Category: Relaxation

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Health and Wellness Relaxation Smartwatches/Bands

Doppel calms you down, revs you up with a buzz to the wrist

From Five Hour Energy to ZzzQuil, there are  no shortages of substances legal, regulated and outright banned to help us mentally speed up or slow down. Unfortunately, virtually all of them include chemicals that have some kind of side effect and they’re often difficult to gain access to in the moment they’re most needed.

That’s not so for doppel, a round wrist-worn device that might pass for a mechanical watch at first glance. Indeed, unlike digital watches that have few or no moving parts, doppel is designed to generate movement. Rather than using gears to tell the time, though, the product generates a rhythmic buzzing designed to produce a calming or energizing pattern of buzzes on the inside if your wrist. The principle is the same as using music to calm one down or pump one up. Doppel’s battery will do so for five to 10 hours. The standard stainless steel doppel goes for about £85 (about $127) and should be ready in March 2016. Turquoise, the group behind doppel, seeks $155,412 by July 16th.

Assuming it works, which Turquise does not prove conclusively, doppel makes a strong case to be the connected thing one should have on the other wrist assuming one wears a watch (smart or traditional). The product has more potential than other wrist gear that simply indicates stress levels, handing off the calming tasks to an app. The company would have a stronger case if it relied on biofeedback like the HeartMath Inner Body Sensor that completes the feedback loop using one’s breathing.

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Relaxation

Pool Buoy lets you swim in the shade with your cool lemonade

One of the best ways to beat the heat on those hot, humid and sultry summer days is to go swimming. At the same time, it’s important to keep one’s skin from getting burnt in the sweltering summer sun.

The Pool Buoy floating umbrella is an interesting product which doesn’t just offer some extra shade, but also a convenient spot for you to keep your cool glass of lemonade handy. The Pool Buoy incorporates a weighted design that helps keep it upright in the water even in the face of wind and moderate waves. The pole for the umbrella is made out of strong aluminum while the umbrella itself is made out of ABS plastic for enhanced durability. The product measures 7 feet across and comes with five cup holders for easy access.

Overall, the Pool Buoy seems like a product capable fostering relaxation to an already lazy day at the pool. Summer-loving backers might also like to check out Hydropacer, Aqua-100, and Towel’on. The Pool Buoy campaign seeks to raise $75,000 by April 3, 2015. Early bird backers can pick up one product for $120 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

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Relaxation

Foot Hammock invites your weary feet and legs to hang out under the desk

Long days and late nights in front of the computer, whether work-related or game-related, can make for stiff legs and uncomfortable feet. And if it seems like the space under the desk is colder than the rest of the room during the winter months, that’s because it is.

That’s why Foot Hammock was created. The suspended foot rest hangs under a desk via straps on either side that get strung through a plastic holding device. The holder sticks to the underside of the desk so that no tools are required for installation. The straps appear to adjust easily so that it can be set to one’s preferred height. Foot Hammock comes in mesh, fleece and a heated version.

It would be especially interesting if that heated version had a built-in foot massager. As well as this campaign seems to be doing, maybe that will be considered for the future. As the warmer months approach, backers might be interested in Adventurers Hammock and Bungalow Beach Chair. In the meantime, this campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by February 8, 2015. For $20, backers get the mesh version with an expected delivery of July 2015.

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Relaxation Smartwatches/Bands

Moodmetric ring wearable measures mood for improved outlook

Heart rate, burned calories, sleep quality: these are the domains most wearable technologies have traditionally focused on. But even if it’s well-known by this point how reflective our physical state is of our emotional well-being, there haven’t been many wearable devices that have focused this, despite how important it is to everyone.

Emotional intelligence is the understanding of a person’s emotions and how best to deal with them, which may not seem like a skill but most certainly is. The Moodmetric is aiming to help empower those who want to better track, share, and improve their emotional intelligence. The product is a stylish, yet understated ring that analyzes a persons mood, assigning it a mood level based on the stresses gleaned from the body’s nervous system through skin conductance. With this information literally at someone’s fingertips, learning about the situations which spike emotional levels along with techniques to calm one’s mind becomes much easier.

The Moodmetric use Bluetooth LE to work in tandem with a companion iOS app that takes that mood level and suggests mindfulness and meditation exercises to improve quality of life. The Moodmetric Black version is made of polycarbonate, high-gloss body with a steel ring for maximum contact, and goes for $179. The shinier, hand-crafted 14k gold version features a black agate stone top and gold plated ring for $3,950. The $50,000 is unclear as to when it is expected to be shipped.

The Moodmetric is a promising tool in the increasingly prominent field of emotionally-based wearables. While the Moodmetric is incredibly stylish, it simply doesn’t do enough when compared with the comparatively more functional Olive wristband. The Moodmetric’s actual metrics are a bit vague when compared to the specific data Olive provides, and Olive’s haptics provide a far more intuitive influence on one’s emotional state than manually checking an app.

