Have you ever heard of the Iconic POÄNG Chair by IKEA? If not, you should definitely go to IKEA and try one out for yourself to see what’s so special about these trendy chairs that it has kept them in the home furnishings popular mainstream for so many years.
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Staying With a Classic
It really isn’t easy to stay popular year after year. That being said, however, IKEA’s iconic POÄNG chair has retained its appeal for more than forty years now. Why do you suppose that is? Well, for starters, it’s just a great chair.
It’s made from bentwood, making it flexible but also very strong. And, it does all of that successfully without ever having to be a boring bulky chair. In a word, it’s a genuine classic!
Follows Your Body’s Contours
Source: 1stdibs
What really makes them exceptional is the fact that every single POÄNG chair made does these amazing things by following your body’s own contours and offering exceptional comfort. Add to that the soft bouncy feel that you get when you sit in one of these iconic chairs and it could easily turn you into a genuine POÄNG fan. So, whether you’re already a POÄNG chair owner, are thinking about buying one, or are just plain curious about what’s so special about it, here are 25 Facts about the Iconic POÄNG Chair by IKEA:
1. A Timeless Design From 1972
Source: 1stdibs
Scandinavian design has been popular among IKEA shoppers since they started. However, it isn’t always from Scandinavia. The POÄNG chair was actually created by a Japanese designer named Noboru Nakamura.
He describes the chair’s ease of movement as having real value and meaning. And, so it does, as evidenced by the POÄNG Chair’s widespread popularity and increasing sales year-after-year.
2. Makes a Fashionable Decor Statement
Source: Amazon
The POÄNG chair is well-known for being not only extremely comfortable but also elegant and strong as well. It’s available in a variety of materials and colors so that homeowners and decorators alike can make a fashionable decor statement with this chair time after time.
3. The Swedish Word “Poäng”
The word “Poäng” is Swedish for a punchline, point, or argument. IKEA, which is a well-known Swedish retailer of modern furniture, has been selling this iconic chair since 1978 and obviously very successful. In fact, the Poäng chair has its very own emoticon.
It’s definitely not an expensive piece of furniture and it’s that economic fact, as well as its iconic style, that has helped this chair to find a home in nurseries, living rooms, dorm rooms, student apartments, and the homes of young graduates. In fact, the Poäng chair can be found in the homes of people from all walks of life and all ages. They just have to be people who appreciate beautiful classic design paired with the ultimate in comfortable seating.
4. The Poem Chair
The POÄNG Chair was initially called the “Poem chair”. It soon joined IKEA’s other iconic much-in-demand items, such as the Billy Bookcase and the Lack Table in their “most popular” lineup. The name was then later changed to POÄNG in 1992 and, of course, the rest is history.
And, yes, this iconic chair will probably go down in history as one of the most popular and widely owned pieces of furniture in the world. And, nowhere is that more evident than in the amazing sales figures over the years.
5. Major Sales Volume Year-After-Year
Ever since the POÄNG chair debuted forty years ago, there have been more than 30 million sold worldwide. Today, around 1.5 million POÄNG chairs are sold annually. Wow! That’s a lot of chairs!
6. Nakamura Meets Engman
In 1973, the POÄNG Chair designer, Noboru Nakamura, joined IKEA for the purpose of learning more about the world of Scandinavian furniture. While he was at IKEA, he engaged in a collaboration with Lars Engman, the company’s director of design. Their project was aimed at creating a comfortable chair made of plywood and veneer, one that would look as good as it feels and vice-versa.
7. Nakamura’s Design Process
His design process revolved around creating a modern structure that was U-shaped, made of molded plywood, and could swing when an individual sits in it. He wanted it to be quite elegant but also would give people a way to let off stress at the same time. He definitely accomplished his vision with the POÄNG Chair and, with the help of IKEA, he was able to bring it to the public all over the world.
I wonder if he ever thought they would sell so many chairs worldwide when he first had that vision?
8. Nakamura Moves On
In 1978, Nakamura left IKEA and started his own brand new furniture company. Currently, he is designing for Conde House in Japan. It is a green company that plants a tree for every one that goes into making their furniture.
And, since the company has been planting a tree for each and every tree that they have taken from a forest for some 14 years now, Conde House has planted a whopping 40,000 trees! What an excellent way to give back to the environment! Over the past ten years, Conde House has entered into an exclusive partnership with six overseas companies to carry their furniture.
In addition, Conde House opened of a San Francisco Design Center showroom as their first move in bringing rural Japanese style to all of the major cities of the world. Could there possibly be another iconic modern furniture piece like the POÄNG Chair in our future?
