How do I thwart gravity?

Drez · June 2020

So a random ad came my way for something called a Moon Pod which led to some googlin' which led to a bunch of stuff about the Moon Pod people being scammers and also a bunch of additional googlin' on "anti-gravity chairs" which is, I guess, what a Moon Pod essentially is.

I'm intrigued and I would love something comfy other than my bed to watch movies or play Switch from. I have an air bed so I can't really "sit up" comfortably in it.

Any recommendations along those lines?

Enc · June 2020

Any recliner?

ceres · June 2020

Hammock chairs!

see317 · June 2020

Might check out a papasan chair. They're pretty comfy for TV/movie watching.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papasan_chair

zepherin · June 2020

I just got a La-Z Boy and it is the best chair I’ve ever owned. I may have fallen asleep working from home.

That being said Wayfair is a good place to buy furniture that is cheaper than furniture stores.

mts · June 2020

I saw a cool portable folding hammock , it's like the mock one or something

Drez · June 2020

Thanks y’all. Some thinks to thing about.

Drez · June 2020

I'm fairly intrigued by the anti-gravity bean bag-type idea, like the aforementioned Moon Pod. I know there are other non-Moon Pod bean bag chairs in the same vein or purport the same zero gravity concept - anyone have any experience with those specifically while I look through some of the suggestions made here?

I have to look up the hammocks too - any recommended sites for that, other than Amazon?

Drez · June 2020

Enc wrote: »

Any recliner?

Nah, there's a specific "zero gravity" concept/technology I'm referring to, unless you're saying that is just marketing speak and that any recliner will do.

But regardless, I don't have the space for an another actual "chair" chair in my bedroom which is why I like the idea of something lower to the ground that I can shove out of the way when I want to but also doesn't take a lot of mid-height space in my room - something I won't really "see" when I gaze around my bedroom.

Enc · June 2020

There is some science behind getting your body balanced in a way that makes your weight evenly distributed, pretty much any recliner will do that though.

Drez · June 2020

Mmm, I see. Thanks.

Drez · June 2020

So I remember now the name of the competitor to the Moon Pod.

Moon Pod: https://www.moonpod.co/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0Mb3BRCaARIsAPSNGpUSuJeTqnuHJRzKesIs78qbLRR01CmrxoVDb9x_GfkX04cfmPq-dbAaApk3EALw_wcB

Yogibo: https://yogibo.com/products/yogibo-max?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0Mb3BRCaARIsAPSNGpUb6B0tKsobU342fLRluLuXDxGb78dPSrIlr0T5C6n-3cJnWOXC8pEaAiEjEALw_wcB

Any thoughts on those?

Apparently there was some kind of rivalry and some accusations. I've seen that a number of people questioned the Moon Pod kickstarter and have questioned the quality of the Moon Pod (stitching, etc.) but there's been so much stuff on this that I don't know who or what to believe from any side of this discussion.

I'm very intrigued by both.

Also intrigued by the Papasan chair; need to look into that more, too.

Calica · June 2020

I have a Moon Pod. The difference between it and a traditional beanbag is the density of the fill. The pellets are smaller, and there's much less slack - the whole bag is flexible enough to bend and morph, but if you pick it up by a fistful of fabric, the pellets still fill the entire bag. The case is also more elastic than a traditional beanbag, presumably to keep the fill condensed while remaining flexible. The stretchy nature of both the case and the washable shell means they're more fragile than most beanbags, so you need to be a little more careful not to puncture or tear it.

The "anti-gravity" marketing point refers to two things: one, you can, in theory, bend the bag into a right angle or a more open angle for a chair with back support for sitting or lounging, and it will hold its shape. This works suprisingly well in practice. The thing is that your weight is what preserves the tension of the bag and therefore the shape, so if you sit for a long time, small motions will gradually allow the pellets to shift out from under you into the half of the bag that isn't on the floor, and you'll have to get up and readjust - which isn't a bad thing, imho, because it forces you to move every so often.

The second "anti-gravity" aspect is the claim that if you lay the bag out flat (it's sausage-shaped) and lie down on it, the fill will conform to your body shape, supporting you as if you were weightless. I've had mixed results with this. For one thing, again, it's your weight compressing the bag that makes it hold its shape, so it matters very much how you lie down. You can sort of wiggle around a bit to adjust, but I find that it takes a couple of tries to get comfortable. The other thing is that the bag isn't long enough to support your entire body and legs, so if you intend to nap on it you'll want additional support for your feet. (Moon Pod also sells a Lunar Lift ottoman for exactly this. I don't have one, so I can't comment.) Lying (as in, fully horizontal) on the Moon Pod while resting my feet on the floor accelerates the rate at which the fill migrates to the uppermost part of the bag. (For reference, I am 5'5".)

