Top 10 Winter Essentials To Keep You Warm For The Remaining Chilly Days

Winter is by far my favorite season of the year, as the temperature drops, my excitement rises! Chilly nights followed by frosty mornings, cozy naps in bed with blankets wrapped around me, and cups of hot cocoa – it all sounds like heaven to me. As blissful and beautiful as winter can be, it can also be harsh on our bodies and our lifestyles, if we don’t equip ourselves for it. So, we’ve curated a bunch of super interesting and functional tech designs to get you through this winter season…in style! These innovative designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you.

1. Tornado

NextNova has designed something pretty awesome – a terracotta heater with a unique airflow pattern that creates an impressive tower of fire that heats your home, while also having the option to distribute a fragrance of your choice.

Why is it noteworthy?

Dubbed the Tornado, this terracotta-based heater merges the charm of a fireplace with the safety of a scented candle. It works based on airflow and the thermal properties of baked clay to produce radiating heat for the outdoors and the indoors. It burns bioethanol utilizing ceramic wool as a substrate.

What we like

  • Outputs 7000 BTU (British Thermal Units) of heat
  • Mimics the effect of a fireplace without the danger and hazards of smoke or a disaster

What we dislike

  • There is open space on the top, and on one side, so it could be dangerous for kids and pets when placed indoors

2. Bio Heater

Called the Bio Heater, this innovative appliance provides an ingenious and novel way to make excellent and judicious use of cooking oil that would otherwise be wasted after use. Designed by Unichest for their client Flint Lab, the Bio Heater is a unique solution that employs cooking oil as fuel.

Why is it noteworthy?

It uses cooking oil to produce an eco-friendly fuel for the Bio Heater. It is equipped with a combustion technology under its belly which transfers heat energy, which is then further radiated in the room.

What we like

  • Features a minimal and clean design that perfectly merges with modern homes
  • The rounded top can be used to hold items when not in use

What we dislike

  • Bulky and space-consuming design, not intended for smaller homes

3. Hotdog Hand Warmer

The Hotdog Hand Warmer is designed to warm your hand with the appearance of a cute dog’s face. Although it’s not easy to catch the resemblance easily, once you do, you really can’t unsee it. It is the kind of design that will be appreciated by people of all ages, including kids who have no idea about different breeds.

Why is it noteworthy?

The hand warmer isn’t just a “hot dog”, it is an easy-to-use hand warmer, that can be charged via USB from a power bank or even a smartphone, making the device pretty portable and usable almost anywhere. It features a simple slider to switch between off and two heat settings to suit your needs and comfort levels.

What we like

  • Delivers warmth while also providing an emotional and adorable experience

What we dislike

  • The dog’s ear or nose doesn’t function as buttons
  • It isn’t exactly a revolutionary design

4. Thermaphones

The Thermaphones are an innovative pair of cans created to alter the temperature to nullify the effect of both a super hot day or a super chilly winter. They’re designed by Kevin Chiam.

Why is it noteworthy?

The headphones have a unique hybrid design, and the temperature-changing earbuds offer unique thermal comfort. The earcups on the headphones are super cozy and comfy.

What we like

  • Eradicates any chances of vertigo induced by the extreme variation in temperature
  • It provides you comfort during the winter and summer

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept, so we don’t know how the final tangible product will turn out to be, and how effective it will be

5. POCO

Called POCO: Portable Capsule Coffee Machine, this compact and lightweight device can be slid easily into your backpack or bag along with coffee pods, making it a great coffee maker on the go for the winter.

Why is it noteworthy?

You can recharge POCO via a USB-C, charging it on the go using your laptop or a portable charger, making it an excellent device for those who are always on the move.

What we like

  • Features a built-in thermal insulation function
  • Allows you to enjoy a cup of coffee anytime anywhere

What we dislike

  • Since it’s a concept we don’t know how functional and credible it will be as an actual product

6. Breeze Desktop Hand Warmer

Named the Breez desktop hand warmer, this little device makes texting in the cold super easy and efficient. The desktop hand warmer makes using your keyboard a breeze!

Why is it noteworthy?

Designed to keep your fingers warm and toasty, the Breez desktop hand warmer lets you clack away on your keyboard without feeling cold. It features a horizontal form that uniformly warms your hand as you type.

What we like

  • The hand warmer covers the entire keyboard making sure there are no cold zones or spots

What we dislike

  • There aren’t any color options, besides pastel blue, so not a lot of variety

7. Fire Safe

The Fire Safe is an envelope-sized, portable fire and cooking companion that lets you create a warm and comfy fire wherever and whenever you like. It creates communal campfires and cooking experiences with friends and family.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Fire Safe builds quaint campfire and cooking experiences while minimizing the environmental footprints left behind by typical campfires. It features a hinged collapsible design.

