Leisure Chairs Go High-Tech in Taiwan
2003/04/25 | By
Although the local industry remains divided on whether or not leisure chairs should be loaded up with all of these additional functions, the players in the field are in agreement that leisure chairs should not be a luxury product that only the rich can afford. Manufacturers have sought to keep their products within the financial reach of the average consumer by cutting costs wherever possible, most dramatically by moving their plants to mainland China.
Major export destinations for Taiwanese leisure chairs are the United States, Japan, and the wealthier countries in Europe and the Middle East. In recent years, some Taiwanese chair suppliers have also found demand for their wares growing in the domestic market as the average age of local consumers falls.
Massage-type chairs are roughly divided into models for home and public use. The latter generally feature massive and highly sturdy massage mechanisms for better durability.
Portable Masseur
Gue-Li Enterprise Co., Ltd. Recently rolled out a unique portable massage cushion for car seats and chairs, drawing on its more than 20 years of experience in making car-seat cushions and leisure chairs.
The four-kilogram cushion is powered by a two-ampere direct-current (DC) motor and provides a kneading-style massage with four rotating thumb-like protrusions. The device is patent pending in the United States, the European Union, Taiwan, mainland China, and Japan.
According to company managing director Tseng Chin-chun, most of the massage mechanisms now available in the market use large and heavy alternative-current (AC) motors and massage rollers. "These rollers on these heavy and powerful devices often have an uncomfortably hard pressing action," he says.
The cushion is 70cm long, 50cm wide, and 7cm thick. It comes with a wired controller, which adjusts the kneading device to move upward and downward or remain in a fixed position.
Gue-Li says it spent two years and NT$2 million (US$57,000 at US$1:NT$35) developing the mechanism. The firm also incorporates the cushion mechanism into a selection of leisure chairs and sells them as a separate unit to other manufacturers.
Tseng opened his business in 1980, making car-seat cushions; two years later the company expanded into the production of massage cushions for household and car use. These early cushions adopted vibration-massage mechanisms which Tseng claims were first used by his company in Taiwan.
The company more recently decided to develop light and portable massage cushions with kneading mechanisms since vibration- massage chairs are very common now and competition at home, as well as in Hong Kong and mainland China, is growing.
New competitors in the field have contributed to a steady decline in output by Gue-Li in recent years, from a peak of 600,000 to 700,000 units annually around five or six years ago. Tseng expects his company's light-massage mechanism to reverse the slide and put his company back on track for growth. "Most of our rivals are dedicated to making very large professional-massage chairs. Our products are much lighter and less expensive, making them much more suitable for chair makers developing massage models," he says. Tseng notes that more and more leisure-chair makers are including massage functions in their products. He expects to produce 150,000 cushions this year and double that number next year.
Over the past number of years the company has also developed several types of feature-laden leisure chairs, including chairs whose massage frequency changes in accordance with the music being listened to, and chairs with liquid- crystal display (LCD) controllers. The company hopes these products will serve not only as leisure chairs, but also find a market as office and household chairs.
Gue-Li manufactures its products in Taiwan and mainland China. It has been awarded many leading quality certificates, including GS, CE, UL, and CSA.
High-End Massage Chairs
Senlre Trading Co., Ltd. Supplies high-end leisure-massage chairs, most of which are made of genuine leather and solid wood. Its products are mostly for household use and use in public areas such as hotels and movie theaters.
Its red "Primira" chair, which is designed for luxury movie theaters, is equipped with a foldable, plushly cushioned footrest cushion that can be extended outward to support the legs when the back is tilted toward the rear at a 125-degree angle. Its ivory-white "Caesar" chair, measuring 105cm in width, 110cm in length, and 105cm in height, is a cozy, plush unit aimed at home users, featuring puffy cushions and a foldable, cushioned leg-rest. Its back can tilt backward up to 107 degrees.
The "Primira" is equipped with five light motors to drive massage rollers that are fitted in positions targeting support of the shoulder, waist, and legs of the user. The company's home models deliver vibration-type massage.
