But it’s not just the prospect of a comfy seating session that had our tush twitching with interest — it’s the overall design of the Ollie Chair that really made us sit up.
Created by Brooklyn-based engineering and design firm RockPaperRobot (RPR), Ollie is trumpeted as “space-saving, lumbar-supporting, weather-resisting, personality-enhancing, and mechanically marveling.” And on closer inspection, it seems these are indeed all valid highlights.
Besides its stylish good looks, Ollie’s standout feature is its ability to quickly flatten down to under 2.25-inches thick, making it convenient to transport and easy to store. It can do this thanks to its “tambour” slatted wood seat, while its articulated aluminum base helps to keep it light at a reasonable 16 pounds.
RPR knows that while it’s important for a chair to look great, the proof of the pudding is really in the sitting. The final seat design, which sports “lumbar-supporting contours,” was achieved after people of all shapes and sizes tried it for long and short periods of time, with the resulting curvy profile one that hopefully we can all rest and relax in.
And Ollie’s rust- and warp-resistant materials mean it can be used inside or out, kinda important for a portable chair. “We salt-tested, immersion-tested, froze, and thawed to make sure your Ollie Chair could brave the elements,” RPR reassures.
A nice touch is the personality-connected features that the Ollie Chair offers, so you can easily swap out the wooden seat depending on the occasion. “Use a felt tambour for a more formal occasion, swap in the teak for the BBQ, or switch in a custom graphic to make a statement when the chairs are stored on the wall,” RPR suggests.
The Ollie Chair is a Kickstarter project that’s looking for $80,000 of funding to make it a reality. A pledge of $300 secures you a teak seat and a silver, black, or white base — that’s a decent $150 off the expected retail price. Of course, put your name down for multiple Ollie Seats and you’ll get an even better deal — all the possibilities are shown on RPR’s Kickstarter page.
If all goes to plan, backers will be able to unfurl their Ollie in September 2017.