What we like

  • Lightweight and slim design
  • Portable and easy-to-carry design

What we dislike

  • It is built from stainless steel, which cause a unique patina to form over time, which may not be preferred by all users and their myriad tastes

8. Hearth

Dubbed Hearth, this stylish but normal table with a black tabletop is designed to be a stunning centerpiece in its dormant state, but also as an electric fireplace in its activated state. It has a tapered and shuttered base to evoke images of a burning fire.

Why is it noteworthy?

The glow that comes from within the heater provides a warm and soft light that feels like an alluring and open invitation for families and friends to huddle together and spend some quality time together, much like what people did in ancient times.

What we like

  • Multifunctional design that works as a fireplace and a coffee table

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept so we don’t know how well it’ll translate into an actual product

9. UZE Heated Jacket

Called the UZE Heated Jacket, this unique and innovative jacket totally changes the jacket game, by letting you wear it in all four seasons, while also giving you the power to decide how warm you wanna get.

Why is it noteworthy?

It features four graphene heat zones and three heat settings of 120°F, 140°F, and 160°F, so you don’t have to search for the right jacket when it gets colder or warmer. By simply pressing a button, you can select the level of warmth that will make you feel comfy.

What we like

  • Can keep you warm for up to 10 hours and charges in 45 minutes

What we dislike

  • Aesthetics are quite dull, they could be worked upon

10. BioLite Firepit

Called the BioLite Firepit, this smoke-less wood burner lets users have a little glance into whatever is going on inside the fire. The pit doesn’t need any chemical fuel or gas to build a great fire.

Why is it noteworthy?

The firepit utilizes standard wood mixed with some clever engineering, which basically involves air being injected through 51 air jets, which maintains a uniform temperature throughout the firepit, providing improved combustion.

What we like

  •  It is equipped with a fan that controls the fire’s intensity

What we dislike

  • You need to have access to chopped wood at all times to use it, otherwise it is useless

The post Top 10 Winter Essentials To Keep You Warm For The Remaining Chilly Days first appeared on Yanko Design.

5 of the Best Tech Accessories To Prepare For A Cozy & Comfy Winter

Winter is by far my favorite season of the year, as the temperature drops, my excitement rises! Chilly nights followed by frosty mornings, cozy naps in bed with blankets wrapped around me, and cups of hot cocoa – it all sounds like heaven to me. As blissful and beautiful as winter can be, it can also be harsh on our bodies and our lifestyles, if we don’t equip ourselves for it. So, we’ve curated a bunch of super interesting and functional tech designs to get you through this winter season…in style! These innovative designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you.

1. Bio Heater

Designed by Unichest for their client Flint Lab, the Bio Heater is an ingenious and novel way to make judicious and good use of cooking oil that is otherwise considered waste after use. This cooking oil is used as fuel for the Bio Heater.

Why is it noteworthy?

Flint Lab utilizes the cooking oil to produce an eco-friendly fuel for the Bio Heater. The heater is equipped with a unique combustion technology under its belly which is used to transfer heat energy, which is then further radiated in the room.

What we like

  • Neat and minimal design that blends perfectly with modern homes
  • The rounded top can be used to place things when not in use

What we dislike

  • Bulky and space-consuming design, not intended for smaller homes

2. Thermaphones

Designed by Kevin Chiam, the Thermaphones are a pair of unique cans designed to alter the temperature to nullify the effect of an extremely hot temperature or the cool chill of winter.

Why is it noteworthy?

The innovative headphones feature a hybrid design, where the temperature-changing earbuds provide unique thermal comfort. The earcups on the headphones are quite compact and comfy.

What we like

  • Eliminates any chances of vertigo induced by the extreme variation in temperature
  • It provides you comfort during the winter and summer

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept, so we don’t know how the final tangible product will turn out to be

3. Harmony Flame Lamp Fireplace

You can now enjoy a beautiful and safe fire indoors with this stunning brass lamp. It utilizes eco-friendly bioethanol to spread illumination and warmth in your home. The fireplace is made using the same technique that is adopted to build musical instruments.

Click Here to Buy Now: Harmony Flame Fireplace ($239)

Why is it noteworthy?

This beautiful brass fireplace is designed to enhance and uplift the mood of all indoor spaces. Both the reflective surfaces and flames play around with light and shadows to create an aesthetically appealing decorative piece that is excellent for your dining table or patio.

What we like

  • Lets you enjoy and experience a safe and pretty fire inside the comfort of your home

What we dislike

  • The lamp utilizes bioethanol which is eco-friendly, but will need to be purchased and refilled, creating a fuel dependency
  • The fuel capacity and compact size of the lamp may not support extended use, which some people need for longer-lasting illumination

4. POCO

Dubbed POCO: Portable capsule coffee machine, this compact and lightweight device can slide easily into your backpack or bag along with coffee pods, making it an exceptional coffee maker on the go for the winter.

Why is it noteworthy?

You can recharge POCO via a USB-C, charging it on the go using your laptop or a portable charger. It is an excellent device for people who are always on the move.

