We no longer carry the Panasonic line of massage chairs. If you are interested in massage chairs that are similar, please check out our 3D Massage Chairs, 4D Massage Chairs, or Japanese Massage Chairs. If you have any questions, please call us anytime.
A question we have been getting from a lot of shoppers is, What are the differences between the Panasonic EP-MA70 Massage Chair and Panasonic EP-MA73 Massage Chair massage chairs? Since these chairs can be hard to find and try, we wanted to weigh in with our expertise and help answer this question. Panasonic recently released their EP-MA73 and this is their newest chair since they released the Panasonic EP-MA70 back in 2011. Since its debut, the Panasonic EP-MA73 has already become very popular. Panasonic massage chairs are considered some of the highest quality chairs available and have a high rate of satisfaction from users. Of course, being the experts in massage chairs, we were delighted to see all the new massage technology that the new Panasonic EP-MA73 would have. Below is a full Panasonic EP-MA73 vs Panasonic EP-MA70 massage chair comparison.
Panasonic EPMA73 vs Panasonic EPMA70 Massage Chair Comparison
The Panasonic EP-MA70 and Panasonic EP-MA73 have a lot of basic similarities. They look almost identical in shape and size, with only a few differences in appearances. The EP-MA70 has wood grain armrests while the EP-MA73 has soft faux leather armrests with silver details on the side of the chair. The EP-MA73 also has perforated leather on some of the airbags, the seat and the backrest. The EP-MA70 has a simple smooth faux leather.
The Panasonic EP-MA73 has bigger space in the ottoman for your calves and the airbags are larger. This will help for larger people since the leg area can be tight on some users.
The massage roller in each chair is very similar and both massage chairs feel absolutely amazing with the heated rollers. The Heated massage in the feet, and the arm airbag are much better than in the older EP-MA70. The EP-MA70 arm airbags feel good and hit certain points in the arms and hands because of special nodes, but the EP-MA73 arm airbags has three pressure points that are in the shape of a diamond. These airbags alternate when they inflate and massage and they feel better when they hit the different points on your hand and your forearm. The nodes in the airbags on the EP-MA73 are also less aggressive than those found in the EP-MA70.
For people with more sensitive feet, they will like the Panasonic EP-MA73 foot massage more. The armrests also move more smoothly when the chair reclines, so that the arm massage never gets disrupted during the massage. This also helps in the comfort of the chair and helps a person relax more quickly.
The Panasonic EP-MA73 also has better stretch features with two additional stretch programs. They also redesigned the previous stretch techniques and put more emphasis on the roller in the chair. The airbags and massage roller work more intelligently to focus and apply more pressure to certain areas.
Comparison Video
From using both of the massage chairs, we definitely think the differences are worth the difference in price. For shoppers on a tighter budget, the EP-MA70 is a great massage chair for people looking for a high quality 3D roller experience.
We are happy to help shoppers learn more about both Panasonic massage chairs, and suggest calling us to find out about special pricing for both models. Our massage chair experts can be reached at 888.360.9996, by email at support@emassagechair.com, and through our Online Chat.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Hi. I am Matt with eMassageChair.com Customer Service. In this video today, I wanted to do a comparison of the two top-of-the-line Panasonic chairs. We carry both of these models. We have the EP-MA70, which has been out for several years -- a top selling massage chair put out by Panasonic, a lot of very intelligent massage features. And here we have their brand new EP-MA73, which has been around for about three months, already has become a top-selling model of Panasonic, one of the top-selling chairs that we carry.
What I would like to do in this video is quickly compare some of the features that these chairs have, upholstery, the different massage functions, and the upgrades of this model here. And to get started, I wanted to first take a look at the upholstery of the chair. They look very similar. This chair has a very similar look as the MA-70, built on the same type of chassis. But, what they did is they gave it a much cleaner, more handsome look. They have covered the armrest here in the polyurethane leather, synthetic leather, very comfortable to sit in as a sitting chair against the wood grain. Definitely an upgrade, more comfortable, it does not get as cold when you are sitting in the chair. They also did a perforated design on the back padding itself. This will help the chair breathe when you are sitting in it. It can very hot during a massage. And they have made a thinner padding on this chair, so it is a better sitting chair as well.
