Ever needed to add some last minute items to your luggage when traveling? The Top Loader spinner suitcase has a zippered section accessible from the top, allowing people to add or remove items from their suitcase without having to lay it down on the ground. Last-minute packing is another huge advantage to this product for backers with time-management issues. Currently, only a carry-on size is available for purchase. This clever hamper on wheels comes in either black or silver and goes for $70 on Indiegogo with an estimated delivery date of August 2014. Top hopes to raise $27,500 in a 30-day campaign.
Author: Julia Herrick
Energy is expensive these days and anyway to cut down on utility bills is always welcome. Paca Dyers are one small way to save money on energy each month. These large hairballs are made of alpaca fur, which are all natural and contain no lanolin, a common irritant for many. With porous fibers, the Paca Dryers soak up moisture, allowing your clothes to leave the dryer earlier. One set of three balls goes for $25 on Kickstarter with an estimated delivery date of May 2014. Paca Dryers hopes to raise a modest $1,500 in a 45-day campaign.
Need a boost to your Surface’s sound without buying crazy expensive speakers? The iPad has had a number of silicone speaker enhancements and now the Surface has a stereo answer of its own. Ears offers a simple solution to your quiet woes. This product pair attach to the Surface tablet’s speakers on each corner to amplify the sound that comes out. Ears are designed to direct the sound to the user in front instead of towards the back. This nifty product comes in seven colors to match Microsoft’s colors and is available for the Surface 2 or Pro 2 for $10 with an estimated delivery date of June 2014. Hopefully in the future. Ears hopes to raise $5,500 on Kickstarter in its 30-day campaign.
The Premise. People choose to ride their bikes or longboards around instead of cars for a multitude of reasons: fresh air, exercise, environmental awareness and frugality to name a few. Those who live in cities are especially prone to seeking alternative forms of transportation more suited to their urban lifestyles.
The Product. Me-Mover is a personal transportation product. The stand-up tricycle has two wheels in the back and one in the front, this product is self-powered by pedals that the rider shifts their weight like an elliptical machine. The Me-Mover features hand brakes and even folds up for extra convenience. Currently, the Mover comes in either black, white, blue or red. This device has fixed gearing with a variable output to make for a smooth ride.
The Pitch. The campaign begins with a short video of the Danish creator talking about his product, along with footage of young Danish folk zipping around Copenhagen on their Me-Movers. The rest discusses the physical benefits of this product and how joggers, cyclists and skiers will all enjoy riding it. Me-Mover hopes to raise $100,000 in its 32-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Early backers can enjoy the black Me-Mover for only $899 or $999 with their choice of color. Reward tiers go all the way up to $6,000 with expected delivery dates of August and October 2014. For $25 backers can vote on different add-ons they’d like to see with this product. Different levels of stretch goals (which go up to $1.3 million) include developing the most popular voted add-on as well as a luggage rack, custom parts and an Android and IOS exercise app.
The Potential. Me-Mover’s sleekness and versatility will certainly make it a worthy alternative to the bicycle. Other products have tried to come match to the convenience of a bicycle, but rarely get close, much like the Halfbike. Me-Mover’s add-ons, portability and ease-of-use make it a strong contender in the eco-friendly transportation market.
Sliding doors and windows help create space and can easily be opened or shut. However, some don’t come with screens. Vent Well allows owners of sliding doors or windows to get the fresh air they want without letting in bugs or rain. This Aussie ventilation system is made out of plastic and has a completely adjustable height for any opening. It is easy to install and makes a great guard for pets or children’s toys. One Vent Well with one extender goes for $36 on Indiegogo with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. Vent Well hopes to raise an ambitious $150,000 AUD in its 50-day campaign run.
Musical instruments can be large and bulky, but technology allows people to make music without needing the actual instrument. Kyub is a three-dimensional feather touch MIDI keyboard that fills in the gap between relying on a QWERY keyboard and using a physical MIDI keyboard. What that really means is that it is a compact cube with metal sensors all over it and an accelerometer inside of it. When you touch the sensors, the Kyub makes music and sounds like a piano with different experimentation options. While it certainly entails foreign fingering for experienced keyboardists, this unique little product uses USB for power and is compatible with different software synthesizers. Early backers can enjoy a fully assembled Kyub for $199 by July 2014. Kyub hopes to raise $20,000 in its 33-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Premise. Duvets are the luxury item of the bedding market and owning one has weirdly become a status symbol. The only problem is that comforters often get tangled up inside of their duvet covers and can be really hard to reinsert after washing. Often, they look messy after making the bed and appear rumpled.
The Product. The Nova is a duvet cover designed to make sleeping even more comfortable. This innovative product reinvents the way that normal duvet covers work so that blankets are easy to insert and don’t bunch up. The opening to put the blanket in is actually in the middle of the cover disguised by piping and has ties on the inside to keep the comforter in place. This cover comes in two colors (charcoal and off-white) and five different bed sizes.
