19, 2009

Review for the Sanyo HEC SR1000K Massage Chair Recliner

By James Knolan

Sanyo has a full range of massage chairs in their product line. We are going to take an in depth view of the entry level model for Sanyo. The model SR 1000K is the subject of this product review. Our reviews are systematic and we judge any massage chair is five critical areas. We give a point rating of up to twenty points per area for a total possible score of 100. This is the SR-1000K massage chair recliner by Sanyo.

Warranty Coverage & Customer Service: First let us get the driest part of the review out of the way first-the warranty coverage. OK, we all know that warranty coverage is important in complicated machines like massage chairs. But what kind of coverage do you get from Sanyo? Sanyo provides the same warranty for all its chairs. The good news is that it adds up to good coverage for an entry level chair. You get 3 years of warranty for the roller mechanism, 1 year parts and labor, and 1 year in home service. There is also a call center for issues, should they arise. We give the SR1000 a 19 for its warranty.

Comfort & Ergonomics: This is an important element, especially for entry level massage chairs. We have tried many entry level chairs that were not comfortable which defeats the purpose of a massage chair. The SR1000K is pretty comfortable to sit in. It has an adjustable head pillow and a plush back pad. The main power button is located on the left side of the chair and can be reached when seated. The leg massager requires you to bend down to flip the foot massage mechanism out. This is the least ergonomic part of the massage recliner. We rate the comfort and ergonomics of the SR 1000 as a 17.

Ease of Use: The advance of electronics is just simply amazing. However with this amazing advance come other challenges. All the new features that are in massage chairs must be learned and the user must figure out how to use them all. This is where the design becomes of paramount importance. The remote for the SR1000 seems to have more steps than needed to obtain the massage you want. We give this massage chair a 16 for this category.

Key Features: This massage chair comes with the Sanyo stiffness detector. The stiffness detector uses technology borrowed from lie detectors. The stiffness detector in the SR 1000 can sense tightness in the muscles of the body and other points of stress. The user holds the side of the remote and the chair can detect these areas of stiffness. The chair will then target these areas for relief. The other interesting feature is the shape sensor. The shape sensor takes a measurement of the position of the shoulders. The chair then identifies where the shoulders are at and adjusts the massage accordingly. The rollers width will then become less when it gets to your shoulders and for your neck area. These are some advanced electronic features that are unique to Sanyo. We give a rating of 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: The Sanyo SR 1000 massage chair has the capability to massage your back, neck, shoulders, calves and feet. We consider a full body massage chair one that also has a seat massage which the SR1000 lacks. The SR 1000 comes with 2 automatic programs. One is for a more soothing massage and the other targets you after more vigorous activity. There are 3 manual massage techniques and there are 3 manual courses. The manual courses enable you to target a particular area with a massage treatment. You also get your calves and feet via the leg rest. The SR 1000 rates a 17 for massage therapy.

So how does the Sanyo SR1000K rate overall? In our review it gets an 87/100 points. We like the warranty and that gives you confidence that it will last. The electronic features are interesting, but they seem to be at the expense of more massage treatments. There are only 2 automatic programs, which seem a bit light compared to other massage chairs. The look of the chair is a little different, because the main power is located on the side. The aesthetics are nice otherwise. This is an interesting massage chair and is worth checking out. - 15438

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