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Technology certainly has come a long way from where it was 20 years ago. In the early 2000s, people would only dream of having smartphones, Bluetooth devices and self-driving cars. Even then, no one would suspect AI would make the transition from Hollywood fantasy to becoming a reality.
But as technology continues to grow exponentially at the rate it's going, there’s no telling what else we can expect in the future. Devices we haven't considered for smart features could work together with your other household items.
In the world of furniture products, we here at La-Z-Boy Ottawa and Kingston have only recently started to see smart furniture features included within our products. Even in our furniture stores in Ottawa and Kingston, you can see furniture products that are working cooperatively to help better your everyday life.
So, with that being said, what kind of smart furniture features are we seeing at La-Z-Boy Ottawa and Kingston, and what could this mean for the future of our furniture products? Well, stick around to learn more!
In This Article…
- What Is Smart Furniture?
- Wireless Remotes
- Furniture that Charges Your Devices
- Heat & Massage Chairs
- Intelligent Fabric Technologies
- What the Future Could Hold for La-Z-Boy Furniture
What is Smart Furniture?
Before we take a look at what kind of smart furniture features we have in-store at La-Z-Boy Ottawa and Kingston, you might be a little confused as to what smart furniture could be.
Well, it actually isn’t clear what this answer is yet… A bit of a let down yes, but the reason why there isn’t a clear answer is because these new integrated technologies are not fully concrete in definition.
For example, some sources define smart furniture as furniture items that feature some form of technology, like wireless chargers, memory settings, and others. Others may use the term to describe furniture that can connect to other devices using Bluetooth or other networks.
With that being said, the closest description we can get to smart furniture as a whole is furniture that incorporates some kind of innovative technology that is used to benefit users and make their lives easier.
Not only does this concept support other definitions, but it complements the philosophy behind the Internet of Things. This type of interconnected network relates to your household items communicating with each other and exchanging data to help you to worry less about small tasks and ultimately make you live life easier in your home.
Your coffee maker, for example, can make coffee for you without you needing to move a muscle, simply because your morning alarm notified it to start making coffee. And once your coffee is made, your coffee maker notifies your car to start, so you don’t have to stand in the freezing cold waiting for your car to heat up in the winter.
That is the ‘Internet of Things’ at play, and it’s only going to get more and more interconnected as technology advances. This includes smart furniture as well.
Smart Furniture Features in La-Z-Boy Products
As smart furniture features continue to touch into the furniture market, benefiting people’s relaxation, what are some smart features that La-Z-Boy Ottawa and Kingston have integrated into their living room furniture? Let’s find out!
1. Wireless Remotes
Reclining your furniture manually is definitely a great choice when you’re choosing an affordable reclining option. However, some people have started to see the benefits of purchasing power furniture that reclines at the touch of a button.
Instead of a handle on the outside of the frame, a control panel takes its place. Now, you can recline in many reclining positions instead of only one or two like with a manual recliner.
At La-Z-Boy, however, we have seen this trend and decided to take a step further. Not only can our power recliners recline with the touch of a button, but they can do so with the help of wireless remote controls.
Now, you can control your power controls in the palm of your hand, as well as adjust your headrest and lumbar sections on the back.
What’s more, La-Z-Boy’s Wireless Remotes also comes with two memory settings, which allow you to save two of your favourite power reclining positions, so you don’t have to guess what that comfortable position was anymore.
2. Furniture that Charges Your Devices
One of the higher demands for people nowadays is the need to stay in one position without needing to get up for whatever reason. Admittedly, we all like to be couch potatoes, so not wanting to get up from your favourite spot is a natural thought.
Say you were relaxing on your sofa or recliner chair scrolling through TikTok and you notice your device is about to die. Now you have to get up, get your charger and plug it into the nearest outlet–that’s even if the nearest outlet is close to your original spot!
Well, La-Z-Boy has certainly fixed that issue with integrated electronic charging ports in certain furniture items.
