THEX 25/26: Thule Proves Good Design Does Have More Fun
The Thule Experience highlights the Swedish brand’s commitment to quality, design and durability
It’s been two years since the popular Swedish brand Thule launched the Thule Experience, an event putting their wide range of designed products front and center. While the first edition focused on the ambassadors and brand ethos, the second iteration of the event, THEX 25/26, proved that good design does have more fun.
The invite-only event was also a chance for Thule leadership, engineers at the Hillerstorp-based Thule Test Center and ambassadors to rub elbows with media, buyers and top-tier clients from around the world. With guests from Japan, South Korea, Brazil, South Africa, Italy and more, the event put the brand’s global reach into perspective.
But this was more than just an evening with Thule; this was a multi-day experience that started with an exclusive look at its world-class Test Center. When it comes to safety, research and development, this is truly where the magic happens.
Inside the center, a series of rigorous safety, durability, lifetime and fatigue testing goes into each product. Hydraulic shaker tables simulate driving around the globe twice in an impressive 35 hours. Winds up to 40 kilometers-per-hour are blasted at rooftop tents. Luggage is put to the ultimate test in a giant hamster wheel meant to test durability.
It’s also the site of the Thule Test Center Crash Lab, one of the few in the world where they do real-scenario crash-testing on each of their products. The crash rig, with its acceleration slab and 600,000 kilograms of reinforced concrete, shows how far the brand will go to ensure their products continue to set industry standards.
“It’s always about challenging ourselves and finding new ways of testing and evaluating things,” Senior Vice President of Product Development Karl-Johan Magnusson says, “especially when entering new product categories.” The Thule Test Program™ includes more than 25 “Thule standards” that far exceed the current ISO standard—and it’s clear how serious they take this.
Fast forward to the following evening when a thousand guests converged on a Thule-fied abandoned train station in Malmö, and a literal countdown to the experience officially began.
Guests were given hands-on access to new products from every category of the brand, including some old favorites. Rooftop tents were on full display and could be climbed in. Strollers adorned a runway-esque platform accessible for touching and testing. Bike trailers beautifully showcased a range of gear that inspired even the unlikeliest of cyclists to want to climb aboard.
Once the clock struck midnight it was showtime. Anticipatory music, laughter and curiosity for what was to come filled the air as guests took their seats. With dimmed lights, small shuffles could be heard filling the runway ahead. When the lights came on, a small boy stood solo in front of a microphone backed by an accompanying youth choir, electric guitar and hand drum, marking the opening of the show with the sweetest version of U2’s “The Streets Have No Name.”
As music engulfed the room, an INEO Grenadier led a pack of three cars on the runway. Once parked, Thule ambassadors climbed out of each vehicle and immediately got to work setting up a rear Outset hitch-tent and Thule Approach 2 rooftop tent. On the other two vehicles, ambassadors pitched the brand new Widesky two-person hardshell rooftop wedge tent (recently premiered at SEMA) and the freshly updated Thule Foothill 2.
The show progressed through each category range, all showcased by nearly 60 Thule ambassadors. Seeing legends like surfer Garret McNamara, windsurfing pioneer Robby Naish, Guinness World Record holder Apa Sherpa, downhill MTB rider Eliot Jackson and freeride icon Xavier De La Rue walk down the runway was an added bonus. The event concluded with ambassadors rocking out to Swedish synth-pop duo Icona Pop’s “I Love It,” who would also later perform at the after party.
The next morning, after Swedish pastries and coffee, we chatted with Henrik Eriksson, Thule’s Global Design Director.
“We are passionate about creating great products. I’ve been at Thule for more than 20 years, and it’s a completely different company now than it was 20 years ago. But, it still has the same essence,” Eriksson says. “We are still eager to create good products and to make sure we are doing great things. The brand promise is to [make] recognizable, high-quality products that are safe to use and built to last.”
The Thule team has yet to announce if the event will happen again in 2027. But, given the success of this year’s experience, consider our fingers crossed.
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