Ostrichpillow, the maker of feel-good sleep products including striking pillows that became bestselling pop culture sensations, is expanding its footprint this Fall with a focus on Self-Care. To debut its new product Heatbag, a huggable, warm companion, Ostrichpillow will be returning to its roots with an exclusive launch on Kickstarter.
Hot water bottles and electric heating pads were not optimizing heat release. Ostrichpillow also felt there was a lack of high quality, waterless and well design warm companions. The brand observed that these products wasted water, were faulty due to rubber damage and could often cause burn injuries. Ostrichpillow hopes to solve this with an easy, safe, high quality and beautiful product.
Heatbag is a softly rounded, huggable warm companion with an outer double layer of recycled foam covered in soft jersey fabric. The outer layer is washable. The inner core is made of natural clay (so you don’t need water to use it) and lined with smooth, durable nylon. The clay bag is FDA/CE approved and conforms with relevant product legislation.
Heatbag is versatile as it can be used hot or cold. To use hot, place the clay in the microwave and heat to maximum power for 35-45 seconds. Once the bag of clay is at the desired temperature, place inside cover, close zipper and place on the area to be treated. To use cold, put the bag of clay in the freezer for at least one hour. Take out of freezer, place in cover, close zipper and place on the area to be treated.
“We were looking to create a soft and rounded product to be your warm companion,” says Ostrichpillow CEO & Co-Founder, Pablo Carrascal. “Some key aspects were totally mandatory: beautiful, huggable, long-lasting heat, washable, easy, and safe to use, and smart. We identified the market was missing a complete product with all of that.”
Ostrichpillow chose natural clay because of its origin, and also after the heating testing, as it offers a long-lasting heat effect. It also helps reduce water waste and avoid one of the main problems of regular hot water bottles: the faulty products due to rubber damage and injuries caused by burning.
Carrasacal notes that the design team wanted Heatbag to be a companion rather than just a performance/medical product: “The rounded shape and extreme softness creates an emotional, warm product to be there with you whenever you need it. We observed how people hug our products, and when doing some research about it, we discovered that by hugging and receiving hugs we generate dopamine, which helps us relieve stress and tension. So we worked around the shape and size to create an object that will adapt to the body.”
The double-layered recycled foam in the outer layer focuses the heat release to the targeted spot. “When we started thinking about the sustainability of the product, we realized that standard hot water bags are identical on both sides, so the side that is not in contact with your body loses a lot of temperature. We created two clearly identified sides: the one towards your body has a thin layer enough to prevent you from being burned by heat or cold, the external face is insulated with a double layer, preventing temperature loss, and with it, a warm experience much more durable, efficient, and natural, as it is released during a longer period of time.”
Carrsacal sees Heatbag used in different situations, especially for those seeking comfort in uncertain times. “When warm, it can be used as a huggable companion that provides a feeling of security at home, whether watching a movie or just working and you need an extra warm boost. It can also be an object you take to bed to keep you warm and comfortable or to relieve pain. Both hot and cold modes can be used to relieve various types of muscle and joint pain.”
Nearly 8 years ago, the brand debuted its first product, Ostrichpillow Original, a revolutionary nap pillow, with a successfully funded campaign on Kickstarter. Other bestselling products launched in the years to follow: Light (a travel pillow), Mini (a desk and travel pillow), Go (a premium travel pillow), Loop (eye pillow) and Hood (a standalone accessory). Ostrichpillow will be returning to Kickstarter on September 10th with a 21 day campaign for Heatbag, the first of the brand’s Self-Care products to debut this fall.
Pablo Carrasacal says: “For us, Kickstarter is always a place to connect with a community of people interested in innovation and smart solutions. Our brand’s campaign with Original, our first product, was met with overwhelming success on Kickstarter and we thought to announce our brand’s new focus on Self-Care, it would make a lot of sense to officially launch our very first Self-Care product there.”
Heatbag will be available in Midnight Grey- a combination of hallmark colors- light and dark grey on either side and will retail for $59.99. Special pricing during the campaign will include $35.90 for Early Bird, $45 for Kickstarter Standard, $79 for a Double Pack and $109 for a Triple Pack.