Stressless® Adam — the electric recliner with Zero Gravity

The Stressless® Adam is a fully electric recliner from the Norwegian brand Stressless featuring a Zero Gravity position: with the push of a button, it reclines until your legs are slightly higher than your heart. The footrest is integrated into the seat, the seat shell has wooden side panels, and it stands on a Disc or Sirius base. In 2025, it won the Red Dot Award for product design.

Zero Gravity is the reclining position in which your feet and legs are positioned slightly higher than your heart; it’s also known as the “heart-level” position. Your body weight is then evenly distributed across the seat and backrest, reducing pressure on your lower back and giving you an almost weightless feeling. The Adam reclines slightly further back than the classic Stressless models, thanks to its motor.

It’s mainly a different kind of seating experience—neither better nor worse. A Signature or Cross model is adjusted using your own body weight and features a separate footrest; you can choose from three sizes. The Adam is fully electric, has a seamlessly integrated footrest, a Zero Gravity recline position, a higher seat height of 51 cm, and comes in one universal size. Those who like to actively move along with the chair often choose a classic Stressless; those who want to relax as much as possible without having to do anything themselves choose the Adam.

It wasn’t the first to feature a motor—there were already “Power” versions of classic models, and earlier models like the Stressless Sam and Scott—but it was the first to be conceived from the outset as a fully electric recliner, and the first with a Zero Gravity position. It has since become one of the top sellers in the Stressless line worldwide.

It comes with a remote control that snaps into place magnetically under the armrest. The backrest and footrest each have their own whisper-quiet motor and move smoothly and independently of each other. Press a single button to go to the Zero Gravity position, and the Home button returns you to the upright starting position. To prevent accidental movement, the buttons light up briefly after a light touch.

The Adam comes standard with a power cord that you can hide behind or under the seat. If you want to place it anywhere in the room, choose the optional rechargeable battery (€304 special price). In our experience, it lasts several weeks with normal use; you can charge it overnight, for example.

Because standing up and sitting down are so much easier. Your knees and hips are at a more natural angle, so you need less muscle strength to stand up. With traditional models, you often have to use a separate riser ring to achieve that height; with the Adam, it’s built right into the design.

Thanks to the solid wooden frame and the compact motor mechanism that allows the footrest to fit seamlessly against the seat—both of which were designed specifically for this size. Because the backrest, headrest, and footrest are infinitely adjustable, and the headrest extends up to 6 cm, you can still customize the reclining position to suit your own height. We therefore highly recommend trying it out before you buy.

Disc is a round wooden disc base in the same wood color as the armrests; Sirius is a sleek aluminum star base, available in brushed or matte black. Comfort and features are identical, as is the price. It’s purely a matter of style: Disc has a warm and calm look, while Sirius has a lighter and more modern feel.

Eleven in total: the eight standard wood finishes in laminated beech (oak, teak, walnut, brown, smoked oak, gray, wenge, and black) and three Exclusive Wood finishes in solid oak (Oak Natural, Oak Whitewash, and Oak Black), which are available exclusively in the Adam and Stressless Dining collections.

Online, you pay the Stressless Store promotional price: from €3,419 for Group 1 fabric to €5,300 for Noblesse leather, each 10% below the suggested retail price (starting at €3,799). The Disc and Sirius models cost the same. The optional battery is sold separately. Because every Adam is custom-made in Norway, the delivery time is approximately 8 weeks; delivery is free in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Yes. The Stressless® Adam won the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2025. The international jury wrote: “Although the Stressless Adam clearly focuses on comfort, its Scandinavian-inspired design creates a harmonious look.” The design is by the Italian studio Chyba and Partners, commissioned by Ekornes.

Under normal household use, a Stressless will last 15 to 20 years. You receive a 10-year warranty on the internal mechanism and metal frame, a 5-year warranty on the motors and electrical components, and a 2-year warranty on the battery, in addition to the 2-year statutory warranty. Motors, buttons, and cables can be replaced separately at a later date.

Absolutely, and that’s something we highly recommend for the Adam: since it comes in one size, it’s best to see for yourself whether the seat height and backrest suit your build. At the Stressless Stores in Leuven and Antwerp, you can test it out for free, try the Zero Gravity position, and view all the samples.