This chair is still a great model, different synthetic leather, much smoother, but also as soft, but not as breathable and not as thin, as comfortable, as a sitting chair. You will also notice this solid black design will fit into many different types of décor. This has a little bit of a dated look to it. It is still a great massage chair.
What I wanted to also talk about was the 3D roller on each chair. Both of them have a 3D heated J-roller that can be very strong or soft depending on the style that you like. But, one thing Panasonic did is they got a lot of feedback on the lower back massage on this chair. It started to seem that it was pushing out much harder than any other place on the back. It did not matter what intensity it was on. So, what they did is they went ahead and redesigned the back roller on this one, changed the mechanism in the back in the track that it goes on making it much smoother, much gentler, more lifelike. Even through the different intensities, we have noticed that it still delivers a much better massage, but it does not give you that aching feeling of pushing you out of the chair.
Other things that they did and what we think one of the biggest factors is is the new arm massage and the new foot massage. On this, we have more of a rectangular design to the airbags. They are ribbed. They feel very lifelike. And they move in an undulated fashion or a rhythmic fashion to where they hit different parts of the forearm, different parts of the hand, very similar to what you would experience visiting a hand masseuse.
Now, on this chair, it was more about acupressure points. So, there is small nodes it puts up into the forearm, into the hands that give you a very focused type of therapy that will help increase blood flow, but may not give you the full therapy experience that you have on this. We do like the arm massage on this chair. Down on the feet, they have lessened the amount of nodes underneath the foot to make it more gentle. This one definitely has more aggressive nodes on the bottom, which will work for people who like a very intense acupressure-focused type of foot massage. This one, however, has more of a smarter design, pushing the foot back and forth over the node with the airbags to cover the entire foot. So, the whole foot gets more of a kneading type of focus. That is what the whole idea behind the arm and the foot massage was about. They also did, to increase the foot therapy, is they put heat underneath the feet. So, your feet will actually heat up during the massage, increase the blood flow, and help with the whole healing and relieving process of the foot massage.
One feature that we really liked about the MA-73 is that, when you go into a recline, the arms actually sink with the chair. So, as you move back, so do the arms. With this chair here, it does not have that effect. So, you can actually have your arms pulled out of the arm massage when you are getting a massage. It can lessen the experience fighting to put your arms back in. It is not as comfortable. It kind of dampers the whole massage experience. Now, if you are sitting upright, it is totally fine. But, with the recline, you are going to get that full experience. Your body is hugged the entire time you are in the massage.
Because of that new synched design and because of some of the things that they have done with the ottoman, essentially making it less resistant, 40% less resistance against your feet, it is easier for taller people to fit into this chair. We have noticed that just the subtleties of the chair will allow a person 6ft, 6ft-2in really stretching it, to still fit comfortably in this chair. Now, this chair will definitely top out at around six one, six foot. It is a pretty good sweet spot -- down to about five feet on both chairs.
Another thing that we really like about this chair is the different stretch features. It is probably the most important upgrade that we have seen in a massage chair in a long time. This chair does have stretch features. But, because of the limits on its arm sync, and the back roller, and the ottoman, this chair kind of answered all those questions and then incorporated extra stretch techniques -- stretch techniques for the shoulders, stretch techniques for the neck, the hips, and the legs. So, it is a very comprehensive massage therapy experience.
Of course, we still love both of these chairs. The have always been top sellers. Panasonic makes some of the best massage technology around. You cannot go wrong with a heated 3D roller.
And, of course, we are happy to answer more questions that customers might have. We do offer best pricing on both these chairs. So, if you do not see something online, just give us a call. And you can reach us at 888-360-9996 or you can email a question to a massage chair expert at support@emassagechair.com.
I am Matt with Customer Service. Thank you for watching.
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