Humanscale Freedom Task Office Chair with Headrest

Described by The New York Times as "the gold standard in office seating," the Freedom chair redefines the concept of traditional task chairs. Designer Niels Diffrient aimed to design an office chair that automatically adapts to the user, allowing them to move freely from posture to posture. Diffrient’s unique approach removed complexities found in other chairs, such as cumbersome recline levers and back tension dials for a truly ergonomic task chair. As a result, he developed a recline mechanism that perfectly adjusts to the user, definitively reinventing modern task seating to be truly simple, functional, and beautiful.

With an innovative recline that provides constant support and a pivoting backrest that automatically adjusts to the needs of the spine, the Freedom chair is exceptionally comfortable and promotes movement throughout the day. Its refined and sculpted cushions were designed to mimic the body’s natural contours and decrease pressure point loads for premium comfort. Like all Humanscale chairs, the Freedom chair was designed to look and function like new after years of consistent use.

A true design icon, the Freedom chair proves that ergonomics can be beautiful. Created by Niels Diffrient, Freedom automatically adjusts to every user. Designed to eliminate the need for manual controls, it features a sophisticated weight-sensitive, self-locking recline mechanism. And its unique form has a timeless aesthetic that complements any workspace.

ARTICULATING HEADREST

Freedom’s body-fitting contours ensure the user sits in comfort all day long. Our cushions are built to maximise comfort for four hours rather than the industry-standard four minutes which is as long as a sit-test in a new chair generally lasts.

SELF ADJUSTING RECLINE

Freedom eliminates the need for traditional recline mechanisms which can be bulky and weigh up to 6.8kg (15 lbs.). Instead, Freedom uses the sitter’s body weight and the laws of physics to perfectly and automatically adjust recline support for each individual.

SYNCHRONOUS ARMRESTS

Freedom's body-friendly armrests move up and down together, staying with the user during recline for continuous comfort and support. Unlike other chair designs, Freedom's armrests are attached to the back of the chair to ensure synchronous use.

Net Positive Products

We are proud to be the first company ever to offer any product–let alone 26–that is certified climate, energy and water positive.

26 of our products have been certified net positive – meaning any time they are made, the planet is measurably better off.

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"Less bad isn't good enough."

Jane Abernethy,

Chief Sustainability Officer, Humanscale

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Humanscale Sustainability

We carefully and constantly evaluate our impact on the Earth.

Our approach to product development and manufacturing embodies our mission to minimize our impacts. We believe that the best designs in the world achieve more with less, so we act accordingly. Humanscale products prioritize simplicity, which is apparent in their forms.

We use fewer parts and recyclable materials such as aluminium and steel in our products to limit their potential impact. In particular, our task chairs use a sophisticated weight-sensitive recline mechanism that offers intuitive functionality, thereby reducing the overall number of knobs, levers and parts required to make the chair work. Our environmental philosophy is taken into account at every stage of product development through our Design For Environment process. The Durability and Upgradeability of products is also considered - we build products to last, so they won't need to be replaced often.

But our product design is only the beginning of our environmental sustainability efforts. We also examine our supply chain, manufacturing facilities, showrooms and offices to evaluate our evolution in minimizing our impact. We monitor our greenhouse gas emissions, waste, energy use and other key metrics that indicate our progress.

On a global level, Humanscale is a member of the U.N. Global Compact, which aligns businesses with common goals of improving labour conditions, protecting human rights, preventing anti-corruption practices and promoting environmental efforts. We are also committed to responsible sourcing of raw materials. It is our policy to refrain from sourcing minerals from conflict mines in or around the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Sustainability in action

Annual Report

We've continued to focus our efforts to go beyond sustainability — to aim for an overall Net Positive impact on the earth. This goal led us to innovate in our operations, design with sustainability as the source, and advocate for stronger standards across our industry.

Environmental Sustainability

Our approach to product development and manufacturing embodies our mission to minimize our impacts. We believe that the best designs in the world achieve more with less, so we act accordingly.

Handprinting

In sustainability, footprints are a measure of the damage caused to the environment. Handprints, contrastingly, are a measure of the positive impact brought to the environment. When added together, the determine an organization’s net impact – they show us whether we’re doing more good than harm, and leaving the world better off.

Material Transparency

At Humanscale, we’ve long believed in using healthy materials. We also strongly believe that furniture products should have ingredients labels – much like food – that clearly disclose what they’re made of. We currently own 60% of Declare labels and 54% of Health Product Declarations that exist in the entire furniture industry.

Wildlife Conservation

We take wildlife conservation seriously because we believe in minimizing our impact on the Earth. A leader in sustainability, Humanscale not only reduces our own carbon footprint, but also reverses the environmental impacts of others.