What we like

  • Equipped with a built-in thermal insulation function
    It enables you to enjoy a cup of coffee anytime anywhere

What we dislike

  • Since it’s a concept we don’t know how functional and credible it will be as an actual product

5. Breez Desktop Hand Warmer

You know how difficult texting in the cold can be, so imagine how tough it is to type on a keyboard in the cold. This is where the Breez desktop hand warmer swoops in!

Why is it noteworthy?

Designed to keep your fingers warm and toasty, the Breez desktop hand warmer lets you clack away on your keyboard without feeling cold. It features a horizontal form that uniformly warms your hand as you type.

What we like

  • It covers the entire keyboard leaving no cold zones or spots

What we dislike

  • There aren’t any color options, besides pastel blue, so not a lot of variety

The post 5 of the Best Tech Accessories To Prepare For A Cozy & Comfy Winter first appeared on Yanko Design.

This ‘invisible snow globe’ has a secret design detail hidden in plain sight

Created by Nendo, the Invisible Snow Globe has more than what meets the eye. While it looks like an empty sphere filled with liquid and suspended microparticles at the bottom, shake it and you finally see what’s so special about the snow globe. Rather than having the snow gradually settle down on the bottom of the sphere, some of the particles seemingly levitate in mid-air, creating either a spiral staircase, a set of flowers, or a smiling emoticon. It’s baffling at first and entertaining immediately after, as you see the snow particles suddenly defy gravity to create designs in ‘thin air’. This, Nendo says, was created so that the joy of watching a snow globe would last well beyond the short time it takes for those snowflakes to fall to the ground.

Designer: Nendo

Aptly dubbed the Invisible Snow Globe, this rather fascinating winter-themed tabletop toy is the result of a nifty optical illusion. Most snow globes are filled with diluted glycerine, which has an estimated refractive index of 1.333 to 1.475, which allows it to bend light a certain way. Nendo’s snow globes come with ultra-transparent silicone resin structures inside the globe, with a refractive index that almost matches that of the diluted glycerin. If you’ve ever seen those absorbent polymer balls that go invisible in water, this is pretty much the same phenomenon. The structures turn invisible in the diluted glycerin, making them difficult to spot… however, when you shake the snow globe, the snow microparticles rest on top of them, making their vague outline visible to you.

“By initially erasing the existence of the object, the impression and the role of snow is emphasized, and the design allows enjoyment of visual changes over time”, the Japanese designer said. Designed to evoke a sense of childlike whimsy, Nendo’s Invisible Snow Globes come in three variants, dubbed the ‘Spiral Stairs’, ‘Flowers’, and ‘Smile’. They’re listed on Nendo’s online store with each globe going for ¥12,100 or $87.9, although the entire collection is sold out as of writing this piece.

The post This ‘invisible snow globe’ has a secret design detail hidden in plain sight first appeared on Yanko Design.

Quanta Vici jackets and gloves let you choose how warm you want to be

You no longer have to be stuck between hot and cold with this range of fashionable smart thermal clothing that lets you pick your preferred toasty temperature.

You might debate the actual causes, but it’s hard to argue that the weather has been pretty irregular and out of sync in the past years. Seasons extend beyond their normal dates, and temperatures can go to extremes. For those that have to deal with cold weather, be it by force or by recreational choice, the selection of clothing to keep them from freezing to death is wide but shallow. There isn’t much flexibility in how you are able to keep warm, and you’ll mostly have to either pile up more layers or take them off, depending on how you feel. We are living in a smart, tech-centric world, however, so there’s little reason why our winter clothes have to stay that way. Thankfully, someone did finally put two and two together to create a line of thermal clothing that isn’t just smart but also guilt-free.

Designer: Adrien Beyk of Quanta Vici

Click Here to Buy Now: $189 $410 (54% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!

Winter wear is mostly designed to trap your own body heat to keep you warm, and that’s pretty much it. If the cold becomes too much to bear, all you can do is wear more layers to the point that you become an immovable pin cushion. You can’t really go anywhere in between, much less opt for a slightly “chill” temperature if you’re the type that likes a tiny bit of cold. Heaters and thermostats can do that for rooms and cars, but not for clothing, at least until now.

Quanta Vici’s new thermal clothing lineup brings that freedom and flexibility to thermal jackets, vests, and gloves. You can actually select on your smartphone how warm you want to feel or how cold you want to be. Better yet, the built-in thermostat from the “Smart” range can automatically do that for you, detecting the temperature inside the clothing in order to maintain that perfect level that you chose.

Although these features may sound geeky, Quanta Vici’s apparel looks anything but. In fact, the jackets and especially the gloves look completely fashionable, something that wouldn’t look out of place on a catwalk. The gloves, in particular, make use of animal-free vegan-friendly leather, so you don’t have to feel guilty about wearing such a luxurious-looking accessory. It’s also friendly to your phone’s touch screen, so you don’t have to worry about freezing your finger off just to use your device.

Both the slim jacket and the vest, which come in different styles for guys and gals, are made from recycled polyester, continuing that theme of sustainability. Even the zippers are recycled, so you can enjoy the warmth that the smart jackets give while also feeling good about your positive impact on the environment. The clothing is washable, but you’ll have to remember to remove the battery first before you do.

