People have recently become more conscious of the tables they use for work, whether it’s for a work-from-home setup or with employer-provided furniture in the office. It’s clear that there is no one size that fits all, but even the plethora of options available doesn’t always work all the time. Circumstances can change, like moving to a new flat or rearranging the office space, that would make that carefully selected desk unusable. Rather than a perfectly designed piece of furniture, what we need is one that can change and grow to our needs and environment. That is exactly the kind of flexibility that this modular, customizable, and long-lasting desk is offering, and you won’t even need tools to make it happen!
Ever since work-from-home setups became a thing, the number of customizable desks started to rise rapidly. But while these let you add or remove some compartments, they often retain their basic shape that was dictated by their design and production. A corner desk forever remains L-shaped, while a square or rectangular table will be that way until it’s broken. When your situation or location changes, you’re pretty much out of luck if your sophisticated desk won’t even fit your room.
What the Den Desk does differently is to offer you the building blocks to assemble your own desk just the way you like it, almost like playing LEGO. You can start with the most basic setup and then grow your desk by adding other parts or accessories, from monitor mounts to even a cabinet on the side. Want a corner desk? Simply slot it in another desktop at an angle and you’re good to go! Should space suddenly become a problem, you can easily separate the pieces to go back to a more space-efficient and minimalist workspace.
What’s even better is that you can assemble and disassemble these pieces with relative ease, almost like playing with those toy bricks. Thanks to the innovative Den Mounting System, you can slide parts into each other with specially-made metal connectors and then secure them with thumbscrews. Say goodbye to the days of hunting for screwdrivers and wrenches to set up or take down your desk with an almost effortless system that might even encourage you to change your desk every so often.
The wins don’t stop there, either. Each piece is an elegant work of craftsmanship and durability, made from furniture-grade Baltic Birch ply for the wooden desktop or black or white powder-coated 6061 aluminum for the legs and privacy panels. As a testament to its sustainability and durability, the Den Desk even comes with a lifetime warranty, relieving owners of the worry that comes whenever they have to move homes or offices. With the Den Desk, you can finally design a workspace that grows with your needs, allowing you to do your best work all the time.
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Air-filled Bumpers offer almost total protection from bumps and falls
MagSafe-compatible O-Ring provides a versatile kickstand and holder
Slim and lightweight design maintains the iPhone 15's elegance
CONS:
O-Ring doesn't rotate to support arbitrary positions or angles
Only available for the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models
RATINGS:
AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
EDITOR'S QUOTE:
The TORRAS UPRO Ostand's air-filled bumpers protect your iPhone from every angle, and a MagSafe-compatible O-ring works as both a holder as well as a kickstand. Apple invented MagSafe. TORRAS perfected it.
Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, allowing us to connect with each other, retrieve information, and even create and record memories. We bring our phones with us everywhere, even in some places or circumstances that would be precarious for the electronic device. Apple’s latest event played up that “wonderlust” and presented the iPhone 15 series as the perfect companion for your life’s journeys, especially when it comes time to snap up photos or record videos for posterity. Bringing along a naked iPhone to your many adventures, however, might not be the smartest and most efficient move, especially when not if accidents happen. Just in time for the release of the iPhone 15, TORRAS launched new cases designed to be just as adventurous as the new iPhones, so we take it for a bumpy ride to see if the new UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate can truly turn the iPhone 15 into your faithful companion through life’s up and, most especially, downs.
With so many cases for smartphones littering the market today, you might almost be tempted to give the UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate a pass. Your opinion will quickly change, however, the moment you behold the case, and especially after you’ve put it on your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Depending on the color variant, the case is mostly clear or has a frosted surface that still lets the iPhone’s elegant colors shine through. The Gray case’s clear surface is perfect for the iPhone 15’s Natural or White Titanium colorways, but there are also Black and Blue options to cover the entire iPhone 15 lineup. Either way, your iPhone 15 doesn’t need to sacrifice its elegant colors just so that it can be protected.
