Mohawk Air.o hypoallergenic soft flooring took the bronze Edison Award this year in the consumer goods – home solutions category.

“Being recognized with an Edison Award is an honor and one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business,” said Jamie Welborn, vice president of product management. “From the time we rolled out our first carpets to today, we’ve worked hard to develop revolutionary product innovations. Air.o is not only innovative, it’s also a solution that no one else can offer consumers. Hypoallergenic soft flooring changes how shoppers think about carpet, and we will continue to build on our successful product line.”

Air.o, which first launched four years ago, offers a unified construction that does not absorb any moisture and inhibits the growth of allergens such as mold, mildew and dust mites. This construction simplifies the installation process and provides 50 percent more airflow when vacuumed, making it easy to clean by releasing more dust, dirt and pet dander. Air.o is also VOC free and latex-free with no new carpet smell, the company said. 

Air.o recently achieved rigorous Declare Red List-free status certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), as well as a Health Product Declaration (HPD) from the Health Product Declaration Collaborative.

“Early on we saw it really adopted in cold weather areas; our strongest sales were in the upper Midwest and Canada, and the main reason was because it didn’t have to be weather acclimated to be installed,” Welborn said. “The hypoallergenic story is really resonating among consumers. Pre-COVID we were up 18% year over year in sales. In the flooring industry for soft surfaces, for something to grow that much is pretty amazing in this day and age—especially when you’re going against a hard surface story.”

Among the nomination entries comprising the best products, services and businesses in innovation for the year 2020, Air.o was chosen as a winner by a panel of over 3,000 leading business executives from around the world.