This industrial-style chair has a surprise for nighttime book lovers

Some experts and industry players expressed concern about the decline in paper media like books and magazines. The abundance of digital content and the devices that can access them seems to threaten the existence of these physical objects, though these aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. There are plenty of physical and psychological benefits to reading physical books, not to mention the social aspects of the experience, especially when parents and their kids are involved. Unlike with ebooks, however, reading paper books has to be done under specific conditions, particularly with the proper lighting to comfortably read the material. Reading in front of a desk might not feel comfortable, while reading in bed might not be that ergonomic, especially with just a bedside lamp. That is where this ultra-simplistic chair comes in, providing a comfy place to read a book, especially in the dark.

Designer: UGLY.DUCKLING

A chair, lounge, or couch might be the most comfortable place to read a book for pleasure. You’re less likely to fall asleep compared to when you’re lying in bed (though that’s definitely still possible), and it’s also more relaxing than sitting in front of a desk, especially if the furniture is often associated with work. The problem, however, is that proper lighting for reading can be a bit tricky with the way most seats are positioned in a room. The best lighting position would be over your head and maybe a little to your left, which is something that’s not easily achieved in a room where lighting from the ceiling or walls is fixed.

The Hidden Light chair takes care of that problem in the simplest way by integrating its own reading light. This way, wherever you place the chair, the light will always be there as well. But rather than having the built-in lamp always there even when you don’t need it yet, the chair wisely hides the feature and gets it out of the way when all you want to do is sit back and relax and maybe watch a bit of Netflix instead.

The top “bar” of the chair’s backrest can detach from the rest of the frame on one end and then swing around through a pivot on the other. This allows the lamp hidden on the detachable end to be positioned at any angle, depending on what is most comfortable for the reader. And if there’s enough light anyway, the lamp can be hidden and won’t stick out unnecessarily.

 

The design of the Hidden Light chair itself is on the bare and almost brutalist side. It’s basically just a frame made of bent metal pipes with some stretchable material connecting the two sides to form the actual seat. This makes maintenance and transport extremely easy, though it’s questionable whether it’s actually comfortable to sit on, let alone be stable and safe. Regardless, it’s a neat and simple idea of how to get a proper reading light whenever you sit down on your favorite chair to spend hours on that latest novel printed nicely on paper.

The post This industrial-style chair has a surprise for nighttime book lovers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nodding Chair lets you slightly rock your seat while reading

As someone who loves to read, and read for long periods of time, I know that wooden chairs are the least comfortable ones to sit on while finishing a good book. And I’ve also tried to read while on a regular rocking chair and that made me dizzy since the constant big movements are a bit too much for my poor eyes. But staying put in a chair can still be uncomfortable and you need some type of motion while you’re reading. This product concept seems to be the perfect one for bookworms like me.

Designer: Ilseop Yoon

While rocking chairs are good for relaxation, they’re not always good for floors and if you’re like me, for our eyes and peace of mind. The designer thought of a new way to have a chair that can be comfortable and still let your body have its range of natural motion while reading, resting, or even writing (if you’re used to that). The Nodding Chair can be tilted forward and backward, letting you make smaller movements that won’t make you too nauseous.

The way it’s designed and structured is pretty ingenious. Instead of the entire chair moving, only the seat can swing in small movements. This way, you still have motion but not too much. Also, there’s less pressure on the floor so you won’t get marks and scratches, as some owners of rocking chairs have realized eventually. The Nodding Chair allows the chair to move with you as you occasionally change positions while reading. You may even actually nod off to sleep or at least a nap.

Even better, it comes with a partner footstool. I for one love reading with my feet up that’s why I prefer doing so on a sofa or in my bed. This way, you’re sitting on a slightly moving chair and you get to put your feet up for a more comfortable position. My only quibble with this product concept is that the seat itself doesn’t seem to be that comfortable as it’s just plain wood and there’s no cushion to, well, cushion my butt.

But in any case, this is something I will definitely want to get if someday this becomes available in the market. I always want to add furniture, appliances, and devices that will give me a more enhanced reading experience.

The post Nodding Chair lets you slightly rock your seat while reading first appeared on Yanko Design.

This digital highlighter may be the new must-have for heavy readers

To say that I’m a huge reader is an understatement. I am both addicted to collecting books and to actually reading them (although not all that I buy have been read, to be honest). Reading non-fiction books is not a problem for me. The challenge is retaining all the information that I get, organizing them, and getting back to them later on when needed.