You might, however, notice that the edges of the case have a different color and are slightly raised as if bulging a bit. This isn’t just some pointless embellishment and actually serves one of the UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate’s most important functions, which we’ll get to later. Unfortunately, its color, which is mostly light gray, easily stands out from the rest of the case’s edges because of the color contrast. Some might find it visually disconcerting while others might not mind it so much. It could become a problem, however, with other iPhone 15 color options, like RED or future variants. It would have been nice if you could swap out these bumpers for different colors, but that could also reduce the case’s durability in the process.
The other visual detail that stands out is the ring on the back of the case. Thanks to many MagSafe-compatible accessories, the presence of this ring is no longer alien, even though Apple itself doesn’t mark the area on its iPhones. Thankfully, the ring, which is formally called the O-Ring, sits flush on the surface of the case, so it doesn’t cause the phone to wobble when placed on a table, nor will it snag in your pants pocket or other things in your bag. All in all, the TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS has a rather minimalist design, both visually and physically, except for those bumpers and that ring that serve important purposes that give the case its selling points.
Ergonomics
Despite knowing the risks of dropping an expensive iPhone, many people are reluctant to put them in protective cases. These iPhones are, after all, beautiful unclothed and are meant to be slim and comfortable to hold. Most of the fears stem from making the iPhone look like it’s going to war, which is fortunately not the case with this UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate.
In addition to being visually simple and minimalist, the case is also space-efficient and lightweight. It delivers 92% protection against disastrous falls, but instead of simply wrapping the phone in thick layers of material, TORRAS employs innovative technologies that keep the case as slim as possible. The result is that it doesn’t add too much bulk to an already large iPhone 15 Pro or even bigger iPhone 15 Pro Max, nor does it add more burden to your hand when holding it.
In fact, the UPRO Ostand SS improves the iPhone 15’s ergonomics by giving your hand a non-slipper surface to grip. There’s also that O-Ring that folds out of the case, transforming into a holder for your finger to keep the phone steady, whether you’re simply watching videos or taking photos and selfies. The latter is a very important use case for both the new iPhone 15 and this UPRO Ostand SS, giving you the freedom and the confidence to shoot anywhere, knowing that the phone is secure in your hand. And unlike the typical rings that you stick to the back of your phone, the O-Ring folds flat when not in use, hiding in plain sight until it’s needed once more.
Performance
Right out of the packaging, you can already tell that the TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate is not your average case. The contrasting color of the embossed edges immediately call your attention, but these aren’t just for show. Their unique form is actually the case’s main selling point, being air-filled bumpers that protect your phone from drops and shocks, especially when it drops on one of its corners or edges, which is the most common place for this kind of accident.
For this innovation, TORRAS took inspiration from car airbags that protect you from accidents. When the iPhone accidentally drops on its corner or side, the air-filled thermoplastic polyurethane not only absorbs the force of the impact but actually bounces it off, preventing the shock from being transferred to the rest of your phone, which is the most common cause of cracked screens. These bumpers give the phone 360-degree military-grade impact protection that can absorb up to 98% of the shock.
But while protection is its main purpose, that isn’t the only talent that the UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate has, which you can probably discern from its name. It features TORRAS’s unique O-Ring, a ring grip and stand combination that’s built right into the case and, more importantly, doesn’t stick out of it. You simply fold it out and you’re ready to go, standing the iPhone 15 on any flat surface or holding the phone in your hand with support for your finger. You can stand the iPhone vertically or horizontally depending on your use case, and the O-Ring will be able to support it. Unfortunately, the position of the ring itself is fixed in its position, unlike the Ostand R cases where the O-Ring can rotate 360 degrees. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it would have been nice to have to increase the case’s versatility.
That O-Ring has a third function in addition to grip and stand thanks to its use of a Halbach array of magnets. These strong magnets let you stick the phone to any MagSafe stand or holder, like those for cars or bedside tables. Alternatively, you can also stick the iPhone 15 to any metallic surface, from refrigerator or car doors to metal poles and walls. You no longer need to worry about not having a selfie stick or tripod when you can set up the iPhone at a distance anywhere. And, of course, the case lets you charge with MagSafe without having to remove the case. Apple may have introduced the universal USB-C connector for the iPhone 15 series, but those who have tasted MagSafe will probably never go back to cables if they can help it.
