ITOKI CORPORATION (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Yoshiro Hirai, hereinafter referred to as "ITOKI") will launch a new work chair, "vertebra," in November 2019, which has a mechanism that naturally guides the user to a correct sitting posture in response to the diversification of modern work styles.⁰³(Vertebra Zero Three)" will be released.

In 1981, ITOKI released the work chair "vertebra," whose name means "spinal cord" in Latin. Designed by world-renowned designers Emilio Ambas and Giancarlo Piretti, and born from a technical partnership with the Dutch company OpenArc, the concept of this product was "a human-first office chair." Equipped with advanced functions based on ergonomics and biomechanics, such as a backrest that flexibly supports the spine in response to body movements and a seat with a forward tilt function, "vertebra" brought new values of comfort and design to Japanese offices, where vinyl-covered chairs were still the norm at the time.

And now, in this age of what is said to be a "100-year lifespan." As work style reforms promote teleworking and dual-working using ICT, and work styles become more diverse, the roles and functions required of the office are constantly changing. While the term "work-life balance" is becoming more and more popular, there are also people who choose to live in harmony between work and life without setting boundaries between them.

This year marks 38 years since the birth of the first "vertebra" model. In order to respond to changes in the working environment and people's awareness, ITOKI welcomed product designer Fumie Shibata and decided to rethink the nature of office furniture. The goal was to create office furniture that responds to the free work style of the future, different from the traditional context. From these thoughts and ideas, the work chair "vertebra ⁰³" was born, which transcends the boundaries between WORK-Style and "life."

vertebra03 Official Site (Scheduled to be released on November 5th) https://www.vertebra.jp/

There is a saying, "Work like you live."
Working time is a part of our lives, and we spend a considerable amount of time at work. However, the working environment is also changing dramatically as work styles and the devices we use change. Until now, chairs for work were divided into two styles: "highly functional chairs" and "relaxed chairs" for daily life. However, with recent changes in attitudes towards work styles, what is required of chairs has become more diverse. The new vertebra aims to be a work chair that is comfortable yet light-hearted, and fits a free style of work. We thought that if there was a chair that provided the right level of workability and blended into a rich work environment, people would be able to "work like they live" in their own way. (Shibata Fumie)

The back and seat move naturally, gently fitting the body of the person sitting in any posture. The "vertebra" series has been highly praised for its revolutionary seating comfort backed by ergonomics. "vertebra⁰³" further updates its advanced mechanism. It further advances the functional concept of "a human-first office chair". The mechanism installed in the armrests and backrest of the integrated frame achieves smooth rocking. Not only can it freely accommodate forward leaning, upright, backward leaning, and stretching postures, but the three-dimensional seat slides to follow the movement of the back, naturally guiding the person sitting to the correct seat position without manual operation. In addition, when you move your weight forward, the seat tilts forward. It comfortably supports desk work without feeling pressure on the thighs. At first glance, the "vertebra⁰³" is equipped with a variety of functions that you would never imagine from its living-like appearance. The future of work chairs starts with this chair.

01: Back rocking
Function: When you lean back, the two fulcrums of the elbow and backrest work together to automatically tilt up to a total of 25°. By leaning with the elbow as the fulcrum, it supports a backward posture. By leaning with the backrest as the fulcrum, you can stretch mainly in the lower back.

02: Seat slide
Function: When you lean back, the seat automatically slides forward up to 30mm. The design is compact and easy to use even in tight spaces, with no impact on the rear when leaning back. In addition, by linking with the back rocking function, it firmly supports the body and keeps a sense of stability. It naturally guides the person sitting in the correct sitting posture.

03: Forward seat tilt function
When you lean forward, the front edge of the seat bends and tilts naturally by up to 10 degrees, reducing pressure on the thighs when using a computer or writing.

04: Seat up/down function
By turning the dial on the tip of the left armrest, you can adjust the seat height to suit your body type. The operation part is located within easy reach, allowing you to make smooth adjustments while sitting. *Only for 5-legged models

The appeal of "vertebra⁰³" is not only its functionality and design, but also its high expandability, which allows you to freely customize it to suit each work style and space. It comes in four body colors with a matte finish and three types of legs to choose from depending on the scene. The fabric lineup includes 28 different types with different expressions and textures, from original types made specifically for "vertebra⁰³" to high-grade types from "Knoll Textiles," the largest textile supplier in North America and known worldwide for its quality. "vertebra⁰³" makes your daily WORK-Style and "life" more enjoyable. It is a work chair that can be selected according to the user's taste.

Body Color
The lightweight body combines steel and aluminum frames. In addition to basic colors such as black and pale olive, chestnut brown and dark green, which are not available in conventional work chairs, are also available. We also paid special attention to the matte texture.

Wood Color
In addition to the five-leg and four-leg versions, ITOKI's first work chair with wooden legs is also available. The chic Oak Dark and the bright Oak Light are ideal for home use as well as for bringing a gentle atmosphere to the office.

Fabric
In addition to two types of fabrics with a total of 14 colors, including ITOKI's original, two types of fabrics with a total of 14 colors from "Knoll Textiles" are selected, for a total of 24 high-quality fabrics. The diverse variations meet the individuality and needs of the user.

vertebra03 SPEC
Size ＿
5 legs: W570 x D515 x H775 - 890 (SH425 - 540)
4-legged steel type: W560 x D515 x H810 (SH455)
4-legged wooden type: W569 x D515 x H810 (SH455)

Material
Backrest: Fabric upholstery
Armrest: Elastomer resin or wood (four-legged wooden type)
Legs: Painted die-cast aluminum (5 legs) Steel pipe
Painted finish (4 legs)
Or steel pipe wooden cover (four-legged wooden type)

Price ＿
4 legs: ¥69,600 ~ 5 legs: ¥74,500 ~
4-legged wooden type: from ¥106,200 [All prices are excluding tax]