shade – Page 2 – Backerjack

ShadyFace provides portable sun shielding

The Premise. When out in the sun, it can be hard to achieve the level of shade needed to read, look at your phone or cool down. Umbrellas are great for several people, but can be large and blow away in the wind. Most opt to use towels or shirts to get the sun off of their faces, but this doesn’t let them do much else.

The Product. ShadyFace is personal shading device that lets you enjoy the sun without squinting too much or getting burned (for at least part of your body). Made out of canvas and aluminum, it is lightweight enough to be portable and swivels so that it can be moved based on the sun’s position. ShadyFace consists of a stand that can rest on the sand, a beach chair or even on a boat. The top part protrudes out to cover the top part of your body when lying down in the sun. It has pockets on the inside as well to hold all of the accessories you may need while sunbathing.

The Pitch. The campaign’s very long video details the product’s inception, prototyping process, features as well as lots of pictures of those without the ShadyFace who would have better luck if they used the ShadyFace. A dermatologist even makes a cameo to testify to the healthful benefits of staying out of direct sunlight, with sunscreen of course, he says. ShadyFace hopes to raise $38,000 in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. Backers looking to cool their face will have to fork over a cool $139 for one ShadyFace, which includes its own carrying case to ease transport. Higher tiers also offer the ShadyFace Bluetooth speaker which blasts music inside of the ShadyFace space. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of July 2014.

The Potential. ShadyFace won’t provide complete sun protection for your body, but it is definitely useful for those wanting to enjoy easier reading or more comfort in a sunny spot . It seems to work well for using a tablet with a lounge chair in a fully-reclined position or using a laptop if one is lying face down, but isn’t quite tall enough to handle laptop use sitting upright in a lounge chair

ShadyFace’s best features are its portability and ease of use; it likely represents the most shade one can provide in a carryable product. It seems a bit much for an everyday commute to a pool club, but could justify its space in the luggage for a tropical location. In any case, the product is definitely easy to adjust, which may help its success in the summertime accessory market. ShadyFace could be a helper in the battle against the burn in summer 2014.

eShades provides outdoor readability on the cheap

The Premise. The displays on many of today’s mobile devices are very sharp, but don’t do well fighting the sun. Pretty much everything except the Kindle Paperwhite becomes very difficult to see. Unless you can find a spot in the shade, you’re not going to be able to work outside.

The Product. The lightweight, collapsible eShades offer the protection you need to be able to see your screen. They attach using a tape that sticks well but doesn’t leave any residue, and they fold flat. The phone shade can fit into a wallet. If you want, you can leave the shade on as a screen cover when not in use. The idea is not unique — another Kickstarter project called Hoodi offers a larger and more permanent shade made of fabric, foam and magnets instead of cardboard and tape.

The Pitch. The video is straightforward and showcases the product without a lot of flash. The video has simple shots of each of the shades and how they can be stored. It also shows the screen on a tablet with the shade on — and the shade only covers half of the screen (not the greatest advertising). The project creators show, with a fan, how the shade can stand up to high winds — although you’re not likely to be sitting outside with your expensive electronic device in stormy winds, but okay. There are several diagrams below the video that showcase when the shade would be good to have, and also what models and colors are currently being offered. They do go on to mention that they have the same shade in a leather option that would be more substantial.

The Perks. They seem to be reasonably priced shades — for $9, backers receive one smartphone shade, and for $11, one tablet shade. A donation of $14 will get the backers a notebook shade. The rewards go up from there, offering each shade in multiples. The product itself offers some protection from sunlight and offers some privacy.

The Potential. This type of product will definitely have a place for everyone who has suffered the plight of trying to use their smartphone or tablet outdoors. There are many of these types of items that will be offered, and more permanent options (like the leather eShades or Hoodi) will do better than the thin eShade.