Sustainability
The UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate for the iPhone 15 Pro is stylish, durable, and versatile, but the list of its strengths doesn’t end there. When it comes to sustainability, it also has an edge over other smartphone cases. Sure, it has its fair share of plastics, rubber, and other environment-unfriendly materials, but its use of thermoplastic polyurethane for its headlining feature scores in its favor. It has also committed to nurturing one tree in the Brazil Atlantic Forest for every three cases sold. If TORRAS could start using recycled plastics or lay out a more definite sustainability strategy, it would definitely take the lead in this market.
Where the case does shine is in its durability, which is to say that it’s made to last a really long time. It is, after all, designed to protect the iPhone 15 it holds, so it is also quite resilient itself. It won’t last forever, of course, and the case’s surface might tarnish and show discoloration over time. It would have been nice if the bumpers could be replaced independently of the rest of the case or vice versa, but TORRAS probably had to prioritize the product’s structural integrity over that kind of modularity.
Value
There are countless smartphone cases in the market today, especially for something as popular as Apple iPhones. With the launch of the iPhone 15 series, there’s bound to be even more, as proven by the flood of announcements following Apple’s event last week. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of cases that promise the same things but deliver in different ways, sometimes not at all. The TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate for the iPhone 15 Pro sets itself apart from the crowd by delivering not only protection for your precious new iPhone but also confidence and peace of mind.
The Ostand SS ShieldMate frees you from worries about accidents when bringing your iPhone 15 along for the ride in your outdoor adventures, globe-trotting, and other activities. It also allows you to hold the phone securely in your hand, whether for enjoying content or creating it, even letting you stick it to walls, poles, and surfaces to make it easier to take group selfies or do hands-free live streaming. The UPRO Ostand SS is definitely a great deal, but that only applies if you own an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Unfortunately, the cases aren’t available for the non-Pro models, but TORRAS has a plethora of other options that offer protection as well as the versatility of the O-Ring for a wide range of iPhones.
Verdict
Smartphones have reached a point where they’ve become more than just gadgets but also important companions in our lives. The iPhone 15, with its enhanced photography prowess and upgraded hardware, offers one of if not the best tools for making life more enjoyable and more memorable. Its stylish designs, now in titanium, give it the expected Apple elegance that you wouldn’t want to cover up with a tank-like case, regardless of how much protection it offers.
Fortunately, the TORRAS UPRO Ostand SS ShieldMate is here to check all the right boxes and then some. While Apple’s absolutely dropped the ball on MagSafe, the folks at TORRAS thankfully are taking the magnetic ring to new heights. The UPRO Ostand is a unique iPhone case that doesn’t just protect your phone, it gives it superpowers. The Ostand’s air-filled bumpers protect your iPhone from every angle, and a MagSafe-compatible O-ring works as both a holder as well as a kickstand. Apple invented MagSafe. TORRAS perfected it.
We live in a world that gets a little bit smaller each day as advancements in transportation and communication connect us with anyone anywhere anytime. It isn’t unusual anymore to have family members living half a world from each other, or friends scattered across different countries. Unfortunately, that also means having to keep tabs on different timezones, lest you land in the awkward and embarrassing situation of calling someone at the wrong time. World clock apps have become a necessity for such people, but the information that they offer comes with complexity and inconvenience, especially when you have to dig through a handful of screens just to get the time you needed. You can have one clock for each timezone you’re interested in, but that can get messy really quickly. This minimalist one-handed analog clock, in contrast, offers a solution that is simple yet so clever that checking the time in other countries feels almost like a game instead of a chore.
Even at first glance, you can already tell that the World Clock is not your typical desk or shelf clock. Never mind its unusual but not unheard of dodecagonal shape, the clock only has one hand on its minimalist face. The design is intentional, of course, because it gives you just the right information you need when you want to know what time it is in another part of the world. With a quick look, you’ll be able to immediately tell the hour, and a closer inspection could even tell you which quarter of the hour it is.
