Battling for an armrest is a thing of the past with the Paperclip Armrest. This two-level armrest allows two arms to share the same vertical space without clashing.

We have all experienced it – on an aeroplane, on a train, on a bus, at an airport, in a cinema, or even in a lecture theatre … Battling for the centre armrest. It is one of the most annoying yet trivial realities of life. Is there a solution? Yes there is – seats can simply be made wider. However, in most circumstances, this approach is not economically viable.

The Paperclip Armrest takes a different approach. It is a dual-level armrest used between seats. It enables the arms of two adjacent occupants to share the same vertical space without clashing. The top-level armrest is offset forward by around eight inches. The use of the top level causes the arm to pivot forward at the shoulder, thereby keeping the area beneath clear for the neighbour’s arm. The Paperclip Armrest allows two arms to avoid each other while resting comfortably on a surface.

The Paperclip Armrest increases comfort in tight seating arrangements through an efficient use of space, while at the same time keeping the solution simple and the costs minimal. The Paperclip Armrest takes its name from the paperclip for its simplicity and usefulness. It is a concept that can be embodied in many different forms.