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Tuesday, 4 February 2014

15 NAP-WORTHY INVENTIONS


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Energy Pods to Ostrich Pillows: 15 Nap-Worthy Inventions
By Steph,
Web Urbanist, 3 February 2014.

Everybody knows that there’s no better place to take a nap than a hammock hung in a scenic location, but what about when you’re stuck at home, or at the office, or on a city bus? Instead of making do with an upright chair, the hard surface of your desk or a stranger’s shoulder, try these 15 nap-worthy (and sometimes ridiculous) loungers, sleep suits and head-supporting pillows.

1. Energy Pod

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Among the perks of working at Google is escaping every now and then to take a nap in one of these bizarre-looking EnergyPods, which cost about US$8K each. Reclined at just the right angle for optimal blood flow throughout the body, the pod has a visor that flips down to envelop the user in a private, soundproof space, and it even has built-in Bose speakers if you’d like to drift off to music.

2. Vitrea Living Tower

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This classic design, first introduced in 1969, is an organically shaped seating tower that allows you to recline in a variety of positions. The unit can be used alone - either freestanding or pushed up against a wall - or put together to create a sort of seating cave.

3. Human Burrito

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Turn yourself into a human burrito with the Blandito, a transformable pad for lounging in virtually any position you can think of. The pad can be rolled, bunched and scrunched in all sorts of different ways. The idea was to make the simplest possible product - essentially a sofa with no arms, legs, back or any real structure whatsoever - as multi-purpose as it can be. That’s achieved with just a little bit of fabric, foam and some elastic connectors.

4. Do-It-Yourself Hammock Bed

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A fun twist on the conventional hammock design, this DIY creation is simply some net strung across an open space leading from one level of an office to another. Would you be able to get any work done if this thing was installed right next to your desk?

5. FEEL Seating System

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Over 120 soft foam balls make up the ‘Feel Seating System‘, which can be bunched up in any number of configurations to reflect “the ever changing emotional state of the body.” Sit on it, lay on it, or wrap it around you like a cocoon.

6. Sleep Suit

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If you’re bold enough to take a nap on the grass, the steps of a public building and other unlikely places, maybe you’re bold enough to do so wearing a ‘sleep suit’ that looks like part of a costume from the set of a particularly silly children’s show. Designed by Forrest Jessee, this honeycomb suit features overlapping layers that are structurally supportive, flexible and comfortable while allowing for air flow and temperature regulation.

7. Ostrich Nap Pillow

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Block out the world with an ostrich-inspired nap pillow that “offers a micro environment in which to take warm and comfortable power nap at ease. It is neither a pillow nor a cushion, nor a bed, nor a garment, but a bit of each at the same time.” The head covering offers a cushion while blocking out light and noise.

8. Folding Head Support

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Perhaps you’re one of those people who will nod off on the subway, your head drooping onto a stranger’s shoulder, risking a violent confrontation in the event of errant drool. You might want to check out the ‘Nap Anywhere,’ a head support device that eliminates your reliance on unwilling human pillows. The flexible device is a flat disc when not in use, but moulds to fit between your shoulder and your head when you need it.

9. Comb Over Rug

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A bit more aesthetically pleasing than the hairstyle for which it’s named, the Comb Over Rug features felt strands that are long enough to wrap around you like a blanket.

10. Nappak

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The Nappak is kind of like a blow-up bed made specifically for napping, providing a little bit of privacy as well as a soft and comfy sleeping surface. Inspired by cubicles, it has two walls and a ceiling, and the open side can be pushed up against the wall to block out light and prying eyes.

11. Embrace Lounge

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What looks at first like an ordinary bench reveals its surprise when you take a seat: the Embrace Lounge features a hidden body-shaped curve to support and envelop you when you lay down upon it.

12. Napping Chair with Headrest

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If only airports had chairs like this, a whole lot of stranded travellers would sleep a lot easier. This simple design stretches the back of a conventional chair shape so that it curves around the user’s head, offering a padded place to rest.

13. Alphasphere Relaxation Furniture

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This curving lounger isn’t just an ergonomic place to sneak in a bit of sleep - it incorporates an entire ‘relaxation experience’ with multi-sensory extras like color, lighting, sound, warmth and vibration.

14. Chair with an Integrated Blanket

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There’s nothing cosier in the winter than a comfortable chair and a warm blanket. This design from Aga Brzostek combines them with a sweater-like knitted cover that fits over a foam-based chair, wrapping around the user and even offering pockets for magazines and books.

15. Transforming Nap Desk

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Many a sleepy office worker has eyed the space under their desks, wondering if they could get away with a sneaky nap without anyone noticing. If you had this transforming desk by Studio NL, that would be a lot easier - and more comfortable. The desk has a hidden bed with a foam pad and even a small television mounted on one side.

[Source: Web Urbanist. Edited.]


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