Sabin, the Chicago-based acoustics and lighting company, introduces TAPER, a new conical pendant produced using post-consumer recycled PET felt. Debuting at LEDucation 2026, the fixture introduces a tapered form to Sabin’s portfolio, expanding a system of geometric building blocks designed to stretch, span, and scale across commercial interiors.
Inspired by the familiar silhouette of lampshades, TAPER reinterprets a classic form through a performance-driven lens. The pendant pairs Sabin’s signature sewn construction with an exposed, minimal metal frame manufactured by a local family-owned fabrication shop that provides structure and visual grounding. Simple seams join two layers of felt—one 1.5mm and the other 9mm—which are purposefully off set at the bottom edge, creating a subtle reveal that allows for contrast when dual tones are specified.
“The truncated cone has a long history in lighting, and there’s a warmth to it that people recognize,” said Wes Cox, Co-Founder of Sabin. “Our goal was to take that instinctive quality and pair it with the level of acoustic and lighting performance that designers need today.”
With light engine options including downlights, diffuse lenses, and globes, Sabin offers a range of lighting eff ects not typically found in tapered pendants. Beam spreads and outputs can be calibrated to suit each application, from soft ambient light to general illumination of up to 18,000 lumens.
Customization plays a defining role in the design. The fixture is available in diameters ranging from 20 to 89 inches, with suspension lengths spanning 24 to 120 inches to accommodate a wide range of ceiling heights and spatial conditions. Designers can specify the cord, cable, and interior and exterior felt colors. The flexibility to specify a neutral interior felt color and a more expressive exterior is particularly valuable for lighting designers who wish to prevent color shift in the light output while still making a bold design statement.
Within a space, TAPER operates as both a visual and acoustic anchor. It can define intimate zones, bring focus to circulation areas, or scale up in groupings to shape larger open plans. Whether deployed individually or as part of a larger composition, the form maintains its clarity and proportion across applications.
With TAPER, Sabin continues to position lighting and acoustics as a coordinated system. Rather than separating the two, the fixture brings them together in a single, resolved element, aligning performance, atmosphere, and spatial definition in a way that reflects how interiors are experienced.
About Sabin
Sabin is the first company founded equally for acoustics and lighting. Its flexible product design enables creativity while ensuring precision—making possible a clearer, brighter, more imaginative tomorrow. Based in Chicago, the company combines precise engineering with methodical craft to deliver intuitive acoustic lighting solutions for the built environment. Learn more at sabin.design, and follow along on Instagram and LinkedIn.