This article is part of our Design special section about new design solutions for healthy living.
Products for enhanced comfort tend to fall into two camps. Some are designed for a particular market, like a cane that assists people with mobility challenges. Others are directed toward a wider world of users, like a backpack that provides greater stability and ease of access to someone walking with crutches or riding a bicycle. In the best cases, “emotional satisfaction doesn’t come from the object itself,” said Claudia Poh, a designer of the body-hugging Wishbone bag, which offers these benefits. “It comes from what the object unlocks in a person’s life.”
Rise and Shine
“The best chair is a bed,” said Sergio Silva, the vice president of design and innovation at the furniture company Humanscale, quoting the pioneering ergonomic seating designer Niels Diffrient. “Basically, you’re removing the load on your vertebrae and relaxing your spine,” Mr. Silva explained. But because working from a bed all day is usually not an option, Humanscale has developed the Diffrient Lounge chair, which counters the forces of gravity with an adjustable headrest that supports the head and a backrest that maintains the natural curve of the spine. The lounge will be available in fall, along with a work surface and ottoman that will be sold separately. From $8,995 at humanscale.com.
Here Comes the Sun
According to Echo Zhan, the co-founder and director of innovation at Kadns, in Boston, her company’s Horizon illuminated wall sculptures are more soothing than cat videos. The sensation of natural light is created with white LEDs that move like the sun across the sconce, as dichroic film changes tones from bluish purple to warm yellow and back again. The Horizon lamps start at $449; kadns.co.
Some Like It Hot
Research shows that immersing oneself in hot water up to the shoulders before bed can encourage drowsiness. Sasha Bikoff, an interior designer, approves of the Raksha hammered copper soaking tub in the Japanese style and advises placing it next to anything earthy or green to counterbalance the metal’s industrial rawness. The tub is 48 inches in diameter; prices start at $4,489; signaturehardware.com.
Here’s a Tip, and Another
The aluminum Streamline cane from Michael Graves Design comes with two kinds of tips: one that is slim, for versatility, and another that is X shaped, providing more stability for the user and allowing the cane to stand upright on its own. Both tips are easy to remove, exchange and replace, and come in a variety of colors that coordinate with clothing and shoes. The handle’s shallow curve is comfortable to grip and allows the cane to rest on kitchen countertops or bathroom vanities. The price is $49.99 (with extra tips available for $9.99 each); michaelgravesdesign.com.
A Fresh Breeze, Courtesy of Artificial Intelligence
The AirPursue PM20 air purifier from Dreame not only vacuums up dust and pollen and breaks down volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde, but its A.I.-optimized software locates the occupants of a room and sends streams of purified air in their direction. “Users can enjoy a fresh, gentle breeze all the time,” said Diing Shenq Yiauw, the director of research and development at Dreame Tech in Johor, Malaysia. $699.99 on sale, dreametech.com
Dose of Joy
For a quarter century, the nonprofit RxArt has worked with contemporary artists like Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Ann Craven to brighten pediatric hospitals throughout the United States. On Oct. 8, Monacelli, an imprint of Phaidon, will release “RxART: The Artists and Projects Transforming Health Care Spaces,” which includes 50 examples. The price is $74.95; phaidon.com.
Clean, Bright and Quiet
Claire McGovern, the founder of Rhyme Studio, which makes carpets from Irish wool, is climbing the walls. Her Lanalux: Equality acoustic wall panels, produced by Vibe by Vision, dampen noise and light up a room with their integrated circadian LED lighting. Composed of textile-wrapped compressed fleece, they also help clear the air of impurities, thanks to the material’s natural filtering properties. An equilateral-triangular panel that is 4 feet on each side and 3 inches thick is $7,500; rhymestudio.com.
Getting Cozy
The faux-leather Wishbone bag from Werable is equipped with two straps, one looping diagonally around the torso and the other wrapping under an arm, letting the contoured backpack stay in place without hula hooping around the body. A magnetic buckle allows it to be snapped open with just the thumb and index finger of either hand. “My take is that it should be considered performance wear,” said its co-designer Claudia Poh. Available for $150 at werable.co.
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