IKEA's New Collection Makes Workout Equipment You'll Actually Want to Leave Out

You've never seen weights like these before.

We love IKEA for their multifunctional design at a great price point (and their meatballs, of course), and now they've taken that design savvy into the home workout realm.

The DAJLIEN collection, slang for "daily" in Swedish, is meant to bring movement to everyday moments in life. As the collection starts at just $3.99 and extends to $135, home workout equipment has never been this affordable or beautiful.

"The philosophy is to help people be more active in their homes," says Sarah Fager, senior designer at IKEA of Sweden.

The collection launches with 19 items, from 6 lb. hand weights that can double as decor on your coffee table to round activity mats for the whole family. Other standouts include a workout bench that has storage inside and doubles as a table when not in use, a compact air purifier that's only $34.99, a portable bluetooth speaker, and a rolling cart for easy storage of any equipment.

With a mix of signature light wood tones and pops of energetic green and yellow, the color scheme is meant to feel fresh and inviting and work in small spaces.

"We think that whatever we do needs to be either multifunctional or for small space living," Fager says. When you use [these products], they're a training item or they are a recovery motivation item, but when you don't use it, it's something else."

After gathering research that women and girls are more likely to drop out of sports and activities, the team at IKEA wanted to design a collection that made working out at home easier.

"I think one thing that at IKEA that we are good at, we don't necessarily have the answers how to solve the problems in the world, but one thing we're good at is to screw things together," Linus Karlsson, Chief Creative Officer at IKEA of Sweden says.

The IKEA team conducted at-home visits to learn what frustrations and needs people had with exercise.

"People do like the idea of being able to work out at home," Karlsson says. "People do not think gym equipment is nice looking. You hide it in the closet under the bed. This is a result of us listening to what people want, what they need, and what they dream of." 

Though exercise can become all about improving performance and hitting metrics, this collection is meant to open up our ideas of what exercise can mean, especially at home. Playing with your kids or unloading the groceries can be movement too.

"If it's good for you, then it's good for you," Fager says. "If the training is dancing for one hour with loud music on, that's your type of training or 15 minutes of meditation or whatever. It's taking care of yourself and you do it your way."

Fager's favorite piece from the collection are the exercise mats. With two different sizes in a unique rounded, not rectangular shape, they're great for working out with the family or rolling up and taking to the park for a picnic.

Fager's three daughters often see her doing home workouts and want to participate too.

"Now there's room for them to be there and also to inspire them that that you can move your body in so many different ways," Fager says. "It's not only relevant if you do one hour. It can be just small things like in between waiting for the potato to cook."

The DAJLIEN collection is available in IKEA stores, starting January 2024.

Read the original article on The Spruce.