The Quanta Vici smart thermal clothing line is exclusive to Kickstarter and starts at $149 for the “base” range, while the “smart” line with the built-in thermostat starts at $179. But with this one-time Kickstarter-exclusive flash sale, you can get any single Smart product, be it the jacket, vest, or glove, for only $159.

Elegant, effective, and environment-friendly, Quanta Vici’s smart heated slim jackets and leather gloves demonstrate the true meaning of wearables without going overboard on the tech.

Click Here to Buy Now: $189 $410 (54% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!

The post Quanta Vici jackets and gloves let you choose how warm you want to be first appeared on Yanko Design.

Widescape WS250: The World’s First Stand-Up Snowmobile

Introduced by upstart Canadian powersports company Widescape, the WS250 is allegedly the world’s first snowmobile designed to be ridden while standing up. Wait – who wants to stand? Sitting is where it’s at. And, if I’m being perfectly honest, I’d much rather be lying down. Now, where’s that snowmobile?


Powered by a fuel-injected 242cc 4-stroke engine, the WS250 features a significantly slimmer platform than most traditional snowmobiles (you can fit two in the bed of a truck side-by-side), allowing a rider to access areas larger machines might not be able to. Yeti cave, here we come! Gosh, I sure hope it invites us in for hot cocoa instead of mauling us to death like a wampa.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? If it involves an annual snowmobile jousting competition, you are! The machines weigh in at just under 200 lbs and start at around $6,750, meaning they weigh even less than I do but are worth almost $6,750 more. That’s crazy to think about — also, more than a little depressing.

[via GearJunkie]

These innovative + exciting product designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you

Winter is by far my favorite season of the year, as the temperature drops, my excitement rises! Chilly nights followed by frosty morning, cozy naps in bed with blankets wrapped around me, and cups of hot cocoa – it all sounds like heaven to me. As blissful and beautiful as winter can be, it can also be harsh on our bodies and our lifestyles, if we don’t equip ourselves for it. So, we’ve curated a bunch of super interesting and handy designs to get you through this winter season…in style! From a coffee table that holds an electric fireplace to a super cute cup warmer that heats your drink, and charges your smartphone – these innovative product designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you. They’ll transform this winter season into a breeze!

1. The Noori V02 AIRY

Boasting an enameled steel construction, the Noori V02 AIRY is a multifunctional outdoor grill, pizza oven, rocket stove, and a fire pit – all in one! Not to mention, it’s probably one of the best-looking grills I’ve seen in a long time, it’ll be the perfect visual accessory to your backyard. The grill consists of six refractory concrete internal plates. These plates + an AIRY cylinder make up the grill’s innovative AIRY system (which also gives the product its name). This basically means that to set up an open fire, you simply need to remove a few refractory plates from within the AIRY cylinder, which instantly exposes the flames, creating the mesmerizing flame dance we all love to watch in an open fire! Much like its predecessor the Noori V02 AIRY also features a pizza disc, allowing you to not only bake up some pizzas but bread as well.

2. Hearth

Designer Max Burton designed a coffee table appropriately named “Hearth.” At first glance, it looks like a stylish but normal table with a black tabletop and a shuttered base. Even in this dormant state, it already functions as a beautiful centerpiece for people to gather, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Twist that tabletop clockwise like a giant dial, and the slanted fins at the base open up, revealing the electric heater inside. The twisting motion might remind some of a more advanced thermostat, and it almost offers the same capability. Once opened, the Hearth sucks in air from hidden ducts on its underside and then blows heated air out the fins, warming the entire room evenly in all directions.

3. Mujjo’s Touchscreen Gloves

Mujjo Leather Touchscreen Gloves

Mujjo Leather Touchscreen Gloves

Designed to match the aesthetic seen on Mujjo’s leather iPhone cases, the gloves sport a similar all-leather look along with a fold-over closure that’s marked with the brand’s familiar slant line, created by Mujjo co-founder Remy Nagelmaeker. The gloves sport a design that’s an instant classic, thanks to its use of full-grain Ethiopian lambskin leather with a uniform bold black aesthetic. The snap closure around the wrist elegantly secures the gloves on your hands, creating a snug fit while also keeping cold air out so your hands remain warm at all times. A cashmere layer helps keep your extremities toasty while providing an unmatched level of comfort, although the highlight remains the nanotechnology-infused leather which works almost like a second skin, letting you use your phone just like you normally would… with any part of your hand.

4. The Breez Desktop Hand-Warmer

If you’ve ever tried to text in the cold, you know that your fingers tend to lock because of the low temperatures… so imagine trying to type on a keyboard in the cold. Whether you’re working or gaming, the Breez desktop hand-warmer keeps your fingers toasty as you clack away at the keys of your USB or wireless keyboard. The horizontal radiator design uniformly warms your hands as you type, covering the entire keyboard so there’s never a cold zone near the Numpad.

