The Best Kickstarter Projects Of April

From the weird to the wonderful, Kickstarter seems to have a project for everyone. These are our favorites we spotted in April, from posture wearables to smart pillows.

Upright Go

If you work in an office, this little wearable device could be a lifesaver. The Upright Go helps you track, train, and improve your posture.

You simply attach the small white box to your back and it immediately gives you feedback on your posture. If you start to slouch, the device vibrates, reminding you to sit up straight. For anyone who has suffered through back pain caused by slouching, it’s easy to appreciate the value of that kind of feedback.

The project has raised over $580,000 so far. The Upright Go can be bought with a $69 pledge and it ships July 2017.

Penna

Laptops may be extremely useful, but typewriters will always be cool. The feeling of clacking away on old school keys is a retro dream, but unfortunately, there aren’t many around these days.

Penna looks to bring retro cool to new devices. This keyboard is styled on old typewriters, and connects to your tablet or smartphone. The Penna keyboard has caught the attention of the Kickstarter community, raising nearly $400,000 after setting a $50,000 goal.

VH-80

We’ve all struggled with tape measures, rulers, or just our own bodies to try and measure the distance between one point and another. Maybe it’s for that sofa you’re not sure will fit in the door, or to make sure the curtains are the right length, but it’s almost always a huge hassle.

VH-80 makes measuring look quite fun. The device shoots out a laser light in two different directions, and calculates the difference between itself and the target. You can preorder the VH-80 by backing it on Kickstarter for $149, and you wouldn’t be the first person to do so. The project has raised over $350,000 in funding from over 2,000 backers.

Gravity

Gravity is a weighted, therapeutic blanket that is supposed to help relax the nervous system and simulate being held or hugged. It’s engineered to be around 10 percent of a person’s body weight.

“This increases serotonin and melatonin levels and decreases cortisol levels—improving your mood and promoting restful sleep at the same time. All without ever filling a prescription,” according to the Kickstarter page. A $169 pledge gets you a blanket early. Over $244,000 has been pledged so far, impressive considering the company only asked for $21,000.

Sunrise Smart Pillow

How you wake up from sleep is important. The Sunrise Smart Pillow ensures you wake up to your own personal sunrise, with a steadily increasing light show on your pillow. The pillow can also track your sleep and features wireless audio and a smart alarm.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.