Thank you so much for your email inquiry. Great questions and here are my thoughts…

The difference between the Panasonic 30006 and 30007 is very small…the 30007 used to be manufactured in Japan and the 30006 in China. The 30007 also has the wooden arm rests, whereas the 30006 had the synthetic leather on the arm rests (the same material that was everywhere else on the chair).

The 30006 has been discontinued because the Panasonic moved the manufacturing of the 30007 to China, as it has with all of it’s models. So, there was really no need anymore for the 30006, since the country of origin was the major difference in the first place.

Human Touch and Panasonic have both been around a while, with Panasonic being the older of the two. Both companies have their chairs made in China now. Here are the main differences between the chairs of the two companies:

1. Warranty – Panasonic just bumped up their warranty from a 1 year parts and labor in-home warranty (with 2 years for parts and 3 years for structure) to a 3 year parts and labor in-home warranty with an extra 2 years for parts only. Human Touch has the standard 1 year parts and labor in-home, 2 year parts, 3 year structure warranty.

2. Human Touch massage chairs cater to taller folks. The Panasonic 30007 is ideal for someone 5’11” or less. If you are taller than that, the chair will seem a little small for you. You will feel “crowded” in the chair. Human Touch chairs are ideal for people up to 6’4″ tall.

3. The Panasonic 30007 chair is a more feature-rich chair. It has more airbags, more areas of the body being massaged, more options on the remote control than any of the Human Touch chairs.

4. Human Touch has always paid attention to aesthetics. Their chairs don’t always look like massage chairs. For example, the HT-7450 looks like an executives chair plus you can roll the calf massage wells under so that it doesn’t reflect the look of a massage chair at all. Panasonic is a more typical looking massage chair. It is built for therapy and not so much for looks.

I should also mention that the HT-5320 is not being made anymore by Human Touch…it has been discontinued. You may find a refurbished unit out there somewhere but the warranty is for only 90 days. The HT-74540 would be the chair of choice for you from the Human Touch line.

What chair would I recommend between the HT-7450 and the Panasonic 30007? If I am under 5’11”, which I am (I am 5’10”) I would choose the Panasonic 30007. I really like the feel of the massage and it’s flexibility as far as what features to use. I love the HT-7450 too, but I have both chairs in my showroom and I always gravitate to the 30007 over the 7450 if I am choosing because the 30007 positions itself and begins massaging with the touch of one button. The HT-7450 requires me to set the position of the chair back and then the ottoman, followed by selecting an auto program. It is just easier to get started in the 30007.

I hope this helps in some way. Feel free to contact me anytime with more questions or if you need assistance with your order.

Dr. Alan Weidner