Sanyo Massage Chair's Stiffness Sensor

We've been getting quite a few calls lately about the Sanyo HEC-SA5000K and its stiffness sensing technology. Although this technology, which integrates a heart rate monitor with the massage, has existed for a few years, Sanyo has been getting a good amount of attention since they started marketing this feature.

The secret is in the heart rate monitor that can be attached to the chair. Here's how it works: as the massage rollers contact an area on your body that is sore or tense, your heart rate increases. This is your body's natural reaction. When this happens, the attached heart rate monitor notices a jump in heart rate and tells the chair to concentrate on that area.

While this sounds like a great feature, in some ways, it can make for a less therapeutic massage. For a massage chair to truly do its job, it needs to be used on every part of the body. Technology like this, if it works like it's supposed to, will focus your massage only on sore or tense areas, neglecting the rest of the body. A good massage program covers all areas of the body, and provides evenly distributed therapy to all muscle groups.

Some chairs, like the PHP-2026, are already compatible with a heart rate monitor.
Click to learn more about the PHP-2026...