The Pitch. Nova’s campaign begins with the standard video talking about the birth of the idea along with the long prototyping process. The rest talks about the various “revolutionary” benefits of this product along with the different packages that the reward tiers offer. Nova hopes to raise $20,000 in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. A twin duvet cover and two matching pillowcases costs backers $150. Various packages offer sheets, fitted sheets, standard pillowcases, and decorative pillowcases along with the cover itself. The last and highest reward tier goes for $390 and includes one king duvet cover, two king-sized pillowcases, one fitted sheet, two decorative pillowcases and one cotton-filled comforter. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of August 2014.
The Potential. The Nova duvet cover was created by Crane & Canopy, a bedding company from San Francisco, California. This product uses a simple idea to completely revamp your bed. And the price isn’t too expensive, taking into account that duvet covers always seem to be overpriced. While there aren’t other duvet covers quite like this out there, Amazon does have a few products aimed at fixing this problem, like the Padded Comforter Clips that hold a duvet in place. All in all, the Nova duvet cover certainly offers a new solution to an age-old problem.
The Premise. Disciplining children is the one part of parenthood that isn’t so great. Most kids don’t respond to their parents simply because they are their parents. Outside sources sometimes have better luck showing children the difference between right and wrong.
The Product. Taking a naming cue from such sitting toys as The Elf on the Shelf and the crowdfunded Mensch on a Bench, Bear on the Chair is a behavioral modification tool for children. This cuddly toy sits on a white chair and hangs out with your child. If your child’s behavior is good, you can attach the yellow happy face to the bear’s shirt. However, if bad behavior ensues, simply attach the red sad face. Your child will take responsibility for the bear’s mood like a friend and will change their behavior to do so. The bear was designed to be super cute and cuddly as well as gender neutral making it great for girls and boys alike.
The Pitch. Bear on the Chair starts with a longer video of dramatizations of a bratty girl refusing to do what her father asks. It lacks a moment where the girl actually responds to the bear’s sad face, but you get the idea either way. The remainder of the campaign talks about the bear’s friends: Santa, the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny, and about how each bear comes with its own adoption certificate upon naming it. The Bear on the Chair needs some money for its honey — $10,000 in a 45-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Backers can receive this cuddly bear for $55 with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. Reward tiers go all the way up to $1,000 for backers who really really love teddy bears.
The Potential. Bear on the Chair is aimed at bettering a child’s behavior, though seems a little bit manipulative in the way it works. Also, if this bear and child are so close, wouldn’t the child notice that the happy/sad faces are removable? The campaign would benefit from testimonials of parents who can vouch for the Bear’s success. Still, Bear on the Chair presents a unique opportunity for parents to teach children how their naughty actions can influence others. Any toy that has the potential to make a child a little less naughty, even if a little expensive, is certainly welcome on the market for frustrated parents.
Creeping on other people is normal in this day and age of omnipotent cameras. Now, stalking just even easier with the Spy Cam Peek-I. This small device magnetically attaches to your device’s camera and acts as a periscope with a mirror that allows you to take photos at a 90 degree angle so your subject won’t know they’re being photographed. The campaign’s suggestions for possible discreet photographs is particularly unsettling, especially the image of some guy trying to look up a woman’s dress. One of these goes for $15 and two for $25 (“best solution for a couple” the tier says) with delivery in May 2014. Peek-I hopes to raise $1,000 in its 60-day Indiegogo campaign.
The Premise. Commuters who ride their bikes to work usually opt to wear backpacks, the perfect bag for laptops and files. Unfortunately, exercising and back-wear hardly mix, which can result in the embarrassment of back sweat soaking through one’s apparel.
The Product. The Commuter Rack is a bicycle accessory that allows riders to hang their backpacks from their bikes instead of wearing them. This metal fixture attaches to the front of a bike with one bolt. The backpack hangs from one side and the product’s low center makes up for funky weight distribution, resulting in a stable ride.
The Pitch. While the Commuter Rack video is straightforward to explain, the campaign video is over seven minutes long. It also appears as if there was an editing goof since the last two minutes are just a blank screen. The very, very slow-speaking narrator’s monotone voice is almost impossible to listen to and the dramatization of a sweaty executive arriving at work is bizarrely funny and gross at the same time. Commuter Rack hopes to make $60,000 in its 30-day run on Kickstarter.
The Perks. Backpacking backers who hope to use the Commuter Rack must shell out a whopping $500 for one of these bike accessories. At that price, you could buy your backpack its own bike. But wait, for only $75, backers can receive an *autographed* copy of the creator’s bike journal instead. What the Freight? Estimated delivery is set for July 2014.
The Potential. Bike accessories are all the rage nowadays. This product, however, probably won’t be. While the use of a rack specifically designed for a backpack — popular among cyclists — is certainly unique, most riders will probably either opt to just carry the bag on their backs as it’s intended or to stick it in a front or rear basket. After all, a vigorous ride is going to result in a fair amount of perspiration regardless of backpack placement. Bicycle enthusiasts who travel far with tons of cargo may be interested, but again the huge price tag is utterly ridiculous for all. Perhaps, at a tenth of the price, there’d be more of a market for the Commuter Rack.