The 22 best designed products of the year
A French design duo invented the ZEF Climatic Table table, which can regulate the temperature of your apartment without electricity.
The Oculus Rift is one of the most immersive virtual reality headsets we've seen yet. When the headset and headphones are on, everything you see feels unbelievably real.
Thinx is "period" underwear containing a cloth that can absorb blood from a woman’s menstrual cycle. It's moisture wicking, leak resistant, and fends off bacteria.
Ikea and Swedish design studio Veryday Design created the Sladda, a bicycle for urban living with a maintenance-free drive belt and lightweight aluminum frame for lugging up stairs.
This fruit-picking robot built by development firm Cambridge Consultants could revolutionize farming by knowing when fruit is ready to be picked.
According to Reuters, it uses complex sensor and suction technology that helps it pick and sort everything from apples to bananas without damaging them.
This is The Edge desk. It has a sleek design that allows it to fold down flat so it can be stored almost anywhere. The inventors claims it even encourages better posture and eases lower back pain.
Mobility Designed created this ergonomic crutch to relieve pain on hands, wrists, and armpits.
The weight is shifted to the elbows, while the bottom of the crutches absorb shock. There are also specially-designed hinges in the arm holders that allow users to reach for things while still secured to the crutches. Learn more about this ergonomic crutch here.
The My Critter Catcher snaps up bugs with its bristled head and then releases the unharmed insects them into the wild.
A father in Ireland invented it for his son, who was scared of spiders. You can learn more about My Critter Catcher here.
These wireless "Here Buds" may revolutionize the way we hear the world. The earbuds theoretically let you turn the bass up during a concert, or mute the sound of a baby crying on an airplane.
Using the app, people can manipulate the high or low frequencies of their surroundings. Learn more about Doppler Labs's Here Buds here.
Hatch Baby created a "smart" electronic changing bed that can be linked to a smartphone app, allowing parents to keep track of a child's weight, length, and frequency of diaper changes.
The founders of Hatch Baby were recently on Shark Tank for their product. Learn more here.
Bios Urn is rethinking the way we bury our dead with a way to grow trees from cremated human remains. The company hopes to one day replace cemeteries with forests.
The biodegradable urn is place in an incubator that controls how much water and nutrients it gets. When the tree is old enough, you can plant it wherever you want. You can learn more about the Bios Urn here.
Kohler's Prolific Sink integrates a bamboo cutting board, colander, grated racks, and wash bin inside a standard stainless steel tub. The sink also features a cone-shaped drain for more efficient cleanup.
The da Vinci Xi Surgical System is poised to revolutionize minimally invasive surgery with cutting-edge robotics. Seated comfortably, a surgeon can manipulate the machine's arms to make delicate and accurate cuts with real-time feedback.
Monstas are interactive toys for kids with juvenile arthritis. Used in tandem with an iPad app, kids can use a variety of Monstas to strengthen their fingers, wrists, and knuckles.
August Smart Lock replaces or supplements your traditional keyed entry with a smartphone app that can extend guest access, log visits, and keep your home safe from anywhere. The packaging also looks like a door, IDSA says, "providing users a seamless product experience from the moment of purchase."
IKO Prosthetic Creative Systems reimagines prosthetic limbs for kids with detachable end pieces. Student creator Carlos Arturo Torres says working in LEGO's Future Lab inspired him to bring some modular fun to an otherwise disabling reality.
Synchrony is a touch-based platform designed for kids with autism and their parents to create harmonious music, regardless of skill level. Autistic children frequently suffer sensitivity to noise. Synchrony aims to make sound more enjoyable in a shared way.
Eton's Rugged Rukus music player uses solar power as its source of power and bluetooth to stream music. It comes built-in with durable sides and handle, making it ideal for camping and outdoor use.
GE's Micro Kitchen wants to help you live large in a small space. The compact refrigeration, cleaning, and microwave units save space and reduce the user's environmental footprint.
Edyn's Garden Sensor brings big data to gardening with real-time tracking of soil conditions, weather, and sunlight. It alerts users via a smartphone app to the state of their crops and can make recommendations about where to make changes.
This brush from Italian company DAFNI went viral for its ability to straighten curly hair in an instant. Slowly run the hot ceramic through hair and it gets rid of any waves or kinks.
XStat is a syringe-like device that can plug a life-threatening wound from a knife or gun shot by injecting it with a collection of tiny super-absorbent sponges.
The pocket-sized invention was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It’s been used for about a year and a half on the battlefield, but now may one day save your life at home.
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