Stressless® announces it is celebrating “50 Years of Stressless” by reimagining the Stressless® Royal, commemorating a half century of balanced comfort. That’s five decades of Norwegian design built on an ingenious blend of artisanship and innovation. Over 10 million Stressless seats have been sold since 1971.
“There’s a reason it all started 50 years ago in Norway, where Scandinavian nature and culture bring out the best in technology,” said Beverly Kastel, Stressless marketing director for North America. “Together, human insight and advanced robotics have created a product that’s the most comfortable furniture on Earth—the Stressless recliner.”
North America comprises the largest market for Ekornes with 25% of global sales volume. 2021 is on track to be the highest annual sales year in the company’s history, according to Kastel.
The Stressless brand has evolved over 50 years—launching the first Stressless recliner in 1971 and introducing sofas in 1993. The Stressless home theater collection was born in 2003, followed by Stressless dining chairs in 2018.
The longest selling model in the Stressless collection, the Stressless Royal was originally introduced in 1981. It was the first Stressless recliner with the hourglass-shaped base in laminated wood. The company performed some aesthetic adjustments to improve the iconic design without compromising the unmistakable comfort of Stressless Royal. Signature curves and retro stitching define the design, making it the perfect anniversary model. Stressless has enhanced the chair with the original base and steel structure inspired by the very first Stressless Original back in 1971.
Ekornes will unveil its latest Stressless design innovation at the High Point Market in High Point, North Carolina, Oct. 16–20. The biannual home furnishing industry trade show is the world's largest, attracting 45,000 international dealers and designers. Stressless will exhibit at the 220 Elm Building, Showroom 120.
The company is also expanding its Morganton, N.C. facility, adding jobs and capacity to what was the first Stressless production facility outside Norway. The Morganton expansion will double the plant’s current 100,000 square footage and increase staffing by 76%. Stressless expects the facility to be fully operational in January 2022. The expansion will increase daily production capacity by 70% and is evidence of the company’s dedication to consumers and retail partners in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.