Along with the port to store your wireless remote, our recliner chairs also have USB-charging ports that can charge any of your electronic devices. There are also hidden charging ports inside some of our end tables, which are very convenient if you’re placing these items next to your sofa.
And, most recently, we’ve introduced newer power bundles within our loveseats with consoles, which now have a wireless charger for smartphones! Simply place your phone inside the charging tray and it’ll light up orange, indicating that it needs to be charged, or green, meaning it is fully charged.
3. Heat & Massage Chairs
One of the older features added to some power recliners over the years has been the upgrade to include heat & massage. As much as this feature has been in the market for quite some time, La-Z-Boy not only has it in our recliners but also in our lift recliners, too!
While they may not look like space shuttles compared to some better quality massage chairs, La-Z-Boy’s Heat & Massage upgrade holds three different settings, including Constant, Wave, and Pulsating. The heat setting also has low and high heat settings.
Now, if you’re feeling a little bit stiff from a long day at work, you can relax without the need to book an appointment at the massage clinic.
To learn more about La-Z-Boy’s Heat & Massage Upgrade, take a look at this article.
4. Intelligent Fabric Technologies
Something that most people may not think of is the intuitive fabrication behind furniture covers. While some may have different textures than others, some fabrics and leathers have special materials within their construction that can tackle a number of different scenarios.
For example, there are many stain-resistant fabrics out there that help repel furniture stains. While this may not sound out of the realm of “smart furniture features” it certainly creates an easier lifestyle to those who purchase it.
This is especially true with our newer specialty fabrics called Antimicrobial and Restore. Antimicrobial fabrics help stop the spread of mildew, mould or other odour-causing bacteria, while Restore is powered by Nanobionic technology, which helps rejuvenate unused energy in your body, thanks to infrared technology.
While each of these fabric’s technology may not be visible, these materials help improve your daily life without you even realizing the technology is working.
To learn more about our Antimicrobial and Restore Fabrics, take a look at these articles.
What the Future Could Hold for La-Z-Boy Furniture
Now that we’ve taken a look at some examples of smart furniture features that La-Z-Boy has within their furniture, what could all of these furniture advancements look like in the future?
While we may not know what the future holds with the Internet of Things, technology is always on people’s minds, whatever the case may be.
With living room furniture in mind, there is more to explore with technology. For example, some furniture pieces are taking inspiration from phones and tablets, and using a touchscreen device to navigate through different settings.
We could see this in the future at La-Z-Boy, potentially erasing the wireless remotes completely in favour of touchscreen settings. There are even some recliner chairs that have started to use voice commands to help control the reclining position. This is similar to communicating with Alexa or Google Home.
As for other furniture items getting the smart feature more and more integrated within their design, there are many integrations being seen with accent tables. For example, wireless charging has also become a popular ask for these types of furniture pieces, as well as fingerprint unlocking features for drawers so no one can get to your personal belongings.
What’s more, there are even some end tables with built-in speakers for incorporating a surround sound experience. Some of these speakers even work with music connections, being able to play your favourite music through your furniture!
While these ideas are becoming a reality for certain retailers, there’s no certainty for what La-Z-Boy may incorporate into their living room furniture next, but with a new year around the corner, we’re all very excited to see what La-Z-Boy releases next.
What's Next?
Now that you know everything about smart furniture features at La-Z-Boy, you might be interested in learning more about our products and what else they have to offer.
Make sure to check out these best-selling articles below:
- Best Selling Recliners at La-Z-Boy
- Best Selling Sofas at La-Z-Boy
- Best Selling Sectionals at La-Z-Boy
If you’re looking for new and comfortable living room furniture to add to your home, why stop by today? You can start shopping by visiting one of our local showrooms located in Ottawa or Kingston. You can also schedule a visit online before coming in.
Our design consultants are always eager to lend a helping hand. Take advantage of our interior design services to see how our furniture can fit in your home.
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