“The Original Blanket with Sleeves,” the Snuggie, has become a bit of a cult classic despite how ridiculous people look while wearing it. Because, let’s face it, everybody likes to be comfortable. A new product called the V-Blanket is not exactly more fashionable than the Snuggie, but it does offer several useful functions that make it a sort of Snuggie for outdoor adventures.

Sure, you can curl up with a V-Blanket on the couch, but where it really comes in handy is at sports games, on road trips, or while camping. It’s a waterproof heated blanket and cape in one, and you can use it in a variety of ways. Sit on it like an ordinary waterproof outdoor picnic blanket, sit under it for warmth, or wear it like sweater.

The blanket cape’s Kickstarter page reads: “During the winter, the weather changes fast and becomes cold. We know all the people need something easy to take with them that’s convenient to use. So, we came up with the idea of the heated throw and called it V-Blanket. The product can keep up a human’s body temperature but also generate heat to help people get warm.”

The V-Blanket is a portable battery-powered heated blanket, with heating material woven in with ultra-fine carbon fibers so the wiring is imperceptible to the wearer, distributing heating evenly. This helps it stay flexible, too, so it doesn’t feel stiff when you’re wearing it or have wires that are uncomfortable to sit on. Turn on any of its three adjustable heating zones with the press of a button, and enjoy a toasty 85-degree blanket in just 30 seconds.

The interior is lined with cotton twill to trap the heat, and the exterior is 100-percent waterproof, so you can rely on it even in rain or snow. A built-in USB port allows you to keep your devices charged, and there are even two LED lights built into the chest and back of the cape, either for visibility while cycling or walking after dark, or for reading and completing tasks without needing a separate flashlight.

The V-Blanket’s creators add: “Unlike traditional heated blankets, which are notorious for bulky components and tangling cords, V-Blanket works at a non-hazardous 5V low voltage that can be powered by any type of USB external battery pack. It also has a built-in female USB-A connector to charge your mobile device while keeping you warm and cozy. It is ideal for outdoor sporting events, untethered use on the couch, or chilly airplane cabins.”

“V-Blanket is incredibly lightweight and packable. It measures 54.5 x 38.5 inches when laid flat and weighs just 1.5 pounds. It compresses into a stuffed pack that measures 14.8 x 7.9 inches. With V-Blanket, you are always prepared for unexpected weather on vacations and holidays. V-Blanket is both machine and hand-washable, so you can just throw it in the washer with no worries. It can also be spin-dried at a low temperature.”

The V-Blanket is available in khaki, purple, or green. For an extra $10, you can add on a pretty nice feature: making the hood heated, too. You can learn more and pre-order one for yourself at Kickstarter.

The post Move Over, Snuggie: the Heated Convertible V-Blanket Cape is Here first appeared on Dornob.

Researchers have found that the warmth, pressure, and sense of security provided by weighted blankets could in fact prompt the brain to release more serotonin, the “happiness hormone,” along with melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep and helps regulate the sleep cycle. Deep touch pressure can also help decrease nighttime levels of cortisol, the stress hormone linked to regulating blood pressure and the metabolism, thereby helping reduce inflammation and assisting with the creation of new memories.

These effects can be particularly useful to people with insomnia, depression, anxiety, autism, and sensory processing disorder, but just about anyone can benefit from them.

Weighted blankets usually consist of textiles filled with plastic pellets for an evenly-distributed weight ranging from five to 30 pounds total. All that material on top of you might sound great in winter when you could use the extra warmth, but what happens when hot weather arrives? A company called Hush says they have a solution. Their “Hush Iced” weighted blanket is specially designed for summer with cool-to-the touch fabric that wicks away sweat.

Incorporating the same advanced weight distribution and special short threading used to create their original weighted blanket, Hush has modified the fabric of the Iced’s cover just enough to make sure you don’t have to give up the blanket’s benefits for the warmer half the year. It’s also great for people who are just hot sleepers all around, even when it’s below freezing outside.

They explain: “Hush Iced is unique in that it provides a cooler way to reap the benefits of weighted blankets. Did you know that when you’re getting ready to take a snooze, your body temperature decreases to initiate sleep? Science shows that room temperature should be between 68 and 72 degrees for the optimum sleep benefits. Hush Iced can help you get there by preventing you from overheating, even during the nastiest heat wave.”

The Hush Iced blanket is available in three different weights: 15 pounds for people whose body weight is between 100 and 170 pounds, 20 pounds for people with a body weight between 171 and 240 pounds, and 25 pounds for those weighing 241 pounds and up. If you’re getting a queen-sized blanket for two people, Hush recommends going for the class above your own individual one.

The blanket is available in heather gray, and its cover is made of “proprietary fabrics” along with a bamboo and cotton blend. Inside, it’s made from things like microfiber, “non-toxic glass sand,” and cotton.

The Kickstarter campaign for the Hush Iced blanket was funded within just 45 minutes of its launch. You can still back the project to get the blanket at a special pre-order price, or you can wait until it’s available to the general public later this year.

The post This Weighted Blanket is Specially Designed for Summer first appeared on Dornob.

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When a loved one leaves your life, either due to death or separation, the hole left in your existence can be massive. It can feel like you are carrying a huge weight on your shoulders that won’t let you move on.

Ironically, a physical weight can actually help to comfort those who are grieving. Weighted blankets are used extensively to help people with autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder because they simulate the feeling of being hugged.

After losing a loved one, designer Mia Cinelli was overcome with a grief that she carried around with her everywhere. As an answer to this grief, she designed The Weight: a six-pound weighted blanket that replicates the feeling of being held and comforted by another human.

The Weight includes two hand-shaped appendages that you can hold. This nice addition lets you feel like you are holding the hand of the one you miss, gently leading you through the transition to acceptance of your loved one’s absence.

