As someone with a history of back issues and a natural aversion to sitting still in one place for long, I was intrigued when news of the noho move™ chair came across my desk. Promising to bring a new kind of comfort to everyday life - which this year has seen many of us working from home, often at the dining table - through a uniquely versatile and dynamic, earth-friendly design, I was keen to give it a try. To say it has been a game-changer would be an understatement! Keep reading to find out why.
Created from thousands of hours of research into how we live our dynamic modern lives, noho move features a patented auxetic mesh seat that provides a four-way flex and form-fitting support that cradles your body. As you move in your chair - reclining back, or tilting forward - the chair moves with you to deliver a uniquely fluid motion and ergonomic support, intuitively responding to your every activity and posture, eliminating pressure points, and improving your body's circulation. Adding to the overall comfort, noho move breaths to modulate temperature, preventing heat build-up and loss, so you're always right in your thermal comfort zone. After using my noho move chair for a couple of weeks, I’m finding I can sit comfortably for much longer periods of time and my productivity has increased. Being able to move and stretch while I sit - I find the chair actually encourages me to do this - allows me to work much more effectively, and as a result, I'm finding a better balance in my day to day life.
Noho - meaning to sit or to dwell in Te Reo Maori - is a new New Zealand furniture brand driven by a team of doers, dreamers and self-confessed design geeks. To gain more insight into how their first product, noho move, came about, I jumped on a zoom call with CEO Richard Shirtcliffe - former boss of much-loved kiwi brands Phil & Teds, Coffee Supreme and Tuatara Beer - who currently resides in the US with his wife Sarah and their two young kids.
While surfing in Indonesia with his family, Richard was shocked by the amount of plastic waste in the water. Igniting discussions with Sarah around creating a product from reclaimed ocean waste, Richard teamed up with the Wellington-based, internationally renowned design studio Formway. Known for their groundbreaking designs of office furniture for leading global design brands such as Knoll and Natuzzi, it just so happens that they had spent the last four years working on a home furniture concept. Fusing this with Richard’s vision, they spent two years bringing the brand noho, and noho move to life.
Reflecting the brand’s core values, the innovative design by Formway is the result of the studio’s deep understanding of human behaviour, physiology and movement, as well as deep expertise in ergonomic and sustainable design. Every chair is made almost entirely from waste plastic, like ECONYL® regenerated nylon, sourced 100% from reclaimed fishing nets and end-of-use carpets - to help nurture our oceans and environment. And to ensure sustainability throughout the supply chain, the chairs are made here in NZ using 82% renewable energy.
Styling and Photography by Michelle Halford/Studio TDC
In terms of aesthetics, noho move gets a big tick of approval from me. Clean and minimalist, the mesh seat provides a unique textural touch, while the Cloud colour (it also comes in Ironsand) is the perfect neutral tone, making the chair fit like a dream in my pared-back office. I also opted for one of the Toppers, made from naturally soft and durable, sustainably sourced New Zealand wool. I like that it provides an added level of comfort, especially against my spine. I chose the Cloud for a seamless look, but the Toppers come in a range of colours drawn from nature to suit your personal interior style. The chair and Toppers are super easy to assemble, and I love that the chair is lightweight, making it easy to transition from room to room.
To find out more about the noho move chairs visit the noho website, which currently offers free shipping across New Zealand and the US, with further destinations coming soon.
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