Elevator Cabin vs Elevator Lobby Display: Installation & Content Strategy

When purchasing elevator advertising screens, most friends will ask us the same question: Should the screen be installed inside the elevator car or in the waiting area of the lobby?

There is no standard answer to this question, but there is clear decision-making logic. Our factory has been producing elevator screens since 2007, shipping thousands of units and installing them in various settings such as office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, and residential areas, accumulating practical experience. This article breaks down the pros and cons of in-carriage and lobby installations, helping you clarify your deployment plan.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, you can first explore our elevator advertising display solutions, which cover the full range from 10.1 inch to 32 inch, allowing you to easily match dimensions and installation scenarios while reviewing.

 Why the Installation Location Directly Determines Your ROI?

Choosing the right location can achieve twice the result with half the effort in advertising effectiveness; Choosing the wrong location, even the best screen would be a waste of budget. Our factory has been producing elevator screen for over a decade and has installed them in various scenarios such as office building, shopping mall, hotel, and residential area. The effect varys significantly in different location. Let's break down the underlying logic below.

The advertising value of elevator digital screen come from two core variables：

Contact duration - the time the audience's gaze stays on the screen. The waiting time in the lobby is usually longer than in the elevator car, but the elevator car is a closed space and the attention is more focused.

Attention quality - whether the audience is really watching. There are almost no other sources of interference inside the elevator car, and the screen is the visual focus; The lobby environment is complex, and the screen needs to compete for attention with mobile phones, billboards, chat, and other devices.

These two variables fluctuate in different scenarios, so there is no absolute goodness or badness, only suitability. When we provide solution to client, we usually first look at the building type and pedestrian flow, and then deduce the location and size accordingly.

Installation inside the elevator car: in-depth analysis of enclosed scenes

The interior of the elevator car is a typical enclosed scene, where passengers have nowhere to look after entering, and the screen naturally occupies the high ground of attention. Our car interior screens are mainly 21.5 inch, which are most commonly used in office building projects. But the advantages inside the elevator car are not just that there is nothing else to see - let's discuss them from three perspectives: contact time, installation constraints, and applicable scenarios.

 Contact duration and attention characteristics

The single ride time in the elevator car is generally between 20-60 seconds, and in high-rise office buildings it may take up to 90 seconds. Although the time seems short, there is a key characteristic: passengers have almost nothing to do after entering the elevator car, and their gaze naturally falls on the screen. Our factory has produced a batch of 21.5-inch single screens, installed in office buildings in the Pearl River Delta. Customers have reported that the average daily reach frequency is 12-15 times per person (calculated based on 4 elevator rides per day and 3-4 advertisements seen each time).

The concentration of attention is very high. The elevator car is a closed space of 1-3 square meters, without windows or other information sources, and the screen reach rate is close to 100%. This is the biggest advantage of installing inside the elevator car.

 Recommended size and installation restrictions

The space inside the elevator car is limited, and the selection of screen size needs to balance visibility and safety：

• 6-18.5 inch: suitable for small elevators (less than 8 people), installed on the side or rear wall of the car
• 5 inch: The most mainstream size for elevator interiors, which is used in 70% of our factory's elevator projects and is compatible with most standard passenger elevators
• 6 inch: Suitable for large cars (13 people or more), the installation height needs to be precisely controlled to avoid pressure

Installation restrictions: The car wall are usually made of stainless steel or aluminum plates, which require pre drilling in the factory or on-site processing. The wiring space is limited, and the power and control lines need to be routed through the car's accompanying cables or separately laid. In terms of load-bearing capacity, the 21.5-inch screen with a bracket weighs approximately 8-12kg, which can generally be fully supported by the car wall.

The best application scenario for the car interior screen

• Office building: high-frequency, high attention, precise reach for white-collar workers
• Mid to high end residential properties: community advertising, local service promotion
• Hospital: Health education, department navigation, waiting reminders

Suggested installation location: The inner wall of the elevator car should be 1.4-1.6 meters above the ground, which can be seen by passengers from a horizontal or micro overhead view and will not be obstructed by incoming and outgoing crowd.

