If you are a potential massage chair buyer, then finding an unbiased review of a given massage chair can be helpful. Here are 5 important categories to evaluate the total massage chair experience. This system gives equal weight to each of the 5 categories with each category having from 0 to 20. A 100 point score means the chair and the company has achieved total excellence. The 5 categories are Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. The discipline of a systematic approach provides for balance help those seriously considering a massage chair. The Sanyo HEC-DR7700K is the subject of this review. This luxury shiatsu massage chair is in the $4,000 to $5,000 range.
Warranty & Customer Service: Warranty and customer service come from the company that makes the massage chair. A warranty protects the customer and customer service must rectify issues one may have. With the HEC-DR7700K, Sanyo covers 3 years on the roller mechanism, 1 year on parts, 1 year labor and 1 year in-home service. In most cases, Sanyo has 1 year covering shipping. Sanyo covers the roller mechanism for 3 years, but other parts and labor is only 1 year. Sanyo forces the customer to purchase an extended warranty for additional protection that other manufacturers already. On the customer service side, Sanyo overall is available 24/7 and has average competence and average turnaround times. The Sanyo HEC-DR7700K is a 14 in Warranty & Customer Service.
Comfort & Ergonomics: Massage chair recliners should fit the body and be comfortable to site on. The Sanyo DR7700K is well padded and the chair back comfortable. The detachable head pillow is designed well to support the head. The seat is average to sit in and the armrests are plush. Unfortunately, the footrest cannot be adjusted which limits the chair to shorter individuals. Taller people feel some restriction with the footrest. Overall Rating for Sanyo DR7700K for comfort and ergonomics is 15.
East of Use: Ease of use is defined as how intuitive the controls and how complicated are they to use without reading the instructions. Sanyo is known for its stereos and other electronics with advanced features. The remote control of the HEC-DR7700K is fairly simple and intuitive to use. Select from 4 automatic programs and sit back and relax. One button takes you to the Zero Gravity position. The Sanyo remote contains manual massage controls in a side panel. The sub-remote, unfortunately is tethered by a cable to the chair. Overall Rating for the Sanyo HEC-SR7700K for ease of use is 19.
Key Features: The important features of the Sanyo HEC-DR7700K are the GK Rollers which is designed to provide over the shoulder massage in a third dimension. The other key feature is the Zero Gravity which takes the weight off you spine. The jointed massage heads of the GK Rollers push out and over the shoulders in a gripping action. Most rollers move in the X and Y coordinates, Sanyo has added the Z coordinate to add a real third dimension to robotic massage. Zero Gravity is a comfortable position with the body weight evenly distributed across the back. Overall Rating for the Sanyo HEC-DR7700K for features is 18.
Massage Therapy: The massage functions are included in the Sanyo HEC-DR7700K includes Four automatic full body programs, 5 different speed settings and a 83 combinations of manual massage courses. The automatic massage functions include the following: Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping, and Kneading & Tapping. Sanyo equips the HEC-DR7700K with its GK Rollers providing a gripping action to the shoulders and neck regions. The lower body has 24 airbags of coverage. The airbags provide an undulating sole shiatsu massage. This shiatsu massage chair is overall very solid giving good massage therapy and variety. Overall Rating for the Sanyo HEC-DR7700K massage recliner for massage therapy is 19.
We just reviewed 5 categories ranging from warranty to features to ergonomics. How does the Sanyo HEC-DR7700K Based on the 5 categories the total score for the Sanyo HEC-DR7700K is a 85/100. The Sanyo HEC-DR7700K provides fairly thorough full body massage therapy. The technology is innovative and reliable. Sanyo has one of the weaker warranties providing less protection for the customer. The Sanyo HEC-DR7700K integrates some interesting features to locate trouble areas and provides good relief to the shoulders and neck. The Sanyo has most of the elements of a great massage chair, but seems to be lacking from its roots. The sensory experience missing seems to be music and with Sanyo\'s background in stereos just seems odd. This is a luxury class massage chair and has solid technology, but just seems a bit incomplete. The Sanyo HEC-DR7700K is just average for the luxury class of shiatsu massage chairs.