Author: Julia Herrick

Categories
Apparel

Zubits keep your laces in magnetically held places

Shoe-tying is learned early on in life… for the fortunate. For those who don’t like laces, slip-on shoes and Velcro are always options. Zubits lets sneaker enthusiasts use magnets to secure their shoes. The laces are woven through two small magnets that secure together in the middle. The magnets used are extremely strong for maximum security. Zubits are compatible with many different types of sneakers as long as they have laces. One pair will cost backers $20 with choice of color and size for estimated delivery in January 2015. These sneaker fasteners hope to raise $29,000 on Kickstarter.

People love anyway to make their lives easier. ZIPPED uses the same concept, but turns laces into zippers rather than magnets. Zubits are easier to use and less gaudy-looking than ZIPPED. Although, Zubits will need to over more color and design choices to really excite backers. Still, the alternative fastening technique’s convenience may prove too much for backers to resist.

Categories
Nutrition/Hydration

Water Fall is a filtering system worth pouring over

Filtered water is all the rage these days. People simply can’t abide water straight from the tap as some claim it has a “funny taste”. For those who like filtered water, but don’t want to wait too long look to Water Fall. This filter takes the best ideas from the pour over coffee design by poising the filter over the water. It uses a stand to hold the filter above a water carafe. In this way, the user can filter as much water as they’d like, whether they want to use several pitchers for a dinner party, or simply filter a glass’s worth. The design of Water Fall is sleek and discreet. One will cost backers $59 for the filter, stand, two carafes and one filter for delivery in March 2015. Water Fall hopes to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Water Fall is the best option out there for filtering large amounts of water. Other systems focus on one container at a time like the LiveWell Water Filter. It’s a pain to have to purchase filters from Water Fall, however, most popular systems work this way as well, like Brita. All in all, Water Fall may prove to be the most convenient option for pure water enthusiasts.

Categories
Organization

HatPegz offers a home to hang your hat

Sports fans are a little enthusiastic about their favorite teams. Okay, very enthusiastic. Most show their support through T-shirts, jackets, posters and hats. Now fans can show their love for their favorite team with HatPegz, team-themed pegs for your hats. These fashionable pegs come in five different colors for 22 different teams which are as follows: the Packers, Jets, Eagles, Colts, Giants, Lions, Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers, Bears, Cowboys, 49ers, Patriots, Chiefs, Redskins, Texans, Steelers, Saints, Ravens, Raiders, and Falcons. For $30, backers will receive four HatPegz in their choice of color and team logo. These pegs’ creators hope to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

Who knows what those sports fans do at home or how they store their hats? If they actually hang up their hats, what better way to do it than on HatPegz? It seems like regular hooks would be more convenient and cost-effective, however, for die hard sports nuts, HatPegz may be just the way to show their love for the game.

Categories
Relaxation

Ostrich Pillow Mini offers no-nonsense napping

While our lives are busy busy busy, we still feel the need to nap every now and then throughout the day to feel rested. One may fear looking like a hobo, however, when trying to catch a few z’s out in public. The Ostrich Pillow Mini makes sure you don’t look (as) weird. This soft pillow hooks through your hand or arm so that, when sitting, you can rest your head against the pillow for a little snooze during the day. Not to be confused with the original Ostrich Pillow Mellow Yellow that looks kind of like a boxing glove, costs a ridiculous sum and is dry clean only. The Ostrich Pillow Mini is much more affordable at $25 and suggests hand washing, slightly better than dry clean. Ostrich is hoping to raise $15,000 on Kickstarter. This new take on the travel pillow finally updates the u-shaped design for maximum comfort. A good purchase for those constantly in motion.

Categories
Fitness

Battle Flex aims to be your home gym away from home

An awesome work out at home?! Okay, the concept isn’t entirely new. We see tons of at-home fitness products almost daily on Backerjack. Here to join the pack is BATTLE FLEX FITNESS. The campaign doesn’t do a great job of explaining exactly what this product features but it looks like BATTLE FLEX focuses on ropes and elastic bands to provide resistance training. To get the complete set, backers will need to shell out $159 for estimated delivery in April 2015. BATTLE hopes to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter.

This fitness system looks versatile and boasts usability *virtually* anywhere. There’s not much else to distinguish it from other at home systems like the XBAR and MostFit. Rope and cable systems are great for a well-rounded workout, however backers who don’t value this have literally hundreds of other options. BATTLE will need to figure out a more niche market to target in order to set themselves apart.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Connected Ozz mixer gets lit up before you do

Unless you’re a bartender or, dare we say it, mixologist, making cocktails can be a bit of a mystery. There are so many recipes to try and getting the exact measurements for several ingredients can be tricky. Ozz helps you embody your inner Moe. This product features a lit up drink stand that monitors the ingredients going into your drink with an Android and iOS compatible app. This app features recipes, reviews, your own custom drink list and suggestions for how to fix a drink. It tells you to add a little bit more of this or that so that you have the perfect cocktail. One will cost backers €99 with estimated delivery for April 2015 from the Netherlands. Ozz is hoping to raise €150,000 on Kickstarter.

Ozz is a rather fancy and somewhat pricey way to make drinks. Still, it presents endless possibilities for novice drink-makers and even for bartenders looking to up their game. This product offers fun training with the even more fun reward of a perfect cocktail at the end. Some may ponder the need for such a first-world niche product, however others will certainly be on board with adult drinks made better by smart technology.

Categories
Automotive

IceScreen prevents your windshield from getting into a winter scrape

Winter sucks for many reasons, but a big one is the effect snow and ice have on your car. For those who need to park outside, scraping ice and brushing snow off of the windshield are a daily annoyance. In order to make this part of winter easier, the iceScreen magnetically attaches to your windshield overnight or during a snow storm. It covers the glass so that, when you’re ready, you can just whip it off and not have to scrub at your window. Made from super durable material, the iceScreen also folds up in a small bag that can be easily stored in the glove box. In the summer, just flip it over for sun reflection fun. One iceScreen goes for $20 on Kickstarter with a campaign goal of $20,000. This is one of those products that makes us wonder why no one had thought of it before. What an easy solution to ice hassle! The added perk of the sun reflector is nice too. All in all, a product that anyone who suffers through the four season will want to have.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries

Tiny TravelBuddy charger/portable battery props up in a plug

Smartphones always seem to run out of juice at the worst moments. And as we become increasingly dependent on them, it will continue to happen more and more frequently. TravelBuddy makes sure that when you’re caught with a dead battery and no cord, you’ll be just fine. This small battery plugs into the wall and into your iPhone, without a cord. It provides fast charging on the go. The best part is that it’s a keychain, so you’ll always have it on hand. Coming in five different colors, one TravelBuddy will cost backers $30 at an early price or $35 regularly. This product hopes to raise $10,100 on Kickstarter. Hopefully, TravelBuddy will be compatible with other types of smartphones in the future. Another drawback of the TravelBuddy is that you’d still need an outlet in order for it to work, unlike the similar Buckle Charger. Still, outlets usually aren’t too hard to find and if it charges the phone fast, then all the better.

Categories
Camping

Kickoff Kaddy keeps your beer attached to your Bronco

Football is a fall favorite for many. People not only enjoy the games, but love tailgating as well. The Kickoff Kaddy can make the experience easier and more enjoyable. This magnetic drink holder takes your beer, coffee, soda, or whatever and holds it for you so that you can enjoy a game of catch or a plate of barbecue. The holder uses a magnet and attaches to any nearby metal surface, such as a car, pole or grill. Kickoff Kaddy is designed to hold drinks of many different sizes.

One will cost tailgating backers $12 with estimated delivery in February 2015. Kickoff Kaddy hopes to raise $15,000 on Kickstarter. While this product may prove to be useful for tailgaters, its convenience may stretch beyond this one type of event. However, some may opt to just put their drink on the roof of their cars instead of sticking it to the side.

Categories
Travel

Back to the Backers: The Purrch

Your favorite chair/stool alternative is back! It’s the Purrch, people, and it’s back in the crowdfunding scene and back on Backerjack. This stool-like people-holder-upper that features essentially a bike seat on top of a curved stick ran an unsuccessful campaign on Indiegogo this past February. They did not reach their $75,000 goal, but were able to raise just over $2,000 and got to keep it, thanks to flexible funding. Now, Purrch is on Kickstarter with a $50,000 goal. The product looks to be the same as on the first campaign with the same prices. One of these people-sicles goes for $70 or $77 if you want the matching Strrap too (get it?!). A product like Purrch makes sense for people who work on their feet or who are disabled in some way and can’t stand to stand for long. Unfortunately, even with the Strrap, the Purrch doesn’t seem too portable, which is the whole point of having it, to be able to sit anywhere. It goes against all of this sitting-hating we’ve seen lately, but, hey, every now and again you may just need to cop a squat.