“When my fiancé’s father passed away in the summer of 2014, I was left with a void of where his large personality had been. I carried my grief around with me; my heart was heavy for months. I wanted to feel his presence, so I made a hand to hold. I welcomed this weight, this semblance of company, and consequently made another, and another. I researched weighted blankets used in occupational therapy practices to relieve the stress, anxiety, and inability to focus typically associated with ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Sensory Processing Disorder. A question arose: could a comparable weighted object dispel similar feelings caused by losing a loved one?”

“In moments of feeling the anxiety that accompanies grief, the weight provides a proprioceptive deep pressure, creating a feeling of presence and calm. Its use imitates an intimate gesture, reminiscent of a hug from behind. When I feel relaxed and take the weight off, I feel lighter— both physically and in spirit. (P.S. Please hug someone you love today, before you cannot anymore.)”

The post Hand-Holding Blanket Eases Grief first appeared on Dornob.

Just like an animal can be calmed with the pressure of a specially made coat, an anti-anxiety product called ‘The Weight‘ offers the comfort of a loved one’s arms when no one’s actually around. Designer Mia Cinelli was inspired by the weighted blankets that are often used in occupational therapy practice as a natural, medication-free way to soothe stress.

Cinelli developed the ‘comfort object,’ which is like a small weighted body pillow, after the loss of her fiance’s father. Shaped like a person’s upper body and arms, the object has plush hands that you can hold within your own. The weight not only provides that sense of a human presence next to you, but also represents the metaphorical heaviness of grief.

Of course, it’s ok to take medication for anxiety (and any other condition) if that’s what helps you. Products like The Weight simply offer another option, whether complementary or as an alternative. It’s not snake oil, either. Scientists have found that the pressure of weighted blankets puts the autonomic nervous system into “rest mode,” reducing symptoms like quick breathing and rapid heartbeat.

“Its use imitates an intimate gesture, reminiscent of a hug from behind,” says Cinelli. “When I feel relaxed and take the weight off, I feel lighter – both physically and in spirit. P.S., please hug someone you love today, before you cannot anymore.”

About the designer

“Mia Cinelli is an artist and designer; she graduated with her BFA in Graphic Communication from Northern Michigan University, and an MFA in Art + Design from the University of Michigan Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design. After serving as an Assistant Professor and Gallery Director at Defiance College for three years, she became a new Assistant Professor of Art Studio and Digital Design at The University of Kentucky in the School of Art & Visual Studies in the fall of 2017.”

The post If You Need a Hug, This Anti-Anxiety Pillow Will Deliver first appeared on Dornob.

When you’re asleep and dreaming, you can be anything your heart desires – and this creative bedding helps send you (or your little one) off to dreamland already dressed for the adventure. Astronaut, princess, robot, shark and other fun fantasy bedding sets from Dutch company Snurk feature photo-realistic costumes that let sleepers pretend to be someone else as they drift off.

The astronaut set lets little space lovers blast off into the great unknown in a soft version of a space explorer’s suit. The intricately detailed image on the duvet is complemented by the equally realistically-rendered helmet on the pillowcase. When he’s lying down, the child’s head fits perfectly on top of the helmet, creating the illusion that he’s actually wearing it.

When your little dreamer isn’t in bed, the spacesuit and helmet will remind him to make his bed. All laid out nicely and evenly, the duvet and pillowcase look just like a real astronaut laid out on the bed.

For tiny sleepers who are more into frills than rockets, the beautiful princess bedding set gives the experience of being dressed up in a festive frock and a jeweled tiara. When she’s lying in bed, the tiara looks to fit right on top of her head – just as if she’s wearing it for real. But the dinosaur, robot, rocket and fairy bedding is just as great.

Just like with the astronaut set, the promise of seeing a lovely princess dress and tiara all laid out is the perfect motivation for faithfully making the bed every single morning. Both of the above bedding sets are available for worldwide shipping from Snurk, based in Amsterdam and founded by Peggy van Neer and her husband Erik van Loo.

About Snurk

Once upon a time there was an idea that had been in Peggy’s head for many years. An image of a folded-out cardboard box, printed on a soft cotton duvet cover. In order to make people aware of the increasing number of homeless young people and to raise money for their shelter. ‘Sleep under a cardboard box so a homeless youth doesn’t have to.’ In 2007, Peggy van Never and her husband Erik van Loo decided to bring the idea to life. Together they created the duvet cover Le-Clochard (‘The Homeless Man.’) Due to all the media attention, the bedding flew out the door. A large part of the proceeds went (and still go) to a charity supporting homeless kids.”

“In 2013, SNURK released its first ‘Dream Big’ children’s bedding. With lifelike photo prints of an astronaut and a princess. Portraying children’s dreams in a grow up way was an innovative concept. It meant a breakthrough for SNURK. Nowadays, people from 0 to 99+ years old, from Amsterdam to Australia, sleep under a SNURK.”

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Seriously strange and out of scale, these soft furniture objects composed of super-sized thread nonetheless look extremely comfortable. And really, at these proportions even a beginner could ‘sew’ something together.

From pseudo-sofas to ersatz sleeping mats, these colorful creations by Bauke Knottnerus are composed of all different sizes of flexible noodle-like strands of various colors that are interwoven to create objects that are at once hard to peg within typical furniture categories but easy to identify functional uses for.

The options for weaving and tying together these threads into functional patterns are fairly limitless – except for the lack of structure to hold them up, which confines them to being used mainly as floor furniture. Perhaps in the next iteration they will include a modular system of supports – or giant knitting needles.

The post Super-Sized DIY ‘Knit’ Floor Furniture, Cushions & Blankets first appeared on Dornob.