Designer: Possibility Design

This is the problem that the folks at Possibility Design were trying to solve for a startup based in Germany and what they have come up with is a product concept for a digital highlighter called Quo. Basically, it’s a device that you can use to highlight important passages or chapters in a physical book that you’re reading and convert it to a digital file that you can store on your phone or tablet, or laptop. Not only that, but there are also other tools that you can use to further understand and organize what you want to save from that book.

The design for the Quo tries to recreate what an analog highlighter actually looks like and can even be clipped to the book like a bookmark. They wanted to recreate that experience of highlighting something in the book so that the learning curve for using the device will not be steep. Aside from just scanning the sentences that you will highlight, the device and the app that is connected to it will let you save and organize what you need. They also mentioned a dictionary and translator in case what you’re reading is not your first language. There’s also a record function that they did not go into detail but we assume that it can record your personal notes while you’re reading.

To further bridge the physical with the digital, they also came up with a collaborative platform so you can connect with other book readers. It may work like with what Amazon and Goodreads is doing for their Kindle readers where the notes that you choose to make public can also be read by people reading the same book. There are not much details about how the app will actually work but for now what we’re seeing is what it can do on paper.

This is a pretty interesting product for heavy readers like me who would like to keep a database of all the important information that I get from reading mostly non-fiction books. The design of the actual Quo highlighter is more functional but in terms of aesthetics, I might mistake it for my airconditioner remote when it’s lying around my house. But I would rather have a useful device with many tools to choose from rather than a pretty one that doesn’t really do anything.

The post This digital highlighter may be the new must-have for heavy readers first appeared on Yanko Design.

Classic Novel And Punny Title Wooden Book Coasters: Jurassic Perk

Let’s face it, a good book and a nice cup of coffee or tea go together like peanut butter and bananas. But where do you rest your beverage? Personally, I rest mine on my open laptop because I like to live dangerously. But maybe you’re more cautious; maybe you need these classic novel or punny title wooden book coasters made and sold by Etsy shop Cutting Boredom. Me? I need a new laptop.

Made from reclaimed wood, the coasters are available in 20 different classic literature titles (see above) and 15 different tea/coffee/booze related punny titles (see below). They start at two for $20 and get cheaper the more you buy. I’m going to buy all 35 of them so I can use a different coaster every day of the month like I imagine rich people do.

I love reading. I also love coffee. As a matter of fact a few weeks ago I ordered one of everything at Starbucks and I still haven’t run out of energy. Or slept. Or been able to read because my hands are too jittery to hold a book steady. I’m starting to think the eventual crash is going to be a real doozy.

[via The Awesomer]

The Wisdom Tree Bookshelf Keeps Your Place in up to Five Books

Reading: it’s fundamental. And for those of you who can’t get enough and feel the need to read multiple books at once, there’s the Wisdom Tree, an illuminated plywood tree that can hold up to five books, keeping the page you’re on for quick and easy access to all those delicious words to fill your brain up with.

The Wisdom Tree is made by Bookniture and is currently available for pre-order for $69, with shipping in August 2021. Does it also work for comic books? I sure hope so, because they’re basically all I read. Well, those, and the backs of cereal boxes.

You know my wife likes to read multiple books at once. She also never finishes any of them. So, what was the last book you read? Mine was Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline. I’ll be honest — it’s not as good as the first one. Thank you, this concludes my TED Talk.

[via The Awesomer]

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These Gamer Bookmarks Will Save Your Progress

I’m at a point where I probably do 90% of my reading on some kind of digital device. But there are times it’s just nice to crack open a good old paperback. There’s just something that just feels right about flipping through actual pages rather than swiping on a touchscreen. Of course, when you read from an actual book, it’s easy to lose your place without a good bookmark. And no, you’re not allowed to dog-ear the corners. That’s sacrilege. Readers who are also gamers might want to pick up one of these fun bookmarks.

Connecticut artist LD Writes & Designs sells all kinds of bookmarks in her Etsy shop, including this pixelated “Save your progress?” design that’s perfect for gamers. It only ever points to “Yes,” which seems like it would be fine since you’re only going to use this when you’re actually saving your place. Each bookmark is made from die-cut cardstock that’s been laminated for durability, and so you can see through to the other side.

The bookmarks sell for just $5.25 each and can be ordered in a wide variety of colors. I say buy one to suit every mood. Something light and cheerful for your Hyperbole and a Half, and maybe something a bit darker for those times when you feel like reading that Edgar Allen Poe collection.

In addition to the “Save your progress?” bookmark, LD makes a version that simply says “PAUSE” along with a D-pad and game button cutouts, as well as a custom gamer’s bookmark that can have a name cut out of it.

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