 Installation of lobby/waiting area: advantages of long stay content

The lobby and waiting area are another important battlefield. Unlike inside the elevator car, the space here is open, the dwell time is long, the screen can be made larger, and the content can be made deeper. We have provided many hall screen projects for commercial complexes and high-end hotels, and the effect is indeed different from walking on two different routes inside the elevator car.

Waiting time is the content window

The waiting time for elevators during peak hours is usually 2-5 minutes, far exceeding the duration of elevator rides inside the car. During this period, the waiting person is in a 'fragmented idle' state and is willing to browse screen content. This provides a time window for long videos, rotating multi frame advertisements, and interactive content.

We provided a batch of 27inch dual screens to a commercial complex project, installed on both sides of the lobby. The client created a mixed content of 6-frame carousel ads and 15 second short videos, and the backend data showed an average viewing time of over 45 seconds. This kind of depth of content is difficult to achieve inside the elevator car.

Larger screen, stronger visual impact

The lobby has ample space, and the screen size allows for one step up：

• 27 inch: entry-level choice for lobby, suitable for small and medium-sized real estate project or economy hotel
• 32 inch: mainstream hall size with strong visual impact, suitable for shopping mall, Grade A office building, and high-end hotel
• Dual screen combination: symmetrically installed on both sides or arranged in a top, middle, and bottom layout, covering a wider viewing angle

Stretched Bar: Suitable for lobby beams or elevator door frames, saving space while maintaining brand exposure. Our factory's 32 inch long screen has a significant shipment volume in hotel projects, balancing decoration and functionality.

 Installation flexibility and wiring

The flexibility of installation in the lobby is much higher than that in the elevator car. There are multiple wall options available, including stone, paint, and aluminum panels. There is ample space for wiring and pipelines can be pre embedded. The installation height is usually between 1.5-2.0 meters, which can be adjusted according to the height of the lobby and the visibility of the crowd.

It should be noted that the wiring of the lobby screen should be planned synchronously with the property decoration. We have encountered many projects where screens are added only after decoration is completed. Using visible lines affects aesthetics, while using hidden lines requires chiseling walls, doubling the cost. So it is recommended to reserve the power, network cable, and HDMI/USB interface of the screen during the decoration stage.

 Core comparison dimension

Previously, the logic of the elevator car and the lobby were discussed separately. Below, a direct comparison will be made from several core dimensions to facilitate quick decision-making. We will provide judgment criteria for each dimension, not just a simple distinction between good and bad.

 Duration of exposure and content strategy

Inside the elevator car: 20-90 seconds per session, suitable for short and fast-paced content -15 seconds video, single frame brand posters, QR code scanning. The content should be concise and direct, capturing attention within 3 seconds.

Hall: Wait for 2-5 minutes for in-depth content such as rotating advertising groups, brand story video, event details, and interactive lucky draws. Can load more information.

 Installation cost and complexity

Inside the elevator car: The installation cost is relatively high. The cost of single point construction is usually higher than that of the lobby, involving car wall renovation, accompanying cable wiring, fire certification, etc. But the screen size is small and the device unit price is low.

Hall: The installation cost is relatively low. Standard wall mounting is sufficient, and wiring is convenient. But the screen size is large and the device unit price is high. Overall, there is not much difference in the total cost of a single site between the two, and the key is the project scale.

 Maintenance Difficulty

Inside the elevator car: Maintenance requires entering the elevator car for operation, which affects usage during peak hours. The screen is in a closed environment with less dust, but there is a large temperature and humidity change (the temperature inside the car may exceed 40 ° C in summer), which requires screen heat dissipation.

Hall: Easy to maintain, ready for operation at any time. The temperature and humidity in the lobby environment are relatively stable, and the screen life is longer. But if there is a high flow of people in the lobby, the screen surface is prone to fingerprints and stains, and needs to be cleaned regularly.

