Two nap-loving UBC students designed a human-sized dog bed (PHOTOS)

Apr 17 2022, 9:35 pm

Two UBC students have napped their way to success even before their graduation date.

Noah Silverman and Yukinoria Kinoshita are the co-founders of Plufl, a unique napping product inspired by dog beds…but big enough for humans to nap. The pair are international economic students at UBC from the U.S. but have been living in Vancouver for the past four years, where they got the idea for how to make naps better.

“I worked at a local campus coffee shop whose owners had an amazing great dane where they had built a giant customized dog bed for her made with high-quality materials, said Silverman.

“Conveniently, they lived right next to our faculty building and as a result, I would often spend my breaks in between classes curled up with the Great Dane in her giant bed, studying, relaxing, and of course, napping.Ā The fond memories I have of Lady and her bed are what inspired us to launch Plufl and embark on our journey to transform the human napping experience.ā€

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Plufl (@weareplufl)

The product looks like a giant dog bed covered in faux fur and bordered by a thick pillow. The company says that the Plufl’s oval shape can help you naturally curl up into the fetal position for optimal napping.

“As busy full-time students who also work, volunteer, and participate in extracurriculars, we have experienced the impact exhaustion and insufficient sleep can have on your health and wellbeing,” they told Daily Hive.

“We have found napping to be an amazing way to combat the effects of sleep loss but struggled for a long time to find spaces that were comfortable enough to take a nap that would leave us feeling refreshed,” they said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Plufl (@weareplufl)

“When the idea of a dog bed for humans came to mind, we wanted to create a cozy environment that would provide the optimal napping and relaxing environment,” they said.

“We achieved this by utilizing a thick, plush pillow border, a calming faux fur cover, and a supportive memory and orthopedic foam base.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Plufl (@weareplufl)

Now available to back on Kickstarter, new Plufl nappers will include people from the neurodivergent community, who Silverman said had a great response to their product and said it would be “ideal to cope with sensory overload as well as individuals that suffer from migraines, arthritis, and sleep-related issues such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy.”

The pair told Daily Hive that they’d gotten a massive response to their human-sized dog bed from a TikTok with more than 9 million views and a successful Kickstarter campaign, which ends on May 12, 2022. Backers can get their Plufl shipped by November 2022, in time for winter napping season.

GET MORE CALGARY NEWS
Want to stay in the loop with more Daily Hive content and News in your area? Check out all of our Newsletters here.
Buzz Connected Media Inc. #400 ā€“ 1008 Homer Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2X1 [email protected] View Rules
Sarah AndersonSarah Anderson

+ Venture
+ Entrepreneurs
ADVERTISEMENT