Bow combines design, comfort and sustainability design by Jonas Forsman

Bow combines design, comfort and sustainability

Swedish designer Jonas Forsman is behind the design of Bow – a versatile chair combining Scandinavian style with comfort and sustainability. Bow has a completely separable design and is constructed with sprung steel that provides a pleasant give in the back together with more active sitting, which also makes it more comfortable to sit in for longer periods.

Soft, warm wood meets industrial steel in this stylish and comfortable chair, which fits perfectly into many interiors and is easy to match with other furniture. Here the idea is to emphasise the details and give them space, to show off both the sustainable construction but also the opportunities provided by the chair. Bow is manufactured as a three-dimensional form-pressed shell to fit the back in both directions, and the give is provided by sprung steel that is also a part of the design.

“The aim was to create a chair with extra comfort that the user can sit in for a longer period. In such cases, active sitting is preferable, which we have built in through the give in the back,” says Jonas Forsman, Bow’s designer.

When Jonas designed Bow, he considered how the generous curves would work with the strict steel tube frame.

“I wanted the back to feel enveloping, like a curve building up the steel tube from behind and running around the back. The generous seat and back are softly formed to the body and reinforce the feeling of invitation,” says designer Jonas Forsman.

Bow is available with or without armrests. The chair can be both stacked and linked, which is practical in different types of educational environments, but also in cafés and dining rooms. Bow is also a great choice for meeting and conference rooms or touchdown spaces. The variant with armrests can also be suspended from the table edge – a clever function that simplifies cleaning.

The circular and entirely separable layer-by-layer design means the piece can be renovated and updated over time. Instead of adhesive, Bow fits together using assembly sleeves, and the seat and back are attached to the frame with screws, which is unique for this type of chair. Because all parts can be replaced, it’s easy to convert Bow from a chair without armrests into a chair with armrests or vice versa. It’s also possible to reupholster the product, and it can be waste separated and recycled when it reaches the end of its life.

“The inspiration for Bow comes from a striving to create sustainable furniture that lasts longer. One challenge was to find a solution that made the chair both stable and flexible, where the parts could simultaneously be separated,” says designer Jonas Forsman.