Independent living products: Ikea launches new range to help people live independently at home

Ikea has expanded its massive product offering with an inclusive new range designed to help people keep living independently at home.

The products in the Bäsingen collection mainly focus on providing extra support in the bathroom no matter your age or physical needs.

Starting at $9, the designs are multi-functional with thick surface areas for gripping, soft edges to prevent injury, non-slip feet, drainage holes and a dark grey colour for style and to be easily seen.

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”There are many people who experience impactful and common circumstantial changes that can make something as simple as taking a shower challenging. Yet, we see that the home environment is often not equipped for change,” says Wâtte Zijlstra, Ikea Product Design Developer, Ikea of Sweden AB.

“The starting point for Bäsingen was a clear need for specific product functions. Then, we widened our scope through design to ensure the products are for the many, as Bäsingen is created to support anyone in their daily life.”

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Ikea senior designer Sarah Fager added, “Bäsingen is designed to help customers create a comfortable experience. The products were created to bring great functionality together with a beautiful design, as they have a minimalistic expression that is rooted in our Scandinavian design tradition. Bäsingen should blend in regardless of your style and shouldn’t be something you need to put away or hide,” she said.

The Bäsingen shower shelf is $9 and combines a grab rail with a small shelf to pop things like a bar of soap. The circular shelf contains holes to drain water and the fixtures are concealed for a sleek design.

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Next in the range is the $12 toilet roll holder, which has a small shelf for any bits and pieces you might need to keep close by and a rounded grab rail design to help give you a hand.

The towel rail, meanwhile, is $19 and combines a grab rail on the top with space to hang towels on the bottom.

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To assist in the shower, the $39 shower chair has non-slip feet and is sturdy enough to grab the armrest when getting up or down.

Rounding out the range is the step stool with handrail for $35 and a step stool with handrail and two steps for $49. These can be used when getting things from higher up, as a towel rail or for help getting out of the bath.

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Fager described creating the range as a unique challenge.

”I started this project by wanting to learn more about the needs and wishes of people with physical limitations. It was one of my most challenging design projects because it was about meeting needs that were new to me, but this also made it one of my most enlightening projects,” she said.

“I hope people will enjoy Bäsingen products throughout different stages of life. Maybe they will use the products a bit less during certain periods, but they are always close at hand, ready to provide support.”

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