Designed for human performance
With roots back to 1977, RH is part of the Swedish design tradition. When the first RH-chair was launched, it attracted justified attention because it took users seriously. Office chairs from RH take into account the body’s natural movements and encourage movement and a corect posture.
These are qualities that increase job satisfaction for the users, and they are properties that contribute to a more efficient working environment. From the very beginning, RH’s philosophy has been to combine ergonomics and functional design. Later, this has been embodied in the strong brand concept “Designed for Human Performance”, which particularly emphasises that a good design should contribute to documented performance improvements in organisations. This has led to office chairs and work chairs from RH being among the market leaders in several countries in Europe, and particularly in RH’s main segments, office environments, healthcare, and industry, where users have particularly high demands on functional design.
Innovation and leading design
Behind RH’s success is a deliberate commitment to innovation. In particular, RH has developed its own technology, 2PP™, which is a two-point principle that helps the body to get plenty of variety and relief when one moves. This technology is the basis for all chair series from RH.
In the work of developing new chair series, RH works closely with talented designers in several countries. For example, when RH designed the RH Ambio series of chairs, the company worked closely with the Swedish Zenit Design Group. In 2010, deliberate focus was on the RH chair’s distinctive character through an upgrade of the RH Activ series. Industrial designer Alexander Borgenhov of Power Design in Oslo designed the chair, in close collaboration with Scandinavian Business Seating’s own design team. RH Activ is designed to fit the body and is a perfect example of versatility. The chair is suitable for all types of environments, from offices and universities to laboratories and classrooms. The unique blend of form and ergonomic function - two basic principles in RH’s design DNA - means that the RH Activ increases the performance level, both individually and for the entire organization.
Demonstrable performance enhancement
RH emphasises that the products, because of their ergonomic design, shall contribute to an increase in the efficiency of staff, managers and entire organisations. The office chairs ensure a natural posture, provide excellent support and encourage movement and active sitting. A correct posture improves breathing and blood circulation, whilst movement stimulates the muscles. To illustrate the performance enhancement, RH has conducted a pioneer study to determine the relationship between RH’s chairs and the working environment, personal performance and reduced absenteeism due to sickness. This has resulted in a separate tool, the RH Performance Tool, which shows how much an organisation can save by choosing RH-quality when it comes to office chairs.
To ensure that RH chairs perform better than conventional office chairs, RH has developed RH Ventec™, an innovative and unique material used in the back and seat. Ventec™ is a combination of natural rubber, horsehair and wool. Studies run by the independent research institute Swerea, show that a chair with this material has a 25% better ability to transport perspiration and heat away from the body, and a 15% better ability to transport moisture than other chairs.
Environmental commitment
RH focuses on new solutions to protect the environment. This is done through its commitment to high-quality products and sustainable processes. For example, Ventec™, which is used in chair backs and seats, is 100 per cent recyclable and biodegradable. In addition, many components in the RH chair series are produced using recycled materials. The company is certified according to ISO 14001 environmental standard and was among the first manufacturers of office chairs to have its products certified under the international EPD system (Environmental Product Declaration). EPD is an environmental declaration that provides scientifically based, verified and comparable information about the environmental impact of products in various categories. The declaration builds on a life cycle assessment of a product and provides quantitative data on the environmental impacts. RH’s main collection is also certified according to GREENGUARD, the world’s largest industry-independen certification programme for low emission products.
www.rhchairs.com