Of course, this isn’t an ordinary clock that just tells your time, as its name plainly indicates. Without complicated screens or complex mechanisms, the World Clock can easily clue you in on another timezone with a single and simple action. Simply roll the clock on its side until the city of the timezone you want is pointing straight up (a.k.a. the 12 o’clock position) and watch the single hand stay in place, “converting” the current time to the correct timezone. Actually, you don’t have to literally roll the clock on a surface for it to work. The internal bearings ensure that the hand remains in the right position, no matter which side is pointing up. It’s a simple yet ingenious way of converting time without actually doing the math for it.
Each of the 12 sides of the clock has markings for a city that represents a particular timezone, starting with London at UTC+0. Admittedly, you’ll have to remember places with their respective time zones, but putting a name to that time zone is a lot more familiar than memorizing numbers. Unfortunately, if the place you’re interested in falls outside of these 12, you might find yourself still doing some mental math in the end.
The World Clock’s simplicity applies to both its function as well as its design. It uses a simple movement mechanism no different from wall clocks, except for the addition of that bearing that keeps the hand in place when rotating the clock. The clock also has a certain charm familiar to lovers of minimalist designs, allowing it to blend in with its surroundings in a subtle yet pleasant way. More importantly, the manual method of turning the clock to check different timezones gives it a more intentional and personal aspect, creating a stronger connection between the act of checking the time and thinking about the loved one living in that timezone.
We live in a time of small apartments and large social circles. Although it isn’t possible to have furniture to entertain a group of 10, the folks at Transforming Table are using clever design tricks and engineering to build the most clever table of all time. Now in its fourth design iteration, the Transformer Table makes a pretty bold claim – it can go from an 18-inch console table to a 10-foot table long enough to feed a party of twelve people. The table’s unique expanding design is so mesmerizing to look at, it still holds the title of the most-viewed product video on Instagram with 131 million views and counting. The fourth iteration now comes with 6 new solid wood finishes to choose from, and with the same expanding framework underneath.
Designer: Transformer Table
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It takes a lot to be able to claim you’ve made the ‘best table in the world’, but with design awards, the highest view-count on Instagram, and the reigning title of being the highest-funded furniture campaign on Kickstarter, the Transformer Table certainly has receipts! Designed for small apartments, the table uses a telescopic sliding mechanism to expand nearly 7x in size, going from an 18-inch console table to a banquet table for up to 12 guests. The table is also accompanied by a self-storing bench that expands in size too, fitting an entire group of people without you needing to buy and stash folding chairs all over your apartment. The table can also support up to 750 pounds, allowing you to lay out an entire Thanksgiving feast on it for friends and family.
With One Panel in Scandinavian Oak
With Two Panels in American Walnut
With 3 Panels in Smoked Hickory
With 4 Panels in Canadian Birch
With 5 Panels in Brazilian Sequoia
Now in its version 4.0, the Transformer Table boasts of 6 new wood finishes inspired by the colors and textures of nature: Scandinavian Oak, American Walnut, Brazilian Sequoia, Canadian Birch, Smoked Hickory, and Aged Elm. The wood is designed to be liquid, heat, and scratch-resistant, and is reinforced by the table’s steel telescopic mechanism which comes with its own lifetime warranty. To expand the table, simply pull its two halves apart and the table expands, revealing the telescopic rails underneath. The table legs on the left and the right are further aided by a set of middle legs that help support the weight of the items kept on the table. After the table is extended by pulling its sides apart, wooden planks are added on top to create a long surface. When the table’s closed, however, the wooden planks can be stacked on top of each other into a separate coffee table, giving you an extra piece of furniture.
Transformer Bench When Closed
Transformer Bench with 5 Panels
The Transformer Table is also accompanied by an expanding Transformer Bench that has its wooden panels stored inside its hollow center. The bench’s height allows it to fit under the table too, making the arrangement utilitarian yet incredibly compact.
