Burlington, VT, March 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mamava announces the launch of The Mamava Mini by Steelcase, the result of a design collaboration between Mamava, expert in lactation accommodations; and Steelcase, a global leader in office furniture, interior architecture and space solutions. The Mamava Mini is a compact lactation suite that provides an affordable, easy-install option for office settings.
Combining Mamava’s intuitive design approach honoring the physiological and emotional needs of breastfeeding mothers with Steelcase’s research, insights and design expertise for the office environment, the Mamava Mini is a powerful demonstration of user-centered design for the 21st century mother.
The Mamava Mini is designed for individual use and creates a comfortable and private setting for mothers to breastfeed or pump. The Mamava Mini incorporates state of-the-art ergonomics with seating that cradles the body, allowing the upper and lower back to be supported. The screens provide a necessary privacy barrier, and, if desired, the Mamava Mini provides a setting where she can work with its angled Personal Work Surface, built-in arm support and lighting. It features a 360º privacy screen with an interior lock and an enhanced privacy sleeve.
The synergy between Mamava and Steelcase establishes a new office product category that meets the strong demand for private, clean, dignified and comfortable places to pump within the ecosystem of the modern workplace. This new frame of reference for women returning from maternity leave with pump-in-hand delivers the ideal answer for businesses to comply with Federal Legislation within the Fair Labor Standards Act’s mandate for employers to provide a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk in a clean, private place; other than a bathroom, without having to incur huge expenses in building-out permanent space.
“The demand for acceptable workplace accommodations is driven by both policy as well as the evolution of the American work culture, influenced by Millennial Moms, more than a million of whom are giving birth each year,” says Sascha Mayer, CEO and co-founder of Mamava. “Millennial Moms are highly connected and in search of products and services that simplify lifestyle demands. They are aware of the laws to have access to accommodations and expect employers to have them in place. As both design professionals and mothers who pumped in the workplace, we channeled this insight into key product features that meet the challenges women face in the office environment.”
According to The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) new research concludes that the Affordable Care Act’s policy change is associated with an increase in breastfeeding duration by 10% and duration of exclusive breastfeeding by 21% among the eligible population.
“We are excited to partner with a human-centered and mission-based organization such as Mamava to bring this new design to market,” says Michael Klaus, Lounge Category Manager at Steelcase. “The Mamava Mini provides a turnkey solution for businesses. Our research shows that a well-designed space can nurture the physical, cognitive and emotional wellbeing of individuals. In working with Mamava, we created a concept that would specifically focus on those needs for breastfeeding mothers.”
The Mamava Mini will be sold by Mamava, and distributed by Red Thread, a New England based wholly owned subsidiary of Steelcase. The Mamava Mini is priced at $8,500, including shipping and delivery.
About Steelcase Inc.
For over 105 years, Steelcase Inc. has helped create great experiences for the world's leading organizations, across industries. We demonstrate this through our family of brands - including Steelcase®, Coalesse®, Designtex®, PolyVision® and Turnstone®. Together, they offer a comprehensive portfolio of architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed to unlock human promise and support social, economic and environmental sustainability. We are globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading and publicly traded company with fiscal 2017 revenue of $3.0 billion.
About Mamava
Based in Burlington, VT, Mamava is the expert in lactation space design, thoughtfully designing solutions for breastfeeding moms on the go. With both analog and digital products, Mamava products celebrate and support the 21st century breastfeeding mama. Mamava is mama-owned, made in America, and a proud member of the B Corp community. The Mamava app, free for iOS and Android, helps moms find pumping and breastfeeding friendly locations on-the-go, unlock Mamava suites through the proprietary Mamava Smart Lock, and find useful breastfeeding content. For more information, visit www.mamava.com.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6080aa2-77a6-41e9-828d-8603bd6a992f