Smooth Operator

Amid the pressures of modern living，vending massage chairs have proven a cheap and easy way for young people to unwind. Butisthistrendbuiltto last？

遍地開花的共享按摩椅躺得舒服，心里打鼓？

A stroll through one of China's many mallsthesedaysoftencomeswith hearinga familiar refrain：“Master， you must be tired from shopping. Come sitdownand getamassage！\"The invitationis enticing-thoughit'snotapersoncallingout，but asleek，high-techmassagechair.

Overthe past decade，vending massage chairshavesteadilymadetheir way into public spacesacross China.With a quickscan of a QR code，userscanreclineand letthechair'ssoft pleathersurfaceenvelopthem，asmotorized nodesworktheirwayacrosstheneck，shoulders back，and legs.

Whileafull-bodymassageatatraditional spa can cost upward of lOO yuan per hour， these chairsoffera3O-minute session forlessthan 25 yuan，roughlytheprice ofa cup ofbubble tea.Momoda，a popular massage chairbrand， emphasizes thisaspectwith their slogan：\"Use yoursparechangetotreatyourselftoaminispa.

Butas these chairs continue to proliferate in public spaces，aseriesofhigh-profile incidents concerningproductsafetyandhygiene-and growing frustration overthedisplacement of regular，freeseating-arefuelingabacklash againstwhatmightotherwiseseemlikea harmlessconvenience.

Since 2O17，vending massage chairs have become a common sight in China's indoor “We wanted to get a massage， but parlors were expensive， and it was hard to judge how professional they were. So we turned to the vending massage chairs in the mall.\"

publicspaces，enteringeverywherefrom shopping mallstomovie theaters，airports， railwaystations，and beyond.Accordingto Lemobar， one of the biggest vending massage serviceproviders，itschairshave been installed in 339 citiesacross the countryand have logged overl5O millionservice sessions，roughly one for every10peopleinChina.

In part， declining health among younger generations，caused bymounting pressure，fierce social competition，andanaccelerating paceof life，has contributed tothe rise of the vending massagechairmarket.Accordingtoaresearch reportbybrokerage firmGuoyuan Securities， China's elderly population was once the main consumer base for massage devices， using them to relieve issues like back pain. However， aregionalpartnerofLemobartoldtechand business outlet Tech Xingqiu in February that \"60 percent of the people who are willing to pay for vending massage chairs are young adults.\" According to a 2O22 reportby Insight and Info， aresearchandconsultingfirminChina，more than half of those classified as \"sub-healthy\"—a state between wellness and illness marked by symptoms likefatigue，low energy，muscle and jointsoreness，anddizziness-wereunder the age of 35.

Li， a 28-year-old editor in Beijing who agreed to be identified only by her last name， says she first tried a vending massage chair with"her roommates in 2O19，when the pressures of postgraduate studies left their necks，shoulders， and lowerbacks constantly tense.“Wewanted to getamassage，but parlorswere expensive，and it washard to judgehowprofessional they were. So we turned to the vending massage chairs in the mall，\"Li recalls.

Though each session may seem inexpensive， vending massagechairshave proven to bea highly profitablebusinessmodel，one thathas grown in stepwith China's“sharing economy”boom since 2O16，alongside shared bikes，ride-hailing services，phone charger stations，and short-term homerentals.

Shared massage chairs typically follow two business models： direct operation，where companies rent space and keep all revenue; andcooperation，wherevenuesprovide space and share profits with the chair supplier， who \"Turning all seats into massagechairs at thetrain station deprives the majority of their right to enjoy basic public services.\"

handles equipment and maintenance.Assuming five users a day and half the revenue going to the host venue，a chair， witha lifespan of three to five years，can break eveninless thana year. As the industry leader，Lemobar hasseen steady growth.According to itsparent company's IPO prospectus filed earlier this year， revenue from smart massage services hit 6O4 million yuan in the first three quarters of 2024，up from568 million in 2023 and 316 million in 2022.

“Getting a massage after dinner or a movie at the mall became our group activity. We'd chat while relaxing，unwinding both body and mind—it was great，\"Li recalls.She and her roommatesused thechairsfiveorsixtimesover the course ofayear.

However，noteveryoneisafan.“The sound of the chairand clothes rubbing together can be prettyloud in quiet places likemovie theaters，\" saysWuNiuniu，anofficeworkerinher3Osbased in Shanghai.

Many on the lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu， or RedNote， have shared similar complaints， feeling that replacing regular seats with massage chairs in“primeviewingareas”infringed on consumers' rights. They argue that massage chairs are uncomfortable when not in use and that it's difficult to avoid them when purchasing assigned seats online，as many theaters do not specify their locations.

“Seats in movie theaters are already cramped， and themassagepad makesthem evenless comfortable！\" one user wrote on Xiaohongshu. “Ive already paid for a ticket， drinks， and popcorn.Can'tIat least geta comfortable seat？

Public criticism of massage chairs has grown in recent years，with frustration often stemming from the loss of personal choice，along with resistance to commercial intrusions into public spacesand servicesthatwere once free.

In2023，abarrageofmassage chairsreplaced most of the regular seatingat Tai'an Railway Station in Shandong province，leaving many passengers with no choice but to sit on the floor. Following the public outcry， China Railwayissued a notice criticizing the massage chair operations atTai'an Station，mandating that they should not make up more than 2O percent of the total seating.

“Turning all seats into massage chairs at the train station deprives the majority of their right to enjoy basic public services，”reads an op-ed about the incident on state media People's Daily Online.

Concerns about hygiene and product safety have also emerged in recent years.In 2023，a user's hair got entangled ina damaged chair in Chongqing，and the incident went viral. Around the same time，a customer ata railway station in Guangzhou，capital of Guangdong province，experienced severe itching after using amassage chair， only to find insects living in its crevices.During an in-person review last year，a blogger discovered various unsanitary itemsinthevendingmassagechairsathislocal mall in Zhejiang province，including discarded food packaging， toenails，and used tissues.The blogger also observed that many people used tht chairs barefoot.This prompted a dermatologist to issue a warning on Xiaohongshu， cautioning that direct contact with surfaces previously used byindividuals with skin conditions could lead to transmitted infections.

Guangzhou Railway quickly took action to disinfectand sanitize the chairs，but questions remainaboutwhoisultimately responsible for keeping themclean.ABeijing-based operator forLemobar toldBeijing YouthDailyinMarch last year that they conduct regular inspections and cleanings，though the frequency depends on how often the chairs are used.A separate vendingmassage chairbrand，Xiuxiule，asserts that cleaning is the responsibility of the venue， suchasmallsand movie theaters，and that the venue should onlycontact themanufacturer for necessaryrepairs.

WhileLi is undeterred， noting，“Public seats are generally the same，like those in parks，buses， or subways，” it is still unclear whether young people， seekinga“quick fix”for their stressful lifestyles， cansustain the growth of vending massage chairs amid these ongoing concerns.