The Transformer Table made its debut in 2016, taking the world by storm with its clever expanding design. Seven years and more than 70,000 sold units later, the folks behind the transforming furniture are just getting started. The tables are perfect for people in large cities and small apartments, giving you the option of expanding and accommodating for the occasional set of guests, while still maintaining a compact framework. The new wood finishes are gorgeous, and are designed to last for years, making the table perfect for your first matchbox apartment as well as the 3BHK home you end up buying after a couple of years. The Transformer Table 4.0 ships for free to 35+ countries, and you can grab yours now (along with the Transformer Bench) right before the holiday season.
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Call it an occupational hazard, but I’ve probably seen over a thousand EDC knives through my 8-year career as a design writer and I’ve probably forgotten a bunch of them. There are a few handful of designs, however, that stand out in my memory for having either a unique design, a clever detail, immense functionality, or using a particular set of materials. The Thunder utility knife ticks most of those boxes.
With a name like “The Thunder”, you’ve got to take this knife seriously, right? Designed to be compact, easy to deploy, and ridiculously effective, the Thunder knife finds its purpose in being a tactical-ready knife that’s just perfect for everything you’d need a knife for. Whether you’re cutting through zip-tie handcuffs, whittling wood for a fireplace, or even opening a box you received in the mail, the Thunder knife serves as an ideal companion. The knife relies on a sharp, replaceable CKB-2 utility blade, and comes with a Grade-5 Titanium handle with Carbon Fiber inlays and an incredibly enjoyable one-hand deployment mechanism. In short, the knife’s handle will last multiple lifetimes, and the replaceable blade lets you always have a dangerously sharp utility knife at all times without all the maintenance most knives require.
The Thunder is an extraordinary flipper for a whole variety of reasons. It’s robust, reliable, and has a ravishing personality. The handle, blade holder, and pocket clip all come machined from solid Grade-5 Titanium (the same kind used in the new iPhone 15 Pro phones), while carbon fiber inlays within the handle give the Thunder its dynamic, edgy appearance. There isn’t enough carbon fiber to materially reduce the weight of the Thunder or add to its ruggedness, but let’s not forget that Titanium is the strongest metal in the world, and it’s also significantly lighter than stainless steel, making the Thunder weigh a mere 3.17 ounces (90 grams) despite its full-size design.
The Thunder’s clever design allows for a number of different deployment styles – all of which are just as rapid and effective. A fin on the top of the knife (when closed) lets you trigger the blade open with your index finger, or alternatively, a thumb stud lets you use your thumb to flick the blade open. Both methods work equally well, allowing you to deploy your knife blade with a single hand, while a liner lock snaps the blade in place so it doesn’t accidentally shut while you’re cutting something. Disengaging the liner lock can be done with a single hand or both hands, and the blade can then be docked back within its handle for another day.
Rather than having its own blade, the Thunder relies on a standard CKB-2 utility blade that you can easily insert into the knife’s holder. Counter-sunk screws hold the knife’s various parts together, and the entire body can be disassembled every time you want to replace an old blade with a new one. If that sounds cumbersome, it’s guaranteed to be faster than sitting and sharpening your blade, and actually results in less waste since you just need to swap out the blade itself rather than throwing the entire knife away. The detachable blade design also makes the Thunder TSA-friendly, allowing you to simply ditch the blade (or pack it separately) and travel with just the handle in your carry-on luggage or on your person.
The CKB-2 blade is an absolute monster, working phenomenally well with its scalpel-style design and long edge to get you out of sticky situations. The tactical blade works well in emergency situations but serves remarkably in regular outdoor and indoor use too. Use it to cut wood, slice and dice food, open boxes, or even envelopes. Manufactured by Olfa, the blades come made from high-quality stainless steel, and are known for their edge retention, corrosion resistance, and versatility, making them a popular choice among outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, and survivalists.
The Thunder measures 4.48 inches long when closed, opening to a 6.8-inch knife that’s easy to grip thanks to that full-size ergonomic ambidextrous handle. It even comes with an ambidextrous deep pocket clip that you can attach on either side, or remove entirely too. A lanyard hole on the extreme end lets you string a cord or pass a keyring/carabiner through the Thunder, making it easy to carry around. The knife also sports 4 tritium slots (two in the handle, two in the blade holder) that let you mount glowing tritium sticks into it so that it’s easier to spot in the dark.