Many of the company's chairs are equipped with LCD-screen controllers that graphically display the status of the chair functions. Some have light-emitting diode (LED) controllers for turning the unit on and off.
Company president Stephen Chen notes that customers are generally willing to pay a premium for chairs made of natural materials, such as genuine leather and solid wood, compared to chairs made of synthetic materials such as PU leather and plywood.
Senlre was founded around six years ago as a supplier of leisure chairs and later expanded into massage chairs. Chen says that Taiwan's leisure-massage chairs are generally designed for the Japanese market. His company now ships 200 to 300 chairs a month, with prices ranging from NT$20,000 (US$570) to NT$40,000 (US$1,150) apiece. The company sells its chairs primarily through mail-order channels.
About 70% of Senlre's chairs are shipped overseas to such markets as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe, but in recent years revenues earned in the domestic Taiwan market have leaped by 20% to 30% annually. "More and more consumers here have been buying massage chairs for their parents and grandparents in recent years," Chen notes.
Chen believes that the next step for massage chairs will be the addition of video and audio functions.
Comfort at Home
Founded 24 years ago, Taiwan Family Enterprise Co., Ltd. Recently introduced several patented leisure-massage chairs.
it's a-630 chair, measuring 102cm in length, 69cm in width, and 69cm in height, features a patented extendable cushioned footrest that can extend outward up to seven centimeters. The chair has speed-adjustable ball-shaped vibration devices for massaging the back, buttocks, and feet. The chair back can be positioned between 110 degrees and 150 degrees.
The company's A-628 chair, measuring 125cm in length, 76cm in width and 112cm in height, has a patented sole massager in addition to back, buttocks and foot massagers.
The A-303 is another unique chair made by company. It comes with a built-in CD player and radio.
The company's only model for public places is the A-256 chair, which comes with a manual adjustment mechanism instead of an electronic controller to extend the life of the product.
The A-808 massage bed can be heated to improve the blood circulation of sleepers. There are 12 rollers under the bed mattress.
All of the company's massage products feature kneading and tapping massage action and are made of PVC leather, fire-proof and mite-proof leather.
Taiwan Family sales manager Daisy Lin says leisure chairs should promote physical and mental relaxation. "For example, audio systems have become a required feature in the chairs now," she says.
Lin says her company is one of the few manufacturers in Taiwan to make ergonomically-designed massage furniture. All of the company's furniture is also customer tested before entering volume production.
Taiwan Family sells its products at 150-some stores in Taiwan, including around 60 department store outlets.
Domestic and overseas markets absorb roughly equal shares of the company's output of 15,000 chairs each year. But Lin feels that domestic demand is shrinking and average age of the consumers is getting younger.
All of the company's products are sold under the Takasima brand. The company produces its products in Taiwan and has earned many leading quality certificates, including ISO-9002, UL, CE, and GS.
Value for Money
First & Best Furniture Co., Ltd., founded 11 years ago, is dedicated to making leisure chairs without massage functions. Company sales manager Spencer Liao emphasizes that massage features add very little to the value of furniture and require more after-sales service.
Liao says that his company is expert at reducing waste when cutting leather material, thanks to its abundant experience in leather processing. "This greatly reduces our production costs," he explains.
Most of the chairs made by First & Best come with integrated cushioned footrests, which Liao says are very popular in the United States.
Over a year ago, the company opened a chair plant in mainland China tocut production costs. "Our chairs are now around 30% to 40% cheaper than U.S. models," Liao says.
About 90% of the company's chairs made at the mainland factory are shipped to the U.S., where he says consumers prefer large chairs. U.S.- style chairs come with seats measured in 21 to 20 inches in width. "Compared with U.S.-style chairs, Taiwan-style and Japan-style chairs look more refined and are smaller," he says. The company's Taiwan factory and mainland factory currently produce 30% and 70% of its total output, respectively.
Plywood and rubber-tree wood are mostly used to make the arms of the company's chairs, which have a maximum backward leaning angle of 120%.