5. 005G

005G is a neckwarmer designed by Xiaoming for cold winter mornings when hitting the snooze button is all too tempting. As the seasons change, our bodily needs do too. With winter quickly approaching, the cold, dry air has us shopping for winter accessories like weighted blankets, moisturizers, and steam inhalers. Despite having the heater turned all the way up to stave off the cold, an extra blanket or pair of fuzzy socks always brings just the right amount of coziness. Industrial designer Xiaoming is bringing coziness to this winter season with 005G, a neck warmer that drapes around your shoulders just like a warm towel.

6. The Quanta Vici

With the ability to comfortably warm up to a wonderful 130F, Quanta Vici’s gloves and socks help perfectly cap off any winterwear outfit, ensuring that your extremities don’t end up feeling cold while your body feels warm. The apparel is app-controlled, charges via USB-C, and has a battery life of anywhere between 6 and 50 hours. Additionally, the gloves come with capacitive touch-sensitivity, which allows you to use your phone with the gloves on (you won’t be able to use the fingerprint unlock, obviously), while the socks have compression ribbing, anti-blister cushions, and arch support to make them comfortable over long hours. Both the gloves and socks are designed with a ventilation mesh too, to promote breathability and comfort over prolonged wearing, and are designed to be anti-slip too.

7. Vollebak’s Indestructible Puffer

Vollebak’s ‘Indestructible Puffer’ is exactly what its name says it is. And the puffer owes its indestructibility to the ‘single strongest fiber known to man’, Dyneema. Dyneema is said to be 15x stronger than Steel. If you’re ever headed to the coldest place on Earth, this jacket’s got to be in your hand luggage. The Indestructible Puffer can withstand temperatures as low as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, the cold only titillates the puffer. As the temperature drops, the jacket goes into Hulk mode, gaining strength as it gets colder.

8. Dadaism J’s cup warmer

There is nothing that meets the pleasure of a steaming hot coffee or tea while working. You get an extra kick to stay productive for a few more hours. However, there are times when you tend to forget and that hot beverage is left to become a cold brew sitting on the table. This is where a cup warmer like the one conceptualized by designer Dadaism J comes into the equation. The functionality of this cup warmer is to keep your compatible cup heated from the bottom to ensure the beverage inside remains at a particular temperature. This ensures you don’t have to sip on cold brew when your mug should have had a piping hot beverage.

9. The Delivery Jacket

With these winter months getting colder and more treacherous, keeping dogs and puppies with shorter hair warm is a top priority for dog owners. In fact, 40% of dog-owners based in the U.S.A. bought some item of clothing for their dog. If you’re looking to upgrade your’s pup’s wardrobe for the new year, the collection of dog jackets from Between Two Naps features some other fun options, like headpieces topped with pillows and puppy-themed, plush racing helmets. The Delivery Jacket, however, is their upcycled option, which comes one-of-a-kind, with a cropped body and elasticated underside. Their design features classic packing labels embedded into the jacket’s fabric that includes random words such as “sleep,” which help the store owners track outbound shipments.

10. The flo

The flo is a desk fan that is portable by nature. The fan’s facade is actually covered – no more hurting your finger by occasionally poking into the blades. The fan can be regulated using a temperature dial at the back of flo – allowing you to easily switch between heating and cooling functionalities. One of the better functionality of the design is the use of a filter, that purifies the air being thrown at you, rather than having the dust from your fan blades being thrown at you. The fan also uses a simple USB-C cable to stay charged at all times. Flo’s aesthetics are simple, yet minimal, making it an easy to own and use piece over the years. And given how it works for all seasons – it reduces the storage space required for the off-seasons.

The post These innovative + exciting product designs are the ultimate winter essentials for you first appeared on Yanko Design.

With precise temperature settings, this portable neck warmer is here to keep you warm this winter

005G is a neckwarmer designed by Xiaoming for cold winter mornings when hitting the snooze button is all too tempting.

As the seasons change, our bodily needs do too. With winter quickly approaching, the cold, dry air has us shopping for winter accessories like weighted blankets, moisturizers, and steam inhalers. Despite having the heater turned all the way up to stave off the cold, an extra blanket or pair of fuzzy socks always brings just the right amount of coziness. Industrial designer Xiaoming is bringing coziness to this winter season with 005G, a neck warmer that drapes around your shoulders just like a warm towel.

When we first wake up on chilly winter mornings, the last thing we want to do is leave our warm bed sheets and comforters. If only everyone could have heated floors and in-house towel warmers. While we wait for our heated tiles and hot towels to get here, consider 005G the winter accessory that’ll keep us cozy in the meantime.

Shaped like a pair of over-ear headphones, 005G slips around your neck and emanates warmth from its plush, velvet covering to the skin of your neck. With an adjustable temperature dial, users can change the amount of heat they’d like to come from 005G. For cold winter mornings, when hitting the snooze feels more tempting than ever, 005G is there to get us out of bed.

