Panasonic has been making 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 2 to 3 thousand dollar price range. We make a comprehensive review by rating a massage chair in five important categories where it can get up to twenty points. The sum of the points then yields the chair’s overall rating out of 100 possible points. Here is our evaluation of the Panasonic EP 1273 massage chair recliner.
Warranty Coverage & Customer Service: The first area we like to cover is the warranty coverage for massage chairs. This is an important long-term consideration. Massage chairs have many moving parts and complex electronics. You want to make sure you are adequately protected. Let us look at the warranty of the Panasonic EP-1273KL massage chair. The EP-1273 comes with the following warranty coverage: 1 year parts, 1 year labor, 1 year shipping and 1 year in-home service. This is a fair warranty for a mid-level. Although, you may want to consider getting an extended warranty for additional protection. Customer service for Panasonic is fair. Overall, we rate the warranty and customer service a 16.
Comfort & Ergonomics: Let us take a look at the EP-1273 from a comfort perspective. The chair back is well padded. You get a pillow to support your head that can accommodate the size of different users. The chair tends to fit the body well and support the back. The materials selected add to the comfort of the chair. The remote is simple for the amount of functions. Panasonic has thought through the design well and earns an 18 for the EP1273.
Ease of Use: As technology advances, we are seeing that more features are being added at incrementally lower costs. That is an excellent trend for consumers. On the other side of this is for manufacturers to keep the use of their equipment simple and easy to use. Luckily, Panasonic is an expert in this field. The EP 1273 is no exception. You can master the controls very quickly and easily. We give this massage chair an 18 for ease of use.
Key Features: There are quite a few important features, but we will narrow it down to two. The two key features are the 8 manual massage treatments and the Swede-Atsu massage mechanism. Panasonic incorporates an amazing array of eight manual techniques. The manual techniques include Shiatsu, Swedish, Hawaiian, tapping, rolling, kneading, compression and percussion. There is a massage therapy for virtually every need. The other key feature is the Swede-Atsu massage mechanism. This is a mechanical feature that is designed to replicate the feel of the use of thumbs and the palm of the hand. The mechanics were patterned after real hand movements and then built into the massage chair. These advance features rate an 18 in our book.
Massage Therapy: The EP 1273 comes with the most variety of massage treatments for a massage chair in its class. You have a choice of automatic and manual programs. You can select from 4 automatic and 8 manual massage techniques. The automatic programs run the entire chair, including the air massage system. The 8 manual massage techniques are specifically for the back. Furthermore, there are 3 massage courses that target specific areas of the back. You can also vary the roller width and the intensity settings of the massages. The leg rest comes with an air compression massage for the feet and calves. This is a nice package of thorough massage therapies for a mid range massage chair. The EP-1273 is rated an 18 for massage therapy.
The Panasonic EP-1273 KL is a great value for a midrange chair. We give it an overall rating of 88 out of 100 points. We are most concerned with the short warranty for parts and labor. Otherwise, you get an excellent variety of massage treatments to choose from. The stretching function is another nice feature added into this massage recliner. The EP1273 massage chair is definitely worth checking out if you are looking at mid range massage chairs.
There is only so much we can put in a product review, so check out the fabulous features and functions of the Panasonic EP-1273 Massage Chair at our site. You will find the full line of Panasonic Massage Chairs including the new Real Pro Ultra series, which is the newest line by Panasonic.
