By:DANA SANCHEZ
Herald Staff Writer
Nirvana Swing Company, a Bradenton manufacturer, has launched U.S. sales of the Nirvana Swing, a leather recliner with a patented gliding mechanism for which the company won a furniture industry award.

The recliner follows the path of an arc in a slow motion reminiscent of a childhood swing. But this swing is for older users, the kind that can afford to pay around $1,700 retail for the chair.

Made of leather and wood with the inner workings hidden inside the chair, the swing’s silent motion is designed to be slower than the resting heart rate.

Inventor Thomas Garland spent five years developing the technology, earning a Pinnacle award in 2004 for best design in motion furniture by the American Society of Furniture Designers.

The swinging mechanism is made of cold-rolled steel, chosen for its strength and ability to provide stability and smoothness, Garland said. The bearings are industrial-strength ABEC bearings, considered the international standard for precision bearings and more often found in automobile engines and high speed machinery than recliners.

Garland said he chose the materials to achieve smooth motion and long life for what he calls a revolutionary concept in furniture.

“This is a totally new type of furniture product, and is very different from traditional recliners,” he said.

This is not his Garland’s first invention. He also invented a best selling diaper pail sold in Toys R Us and Target stores called Diaper Champ.

Taking his recliner from idea to reality has been satisfying, said Garland, who claims to be easily bored.

“Clearly there’s always more work to do,” he said. “There’s too many aspects to this product for me to be restless at this point.”