While 005G is primarily designed to keep us cozy and warm in the cold, it’s the perfect accessory for neck pain as well. There’s nothing worse than waking up in the morning with a stiff neck, especially because there’s nothing you can do about it other than wind your neck back and crack it. To keep comfortable while dealing with neck issues like stiff muscles, 005G provides enough warmth to keep us from thinking about the pain.

Designer: Xiaoming

The post With precise temperature settings, this portable neck warmer is here to keep you warm this winter first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Top 10 Winter Cabins that are the ultimate holiday destination this Christmas break!

Winter’s here, and I couldn’t be happier! It’s the season of snowy skies and chilly weather! It’s my favorite time of the year, something I look forward to as the months pass by. And just thinking about a winter getaway gets me all jazzed up! Anytime, anyone proposes a quaint getaway during Christmas break, I’m the first one packing my bags. Bundled up in coats, and sipping on hot cocoa in a little cabin in the woods, with swirls of snowflakes fluttering outside the window, is my idea of an ideal vacation. And, we’ve curated a collection of cozy, comfy, and super cute winter homes that’ll make for the perfect holiday destination this winter. Make your plans and start booking your tickets, because these spaces are where you’re going to wanna be this Christmas!

1. The Yezo

Designed for idyllic Hokkaido in Japan, the YEZO is a retreat that uses its dramatic landscape and an experimental design approach to create a sanctuary in nature. The YEZO’s overall design is a fusion of both aesthetics and algorithms, optimized for fabrication from one single mold to minimize ecological impact and reduce manufacturing cost and delivery time. It features a unique curved roof that not only creates a spacious interior but even provides a channel for the central chimney while creating a small terrace/skylight in the process. The wooden roof shell structure, clad with regional black slate, consists of sustainable GluLam (glue-laminated) timber beams suspended from a central concrete chimney.

2. The Vermont Cabin

Occupying a humble space of 750-square-foot, Kundig designed the Vermont Cabin, keeping in mind that “The client brief called for a small, straightforward family cabin in the tradition of the Vermont cabins they grew up with.” Surrounded by white pines and maples, the intimate home has been divided into three levels. The lowest level is settled comfortably within the site, and contains a garage that also doubles up as a fun game room! A single bedroom and a powder room are also included in this level. The middle story consists of the main entry, two small bedrooms, and a bathroom. Whereas, the topmost level is essentially one large living area. This upper level provides panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, such as the Green Mountains to the west, and the Worcester Range to the east.

3. Niliaitta

Studio Puisto, a sustainable interior design studio based in Finland, recently debuted the first prototype of cabins soon to be part of a larger hospitality project called Kivijärvi Resort. The resort’s first completed cabin is called Niliaitta, which refers to the traditional storage structure built at the end of a high pillar, used by the Sámi people to store food and equipment, keeping it safe from the grasp of hungry or curious wildlife. In order to immerse guests of Kivijärvi Resort in the elements of nature as safely, but also as close as possible, Studio Puisto installed a floor-to-ceiling window that stands some distance from the cabin’s deep gable roof. From Niliaitta’s front-facing window, guests enjoy the most dominant landscapes as the cabin’s location was purposefully selected to offer the most unobstructed views of Finland’s forest and nearby body of water.

4. Skigard Hytte

Mork-Ulnes Architects constructed a modern cabin in the mountains called Skigard Hytte. Made from wood, the cabin is located in Kvitfjell, Norway. Skigard Hytte consists of 45 wooden columns that are arranged in a neat grid, which are covered in ‘Skigard’. ‘Skigard’ are quarter-cut tree logs.”There was also something interesting about making a cladding out of log that was completely detached from the house – creating a log cabin skin that sits outboard of the building, where it is not the load-bearing element one is used to in conventional log construction,” said the architects.

5. Cabin in Maine

Situated in a quiet and private location, this little cabin in the woods of Maine is as peaceful as it gets. The pond is quite secluded, hence it is free of noisy motorboats and pesky tourists. The height of the floating home provides unparalleled views of the pond and forest and also helps in capturing the breeze. Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors adorn the entire home, hence creating a beautifully open space, that perfectly captures the sunlight in the morning and late afternoon! Peck wanted to create “an experience within a space—keeping us connected to nature and the feelings of this site.” The floor-to-ceiling elements create a modern aesthetic but at the same time are durable enough to withstand Maine’s extreme weather conditions.

6. The Lima Cabin

Modern, minimal, and clean, the Lima cabin boasts an A-frame structure, although it cannot be compared to the traditional A-frame cabins we are so used to. Exquisitely pleasing to the eyes, yet highly functional, the cabin features two main areas or spaces. The two pyramid-shaped structures (which almost look like mountains, as the cabin has been inspired by the surrounding mountains!) represent these two spaces, and they are connected by a corridor, creating an open and spacious holiday home, while efficiently utilizing the square footage of the space. The living room is a beautiful communal space, wherein the residents of the home can lounge about, interact and connect. The wooden kitchen counter and dining table serve as intimate meal spots, where you can share a meal with your family and friends, and nurture the shared holiday spirit.

