6 Innovative Kickstarters You Need to Check Out

While not all Kickstarter projects are worth investing your hard-earned cash in, many offer thoughtful, useful designs and cutting-edge technology to make significant improvements to day-to-day living and travel life. Of course, finding those projects isn’t always easy. So we’ve rolled up our sleeves and dug into the search on your behalf. And we’ve unearthed 6 innovative Kickstarters that are definitely worth checking out…

Hygiene Hand

More than ever before, people are focused on the need to reduce the spread of germs and minimize contact with shared surfaces such as checkout screens, ATMs, and door handles. So StatGear have created the Hygiene Hand, a portable stylus and door opener that comes with a retractable carabiner. The Hygiene Hand was designed by a retired New York City paramedic and is constructed out of a solid piece of brass, a metal with antimicrobial properties that can help combat the spread of germs.

The tool can be used to press buttons, as a hook to open doors, and as a stylus for use on screens. Please note StatGear still recommends wiping down the Hygiene Hand after use and practising hand washing and social distancing to help combat the spread of coronavirus. However, this handy tool can help you take care of day-to-day tasks while minimizing your personal interaction with shared surfaces.

FocusBuds

A pair of earbuds that boost your productivity? Potential X have designed the FocusBuds to do just that, through the use of EEG Neurofeedback to aid you in focusing. The earbuds have embedded biosensors that monitor your brain activity. When you become distracted, the FocusBuds provide a gentle audio cue to help you refocus. The earbuds aim to help your brain enter flow state (a state of being deeply focused and immersed in a task and ignoring distractions, or more colloquially, being “in the zone”) more quickly and remain there for longer, thereby boosting your productivity.

The FocusBuds can track and analyze brain activity to find patterns in your habits, helping you to determine your personal peak times and most productive environments. Not to mention serving as wireless earbuds with noise isolation technology. Through operant conditioning, the FocusBuds aim to reinforce focusing behavior so that even when you’re not wearing them, your brain can focus faster and concentrate longer for increased productivity.

Circular Smart Ring

Wearable tech isn’t new. But its effectiveness and versatility can often leave a lot to be desired. The Circular Smart Ring was designed to improve on both fronts. The understated, comfortable design can be worn round the clock, while sleeping and awake. Paired with the Circular app, it offers a range of customized features such as a smart alarm clock, sleep analysis, activity tracking, and alerts. Rather than just providing raw data, the ring measures data day and night and provides personalized recommendations to improve overall wellness and optimize daily habits.

The smart controls allow you to switch off a ringing phone during a meeting or switch tunes during a run with a single touch. It discreetly alerts you when you receive a text, call or social notification. And through sleep analysis it can wake you up during the light sleep stage via silent vibrations.

The Circular Ring combines tech with style courtesy of changeable outer shells made from polished titanium. Simply switch them out to suit different environments. And its water-resistant, scratch-resistant design weighs just 4 grams. Sleek, discreet and multifunctional, it’s wearable tech with a distinctly personal touch.

MOFT Z

Many laptop stands are bulky and time-consuming to set up and pack away. But not the MOFT Z. Exceptionally quick to set up or fold down in seconds, the laptop stand allows you to effortlessly alternate between sitting and standing positions while using a laptop. It has one setup position for standing use and three position options for sitting use, letting you easily adapt to different settings and preferences.

The sturdy yet lightweight one-piece structure supports up to 22 lbs., but lays flat at a mere 0.5 inches, making it convenient to store when not in use or carry in a bag or briefcase. Plus it can be used on a table or your lap, making it easy to adjust to changing environments. There when you need it and out of the way when you don’t, it brings all the functionality of an adaptable sit/stand laptop desk without the hassle.

Beanque

There’s nothing like a good cup of coffee to start the day, get you energised during the commute, keep you focused at work, or to relax with round a fire after making camp. And the Beanque was designed to give you that cup wherever you are, with freshly ground beans at the touch of a button.

The portable, rechargeable 3-in-1 coffee maker grinds and brews coffee while also serving as a travel mug. So you can enjoy fresh ground coffee whenever and wherever the cravings kick in. The inbuilt grinder works with a single touch and automatically stops once the beans are ground. It stores up to 50g of coffee beans and easily adjusts to provide finer or coarser grinds depending on your preferences.

The Beanque can be used at your desk, on road trips, during outdoor adventures and more. So that on-the-go, portable beans-to-cup dream really can become reality.

Gravel Bag System

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One bag solving all your travel carry needs? Not likely. But the Gravel Bag System gets clever with a three-in-one approach. The system features a 42L Carry-On Backpack, 2L Sling Bag and 11L Day Bag. Three bags that can be used independently or combined together for maximized load carrying.

The system is designed to tackle three common travel problems: blocking the plane aisle while storing a carry-on bag, hauling too much gear while exploring a destination, and having to put up with uncomfortable carry loads. The nifty dual-purpose Sling Bag takes care of the first problem, doubling as both a removable hip belt for the Carry-On Backpack and a standalone sling. Simply detach the hip belt from the backpack and sling the pack up in overhead storage, while keeping the hip belt on your person so you can take your seat with in-flight essentials at the ready.

The second problem is solved by looking to the Day Bag and Sling Bag to carry day-to-day gear at your destination. This allows you to stash the majority of your belongings at your accommodation in the Carry-On Backpack, while exploring more freely with just the essentials in the Day Bag or Sling Bag. And the third problem? Gravel takes inspiration from backpacking backpacks to address this. The Carry-On Backpack features a removable back plate and a metal rod for weight distribution, comfy padding and hovering mesh for improved ventilation, plus vertically adjustable shoulder straps to suit a variety of users.