About Solis
Overview
Solis is a Swiss consumer-appliance brand headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with a history dating to 1908. The company develops and markets premium household appliances spanning coffee, kitchen equipment, vacuum sealing, air care, and hair care. Solis describes itself as a Swiss brand focused on reliability, quality, practical innovation and timeless design. Its products are sold in more than 50 countries.
| Company information | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Solis |
| Origin | Switzerland π¨π |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Dr. W. Schaufelberger |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Industry | Consumer electronics / household appliances |
| Main categories | Coffee, kitchen, vacuum sealing, air care, hair care |
| Ownership | Family-owned |
| International presence | 50+ countries |
| Current family leadership | Thomas Nauer |
| Brand positioning | Swiss quality, premium appliances, functional design |
1908 β Foundation
Solis was founded in Zurich in 1908 by researcher and inventor Dr. W. Schaufelberger. The company’s origin was an electric heating pad developed to alleviate Schaufelberger’s own rheumatism. He subsequently established Solis to manufacture and sell the product.
This gives Solis an unusually long history for a modern appliance brand: the company predates many of today’s major consumer-electronics manufacturers.
1933 β Entry into hair care
Solis developed its first hairdryer in Zurich in 1933. The original appliance was constructed from metal and wood, with a nickel-plated metal housing and wooden handle. According to the company’s historical account, Solis manufactured the components itself, including the motor and cable. 2
The company subsequently expanded its production facilities. In 1948, it opened a branch in Rancate, Ticino, in southern Switzerland.
1943β1958 β Expanding the product range
During the 1940s and 1950s, Solis broadened its product portfolio considerably. Products included:
- Heating pads
- Electric blankets
- Quartz lamps
- Electric plate warmers
- Foot warmers
- Heated carpets
- Electric coffee grinders
- Hairdryers
One notable product was the Type 223 heating pad, which incorporated a patented drum switch.
1983 β Willy A. Nauer takes over
A major turning point came in 1983, when entrepreneur Willy A. Nauer took over the company’s management. Under Nauer, Solis developed into the Solis Group and significantly expanded its international export business.
1985 β Coffee becomes a major part of Solis
In 1985, Solis introduced what the company describes as the world’s first fully automatic espresso machine for household use. The machine was developed by Willy A. Nauer and Arthur Schmed.
Coffee subsequently became one of Solis’s most recognizable areas of expertise. The company says it has sold more than 500,000 fully automatic coffee machines.
2002 β Ionic hairdryer technology
Solis introduced an ionic hairdryer to the European market in 2002, at a time when ion technology was still relatively new in consumer hairdryers. The technology was intended to reduce static electricity and improve hair smoothness while shortening drying time.
2008 β 100th anniversary
Solis celebrated its centenary in 2008. During this period, it expanded its activities in beauty and wellness, kitchen appliances and climate-related products both in Switzerland and internationally.
2011 β Swiss Perfection
In 2011, Solis launched the Swiss Perfection professional hairdryer after several years of research and practical testing. The company positions it as one of its flagship hair-care products and says it has remained a bestseller for both professional and home users.
2013 β Generational transition
After more than 30 years leading the company, Willy A. Nauer handed management of the Solis Group to Thomas Nauer in 2013. Thomas Nauer had previously been responsible for areas including sales, exports, marketing and purchasing.
2020β2022 β Design recognition
Solis products began receiving notable international design recognition.
In 2020, the Solis Barista Perfetta Plus, Citrus Press Station and Juice Fountain Compact received Red Dot recognition, while the Barista Perfetta Plus and Citrus Press Station also received Good Design Awards. In 2022, the Grind & Infuse Perfetta received a Red Dot award.
2023 onward β Sustainability
Solis has increasingly emphasized durability and circular-economy principles. The company says it develops long-lasting products in Switzerland and has incorporated materials and technologies such as compostable vacuum films and bags into its product ecosystem.
Products and business areas
Today, Solis has evolved considerably beyond its original heating products.
