At this year’s Milan Design Week, IKEA unveiled a sophisticated reengineering of the inflatable chair, a product category that has long lingered in the collective memory as a failed experiment of the late 1990s. Positioned as the centerpiece of the upcoming PS 2026 collection, the new design marks a transition from kitsch novelty to a serious study in material efficiency. Designed by Mikael Axellson, the chair replaces the unstable, all-plastic forms of the past with a hybrid construction featuring a carbon steel frame and a tailored emerald green textile cover.
The technical overhaul addresses the structural and tactile failures that plagued previous iterations. Inside the fabric exterior, a system of internal air chambers provides ergonomic support and stability, eliminating the sagging common to air-filled furniture. The addition of a textile layer serves a dual purpose: it brings the aesthetic closer to traditional upholstered seating while resolving the practical annoyances of squeaking and slipping. This "air-as-utility" approach allows the piece to provide the volume of a standard armchair with a fraction of the physical material.
For IKEA, the move is as much about philosophical democratization as it is about industrial design. Designer Mikael Axellson notes that air is the ultimate democratic material—free, accessible, and weightless. By opting for a manual foot pump over an electric version, the company further emphasizes a low-impact, sustainability-conscious lifestyle. In an era where logistics and material footprints are under increasing scrutiny, IKEA is betting that air, when properly contained, can finally be a permanent fixture in the modern home.
With reporting from Hypebeast.
Source · Hypebeast
