Kaisr and Lamzac Air Sofas
Have you seen these things yet? The generic term is air sofa and there are many brands vying for market share with similar products — Kaisr, Lamzac, Laybag, Laysack are just a few. The design is so simple and so smart it's no wonder the market is crowded. The one shown above is the Kaisr and first came to my attention in the winter when links to the Indiegogo campaign began popping up. This version was "invented" (in quotes because the jury is still out on who actually invented this concept, more on that later), in the Netherlands and tapped into Indiegogo funds to get its first production run completed.
I loved it right away. It's perfect in many ways for chillin' (and napping) on the beach in Prince Edward Island. I'd also love two to bring with us when we visit Bon Echo provincial park in Ontario. Lugging lounge chairs to and fro is a pain in more ways than one, but so is lying on a towel on the ground or the beach #oldcreakybones. Here's a helpful vid to explain how they work:
I have my beefs with the Kaisr - that giant logo for one. It's emblazoned on the carrying bag and on the item itself. UGH. Can we not take that down a notch or six fellas? But there is a lot the Kaisr gets right and that's why I have to go with it as the better version.
This colour is by far the best of what's available. Plus the Kaisr includes a bottle opener, pockets for a drink, reading material and digital device, as well as a loop that can be used to stake it down. That last feature is key for Prince Edward Island. The beach breezes would blow one of these babies half way to Newfoundland in a flash if it wasn't tied down.
But here's the funny thing. Somehow Fatboy (another Dutch company and a name you may recognize for bean bags) just won a law suit that has declared Kaisr as infringing on the copyright of its version called the Lamzac. The Lamzac does not have any loop for trying down, or pockets, or a bottle opener and it comes only in these ridiculous Skittles colours above. Fine, the red and black are OK, but the black one would get so hot out in the sun and the red is just so IN YO FACE. I cannot engage in discussion about the other colours AT ALL :::raises fist is frustration over terrible colours:::: In my books the Lamzac is clearly inferior. And yet, somehow it won. The court decision prevents Kaisr only from selling in the EU. Not sure if they will stay in business selling to other parts of the world. Meanwhile, I feel compelled to weigh in with a revamp of the colours on offer. Here's The Design Edit palette:
And while I'm at it improving on the design, for the love of Pete, can someone also please make this happen: