Orange County Register

Way Basics is a simple company. It’s just the way they do business.

“Everything has to be simple,” says CEO Jimmy Chiang.

And they have a remarkably simple way of putting together furniture made out of 99 percent recycled paper. They sell a product called zBoards. Way Basics touts it as being as strong as particle board and much lighter.

zBoards feel as solid as wood and give a satisfying thump if you knock on them.

There’s adhesive on the edge of each zBoard.  To build a piece of furniture all you do is pull off some paper to expose the adhesive strip, press two boards together and you’re off.  No tools required.

“No waste. No rules. No tools,” reads the company’s motto.

Here’s a quick demo of how one of their cubes is put together.

Now I know what you’re thinking, there’s no way that could actually hold together. That’s what I thought when I saw the video.

I drove down to the Way Basics headquarters in Irvine and stood on one of these cubes myself. I’m a big guy, and it didn’t crumble underneath me. I probably wouldn’t want to stand on it for more than a few seconds, but it felt solid under my feet.

The zBoards come in various sizes and can be used to make any number of boxes, shelves, bookcases or even desks. Check out these shelves that sit near the front of the Way Basics office. There’s no other exactly like it in the world because it was put together by the user.

Chiang argues that you might pay double for this kind of shelf at a furniture store, and it would be identical to every other shelf out there. With Way Basics, you get to make a shelf however you want, and they’re eco-friendly.

As far as prices, well, check them out for yourself. A basic cube is $20. Put three of those together and you’ve got a three-tiered shelf at $60. If you’re interested, there are some specials on their Web site you could check out. Here’s the link.

In the back of their office, Way Basics has a sofa made from interlocking zBoards (no adhesive) which could be put together in 20 seconds. What use might someone have for that? According to Chiang, it’s being looked at by an emergency shelter company.

I sat on the sofa. While it’s no more comfortable than a park bench, it’s also impressive that you’re sitting on what’s effectively hardened paper.

Way Basics has some pretty cool stuff in the works, and I’ll keep tabs on them in the upcoming months to let you know about it. Check back at www.ocregister.com/irvinebiz.

Let us know in the comments what you think. Would you buy this kind of furniture?

Also, here’s a several more videos about Way Basics. My favorite is the first one, a time lapse video of a Way Basics fan putting together a shelf with a baby crawling all over the place.

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