The Thunder Utility Knife starts at a respectable $149 (that’s 25% off its 199 MSRP), which is a steal considering its GR5 Titanium + Carbon Fiber make. For an extra $15, however, you can either get a custom engraving on the knife’s body, or have it PVD-coated matte black to make it look even more stealthy and deadly. The Thunder comes with one CKB-2 blade included, and for $25 the makers will ship you two spare blades. Deliveries for the Thunder begin as early as November 2023, with free global shipping.
The allure of a delicious meal, artistically presented on a plate, is undeniable. While the endgame for all food is digestion, its initial presentation shouldn’t be overlooked. Professional chefs meticulously craft their plate presentations, but home cooks might not always share that flair. Some might even want to skip the transfer from pan to plate entirely. Enter the Frying Plate: a marvel of design fusing an iron frying pan with a plate, embodying the essence of Japanese minimalism.
At first, the idea might seem unusual. Why eat directly from a frying pan? But don’t mistake Frying Plate for the typical, cumbersome pans we’re used to. Frying Plate is distinctive. Think of it as a cooking plate or a plate with a detachable handle. It offers a fresh perspective on the fusion of cooking and dining.
Central to Frying Plate’s appeal is its uncoated, robust iron base. This material allows for slow cooking on low heat, preserving the natural juices and ensuring the ingredients retain their crispness. Without the need to transfer food, you’re guaranteed a warm meal every time.
A common reservation might be the obstructive handle typical of frying pans. Frying Plate, however, has brilliantly countered this with a patent-pending sliding mechanism. This innovation lets you effortlessly attach or detach the wooden handle. It securely latches onto the plate’s rim, ensuring stability when lifting, without ever coming into contact with the food.
Fresh out of the packaging, the Frying Plate is ready to use. It’s unseasoned, stick-resistant, and a breeze to clean – no detergent required. Its minimalist dark iron surface accentuates the vibrancy of the food, turning every meal into an aesthetic delight. With Frying Plate, the line between cooking and dining blurs, offering a unified culinary experience.
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While we’re taught that trees and forests are responsible for the bulk of the oxygen we breathe, nearly 30% of atmospheric oxygen comes from the humble moss – a small, non-vascular plant found in damp or shady environments. Dubbed as nature’s greatest asset, moss is tiny yet incredibly effective at cleansing the air of toxins, increasing the air’s oxygen concentration, eliminating dust particles, and generating negative ions that are beneficial for human health. Dismissed as that green ‘gunk’ growing on tree barks and along parts of sidewalks, moss deserves much more credit than it gets… and now nature’s own air purifier finds itself in our homes thanks to Moss Air – a tabletop terrarium that uses living moss to purify the air we breathe, while also humidifying it.
Moss Air combines nature and technology into a small tabletop purifier that’s as visually charming as it’s innovative. The front facade of the purifier features a living moss wall that constantly cleanses the air you breathe by trapping toxins, enriching it with oxygen, and eliminating dust and organic compounds. Behind this ‘living wall’ is the Moss Air’s water chamber, which feeds its humidifier. The humidifier turns the air into a delicate mist that interacts with the moss wall, creating a natural hourglass that’s just a pleasure to watch. Humidified air makes its way out of the top of the Moss Air, thanks to an outlet that you can either keep open, or close if you don’t want to run the humidifier function.
Moss, Green Lung of the Earth – Found in deep forests and greenery across the globe, this interesting plant has over 12,000 species and is known for its incredible capabilities.
Moss Air’s moss panel filters out fine dust and converts carbon dioxide into oxygen, providing a fresher and greener living environment.
Why Moss? It removes fine dust particles and has an incredible capacity to convert CO2 into oxygen much more efficiently than most types of trees.
