Ikea says the PS 2026 Easy Chair — an inflatable, flat-pack armchair tested by cats — will debut in May. The design revives a 1990s flat-pack experiment, builds on lessons from the failed a.i.r collection and aims to cut transport volume by as much as 90 percent; designer Mikael Axelsson spent more than a decade refining the concept.

From a 1990s experiment to a 2026 comeback Ikea first explored inflatable furniture in the mid-1990s when designer Jan Dranger proposed making sofas and chairs fit the flat-pack model using recyclable polyolefin plastic. The approach promised major logistics savings — Ikea estimated transport volumes could fall by as much as 90 percent — but the original a.i.r collection faced practical problems (sagging when inflated with hot air, noisy leaking valves) and was discontinued by 2013. The project remained a learning experience for the company. How the PS 2026 Easy Chair was built - Mikael Axelsson revived a personal mock-up from 2014 and led an iterative prototyping process starting in earnest in 2023. - He hand-welded about 20 prototypes, drawing on metalwork skills from his upbringing. - Early tests included placing a tractor inner tube inside a frame to improve feel; this helped but did not solve all issues. - The key technical breakthrough was a two-chamber approach: a central air section surrounded by an outer air section, allowing different control of firmness and shape. - "One outer air section, and then one central air section," said Johan Ejdemo, Ikea's global design manager, describing how the arrangement lets the team tune comfort differently than a single air pocket could. - Axelsson also revisited a tubular chrome frame idea from early sketches, combining a hard structure with inflatable cushions to give the chair a defined silhouette while keeping packing benefits. Testing, perception and practical concerns - The PS 2026 Easy Chair underwent broader testing than the original a.i.r pieces; Ikea specifically notes it was tested by cats to simulate common domestic stresses such as claws, jumps and restless pets. - Ikea positions the chair as a mass-market item within the PS collection, which the company uses to trial new ideas in materials and form. - Development paid particular attention to valve design, inflation methods, material choice and the noise produced when air moves under pressure — problems that hurt the first generation of inflatable furniture. - The dual-chamber design helps isolate small leaks and gives staff more ways to tune comfort, reducing the risk of sudden collapse or audible noises.

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Ikea plans to debut the PS 2026 Easy Chair in May; the company says the two-chamber design and revised chassis aim to combine the packing advantages of inflatable cushions with improved comfort and durability.

This article was created with AI assistance.