9. POÄNG Rocking Chair
IKEA now also offers a Poäng rocking chair with a matching ottoman. It has an upholstered cushion that’s available in nine different fabrics and four leather colors. What could possibly be better than sitting on your front porch and gently rocking in a trendy but super-comfy modern POÄNG Rocking Chair?
10. Leather POÄNG Chair
The leather chair in this popular IKEA line is especially impressive. After all, who doesn’t love leather? And, the sumptuously soft easy-care leather POÄNG Chair is available in gloss black, gloss brown, and gloss off-white leather.
It would make the perfect father’s day gift, or a statement piece in any living room, bedroom, or home office.
11. Poäng Chair Colors
Both chair cushions and replacement covers are available in the following colors:
- White
- Light blue
- Black
- Brown
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
- Light gray
- Dark gray
- White
- Navy
- Yellow
- Red
- Baby pink
- Hot pink
- Beige
- Teal
- Cream
In addition, custom replacement covers are available in trendy patterns like:
- Polka dots
- Seahorses
- Starfish
- Whales
- Elephants
- Chevron pattern
- Dandelions
- Cockatoos
- Ticking stripes
- Geometric patterns
12. Poäng Chair Fabrics
The seats are made of a polypropylene support fabric. The cushions are all made of colorful fabric or soft leather that is polyurethane foam-filled. The following fabric types are widely available for the chairs and replacement covers:
- Cotton duck
- Canvas
- Furry fabric
13. Poäng Chair Wood Frame
Source: 1stdibs
The post-1990s Poäng Chairs are manufactured using a frame of layer-glued bent beechwood veneers with rails of solid wood. The chairs are then finished with clear lacquer.
14. Price, Weight Limit & Warranty
The price of the Poäng chair has been decreasing markedly since it was first introduced. In the 90s, it was selling for as much as $350 in the U.S. When you compare that to the average 2016 price of $79, you’ve got a serious drop in price.
Every Poäng Chair carries a ten-year limited warranty, which is really great since the majority of affordable chairs these days don’t have a warranty at all. And, in case you were wondering, the Poäng Chair’s weight limit is 375 pounds, according to Ikea.
15. The Poäng Chair with Footstool
Source: 1stdibs
Why do consumers love this chair and footstool so much? Well, most say that they love it because it’s so supportive and comfortable. Many say that they use theirs all of the time for watching television, working on their laptops, or reading a book or magazine.
Others say that they bought theirs after a back injury. They said that they were unable to sit on the couch for an extended period of time and that their Poäng Chair was the perfect solution. And, even after their back was healed, they continued to sit in their Poäng Chair just because it felt so good!
16. The Poäng Chair for Kids
Children love feeling important and special by getting to do what the adults around them are doing. That’s exactly why IKEA created a miniature kiddy version of the wildly popular POÄNG armchair. Now the kids can be sitting and relaxing together with their parents or older siblings.
Sitting side-by-side in their Poäng Chair for Kids gives them that truly special feeling. And, it’s available in some really pretty pastel shade of blue, green, and pink, as well as natural. The seat height is just right for kids and it’s extremely cute, too, in addition to being more substantial and sturdy than the majority of other children’s chairs.
It’ll stand up to the rough-housing of most wild little boys. Best of all, its a perfect replica of the adult Poäng armchair. It also complies with California TB117-2013 flammability requirements.
Product dimensions are-
- Width: 18 1/2 “
- Depth: 23 5/8 “
- Height: 27 1/8 “
- Seat width: 15 “
- Seat depth: 14 1/8 “
- Seat height: 9 7/8 “
17. Poäng Breastfeeding Chair
Some consumers have purchased their Poäng Chair for their baby’s nursery because this particular chair is perfect for when they’re feeding their babies. Several of these consumers said that they had a difficult time getting used to it at first because they were used to being in the upright position when nursing. After two or three attempts, they found it to be a delight and oh so comfortable.
18. Use and Care of the Poäng Chair
This chair is quite easy to keep clean because many of its seat and back covers are machine washable. Here are the
care instructions:
Cushion with Removable Cover
- Machine wash in warm water on the normal cycle.
- Don’t bleach.
- Don’t tumble dry.
- Iron on medium temperature if desired
- Don’t dry clean.
Cushion with Non-Removable Cover
Just wipe it clean w/ damp cloth.
Chair Frame
Wipe it clean using a mild soap solution.
