Best Home Furnishings Sister Company's Chairs Used by Artemis II Astronauts

KNU recliners, inspired by a Best Home Furnishings design, were spotted on the launch pad before the historic Artemis II mission.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 11:52am

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A bold, abstract painting in muted earth tones depicting sweeping geometric shapes, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the technical precision and structural order required for space-rated furniture design.The specialized recliners used by Artemis II astronauts before launch represent the intersection of cutting-edge space technology and thoughtful furniture design.Cape Canaveral Today

The four astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission may have been the main attraction, but it was the furniture they were sitting on before launch that caught the eye of Best Home Furnishings. The red leather recliners used by the astronauts were actually produced by KNU, a sister contract furniture manufacturer of Best Home Furnishings. While the chairs were inspired by a Best recliner design, they had some distinguishing features like protective plastic trim that set them apart from the residential version.

Why it matters

This marks the second time Best Home Furnishings has seen its furniture featured during a major space launch broadcast from Cape Canaveral. The company is proud to be a small part of these historic missions and hopes to continue seeing its products used by astronauts in the future.

The details

A Best Home Furnishings sales representative spotted the red leather KNU recliners being used by the Artemis II astronauts during a televised pre-launch preview. Upon closer inspection, the company was able to identify distinguishing design elements like the protective plastic trim that differentiated the contract furniture version from the residential model. KNU, as a supplier of medical seating, had made some modifications to the mechanism and trim to better suit that market.

  • The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026.
  • Best Home Furnishings previously saw its furniture used during a previous space mission broadcast from Cape Canaveral some years back.

The players

Best Home Furnishings

A furniture manufacturer that owns the contract furniture brand KNU, which produced the recliners used by the Artemis II astronauts.

KNU

A sister contract furniture manufacturer of Best Home Furnishings that produced the red leather recliners used by the Artemis II astronauts before launch.

Eric Vollmer

The senior market strategist at Best Home Furnishings who spotted the company's furniture being used during the Artemis II launch broadcast.

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What they’re saying

“I tuned into the station when the rep let me know about it and we were looking at it at the office. And we started looking at it a little bit closer and then we realized it was our KNU sister company's recliners. We had developed that style originally, and they thought it would be a good fit for KNU.”

— Eric Vollmer, Senior Market Strategist, Best Home Furnishings

“Upon some closer inspection, we saw there is some plastic trim that goes along the back and side that protects it say in a smaller patient room of a hospital. It has plastic trim to protect the edges so it can last longer. Actually, that is probably the most distinguishable feature that we could tell. Nobody would notice it but us. The recliner's mechanism also looked a little different than ours at Best, so we also picked up on that.”

— Eric Vollmer, Senior Market Strategist, Best Home Furnishings

What’s next

Best Home Furnishings plans to continue monitoring future Artemis mission broadcasts to see if its furniture is used again by astronauts before launch.

The takeaway

This unexpected product placement during a historic space mission highlights how even the smallest details, like the furniture used by astronauts, can become part of the larger story. For Best Home Furnishings, it's a proud moment to have its designs play a role in these landmark events.