In this age of “sitting is the new smoking,” much effort has been focused on getting us up and out of chairs. Witness standing desks, treadmill desks, new ways of working on the floor, etc… A company called Celliant has taken a different tack.

Why not, they reasoned, endeavor to make upholstery healthier too? Given the ubiquity of sedentarism, this is a bright idea—and its execution is pretty cool. Celliant is “an innovative matrix of 13 thermo-reactive minerals, including titanium dioxide, silicone dioxide, and aluminum oxide.” The minerals are ground into an ultra-fine powder and incorporated into textiles, which can then be utilized in clothing, bedding, and, yes, upholstery.

Essentially, The Celliant technology absorbs infra-red waves given off by bodies. This inherent energy is then passed back to users, resulting in increased vaso-dilation and greater oxygenation, which translates to more energy, faster repair and regeneration, and more efficient regulation of internal body temp.

Companies including CF Stinson and Designtex have incorporated Celliant into several products, including healthcare furniture, office furniture, and public seating.

In fact, the latter company has created an upholstery backing with Celliant, thus opening up the range of aesthetic applications: “we can pair Celliant’s benefits with many different aesthetics, including novelty yarns, textures and even coated, faux leather materials, that are applicable for healthcare and many other markets.”

The science on this is sound. Celliant has been deemed a medical device by the FDA, based on spikes in oxygenation levels observed in controlled testing.

To find out more, see Celliant. And read about Celliant upholstery at Designtex and CF Stinson.