 ROI expectation

Inside the elevator car: high reach rate + high frequency, suitable for brand exposure advertising. The cost of a single reach is low, but the advertising unit price is limited by the short time and limited amount of information.

Hall: Long duration + deep content, suitable for brand promotion + effect conversion advertising. It can carry more commercial information, and the unit price of advertising space is usually higher than that inside the car.

In actual project, the pricing logic for advertising space in two different locations is different. We suggest that customers first run 3 months of data and adjust pricing strategies based on actual reach and advertiser feedback.

 Recommended deployment strategies by building type

The pedestrian flow and user behavior vary greatly among different types of buildings, and the location strategy also needs to change accordingly. We have been working on projects for over a decade, and in summary, the strategies for office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, and residential properties are completely different. Let's talk about each scene one by one below.

 Office Building → Car Priority

White collar office workers take the elevator 4-6 times a day and have developed a habitual gaze towards advertisement inside the elevator car. The car interior screen is the preferred option. We ship screens to office building project, with 21.5-inch screen being the absolute mainstay. An additional piece can be installed in the lobby as a supplement, but its priority is lower than inside the elevator car.

Key considerations: High frequency + high attention + precise crowd=optimal ROI in the car.

  Hall + Car CombinationShopping Mall →

The shopping mall scene is complex: customers may be waiting for elevators on any floor, and the lobby is a natural brand exposure point. Suggest installing a large screen (27-32 inches) in the lobby for brand image and promotional activities, and installing a medium screen (18.5-21.5 inches) in the elevator car for floor guidance and merchant advertising.

We have developed a complete solution for a commercial complex in a fifth-tier city, combining a 32inch lobby and a 21.5-inch elevator car. The customer feedback shows that the advertising investment rate has increased by about 40% compared to installing a separate elevator car.

 Hotel → Main hall

The hotel lobby itself is a part of the brand image, and the screen needs to balance aesthetics and information functionality. A 32inch large screen or a rectangular shaped screen is the mainstream choice, with content mainly focused on hotel service information, surrounding recommendation, and brand promotion.

The priority of hotel scenes inside the elevator car is lower because guests have less tolerance for advertisements inside the elevator than in office buildings. But if there are many floors (more than 20 floors), it is possible to consider installing a 15.6-inch small screen in the elevator car for floor guidance and hotel service prompts.

 Residential → Deciding by Scale

Small residential building (below 10 floors, single elevator): It is recommended to install an 18.5-21.5 inch screen in the lobby to cover community advertising and local service information.

Medium to large residential building (over 15 floor, multiple elevators): It is recommended to combine the lobby and elevator car. The lobby screen is used for community announcements and brand advertisements, while the car interior screen is used for life service content. Our factory has supplied 18.5-inch single screens to many residential projects, which have high cost-effectiveness and good acceptance by property management。

 AI driven position optimization

AI is not a gimmick, it is changing the decision-making process of where screens are installed and what content is broadcasted. We have started testing several AI applications with clients in recent projects, and the results have exceeded expectations. Previously, decision-making based on experience can now be validated with data.

 AI passenger flow analysis

By collecting crowd density data in the lobby and elevator car through camera and sensor, AI can analyze peak/off peak periods, average waiting times, and crowd composition (office white-collar workers vs delivery drivers vs visitors). These data directly guide the screen content strategy, such as broadcasting coffee brand and business course advertisements during the morning rush hour in office buildings, catering takeout during lunchtime, and educational training in the evening.

More importantly, AI can help you compare the actual reach data of different locations in the same building, and use the data to tell you whether the actual reach of this 27inch hall screen is really better than that 21.5-inch car screen. This precise ROI attribution used to rely solely on estimation.

 AI eye tracking assisted installation optimization

Installing camera in the lobby in conjunction with AI vision algorithms can analyze the focus distribution of the waiting person's line of sight. The data may show that most people's gaze is focused on the 1.6-1.8meter height area while waiting, so the center of the screen should be installed at this height. For example, if the data shows that the attention rate of the screen in the corner position is lower than that in the middle position, then the layout should be adjusted.

