Stressless^® debuts commemorative Royal recliner to celebrate 50th anniversary

Norwegian furniture maker builds on a half-century of balanced comfort

SOMERSET, N.J., April 19, 2021 — Stressless^®, long known for its innovation and craftsmanship, as well as its minimalist Scandinavian style, is launching its redesigned classic Stressless Royal recliner in celebration of “50 Years of Stressless.” The recliner is now available in North America. By reimagining a true classic, Stressless is commemorating a half-century of balanced comfort. That’s five decades of Norwegian design built on an ingenious blend of artisanship and innovation. Over 10 million Stressless seats have been sold since 1971.

“There’s a reason it all started 50 years ago in Norway, where Scandinavian nature and culture bring out the best in technology,” said Beverly Kastel, Stressless marketing director for North America. “Together, human insight and advanced robotics have created a product that’s the most comfortable furniture on Earth—the Stressless recliner.”

North America comprises the largest market for Ekornes with 25% of global sales volume. In 2021, the 50th anniversary year, Stressless recorded the highest annual sales in the company’s history, according to Kastel.

The Stressless brand has evolved over 50 years—launching the first Stressless recliner in 1971 and introducing sofas in 1993. The Stressless home theater collection was born in 2003, followed by Stressless’ latest innovations including the Stressless Mary & Emily sofas, and Mike and Max recliners with Power™ in 2020.

The longest selling model in the Stressless collection, the Stressless Royal was originally introduced in 1981. It was the first Stressless recliner with the hourglass-shaped base in laminated wood. The company made some aesthetic adjustments to improve the iconic design without compromising the unmistakable comfort of the Stressless Royal. As it does with all its furniture, Stressless put emphasis on sustainability when creating the new recliner, using materials and manufacturing processes that have a low environmental impact. Signature curves and retro stitching define the design, making it the perfect anniversary model. Stressless has enhanced the chair with the original base and steel structure inspired by the very first Stressless Original back in 1971.

Now through May 31, Customers receive $300 off the recliner in all Paloma leather colors at their closest Stressless dealer. To celebrate the launch, Stressless is also giving away one Royal recliner to a lucky winner of its Live Royally Sweepstakes on Facebook. Participants can comment on the Ekornes Facebook post with the name or image of a chair in their home they would like to replace with a new Stressless Royal recliner and include the hashtags #StresslessSweepstakes and #LiveRoyally. The Sweepstakes runs through Friday, May 13 and one lucky winner will be randomly drawn in late May. 

Consumers looking for more information on the 50th Anniversary Stressless Royal recliner may visit stressless.com, or the nearest Stressless dealer.

About Stressless
Founded in 1934, Ekornes ASA is one of the world's leading furniture manufacturers, with six factories in Norway and worldwide export activities, selling its products in 43 countries. It owns the brand names of Ekornes^®, Stressless^®, Svane^®, and IMG. The company also assembles sofas in an American production facility located in Morganton, N.C. Since 1971, Stressless has  offered tailored comfort through a patented glide technology and lumbar support system designed to match the changing contours of the back. The Stressless recliner was the first luxury recliner endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association. Ekornes participates in the UN Global Compact to protect the environment and is committed to social and environmental responsibility. For more information, visit stressless.com.

Live Royally Sweepstakes
No purchase is necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 18 years of age or older or the age of majority in their jurisdictions of residence at the time of entry, subject to other conditions. Begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on 4/18/22; ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 5/13/22. Grand Prize (1): A Medium Stressless® Royal Recliner with original base, ARV $2,995 (USD) / $3,828.78 (CAD). The odds of winning the Grand Prize will depend on the number of eligible entries received. Math skill test question required. Void in Quebec, outside the 50 U.S. & D.C., Canada and where prohibited by law. See blog.ekornes.com for Official Rules and complete eligibility.

Media Contact:
Jacob Teetzmann
Tombras
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423.494.3673