As far as actual comfort goes, I have used the Moon Pod as a chair while working on my laptop, and also just as something to sprawl in/on while reading, knitting, etc. It's... fine? Definitely comfy; not mind-blowing. Doesn't force my spine to curve the way a hammock or papasan does. Getting up from it can be a little awkward, but not much more so than a traditional beanbag (or a really plush couch). Unless you already have mobility issues you'll be fine.

Pros:

Comfortable; really does conform to your shape
Adjustable back support
Forces you to get up and adjust every so often (I consider this a pro; you may or may not)

Cons:

Stretchy shell is susceptible to punctures and tears if you're not careful.
If you want to lie down, you'll need something extra to put your feet on.
Price. This is the big one. I got mine through the Kickstarter, but I wouldn't pay $400 for it. If I wanted to replace it, I'd probably go with a Yogibo, which is basically the same thing for $150 less, with higher durability and more color choices.

Drez · June 2020

@Calica Thank you, I couldn’t have asked for a more thorough write up on this and you even answered my Yogibo vs. Moon Pod question. Thank you!

Calica · June 2020

Drez wrote: »

@Calica Thank you, I couldn’t have asked for a more thorough write up on this and you even answered my Yogibo vs. Moon Pod question. Thank you!

Note that I don't actually have a Yogibo; I'm going off their website.

Glad I could help, though!

Drez · June 2020

OK so I researched all the suggestions and for now I went with the Yogibo Max. Thanks, all.

Some of the suggestions I am going to store for later as I'll be making some other home adjustments. I may have a place in a different room for the hammock chair and also possibly the Papasan chair too.

Thanks all!

If you want to leave this open for now I'll try and report back after I get the Yogibo Max and try it out.

Also, there's a 20% discount at Yogibo right now which I didn't even see before so that definitely informed my decision somewhat.

edit: The La-Z-Boy looks cool too but unfortunately I don't think that'll go well with my interior at this time. But looks cool!

webguy20 · June 2020

Drez wrote: »

OK so I researched all the suggestions and for now I went with the Yogibo Max. Thanks, all.

Some of the suggestions I am going to store for later as I'll be making some other home adjustments. I may have a place in a different room for the hammock chair and also possibly the Papasan chair too.

Thanks all!

If you want to leave this open for now I'll try and report back after I get the Yogibo Max and try it out.

Also, there's a 20% discount at Yogibo right now which I didn't even see before so that definitely informed my decision somewhat.

edit: The La-Z-Boy looks cool too but unfortunately I don't think that'll go well with my interior at this time. But looks cool!

Yea please report back!

Gnizmo · June 2020

Drez wrote: »

Enc wrote: »

Any recliner?

Nah, there's a specific "zero gravity" concept/technology I'm referring to, unless you're saying that is just marketing speak and that any recliner will do.

But regardless, I don't have the space for an another actual "chair" chair in my bedroom which is why I like the idea of something lower to the ground that I can shove out of the way when I want to but also doesn't take a lot of mid-height space in my room - something I won't really "see" when I gaze around my bedroom.

So my back problems got me to go deep down the rabbit hole of zero gravity chairs and the like recently. The trick to it all has to do with keeping your feet elevated compared to your chest. I think they specify heart, but I think that's either marketing non-sense or a way to guestimate where you would want it. For what it's worth getting your legs up that high takes a tremendous amount of weight off of your lower back. Other than that it doesn't offer a ton to be honest. I know you have gotten to your decision already but I thought I would throw this out there in case you were curious about it still.

Drez · June 2020

Gnizmo wrote: »

Drez wrote: »

Enc wrote: »

Any recliner?

Nah, there's a specific "zero gravity" concept/technology I'm referring to, unless you're saying that is just marketing speak and that any recliner will do.

But regardless, I don't have the space for an another actual "chair" chair in my bedroom which is why I like the idea of something lower to the ground that I can shove out of the way when I want to but also doesn't take a lot of mid-height space in my room - something I won't really "see" when I gaze around my bedroom.

So my back problems got me to go deep down the rabbit hole of zero gravity chairs and the like recently. The trick to it all has to do with keeping your feet elevated compared to your chest. I think they specify heart, but I think that's either marketing non-sense or a way to guestimate where you would want it. For what it's worth getting your legs up that high takes a tremendous amount of weight off of your lower back. Other than that it doesn't offer a ton to be honest. I know you have gotten to your decision already but I thought I would throw this out there in case you were curious about it still.

Thanks for this.

Also I awesomed your post, but that's for the info not for your back problems.

Drez · June 2020

I'm really looking forward to thwarting gravity soon. According to Yogibo's site, my order is "fulfilled" since either yesterday or Tuesday but no tracking number. Oh well, I'll just be patient for now. I guess.

Drez · July 2020

BTW, my Yogibo Max is supposedly arriving on Monday.

Drez · July 2020

Oh my lord. It came and is amazing.

Drez · July 2020

It's really weird having this big black blob in my room now. Though I am considering making a separate Instagram account and chronicling my experiences with it: A 40 Year Old And His Blob.

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