From drones to pocket cameras, young Chinese tourists are opting to rent instead of buy this Golden Week holiday, with gadget orders surging more than 600% as travelers seek affordable ways to upgrade their trips.

Rentals start at about 30 yuan ($4) a day for pocket cameras, while drones with 4K cameras can be hired for under 200 yuan. The lower costs are drawing young travelers who want high-end gear without paying thousands for equipment that often goes unused.

On Aizujii, a leading electronics rental platform, device orders have tripled since September. DSLR rentals jumped 420% from a year earlier, while drone demand rose 350%, with long-endurance models favored for trips to far-flung northwestern regions like Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Qinghai, and Gansu.

A consumer surnamed Yan, browsing an electronics rental shop in Lanzhou, Gansu province, said spending 200 to 300 yuan to rent a high-end drone made more sense than paying tens of thousands to buy one that would sit idle after a trip. 

Renting also shields consumers from rapid tech obsolescence, said Hu Zuohao, a marketing professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, who argued the trend could give China’s green economy a boost.

Beyond electronics, rentals are expanding to outdoor gear such as camping kits, sports bikes, and protective equipment. 

In a commentary Friday, state-run Economics Daily noted that while expensive gadgets were once a status symbol, today’s young consumers see renting as a practical way to access high-end products without long-term costs, reflecting a shift from ownership to use.

“Renting professional-grade equipment for a small fee lets them try new products efficiently, stay within budget, and embrace a sustainable, need-focused approach to consumption,” the commentary stated.

Experts caution that risks remain, from shoddy equipment and data leaks to the difficulty of reclaiming deposits, unless platforms improve oversight and after-sales support.

Still, the overall market is surging. China’s rental sector grew 32% in 2024 to reach 4.2 trillion yuan in transactions, serving more than 750 million users, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.

(Header image: VCG)