Whatever you ask of your chair, Steelcase will ‘Reply’

Strasbourg, 1st September 2009

Over the last years, individual work has dramatically changed and users are often collaborating and are mobile within a space; thus motion through the workstation is the key to face the decrease of personal space. According to a Steelcase IPSOS workplace survey, 46% of European employees declare that they suffer from back pain at least once a week. 63% of them recognize not to adjust their chair (TNO).

In response to the latest trends in office working, Steelcase has announced the launch of its new high-performance seating range: ‘Reply’ and ‘Reply Air’ task chairs which combine innovative designs with specialised technology to respond to a user’s every need. The Reply portfolio has been designed with 3 core objectives in mind: ‘immediate comfort’, ‘simplicity’ and ‘customisation’. The range offers 2 alternative styles to maximise choice in terms of design and functionality.

Isabelle Legall, Director Seating for Steelcase International, said: “We spend nearly 9 years of our life seated at work. It’s vital that we are comfortable and supported. Reply has been specially designed to provide dynamic support to the 3 key parts of the back, the thoracic, lumbar and pelvic areas. 

Reply ‘traditional’ features 2 densities of foam for balanced lumbar support, as the upper and lower back regions require different kinds of support. The upper part of Reply’s backrest contains dense foam, while the lower part is covered with a pillow of soft foam. Reply ‘traditional’ also proposes an innovative upholstered fabric. Its electro-welding property offers a 50% higher dry speed versus the standard upholstery; and its pattern creates additional air circulation allowing a higher dry speed when users perspire.

Reply Air by contrast boasts a new and exclusive mesh fabric, with a velvet touch, which adjusts automatically to support each individual’s spinal print. With Reply Air, the tension of the mesh fabric, and therefore the support it provides, adjusts according to the force placed on the backrest by the user. It can also be fitted with height adjustable lumbar support if necessary.”

Both versions incorporate a synchronised mechanism technology which allows the chair to follow the body’s natural movements when reclining. The more an individual reclines, the more weight is transferred to the upper body, and the more support is required from the chair. With Reply and Reply Air individuals can easily adjust the tilt-tension according to their weight to provide personalised and continuous support.

Isabelle Legall, Director Seating for Steelcase International continued: “If your office chair does not adapt to your specific posture, you might as well be sitting on a stool. Reply’s adjustments are easy to access and can be altered with easy-to-access side levers. The handles are also intuitive thanks to the shape and pictogram.”

With its two versions and wide range of options and finishes, Reply provides many opportunities that let users’ taste decide. Thanks to his customized chair, the user feels that he has a customized workstation. The Reply portfolio is designed to meet the major challenges facing global organisations without compromising on comfort and effectiveness and meeting the needs of an increasingly collaborative workforce.

Notes to Editors

1. REPLY  VISITOR CHAIR

Reply is also available as a visitor chair. Its benefits are:
- An aesthetical consistency with the task chairs and their dedicated visitor chairs
- The answer to your teaming and conferencing needs

Available in:
- Sled (upholstered & mesh)
- Four-leg  (upholstered & mesh)
- Four-leg with castors (upholstered & mesh)
- Stackable (except sled)

2. REPLY’S ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

As an industrial company, Steelcase knows that it carries a big environmental responsibility and applies its design expertise to create innovative products with reduced environmental impact. We make the right choices by looking at every stage of the product lifecycle – from materials extraction to end of life. The products’ environmental performances are measured and analysed thanks to the LCA methodology and communicated openly and factually in a EPD.

Materials
- 19% recycled content by weight for the plastic base version, 28% for the aluminum base version.
- No hazardous materials.
- Packaging: LDPE film (30% recycled content) and cardboard (100% recycled content).
- Water-based inks without solvent on paper and packaging.

Production
- ISO 14001 certification for the Sarrebourg site.
- Powder-coat painting: VOC-free and free of heavy metals.
- No glue.
- Water-based urethane foam.

Transport
- Manufactured close to customers, in Europe.
- Eco-smart ++ packaging - Minimised packaging weight and volume. Eco Smart ++ (base/gas lift/seat/backrest) packaging: 6 heights in a 80m3 lorry compared to 4 with Eco Smart+ or 3 with Eco Smart.

Use
- Designed for a long product life.
- Replaceable parts.

End of life
- 98% recyclable.
- 100 % recyclable cardboard and LDPE film for packaging.
- Quick and easy disassembly.
- Plastic parts clearly labelled for easy sorting and effective recycling.