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Jen Ekornes opened his Norwegian factory making springs in 1934 with only three employees, some machinery he purchased from Germany and presumably a bundle of enthusiasm! It was a success and soon he was selling springs to sofa and mattress manufacturers all across his native land.
In true entrepreneurial spirit, Ekornes‘ interests did not stop there and he went on to develop an inspirational mattress fitted with his own linked spring system. With comfort on his mind Ekornes headed to America where he purchased new machinery for his Norwegian mattress manufacturing business. It was not long before he began to add wooden components to his production line to make the frames for his beds and sofa beds and in 1966 he branched out to produce a collection of modern lounge furniture.
It was this knowledge of furniture making, human anatomy and how we interact with furniture that gave him a full understanding of what was needed for the body to fully rest and that gave him the idea and the skills to produce one of the most comfortable pieces of furniture on the market today.
In 1971 the first Stressless chair was launched in Norway, described as the “first recliner designed to meet your body’s need for movement and support when seated”. This iconic ‘TV-recliner’ proved to be a revolution in comfort and functionality, and soon became a global success. Offering a patented glide system that follows the body’s slightest movements the chair was able to give complete relaxation and comfort while you lean back and rest, watch TV, read a book, meditate or nap.
A swivel pedestal also allowed you to turn the chair around to use the coffee table with one easy movement. This Stressless® design is still known as the ultimate recliner and has become a trusted friend of the furniture industry.
Since the first design Stressless® has continued to make generations of this classic chair. Each one using sleek contemporary lines, beautifully turned wood-and-steel bases, upholstered in high grade leathers and more recently, durable contemporary fabrics. Stressless has added their unique Plus™ System to their chairs which corrects for neck and lumbar support in every position. Electrically powered versions are now also offered with control of head, lumbar and feet positions all controllable at the touch of a button. Perhaps the biggest success of the Stressless brand was Ekornes’ understanding of the requirements of different body types and in response each Stressless chair comes in three sizes… small, medium and large, to accommodate different builds.
To our minds the Stessless chair is undoubtedly the height of comfort, the height of good design and if you are into vintage… the height of retro too. Our customers are so in love with the Stressless line, which also includes sofas, chairs, recliners, end and coffee tables… that we have opened a huge brand new, leading edge Stressless Studio in our Chandlers Ford Store. To celebrate this we are holding a Norway Day Event this May so that you can recline in style and raise a glass to Norway with us!
- 29th April 2022