Innovation In Seating: Upgrading the Way We Sit

At first glance it seems entirely ridiculous that seating could be upgraded or innovated upon. After all the concept of a chair or bench is relatively simple, and the height is pretty standard. So how is it possible that there can be innovation in this industry?

Upon deeper investigation and diving deeper into the different types of seating available and its specific use, it is easier to check out the innovation taking place in the seating sector. Everything from airline seats, to recliner chairs, to church pews are being upgraded, with new features added that make them more comfortable, and suited to the intended use of the product.

Airlines

One of the first sectors to innovate seating was the airline industry. In terms of their business class seating they have really raised the bar, moving from what were essentially glorified armchairs to a range of new possibilities. Some of the innovations in premium seating have included:

• Built in Entertainment- This allows passengers to watch movies, TV shows, and other short films.
• Fully-Flat Beds – These have become industry-standard in a matter of a few short years, though the US carriers have lagged on deploying new seating. It seems they want to wear their seats down to the point of no return.
• Suites – Fancy a number of nice chairs and a bed? Recently Etihad, the Abu Dhabi airline deployed suites with a full bed, and a comfortable couch. They are essentially flying apartments.

Though the airlines have been leaders in innovative seating, not all of it means more comfort for the customer. Airlines have been working for years to find ways to make the economy seating fit into smaller and smaller spaces. This has often involved such innovations as removing padding, and in the case of China’s Spring Airlines, they are considering removing seats all together.

Churches and Houses of Worship

It used to be that going to Church was not necessarily a comfortable affair. In fact it was not about being comfortable, it was entirely about worshiping the Lord.

Longer services have made more comfortable seating a necessary part of the program and in recent years things have changed with the introduction of new church pews in larger houses of worship.

Automotive

Automotive seating continues to be innovated upon with new seatbelts that have built in airbags. The seats themselves are almost always heated and cooled to provide a comfortable ride no matter what the temperature. Also the seats can move forward, backward, up and down with the press of a button. The My-Key feature on some models even allows the vehicle to recognize the driver from the key and move the seat accordingly.