IKEA Brings Back the Joy of Air: A New Era of Inflatable Design

At this year’s Milan Design Week, IKEA is revisiting one of its boldest design ideas from the 1990s — inflatable furniture. But this time, it returns with a new purpose, a new perspective, and a new generation of design thinking. Introducing the PS 2026 Easy Chair, created by IKEA designer Mikael Axelsson as part of the latest IKEA PS collection

Learning from the Past, Designing for the Future

Many design enthusiasts may remember IKEA’s inflatable a.i.r collection from the late 1990s — an ambitious experiment that pushed boundaries but arrived before the world was ready for it.

Rather than leaving the concept behind, IKEA saw an opportunity to revisit it with fresh technology, improved materials, and decades of learning.

The result is a chair that combines comfort, simplicity, and contemporary aesthetics while embracing the emotional side of design. It is approachable, unexpected, and intentionally lighthearted.

Because good ideas deserve a second life.

Design That Sparks Emotion

At IKEA, design has never been only about function. It is also about curiosity, optimism, and creating products that make people smile.

The PS 2026 Easy Chair captures that spirit perfectly. Inflatable furniture invites interaction. It surprises people. It feels unconventional in a world where furniture often takes itself too seriously.

And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that innovation sometimes means revisiting ideas that were ahead of their time.

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