7. Cabin Thunder Top

Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter built a wooden cabin called Cabin Thunder Top in Telemark, Norway. The cabin features a stepped roof that also doubles up as a winter ski jump and a viewpoint. The triangular building is called a “man-made peak” by the architects. “As everything put here from the outside, Cabin Thunder Top is slowly appropriated by nature,” explained Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter. “The cabin is an inhabitable beacon, a man-made peak in the rolling fells of Hardangervidda, worn down by glaciers during the ice age.”

8. Road-Haus

Road-Haus is a 250sqf tiny cabin scaled down from a larger model designed by Wheelhaus, a tiny home company committed to modular and eco-friendly design practices. Taking the best from the more spacious Wedge model, the Road-Haus fuses elegant design elements with tiny living essentials. Considered crowd favorites by the tiny home company, Wheelhaus adorned Road-Haus with the same pitched roofline and wrap-around clerestory windows found on the Wedge model. From the bottom to the top, Road-Haus residents are immersed in the glory of the woods, with timber flooring that’s mirrored on the tiny home’s ceiling.

9. Cara R

Think of this cabin as a safehouse for when you are facing harsh weather conditions. Cara R is perched in the Andes Mountains in Southern Chile giving views of the vast parklands and nature reserves. It is the ideal destination to be immersed in nature but the area is also known for its extreme climatic conditions and that is exactly what Cara R’s design aims to guard against – nothing can stand between you and a cozy night at your cabin in the woods! On the first floor, there is a woodshed and a chiflonera.” This area between the interiors and exteriors is commonly found in Chilean or Patagonian homes because it helps to regulate the extreme temperature changes that occur in that region. It features a steel frame because stell is both water and fire-resistant!

10. Cabin A24

The RCA – 03, or Cabin A24 is a prefabricated tiny cabin that keeps a unique pentagonal shape and comes fully furnished with a bathroom, kitchenette, and living space. Designing Cabin A24, the team behind DDAA hoped to achieve a distinct architectural identity without compromising the tiny home’s household efficiency, amenities, or spatial functionality. Cozy and petite by design, Cabin A24 forms two halves. One half leaves enough room for a spacious living area, complete with a bedroom and lounge space. From there, the bathroom takes up about two-thirds of the cabin’s second half, which is shared with a small kitchenette, complete with a sink and small stovetop.

The post The Top 10 Winter Cabins that are the ultimate holiday destination this Christmas break! first appeared on Yanko Design.

These innovative product designs are all you need to stay toasty + cozy this winter season!

Winter season is going to officially hit us very very soon! Temperatures are going to drop, and excitement for the upcoming new year is going to rise. Oh, and who can forget Christmas! Most of us are going to be busy buying Christmas presents and ambitiously scribbling down our New Year resolutions. In the midst of this holiday season ruckus, it’s imperative that we also prepare ourselves for the oncoming cold. And, we’ve curated a collection of functional yet super cool product designs to help you do exactly that. From smart heated gloves and socks that maintain the exact temperature you need to keep yourselves warm during winter to a winter jacket for your doggo – these innovative product designs are all you need to stay toasty and comfy this winter season!

1. Noori Grill

With winter barely around the corner, it’s time to fold your grills and clean up your backyard for the snowfall. Or you can get the 4-in-1 Noori grill. Noori’s multipurpose stove, the V01 model will do it all for you. It functions not only as a rocket stove but as a barbeque, pizza oven, and fire pit. From ribs, burgers, hot dogs to wood-fired pizza, the V01 functions as a versatile cooker for all occasions. Contemporary, compact and easily portable the V01 comprises a rounded bullet-like body modeled from heat-resistant refractory concrete. An L-shape enamel pipe transports the fuel through the body of the stove to the grilling surface. The multipurpose stove optimizes the combustion of fuel, allowing us to completely skip out on the unwanted smoke that slithers out during the cooking process.

2. Pyro Camp Fire

Pyro Camp Fire is a portable fire pit constructed chiefly of American steel. It is provided with a grill/griddle extension for enthusiasts who want to create an inviting ambiance by burning wood or charcoal in a safe and clean manner. And when the stomach calls, the top extension can be swapped and you are good to prepare a meal or heat up the precook food on you. Designed by a team of camping and overloading enthusiasts themselves, this portable fire pit has an 18-inch long and 14-inch wide combustion chamber, while the contraption measure 9-inch tall. The entire pit weighs only 14.5 pounds making it appropriate to carry on every camping trail you’re headed for. The standout here is its side-loading system that lets you easily add wood without having to remove the top fire screen or grill.

3. The Flo

The flo is a desk fan that is portable by nature. The fan’s facade is actually covered – no more hurting your finger by occasionally poking into the blades. The fan can be regulated using a temperature dial at the back of flo – allowing you to easily switch between heating and cooling functionalities. One of the better functionality of the design is the use of a filter, that purifies the air being thrown at you, rather than having the dust from your fan blades being thrown at you. The fan also uses a simple USB-C cable to stay charged at all times.

