How we designed ISIDOR?
If I say car cushion , I'm sure you think of the U-shaped cushion that can easily be found in train stations, airports or gas stations. But I'm sure you immediately think of a bad experience with this cushion that slides, sags and does not at all keep the promise of comfort that it seemed to make you. In fact, this cushion is a scam . 😡
It plays with your brain and, adopting a shape that seems ergonomic because it goes around the neck, it makes you think that it will be adapted and offer you the rest you dream of.
Unfortunately, the softness of the fabric, its elasticity and the fluidity of the polystyrene beads inside make it a sort of soft neck brace that provides you with support that is roughly comparable to quicksand.
In the car!
When we invented ISIDOR - the car pillow , we did it very differently. To start, we asked ourselves this simple question: “ How to sleep well in a car? ” You might say that this is not very original. And yet, this little sentence changes everything !
Why? Because it contains the word “car” . Exit the idea for us to invent a universal and magical cushion that would work in all means of transport (as the U-shaped cushion would have it). We were going to look for a specific solution , for a particular situation, the car. We were then offered a specific environment (a seat with a headrest, a door, a window) and a specific position (sitting position with the possibility depending on the seat of tilting it backwards).
Taking this environment into account changes everything and this was essential in creating ISIDOR.
One support is better than two, you will get it!
Our first intuition was to use the headrest as a fastening element. Our priority was to create a stable support for the head. While the U-cushion literally rests on your shoulders, we wanted a cushion that we could rest on . The two small bars located under the headrest are an ideal fastening element. With a strap and a carabiner for quick attachment, it is the perfect attachment point, located right behind the head. We had here a first strong element to design a cushion suitable for the car .
You're never better off than in bed.
Our second intuition was the shape of the cushion. While the U-shaped cushion tries in vain to support your head while it is much too soft , too padded behind the head and not enough on the sides, we imagined a cushion in the shape of a candy, large enough to accommodate your entire head when you tilt it towards the window. And that changes everything! The candy shape creates a hollow in which your head nestles while its end rests against the window . You can lean against it (which cannot fall), your head is wedged and you can sleep regardless of the vibrations or other jolts related to the journey.
Polystyrene is good for insulating your garage
Finally, the last step, we wanted to offer maximum comfort , which depended a lot on the materials. Exit synthetic fabrics and polystyrene balls! We absolutely wanted to find the comfort of the bed and our model was immediately that of the bedding. So we chose for the cushion lined cotton fabric and high-end pillow filling . A soft filling , which looks like snowflakes, made from plastic collected in waterways (that's always one less in the oceans - an ISIDOR contains the equivalent of 7 plastic bottles). For the strap, which allows it to be hung, we opted for a narrowed black judo belt (custom-woven by the French strap specialist since 1785). A guarantee of solidity and a belt color to match the cushion since ISIDOR received a gold medal at the Lépine Competition! 😂
As you will have understood, ISIDOR has nothing to do with a U-shaped cushion . It is a cushion specially designed for the car and it is precisely the fact of having imagined it in its environment that allowed us to create a cushion that offers much better comfort with a totally new and ergonomic design.
But beyond this invention, what we are most proud of is your feedback and nothing is more satisfying than receiving enthusiastic messages from users!
All that remains is to wish you a good trip.😀
