We know that most customers wanting a massage in London have a wide range of choice. The first decision is whether to book a massage at home through one of the popular at-home providers, or to visit one of the many massage shops or spas in the capital. We do not provide an at-home (sometimes called “out-call”) service, because we would worry about guaranteeing the safety of our staff (plus the licensing requirements are different). But we thought we would write up our opinion of the advantages and disadvantages of getting your regular massage fix at home.

There is no doubt that the convenience of having a therapist show up at your home is a luxury – the time saving probably means you could enjoy a 90-minute massage instead of your normal 60 minutes. And the cost, while certainly a bit higher, is not that much greater. One of the most popular at-home massage services in London costs around £70 for an hour compared to our price of £65.

For some, a massage at home might be an impossibility – for example if you do not have enough space (a massage table with space for the therapist to work around takes up more room than you might expect!). Or perhaps noisy flatmates or shared living areas mean you could not create a peaceful and relaxing space for the massage.

There are other drawbacks to consider too. You could go to the effort of creating a particular ambience (lighting, sound and scent), but that starts to erode the convenience of the home massage experience; and why not just leave that to the spa? You also have the oily towels and sheets to deal with afterwards, whereas we deal with those for you.

And consider your comfort: the folding massage tables used by mobile massage therapists are generally comfortable but they are smaller than the stationary tables in most shops like ours. For the majority of customers, the portable massage tables are sufficient but for larger customers perhaps not; and the smaller and lighter tables do limit some of the more expansive stretches that feature in Thai massage.

Lastly, safety must be a factor. Lying face down, partially clothed, and in a state of relaxation is a vulnerable state for anyone to be in. And to be in that state in your home with only a stranger is, we think, daunting from a safety perspective. We have no doubt the big majority of mobile therapists are professional but there are certainly some horror stories of theft, and much worse.

Overall, you want your massage to be both convenient and relaxing, and we think (we would say this of course!) that the best overall massage experience is to visit a spa or massage shop in person – preferably one of the Thai Kosai branches!