Kährs
Quick answer
Kährs states that it was founded in 1857 in Nybro, in southern Sweden, and today makes engineered wood floors alongside veneer, LVT and resilient flooring. The company's wood range is described in oak, ash and walnut, with oiled and lacquered finishes.
Kährs is a Swedish flooring company that has worked in wood since the nineteenth century. This profile reports what the company says about its history, range and certifications, without comparing it with other makers.
How did Kährs begin?
According to its own history page, Kährs was founded in 1857 in Nybro, where Johan Kähr the elder opened a shop making wooden utility goods1. By 1919 the company had moved into doors, toys, furniture and floors, and in 1941 it was awarded a patent for the multilayer floor, which it describes as the origin of the modern engineered hardwood floor1.
Other milestones the company lists include factory-lacquered floors from 1958, the glueless Woodloc® joint in 1999, a range of 2-layer parquet including herringbone designs in 2013, and luxury vinyl tile in 20191. The Kährs Group website gives the parent company address as Kährs BondCo AB in Malmö and says it serves customers in nearly 70 countries5.
What does Kährs make?
The site lists wood flooring, oak flooring, herringbone flooring, veneer flooring and LVT flooring2. On wood floors, it says its focus has been engineered floors rather than solid wood, because solid boards expand and contract with seasonal humidity2. For a neutral comparison of the two constructions, see our pages on engineered wood flooring and solid wood flooring.
The wood flooring page listed 141 products at the time we read it, with designs from large-format boards to herringbone and chevron patterns2. Its herringbone page describes the pattern as rectangular boards laid in a zig-zag, and notes that matching plank designs exist for modern herringbone colours3. Our own pages on herringbone and chevron explain the pattern difference.
Which species and finishes are named?
Kährs describes more than 100 wood floors in different species, naming ash, oak and walnut2. It states that lacquered finishes are the most common for homes because they are easy to clean, while oiled finishes bring out the grain and texture of the wood2.
What certifications does Kährs state?
The history page records ISO 14001 environmental certification in 1997 and the Nordic Swan Ecolabel from 2014, with more than 200 floors now carrying the label1. The sustainability page says the company prioritises wood that meets FSC® (licence FSC-C019122) and/or PEFC (licence PEFC/05-35-153) chain-of-custody schemes4. It also reports a Science Based Targets initiative-validated commitment to net zero across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 20404.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was Kährs founded?
What did Kährs patent in 1941?
What is the Woodloc joint?
Does Kährs make solid wood floors?
Which forest certifications does Kährs state?
Sources
- Our history, Kährs. Accessed .
- Wood flooring, Kährs. Accessed .
- Herringbone flooring, Kährs. Accessed .
- Sustainability, Kährs. Accessed .
- Kährs Group, Kährs Group. Accessed .
This page compiles published data from the sources listed above. Read our editorial policy. Last updated .
