Bodyfriend launches massage chair with body composition analyzer

South Korea’s leading massage chair maker Bodyfriend on Thursday launched a new massage chair, called Davinci, which analyzes users’ body composition and offers more customized massage options.

“It has been widely accepted that massage chairs are mostly used by older generations. But the newly launched massage chair featuring bioelectrical impedance analysis is expected to appeal to younger generations,” Bodyfriend Chief Marketing Officer Song Seung-ho said during the launch event held in Seoul.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a method that estimates the muscle and body fat composition one has by running a small electrical current through the body.

Based on its own analysis, the massage chair categorizes users’ body types into nine different categories and provides three different types of massage options, according to the company.

The new massage chair also can keep records of users’ body composition, allowing them to monitor changes in their bodies on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.

The chair, equipped with an 8.7-inch mobile tablet, also allows users to check the body composition data and make adjustments to the chair options.

Bodyfriend said it is the first time for a massage chair maker to add body composition analysis to their massage chair products.

To appeal to a wider customer base, Davinci has also adopted a supercar design in collaboration with Italdesign, an Italian design and engineering company.

“If Bodyfriend’s Phantom Medical Care massage chair (its predecessor) was developed for treating minor neck muscle pain, Davinci has been made to target people who are more physically active,” said Cho Soo-hyun, executive director of Bodyfriend Healthcare Medical R&D Center.

The company aims to sell 10,000 units of the Davinci chair per year, which will make up almost 10 percent of its total revenue.

Song, the marketing chief, also hinted at a strategic shift in the company’s overseas expansion.

“Over the past five to six years, Bodyfriend had sought to expand its presence in overseas markets by opening new stores directly, but it has been a slow process. In the future, we will work together with local dealers to accelerate our business expansion,” he said.