19. Alterations Thru the Years
The Poäng Chair design has basically stayed the same since it was originally designed. However, this iconic chair has undergone a few minor alterations aimed at making it more affordable, accessible, relevant, and for also increasing its overall quality. They include some tweaks to upholstery colors and patterns for keeping the chair’s design relevant according to consumer tastes.
Probably the biggest change was in 1992, the same year that the name was changed to Poäng. The seat, which originally was made of tubular steel, was changed to wood. At that same time, it also became narrower in size.
Why? Because it allowed the chairs to be flat-packed. This, in turn, resulted in a 21 percent price reduction.
IKEA said that the chair’s evolution was always design-focused and that it was less of a fashion item than an improvement on a classic design.
20. More About IKEA
Ikea’s penchant for promoting mass-produced furnishings that are inexpensive was given quite the boost by the new materials developments of the 1960s. This especially applies to plastics and particleboard. When IKEA experienced issues with their Swedish suppliers, they simply moved everything that was involved in the production to Poland and Denmark.
Sales volumes kept growing and they kept opening more new showrooms all over Sweden. Then in 1963, the company opened in Norway. This was its first store that wasn’t in Sweden and it was followed by one in Denmark in 1969.
In the 70s, the company’s expansion was extended to Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, the Netherland, and Switzerland. IKEA opened the first store in China in 1998. In 1986, after Ingvar Kamprad’s retirement from executive management, IKEA became three separate groups: Ikano Group, Inter Ikea Group, and Ingka Group.
Kamprad said that he actually bought a Poäng and has had it for 32 years.
21. IKEA Designers
Over the years, IKEA has been working with a wide range of designers. Some are outside of Sweden and others are inside Sweden. Some of the iconic designs produced by the company include:
- (1963) Wooden MTP Shelving System (Designer-Marian Grabinski)
- (1970) Space-Age Telegono Lamp (Designer-Vico Magistretti)
- (1973) Convertible Tajt Chair (Designer- Gillis Lundgren)
- (1974) Skopa Chair (Designers- Olle Gjerlöv-Knudsen and Torben Lind)
- (1978) Billy Shelving System (Designer-Gillis Lundgren)
- (1993) Mammut Child’s Chair and Table (Designers- Morten Kjelstrup and Allan Østgaard)
- (1993) MDF Vilbert Chair ( Designer- Verner Panton)
- And more. But, probably none ever as popular and with such longevity as the Poäng Chair.
22. 300 Showrooms
Today, there are 300 Ikea showrooms all over 30 countries. They have truly built an international identity that is incomparable. Ingka Holding B.V. oversees the wide range of Ikea foundations and companies along with Ingvar Kamprad, who is currently the board’s senior advisor.
As it has been since the beginning, the company’s designs are dedicated to simplicity as a virtue. At the same time, IKEA always explores the possibilities of more and more eco-friendly methods of mass production.
23. IKEA Museum
This unusual museum opened recently in southern Sweden and is a tribute to seventy years of Scandinavian design that is truly affordable. Ever since IKEA was founded in 1943 in Sweden by Ingvar Kamprad as a mail-order business, the company has rapidly become a household affordable furnishings brand. Then, it turned into a multi-billion-dollar global corporation and pop-culture icon.
It’s also well-known for being an innovation engine, major think tank, and humanitarian organization. All of this can go a long way toward making IKEA an excellent subject for any museum.
24. Big Bucks for Old IKEA Pieces
Have you been thinking that furniture from IKEA really might not be worth hanging onto? You’d better think again because, as millennials get older and have more disposable income, they look for more stuff to buy. And, what’re they buying with all of those extra bucks?
Many collect vintage IKEA furniture and will actually pay thousands of dollars to get it. And, it’s really having its heyday as the demand grows over the years. In fact, according to Barneby’s, which is an art and auction search engine, there’s a major demand for vintage IKEA.
A recent big boom worldwide has seen the older chairs, bookcases, and tables going for thousands. In fact, one IKEA item once sold for almost $65,000!
25. Poäng Chairs on eBay
If you do a search on eBay for these iconic chairs, 355 of them come up. They’re available in armchairs, rocking chairs, kids’ chairs, and ottomans. In addition, there are lots of replacement cushion covers in a myriad of colors to go with any decor.
You can find both chairs and slipcovers in everything from pure white to black and every color in-between. I even found one in hot pink and another in Big Bird yellow! Yes, these chairs are super versatile in every way.
I also found a ton of different colors and brightly-colored prints in replacement covers. These covers can give your chair an entirely new look.
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