4. The Rumpl & Snow Peak NanoLoft Takibi Fire-Resistant Blanket

The Rumpl & Snow Peak NanoLoft Takibi Fire-Resistant Blanket has been designed with 200 gsm of synthetic down and provides plenty of insulation to keep you warm and cozy on the oncoming super cold winter nights. It has a fire-resistant finish, so you can even use it on those nights when you’re huddled around an open fire with your loved ones! The reflective paracord corner loops also improve your visibility at night.

5. The Delivery Jacket

With these winter months getting colder and more treacherous, keeping dogs and puppies with shorter hair warm is a top priority for dog owners. In fact, 40% of dog-owners based in the U.S.A. bought some item of clothing for their dog during the year 2020. If you’re looking to upgrade your’s pup’s wardrobe for the new year, the collection of dog jackets from Between Two Naps features some other fun options, like headpieces topped with pillows and puppy-themed, plush racing helmets. The Delivery Jacket, however, is their upcycled option, which comes one-of-a-kind, with a cropped body and elasticated underside. Their design features classic packing labels embedded into the jacket’s fabric that includes random words such as “sleep,” which help the store owners track outbound shipments.

6. Mujjo’s Thinsulate Gloves

Mujjo’s Thinsulate gloves are like a second skin around your palm and fingers. It protects you from the cold, with its 3M Thinsulate insulating layer that traps body heat, but more importantly, it comes with a thermally conductive surface on its outside that lets you use the touchscreen on your smartphone. Book cabs, answer calls, take pictures, browse the web, type messages, just basically use your phone the way you would with the gloves on. The thermal surface runs across all fingers, so you can use the phone with your left hand and right, making use of all your fingers to run apps, contact people, or just play PUBG (or whatever it is you people play nowadays). The gloves work with all smartphones, and the bonus features, they come with non-slip properties, so you don’t accidentally drop your phone!

7. Desk Heater

Dadaism J’s portable Desk Heater is a wired appliance that works in a similar fashion to traditional space heaters, by simply plugging the Desk Heater’s cord into the wall, the appliance disperses warm air into the room. Embedded inside Desk Heater’s main compartment, heat coils convert the electrical energy into heat, sending it through the heater’s diagonal plastic grating. Throughout Desk Heater’s build, minimalist accents like the grating give the appliance a finished look. Desk Heater echoes the design language of retro ‘50s home appliances through its slick, glossy finish, but packs the heat with an intuitive control panel fit for today.

8. Wireless Musical Beanie

Designed by Sky Innovations, the Wireless Musical Beanie is a classically-styled beanie that hides a built-in music system. Amped with onboard controls, the beanie can actually play music! You can clearly hear your favorite tunes even through the polyester material. Keeping your ears warm during the winter season has never been this fun. The beanie is also compatible with all Bluetooth devices, and it features a built-in microphone so you can answer calls hands-free.

9. Breez desktop hand-warmer

If you’ve ever tried to text in the cold, you know that your fingers tend to lock because of the low temperatures… so imagine trying to type on a keyboard in the cold. Whether you’re working or gaming, the Breez desktop hand-warmer keeps your fingers toasty as you clack away at the keys of your USB or wireless keyboard. The horizontal radiator design uniformly warms your hands as you type, covering the entire keyboard so there’s never a cold-zone near the Numpad.

10. The Smartmi Heater

I sometimes drape my socks on my space heater, for instance. This method, while cheap, has two obvious problems:

1) I’m mildly worried that it is a fire hazard,

2) the clothes block the warm air from heating my room.

The Smartmi Heater has solved both these problems with two design changes. The first is simple – adding an adjustable handlebar to the heating unit. When the bar is in the upright position, it functions similarly to the handle of a briefcase, making the appliance more portable despite its bulk. If you pull it down in front of the heating unit itself, it acts as a rack to dry or warm up your clothes. (Finally, I can get that fresh-from-the-dryer warmth without risking a fire.)

The post These innovative product designs are all you need to stay toasty + cozy this winter season! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Star Trek TNG ‘Trek The Halls’ Ugly Christmas Sweaters: Make It Snow

Inspired by the command division’s red uniforms from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Numbskull Designs has created these officially licensed ‘Trek The Halls’ ugly Christmas sweaters. Available from Just Geek for $42, the 100% knitted (not printed!) sweaters are available in sizes 3XS – 4XL for a size that will fit anybody. I can already see myself becoming indignant when this isn’t enough to clinch victory in the ugly Christmas sweater contest at work.

Upon closer review, I do have a hard time considering this an ugly Christmas sweater. I mean, it might actually be the most fashionable sweater I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of sweaters because I used to work sorting donations at a Goodwill. I’ve… smelled a lot of smells.

Imagine us all standing around a holiday fire in our Trek The Halls sweaters, sipping Saurian Brandy, and regaling our guests with our latest adventures aboard the Enterprise. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? That’s because it is a dream. I mean, unless we’re role-playing, in which case I call Data!

[via GeeksAreSexy]