Critics of this very cool-looking futuristic furniture design have been quick to point out all kinds of problems this poses with regards to the laws of physics. Suspend your disbelief for a moment, though, and simply imagine yourself on a magnetic hover bed that looks like a cloud.

Belief suspended? OK, now we have to turn off the magnets again and let you back down to the ground. Based on electromagnetism, this cloud couch design of course needs to deal with issues like metal objects in the environment, your pockets or even your body. There’s also the concern that if you somehow manage to tilt the magnetic sofa out of kilter and it loses its connection to the base, it could flip, knock you off and trap you between the two magnets. If they’re strong enough to create this strange hover bed effect, they’re strong enough to harm you.

Regardless of the real-world dilemmas the implementation of such a design would entail, however, it is still nice to dream (though it might be even better on a big puffy cloud in the sky). Meanwhile, there’s at least one magnetic hover bed that does manage to function like it’s supposed to. The catch? It costs $1.6 million, and frankly, it’s unclear whether it presents the same hazards as the Cloud Bed.

“Cloud is a sofa concept designed for ultra comfort and relaxation. The soft floating upper part is supported by the magnetic force generated by the bottom base. No matter if you want to work and sit with comfort or simply a power nap to release the stress, you can always enjoy your time to relax on the floating cloud.”

About D.K. and Wei:

“We identify emerging opportunities and design for urban life.
We capture sparkling ideas and develop them into concrete objects.
We design for simplicity and surprise.”