Would you buy a hammock for your head?

By Trevor Mogg Published August 23, 2016

Until some genius mind manages to nail teleportation, we’re just going to have to deal the best we can with the discomforts of long-distance travel.

Catching some z’s in a car or an airplane is for most people about as easy as catching a baseball with butter-slathered hands. It just ain’t gonna happen.

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Aware that the main challenge with sleeping while sitting is getting comfortable, a Kentucky-based startup has designed the NodPod. Think of it as a hammock for your head.

This simple but possibly effective creation has already blasted through its $20,000 Kickstarter goal and at the time of writing has backing to the tune of $215,000.

Comprising a small slab of super-comfortable memory foam and a couple of strategically positioned cords, the NodPod keeps your head in position no matter what kind of seat you’re sitting in. “That way you won’t wake up with a kink in your neck, or with a bit of awkwardness from sleeping on the person seated next to you,” the company says in NodPod’s promo video.

Nodpod — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The simple-to-use NodPod works with all kinds of seats, including “plane seats, car seats, train seats, and even desk chairs,” though until you find a way of snoozing with your eyes open, it may be hard to convince your boss that you’re actually working and the NodPod is merely helping your “dodgy neck problem.”

The cords fit around the back of any seat, allowing you to position the NodPod comfortably around your chin. It may look a bit daft, but if it means arriving at your destination feeling refreshed, that daftness will be well worth it. Actually, you might want to sling on an eye-mask too in case some devious snapper grabs a shot and sticks it on social media.

Importantly, the NodPod’s cords have been designed in such a way so that on planes they won’t obstruct the seat-back screen behind, which is good because an angry passenger guarantees a sleepless journey for everyone close by.

The cheapest early-bird NodPods have already gone, but there are others available for $32 with an estimated delivery date of November 2016. You can find out more on the NodPod’s Kickstarter page here.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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