β Coffee
Coffee is one of Solis’s most important modern categories. Its portfolio includes:
- Espresso machines
- Fully automatic coffee machines
- Coffee grinders
- Milk frothers
- Coffee accessories and maintenance products
Its Barista Perfetta and Grind & Infuse Perfetta lines are particularly representative of the brand’s focus on home espresso and semi-professional coffee preparation.
π³ Kitchen appliances
The kitchen range includes products such as:
- Air fryers
- Electric kettles
- Toasters
- Juicers
- Electric grills
- Ice-cream machines
- Ice-cube machines
- Steam and rice cookers
- Mixers and graters
- Popcorn makers
- Plate warmers
π₯© Vacuum sealing
Vacuum-sealing equipment is another significant Solis category. The company produces vacuum sealers and associated bags and films designed to extend food storage life.
Its sustainability initiatives have also included development of compostable vacuum bags and films.
π Hair care
Hair care remains an important part of Solis’s heritage. The company produces:
- Professional hairdryers
- Household hairdryers
- Styling appliances
- Hair-care accessories
The category can be traced directly back to Solis’s first hairdryer in 1933.
π¬οΈ Air care
Solis also operates in air-treatment and climate-related appliances, continuing a category that has been part of its broader product portfolio for decades. Its current global product structure includes air care alongside coffee, kitchen, vacuum sealing and hair care.
Brand philosophy
Solis’s modern positioning revolves around several themes.
Swiss heritage: The company emphasizes its Zurich origins and more than a century of Swiss engineering history. 3
Reliability: Solis positions durability and dependable performance as fundamental characteristics of its products.
Timeless design: Rather than focusing exclusively on short-lived trends, Solis emphasizes functional products with enduring aesthetics.
User-oriented development: The company says it uses customer feedback and user needs as an important input into product development.
Innovation: Although it is a traditional Swiss company, Solis has repeatedly entered emerging appliance categories and technologies, from automatic espresso machines to ionic hairdryers and newer vacuum-sealing technologies. 4
International presence
Solis has developed from a Swiss manufacturer into an international appliance brand. Its products are currently available in more than 50 countries, with regional operations or teams including Benelux, Germany, Japan and Singapore.
The brand maintains a dedicated Singapore market presence, where its range includes coffee, kitchen appliances, vacuum-sealing products, vacuum cleaners, air-care products and hair-care products. 3
Ownership and management
A distinctive feature of Solis is its family-owned character. The Nauer family has played a central role in the modern development of the company since Willy A. Nauer took over management in 1983. His successor, Thomas Nauer, assumed leadership in 2013. Solis continues to describe itself as proudly family-owned.
Distinctive features
Solis is interesting because its identity sits between traditional Swiss manufacturing heritage and modern premium consumer appliances.
Unlike a company created specifically as a coffee-machine brand, for example, Solis has more than a century of history across different household technologies. Its evolution can roughly be summarized as:
Heating products β hair care β household appliances β automatic coffee β premium kitchen appliances β integrated modern home appliances
The coffee business is particularly important to its modern identity, while the company’s historical expertise in hair care remains significant.
Its strongest brand associations today are arguably Swiss heritage, premium design, coffee equipment, professional hairdryers and food-preservation appliances.
Solis vs. other “Solis” companies
There is an important naming issue: Solis is not a single global company.
The Swiss appliance company described above is Solis of Switzerland, founded in 1908. Separately, Solis is also the brand name used by Ginlong Technologies, a Chinese company founded in 2005 that manufactures solar inverters and energy-storage solutions. Ginlong is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under 300763. 1
So:
- Solis of Switzerland β household appliances, coffee, kitchen, hair care, air care, vacuum sealing; founded 1908.
- Solis / Ginlong Technologies β solar inverters and energy-storage technology; founded 2005.
They should not be treated as the same company or brand.
In one sentence
Solis of Switzerland is a century-old Swiss appliance brand founded in Zurich in 1908, best known today for premium coffee machines, kitchen appliances, vacuum-sealing systems and professional hair-care products, combining Swiss engineering heritage with modern consumer-oriented design.
