IKEA announces new store opening in 2026
IKEA has announced plans to open 10 new stores in various U.S. cities by 2026 as part of its expansion strategy.
If you are not successful at first, try again. That’s a lesson IKEA apparently learned after a lackluster launch with its inflatable furniture line in the mid-’90s.
Released as part of its semi-regular PS collection, IKEA has introduced the 2026 PS Easy Chair, which features a tubular frame seat and back with an inflatable cushion. The chair was released to the general public on May 13th and is currently being sold online for $199.99.
According to the official product description, the seat “features two individually inflatable air chambers, one in the center and one around it, allowing you to create your desired firmness and comfort.” It also comes with a fabric cover that can be removed and machine-washed “when you need a refreshment.”
Here’s how the new version compares to IKEA’s previous forays into inflatable furniture.
What are people saying?
Although the design captures IKEA’s iconic mid-century modern aesthetic, the 2026 PS Easy Chair has been met with equal parts enthusiasm and skepticism.
Those who remember the shortcomings when IKEA first exploited the inflatable furniture ecosystem, or those who simply don’t trust inflatable sofas and chairs, have some concerns.
“It would take my cat exactly 0.2 nanoseconds to pop that damn thing out. No way,” one commenter wrote on an Instagram post featuring the chair.
“No way. I want the pink plastic inflatable chair from 1998,” wrote another, overcome with nostalgia.
“No, no, no. If the soles of my feet don’t peel off the chair like wet fish out of water, I don’t want it,” wrote another, recalling the heyday of questionable inflatable furniture materials.
Still, some companies either give IKEA a profit or sell the product completely as-is.
“Oh, I just wonder what happens when the air leaks easily over time, but IKEA must have figured this out,” one person wrote. “This is a bold step for the furniture industry. Let’s see what happens next.”
“I started watching this video wondering why anyone would want this, but after about 10 seconds…I want this because it’s so cute,” another user concluded.
Some give a more factual assessment, rating it as an “absolute vibe.”
IKEA’s first inflatable rodeo
IKEA first launched a complete inflatable furniture line called the “Air” collection in its 2000 catalog. As detailed by WIRED journalist Jeremy White, the car was officially retired in 2013, but suffered from a myriad of issues over its lifespan.
Among them were concerns that a member of the cat family would turn it into a scratching post, and that the sweat caused by the plastic would often build up on people’s feet, causing the material to stick to their feet.
Additionally, consumers were using hair dryers to blow up the product. Unfortunately, when you blow hot air into your furniture, the molecules shrink in size as it cools, causing the furniture to deflate.
But the worst problem, White said, was that the product’s valve leaked, causing a “low-key fart sound” after a person sat on it.
12 years in development
More than 10 years later, IKEA is confident that the 2026 PS Easy Chair is the perfect addition to its time.
First, the new chairs come with a pump so customers won’t accidentally inject hot air into them. Similarly, the plastic that would have been sweaty is hidden beneath the fabric layer.
However, some of the other problems were not easy to solve.
Designer Mikael Axelsson spent 12 years refining the prototype. Development took a very long time, and one issue that particularly bothered Axelsson – making the chair feel more like bubbles than a “beach ball” – arose from unexpected sources.
“I remember when Michael met a guy who repaired tractor tires. He came in with a tractor inner tube,” IKEA global design manager Johan Edgidemo told White. The reveal of the inner tube led to the 2026 PS Easy Chair’s “dual chamber seat,” as White explains.
“There’s one outer air section and then one middle air section,” Ejidemo told him. “And you can adjust the comfort yourself depending on how much you pump.”
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly for people with furry children at home, Igedemo told White that the chair has actually been tested on cats and has withstood intense scrutiny.
All in all, White came to the triumphant conclusion that the 2026 PS Easychair is “phenomenal”, echoing the response Ejdemo and the wider IKEA team are getting.
“A lot of people sit in this chair and don’t really think about it being an inflatable product,” Egidemo said. “So I think we were successful.”
Drew Pittock covers trending news from around the country for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