This data-driven installation optimization is more reliable than empirical judgment. We have started to incorporate AI perspective analysis as a standard component of solution design in new project.

 AI automatically matches content strategies based on location

Screen in different position naturally have different content strategy. AI can automatically match content template based on installation location: the car interior screen automatically switch to short, flat, and fast mode (15 second video + single frame carousel), and the lobby screen automatically switches to deep mode (multi frame carousel + long video + interactive content).

A more advanced application is to dynamically adjust content based on real-time data. For example, if AI detects a sudden increase in the number of people waiting in the lobby, it will automatically switch to advertising combination with higher information density; Detected low attendance, switched to brand promotional video to enhance viewing experience. This adaptive ability double the utilization efficiency of the same screen.

 Summary: How to make the right location decision

Returning to the original question: Is it inside the elevator car or the lobby? We have been making elevator screens for over a decade, and the answer we always give is - look at the scene, look at the target, look at the data. There is no universal solution, but there is a clear decision-making framework.

Briefly summarize the decision-making framework：

• Pursuing high-frequency reach and brand exposure → Priority given to the interior of the car
• Pursuing deep content and advertising premium → Hall priority
• Adequate budget and pursuit of maximum coverage → Combination of lobby and elevator cabin
• Limited budget, single point breakthrough → Select the highest priority location based on building type

No matter which position is chosen, screen quality is the foundation. Our factory has been covering a full range of sizes from 10.1 inches to 32 inches since 2007, with support for single screen, dual screen, and long screen product lines. Each screen undergoes a 48 hours aging test before leaving the factory. You can check out our cabin and lobby display options， Filter products that are suitable for your project by size and type.

The final location decision recommendation is based on field survey data. If you already have specific project scenarios, please feel free to contact us directly. We can provide you with customized deployment suggestions based on the number of floors, daily pedestrian flow, elevator brand and model information. You can also browse our

complete elevator signage lineup， Understand the detailed parameters of products of various sizes.

 FAQ

🔴 FAQ 1

Q: What is the recommended installation height for elevator cabin screens?

A: For in-cabin installation, the screen center should be mounted at 1.4-1.6 meters from the floor. This aligns with the natural eye level of most adults standing in the elevator, ensuring maximum visibility without causing a claustrophobic feeling in the enclosed space.

🔴 FAQ 2

Q: Are there weight restrictions for screens inside the elevator cabin?

A: Standard 21.5-inch screens with brackets weigh approximately 8-12 kg. Most elevator cabin walls (stainless steel or aluminum panel) can support this without reinforcement. For screens above 23.6 inch, we recommend consulting with the elevator maintenance provider to verify wall load capacity.

🔴 FAQ 3

Q: How should I plan wiring for lobby display installation?

A: For lobby installations, we recommend pre-embedding power lines (220V), Ethernet cables (Cat6 for stable CMS connectivity), and signal conduits during the building decoration phase. Reserve a dedicated circuit breaker for the display. Planning wiring before wall finishing avoids costly retrofit work later.

🔴 FAQ 4

Q: Wired or wireless network — which is better for elevator digital signage CMS?

A: For lobby screens with easy cable access, wired Ethernet is more stable and recommended. For cabin screens, Wi-Fi is often more practical since running cables through the traveling cable conduit is complex. Ensure the elevator shaft has adequate Wi-Fi coverage, or consider 4G/5G modules as a backup.

🔴 FAQ 5

Q: Can the same screen model be used for both cabin and lobby installations?

A: Yes, models like our 21.5-inch and 23.6-inch displays are versatile enough for both scenarios. The key differences are in mounting brackets, content strategy, and CMS configuration. Cabin installation requires a more compact bracket design, while lobby mounting allows for larger VESA-compatible brackets with tilt adjustment