Lift by Encore made a splash last year at Aircraft Interiors Expo with the launch of their first seat – a Supplier Furnished Equipment-Hybrid product that could be fitted to the Boeing 737.
Well, they’ve been busy in the past year – and as well as getting two customers for the seat, they also have come up with a new seat for the Boeing 787.
Editor’s note – as the seat is still a concept, no press photos were allowed. I was allowed to sit in the actual seat however.
So, what are the stand out features of the seat? Perhaps the most impressive part is the how the seat reclines – it uses a cradle motion to recline, so the seat moves almost as one unit – rather than extending the seat pan, or heavy recline some seats have (and I put premium economy seats in that guilty party part).
In terms of comfort, the seat cover has different weaving throughout, allowing the seat to breath. The headrest is pretty unique. Whilst it is a fixed unit, I found it cradled the head very well – as if you’ve got a cushion next to your head.
The table area is a split table – meaning it doesn’t intrude when you just want a drink or a laptop out, and extended in to a full table when flipped open. There’s also a tablet/smart device holder too – addressing one of my concerns of how much space is taken when you have a tray table out to watch content on a smart device.
And the glowing around the screen? It’s linked to the colours that are being displayed in the mood lighting of the plane – a clever link-up.
After trying it for a while – I think Lift by Encore are onto something with this seat. The two standout factors of the cradle-style recline and headrest are very good to see in an economy class/tourist class seat.
Obviously, we won’t see all features on all seats as the customer can define the options they want on the seats – but I think that Lift may be onto something with this seat.
Whilst it’s a concept – I hope some airlines take a good look at this, and consider it for their next Boeing 787 aircraft…
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