Office and contract furniture manufacturer Wilkhahn has reason to celebrate. In the resources-transformation category, the 2026 German Sustainability Award judges selected the new WiChair as one of the winning products from among the 48 finalists. The awards ceremony will take place as part of the two-day Transformation Congress for the German Sustainability Award in Düsseldorf, Germany, on December 4 and 5.
The WiChair winning the German Sustainability Award Products is the next milestone allowing Wilkhahn to shape the office and contract furniture industry.
“The WiChair sets new standards in low-emission furniture design”
This year, judges of the German Sustainability Award Products paid tribute to solutions that have an outstanding impact on one of the five transformation fields (climate, resources, nature, society and value chains). The exceptional design, materials used to make it, and healthy range of motion make the WiChair a perfect candidate for the accolade’s resources category.
The judges gave reasons for their choice:
“In particular, the panel applauds the successful combination of sustainable materials, functional ergonomics and timeless design”. Its excellent repairability and modular design make the chair last much longer and help decrease resource consumption. The mix of ergonomic quality and sustainable design shows that ecology and comfort aren’t mutually exclusive. On the contrary, a sophisticated product design means both are possible.”
To Wilkhahn, the award is further proof that experts are acknowledging its trailblazing path toward more sustainability. Götz Stamm, company CEO, is confident that the WiChair will stand apart from the competition: “Our corporate values, evolved over decades, of innovativeness, environmental responsibility, longevity and design quality are very much in keeping with today’s trends. The WiChair incorporates all of these with superb comfort that makes people sitting on it look happy. Which, alongside the chair’s excellent value, is probably the most important ingredient for international success.”
The WiChair has been available from authorized Wilkhahn dealers and select online platforms since mid-October.
A long sustainability tradition
The early 1990s saw the launch of the Picto, designed by ProduktEntwicklung Roericht. It was the first, multi-award-winning office chair worldwide that was consistently developed along ecological design criteria. It was part of the ecological transformation that won Wilkhahn the German Environmental Foundation’s German Environmental Prize in 1996. With its three-dimensional range of motion, office chair ON® didn’t just set a new benchmark in terms of healthy dynamic sitting. In 2012, it was the first and (to date) only office chair to garner the Federal Ecodesign Award. But it’s not just the office task chairs, but the conference and multipurpose chairs. as well as the table ranges that meet stringent ecological requirements. Wilkhahn’s annual environmental statements reveal how it consistently strives to improve the environmental impact of its products and the company itself. The company has been certified by the EMAS, European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme since 2001.