LessThanFive Chair: Did You Know?

Did you know that a bicycle frame manufacturer helped Coalesse create the carbon fiber LessThanFive Chair? Find more product information about this ultralight, stackable chair below. This post is part of an occasional series exploring the details of key Coalesse products.

1. Product Features

• Made of 100% carbon fiber, the LessThanFive Chair is tested to support up to 275 lbs. but weighs only 4.6 lbs.
• Coalesse developed the chair in collaboration with a leading global producer of high-performance carbon fiber bicycle frames and car parts
• Skilled carbon fiber craftspersons produce this strong, innovative chair as a single piece, without connectors or internal supports
• LessThanFive stacks up to four chairs high, making it easy to move, store and use in collaborative settings

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of this object of extraordinary craftsmanship.

2. Materials and Customizability

• The manufacturing process starts with layers of carbon fiber sheets that workers form, trim, fuse under high heat and finish by hand
• LessThanFive comes in 8 standard finishes, including the clear-coated Carbon Weave (glossy black); the chair’s smooth surface welcomes clients’ custom colors; personalized versions are easy to design using the Coalesse Customizer program
• The new LessThanFive Essential Series, in 4 neutral finishes, offers the chair in multipacks with a lower price point — all shipped within 10 days (customization not available on this series)

3. Designer Insight

• The chair’s material structure was inspired by Boeing’s decision to use carbon fiber in the 787 Dreamliner
• Designed by Hong Kong-based industrial designer Michael Young, in partnership with the Coalesse Design Group
• Winner of the iF Design Gold Award in 2017 for its “exceptional material quality combined with an intuitive form”
• “This chair was not designed with any other material than carbon in mind, and it could not be made in wood or plastic” —designer Michael Young
• Its success inspired Steelcase engineers to pursue materiality innovations in their development of the SILQ chair’s seat shell

Michael Young