The OMTÄNKSAM chair is part of a collection developed for everyone who needs a little extra help and support in everyday life. It was designed by siblings Knut Hagberg and Marianne Hagberg, designers at IKEA since 1979.
At some point in life we may all need a little extra support in the home. It might be a more supportive chair when pregnant, a longer shoehorn after running a marathon, or just more everyday assistance due to the natural process of ageing. The OMTÄNKSAM collection is designed to be inclusive and accessible, with input from ergonomists, physiotherapists and researchers in the care industry – the Swedish word OMTÄNKSAM means ‘caring’.
Britt Monti was the creative leader at IKEA and the main force that pushed the project forward. She said: “If you look into IKEA catalogues from the 1960s you’ll see we used to speak about comfort and support for older people or people with back problems. But since the 1980s we just didn’t have this customer in mind when developing new products.”
Britt wanted to change that. She spoke with researchers, physiotherapists and doctors, other people working in the care field, and companies that design products for older people.
The OMTÄNKSAM collection contains a large number of products from a chair, table, armchair, side table and footstool, to smaller items like a shoe horn, a jar gripper and a plate with anti-slip.
The OMTÄNKSAM chair, made in anthracite, white and yellow, is specially designed to provide good support for the back. The high, wide back also makes it possible to sit down and stand up easily with the help of your arms. The chair won a Red Dot Award in 2018. It is still sold at IKEA in 2021.
