Small enough to fit in... "Ah, so refreshing"… Massage chair 'compact size' is the trend

Coway Pebble Chair Uses Fabric Material
Falcon Series Sells 150 Units Daily on Average
Chungho Nice Romang 47% Smaller Than Before

The ‘compact’ trend has emerged as the dominant force in the massage chair market. Smaller than traditional large massage chairs, these compact models offer higher space efficiency while incorporating core technologies, prompting consumers to open their wallets.

Coway's 'Birex Pebble Chair'
Photo by Coway

According to Coway on the 25th, the total sales of massage chairs last year, following the launch of the compact massage chair ‘Virex Pebble Chair,’ grew fivefold compared to the previous year.

Released at the end of August last year, the Virex Pebble Chair differs from the bulky traditional massage chairs by using fabric material to add a cozy feel. Its small size and curved design emphasize harmony with interior decor. Despite its compact size, it features a premium massage system. Coway’s patented ‘Hot Stone Therapy Tool’ warmly presses acupressure points to effectively relieve fatigue. It is equipped with a total of 11 different massage modes and includes a reclining function adjustable up to 137 degrees.

Riding on the popularity of the Virex Pebble Chair, Coway launched the premium compact massage chair ‘Virex Mine Plus’ in May. It significantly expanded the massage range by applying a lower body specialized massage system, which had not been seen in compact massage chairs before. The leg convertible, specialized for lower body massage, powerfully massages desired leg areas from the thighs to the calves.

Bodyfriend is also focusing on compact massage chairs such as the Falcon. The Falcon is equipped with ‘Robotics Technology,’ the essence of healthcare robot innovation, boasting advantages such as small size, core technological capabilities, and excellent cost-effectiveness. Among Bodyfriend’s massage chair lineup, the Falcon accounts for about 40% of sales. Since the Falcon’s release in September last year, positive market responses have led to upgraded versions, the ‘FalconS’ and ‘FalconSV.’ The Falcon series surpassed cumulative sales of 100 billion KRW as of last June, which translates to about 150 units sold daily. A Bodyfriend representative explained, “We plan to continue reducing the size of upcoming new products.”

Cosima offers a lineup of compact massage chairs including the ‘Therapop’ and ‘Mild.’ Compared to Cosima’s premium massage chairs, Therapop and Mild are smaller in size and approximately 70 kg lighter, enhancing space efficiency. They feature ‘4D massage balls’ capable of moving up, down, left, right, as well as forward and backward, and the ‘LS frame’ that massages from the head to the hips, delivering a three-dimensional massage experience. A Cosima representative said, “The popularity of compact massage chairs is increasing due to lifestyle changes such as the expansion of the MZ generation as a consumer base for massage devices and the rise of one- to two-person households.”

Cheongho Nice also launched the compact massage chair ‘Romang’ in June. Romang boasts a size 47% smaller than existing Cheongho Nice massage chairs. Designed to fit snugly from the neck to the hips in three dimensions, the product automatically measures the position of the massage balls on the neck and shoulders according to the user’s body shape, even when the user changes.

Kojima's 'Terra Pop'
Photo by Kojima