Trust two Australians to come up with a long-haul flight pillow that might just actually bless travellers with a decent sleep in economy.
Ah economy. Not so much a section of an airplane as an uncomfortable reminder of your status as a lowly pleb in the traveller hierarchy. No matter which way you turn, long haul flights in economy are a form of torture, one you forked out a decent amount for, but not quite enough to land you up at the pointy end. Endure a sleep deprived 14 hour hell-ride to LA or the dreaded kangaroo hop to London, and the realities of life on the bottom rung really hit home hard – a reality us isolated Australian’s are all too familiar with.
So naturally, we’re excited about any product that promises to deliver those desperately sought after Z’s. Launched on Kickstarter, the ‘FaceCradle‘ guarantees to do just that, via 5 modes of comfort adapted to the different ‘opportunities’ airplane seats provide us in which to ‘sleep’.
According to its creators, product designer David Scrimshaw and advertising producer Roz Ruwhiu, standard travel neck pillows are designed to support the head when it’s vertical but when we sleep in our bed, our head is horizontal, so this is why it’s so hard to sleep seated upright in economy class. FaceCradle has been designed considering the total environment of seated travelling. It makes use of all the space available to find comfort wherever it may be. Made from memory foam and consisting of two individual pillows connected by an adjustable ‘hinge’, the FaceCradle’s five sleep ‘modes’ offer a host of positions to get comfy in, many of which support the head horizontally.
5 SLEEP MODES
The first position is ‘Dozing Mode’, which is what the standard ‘U’ shaped neck pillows is all about. Great for getting comfortable on a short trip while you read, watch a movie or relax.
‘Snooze Mode’ is where the FaceCradle starts to show its clever design. Lock the upper pillow on an angle and rotate it up to 360 degrees around your neck to find that perfect position with better neck support. Meanwhile, ‘Table Nap Mode’ is where tray table sleeping fantasies come true. Lock the pillows on an angle to each other and place on the tray table, or any flat surface for that matter. (Desk?) Breathing is unrestricted and the luxurious memory foam supports your face like laying on a massage table.
For a serious snooze, adjust the FaceCradle into ‘Deep Sleep Mode’ by hanging the pillow off the seat in front of your for a hammock effect. While cradling your weary noggin, the suspended pillow promises to ‘gently rock’ you off to the land of nod.
The fifth position is a variation on Mode 4, where the pillows are set on a slight angle, allowing you to turn your head comfortably to either side. The strap length can be easily adjusted to sleep as far forward as you’d like.
Up on Kickstarter, the FaceCradle is fully developed and ready to ship. It really sounds like the FaceCradle could be goer.
