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IKEA does nostalgia better than anyone. The Swedish brand’s 10th rendition of the IKEA PS collection, set to go live in May, will feature a remake of an early-2000s classic: the inflatable chair. To be clear, IKEA’s version is nothing like the uncomfortable, plastic designs of our youth. In fact, it’s almost impossible to tell that the chair is filled with air at first glance.
The cylindrical seat is the culmination of three decades of working to crack the code on chic inflatable furniture. The last time we saw this kind of thing on the shelves at IKEA (the Innerlig sofa and Rolig easy chair, both launched in 1997), the reviews were lackluster. To put a really wonderful visual in your head, customers were instructed to use a hair dryer to fill the Innerlig and Rolig way back when. And did you know IKEA gave the construction method another go with its niche gaming chair a few years back?
This time around, the PS 2026 chair will arrive flat-packed alongside a handy little foot pump. In-house designer Mikael Axelsson put together 20 prototypes before nailing the final design, which features two separate air chambers housed in a chrome frame. The emerald fabric wrapping the oversized cushions is something special, too, as it puts the chair in statement-making territory and cuts down on squeaks and groans when you move.
The armchair isn’t the only thing to look forward to. The PS 2026 sneak peek also included a genius pivoting floor lamp—you can rotate the lamp head into three different positions, changing a room’s mood instantly—and an innovative rocking bench. Instead of moving front to back on the latter, you sway side to side, which somehow feels so much more fun. Stay tuned: The full IKEA drop, which spans more than 35 new pieces, will be revealed on May 13.