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Camping Relaxation

Nomasoak portable hottub provides a relaxing soak wherever

There’s nothing quite like the relaxation offered by a hot tub. To own one is a luxury. Oftentimes, staying in a hotel is made even more desirable by the presence of a hot tub.

With the Nomasoak, one never has to be without a hot tub again. This product is, quite simply, a portable hot tub. Weighing 45 pounds, it’s possible to lug this thing around pretty much anywhere. All one would need is a 100 gallon water source. Nomasoak is made from 100% poly plastic and runs via a rechargeable battery. The tub is appropriate for two people to use.

Nomasoak would be like a kitty pool without some kind of heat source. Using a propane-fueled water heater attached to the tub, the water heats up by entering the heat exchanger. The heated water then rises to the top, meaning that no kind of heavy pump is needed. The heater will go for three hours on one gallon of propane.

Nomasoak is such a luxury item that it’s hard to scoff at. Sure, it’s decadent and hugely inconvenient to actually carry hot tub around. However, on a camping trip where a car is used, it may be just the way to relax with friends, or just one friend. One concern would be the quality of the water. There’s no filtration system and the campaign suggests simply using clean lake water or saltwater is fine, though that seems a little far-fetched, especially for the saltwater. One can be had by backers for $400 with an estimated delivery date of October 2015. Nomasoak is looking to raise an ambitious $350,000.

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Home Relaxation

Octaloofah turns home showers into spa time with massage and music

If he thinks she spends too much time soaking in the tub already, wait until she gets her hands on this emerging gadget. Octaloofah has the potential to take a simple shower and turn it into a spa –sort of. The octagon-shaped device is a hands-free, multifunctional unit that not only uses exfoliation to help promote healthier skin, but can also provide a pseudo back massage while playing one’s favorite tunes. Octaloofah has a wireless sound system that connects to any Bluetooth device. Talk about added ambiance! The product attaches to the shower wall via suction cups, and the exfoliating half-spheres are easily replaceable when necessary.

There isn’t presently any clear indication of how much these will cost to replace, which may affect backers’ opinion of this product. For the perfect item to round out this home spa mindset, backers might want to check out the Wave Hooks wine and cheese holder for bath-time enthusiasts. This campaign seeks to raise $65,000 by January 31, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $39 with an expected delivery of August 15.

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Relaxation

Bungalow Beach Chair goes for that hammock feel, integrates towel and sun shade

Lounging at the beach is easily one of the most relaxing activities that summer has to offer. Unfortunately, lugging all the stuff you need to do so is one of the least relaxing activities. Muling this stuff to the beach also has the added perk of having to walk across sand to get to your spot.

The Bungalow Beach Chair hopes to make all of this easier by combining a few essential beach items in one. This takes a beach chair, towel, and shade and puts them all in an attached carrying bag for an easier time. The chair is designed with metal framing and the towel provides support for your body. According to the creators, sitting in the chair is much like sitting in a hammock, with your upper body suspended and your bottom and legs resting on the ground.

While the idea of an all-in-one beach chair is certainly useful, it’s a little annoying to have to either sit on your towel wet, or stand up while drying yourself off. Most beach goers will probably opt to take an extra towel with them if they plan to get wet. In addition, Bungalow could add some pockets to their product to store things like books, phones and sunscreen. Still, this is a convenient idea and the added perk of shade makes it stand apart from similar products. One will cost backers $60 for estimated delivery in March 2015. Bungalow Beach Chair hopes to raise $6,000 on Kickstarter.

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Relaxation

Sleep With Me Pillow offers greater head support when you turn to your side

Getting some sleep at night should never be a complicated thing. However, not having the proper head support often means a person isn’t going to sleep well, finding that they need to fluff and reposition their pillow several times over the course of the night. So the creator of Sleep With Me Pillow is working to change all of that. The pillow includes high resiliency inserts so that when a person rolls over onto their side, their head and neck are given proper support. This keeps their spine in alignment so that they sleep better. While this may be great for back and side sleepers, it may not be the thing for tummy sleepers. The pillow only comes in queen size at this time, but plans are in the works to make multiple sizes available if this campaign goes well. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 by December 6, 2014. For $40, backers get one pillow with an expected delivery of February 2015.

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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.

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Camping Relaxation Sleep

Adventurers Hammock keeps bugs and elements at bay

Adventurers HammockWith a goal of perfecting the ultimate backpack, Adventurers Hammock blends sleeping bag, hammock and tent into one piece that is easily strung between a couple of trees using standard hiking gear. The inventors have piled on a lot of really neat features with this one, including the option to use a variety of sleeping pads, an ability to block chilly breezes for camping during cooler months, a zip up cocoon effect for blocking bugs, morning dew, wind and the sun to name just a few items. A couple of similar camping hammocks worth checking out include the Air Hammock and Bison Bag. For $80, backers get one Adventurers Hammock with an expected delivery of October 2015