Denmark
November 9, 2025
When you think of Sweden, your mind probably goes straight to IKEA meatballs, ABBA or maybe a scenic forest full of moose. But did you know the Swedes have also secretly improved your daily life in ways you never suspected? Here are five glorious inventions that came from the land of fika, flat-pack furniture and fearless fashion choices.
1. The Zipper – Because Buttons Are for Quitters
Yes, the trusty zipper that keeps your pants up, your jacket closed and your secrets safe (for the most part) has Swedish roots. Inventor Gideon Sundbäck perfected the modern zipper in 1913. It was originally called the “hookless fastener,” which sounds like something you’d find at IKEA next to a cabinet named Flërk. Zippers are now on everything from jeans to camping tents – truly the unsung hero of avoiding public indecency.
2. The Pacemaker – Sweden’s Literal Heartfelt Gift
Forget romance – Sweden has been saving hearts in a far more practical way. In 1958, Swedish engineer Rune Elmqvist and surgeon Åke Senning implanted the world’s first pacemaker. It wasn’t quite wireless charging back then, but it kept a real human heart beating. If you thought IKEA instructions were tricky, imagine installing tech inside a chest cavity. Still easier than assembling a Malm dresser without an Allen key.
3. Spotify – Because CDs Are for Boomers
Before Spotify, music lovers either had to buy physical CDs (remember those?) or download sketchy MP3 files with mysterious file names like “DefinitelyNotAVirus.exe.” Then came two Swedish guys with a dream – and high-speed broadband. In 2006, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon founded Spotify and the rest is streaming history. Sweden: helping you ignore your own thoughts with curated playlists since 2008.
4. Adjustable Wrenches – For When You Don’t Know What You’re Doing, But Want to Look Handy
Need to fix something but don’t know what tool to use? Sweden’s got your back. The adjustable wrench (also known as a spanner or “that twisty thing”) was invented by Johan Petter Johansson in 1891. He also invented the plumber’s wrench. That’s two more inventions than you’ve made while holding one and staring blankly at your leaking sink.
5. Tetra Pak – The Carton That Changed Everything
Milk. Juice. Soup. Wine in questionable boxes. You name it, it’s probably living its best life in a Tetra Pak – invented by Swede Ruben Rausing in the 1950s. The brilliance? It’s lightweight, recyclable, and hard to spill – unless you’re a toddler or having a very bad day. Rausing made food portable before it was cool and possibly inspired your entire pantry.
Final Thoughts
Sweden may be modest about its contributions to humanity, but now you know: every time you zip your fly, stream ABBA, or drink oat milk from a carton, a tiny Swedish engineer gets their wings. Or at least a fika break. Tack, Sverige!