Unlike most air purifiers that use HEPA filters, activated charcoal blocks, and UV chambers, the Moss Air taps into the most effective air purifier there is – nature. Moss Air’s moss filter is actually made up of living plants that are capable of surviving without being watered for months (so you don’t need to worry about having a green thumb). Quite like having a plant that you really don’t need to care about, the moss sustains itself, similar to a terrarium that can stay active without human intervention. Aside from being incredibly resilient, moss also does a much better job of oxygen production than most plants hundreds of times its size. Responsible for 30% of the world’s oxygen, you require only a small amount of moss to reduce atmospheric CO2 than actual trees. In fact, a 307 square meter patch of moss can remove an entire ton of atmospheric CO2 per year, as opposed to 3144 square meters of oak trees. Even though the Moss Air contains just a small patch of the plant, it’s enough to boost your living room’s oxygen levels, reduce the CO2 from ‘stale air’, trap dust, neutralize chemicals and VOCs, and release negative ions that help our body the way a walk in the park does. Moreover, the moss lends a certain ‘forest-y’ smell to your living space, bringing the outdoors to you.
The panel of moss sits encased within a rather alluring zen-worthy chamber. Equipped with an LED backlight that gives the entire tabletop purifier a wonderful ambient character, the Moss Air provides joy on a multi-sensorial level. It’s beautiful to look at, imparts a wonderful smell, and has your skin feeling great thanks to the humidifier built into the device.
The magnetic ball at the top of Moss Air acts as a mechanism for mode switching. Simply roll the magnetic ball across the top of the device to open and close the humidifier hole.
Humidifier Mode – Ball in rest position.
Terrarium Mode – Ball covering humidity opening.
The Moss Air can be used in two modes – a Terrarium Mode and a Humidifier Mode. A magnetized ball-bearing on top lets you switch between modes, providing an interactive element that adds to the product’s ‘joy quotient’. In Terrarium Mode, the metal ball blocks the Moss Air’s humidifier outlet, allowing the purifier to generate mist within itself. The mist helps enrich and hydrate the moss, keeping it alive and healthy. Flip the ball over and the Moss Air enters Humidifier Mode, and the mist emanates into your room, humidifying your air and preventing your skin and hair from feeling dry. The humidified air also has added benefits, like helping alleviate allergies and respiratory problems, fighting germs, easing sinus problems, and even reducing snoring caused by a dry throat.
Maintenance is a ‘breeze’ with the Moss Air. In Terrarium Mode, the misted ‘breeze’ created within the inner chamber keeps the moss alive without any external effort. If you’ve kept your Moss Air device turned off for too long, all you need to do is either switch it on or spritz the moss with a spray bottle filled with water. The moss can survive half a year without being watered, and when introduced to water, it comes back to life. The folks at Mosslab claim that a healthy moss panel can survive for up to 30 years, outliving pretty much any other house plant you might have with 1% of the effort!
The Moss Filter panel is super simple to change if needed. Simply press the two side tabs in, pop out, and press the new one in place until it clicks.
Each Moss Air also comes with a 400ml water chamber at the back, which can easily be refilled by simply running under a tap. The water in the chamber lasts for up to 10 hours, and a paper filter helps purify the water before it’s converted into vapor. Depending on the quality of your tap water, the paper filter can need replacing every 3-6 months, once you see signs of browning on the white paper. The moss panel itself can be replaced too, simply by plugging it out and swapping a new moss panel in. A built-in battery allows the Moss Air to run for 8 hours on a full charge, and a USB-C port lets you use your regular smartphone/gadget charger to recharge the Moss Air’s battery.
With up to 8 hours of battery life, Moss Air can be moved around the home with you.
Bring Nature with Moss
The Moss Air pretty much ticks all the boxes. It combines terra and technology wonderfully, giving you a tabletop appliance that’s compact, functional, easy to maintain, and gorgeous to look at. The moss looks almost like a forest observed from the top, with the plant’s tiny stems looking like individual coniferous trees. The LED mood light just brings an added appeal to it, allowing you to admire it even at night, and when used in the terrarium mode, the humid mist looks like the morning fog that envelops the forest every day as the sun rises! Aside from humidifying and purifying the air we breathe, the Moss Air also purifies on an emotional level by bringing us close to nature. Its zen design has an incredibly calming effect, making it much more enriching and endearing than any humidifier you’ve ever seen. Starting at just $79, the Moss Air is a perfect addition to your work table, kitchen counter, mantelpiece, or even your bookshelf, making for the most gorgeous book-end ever!