Napping with Dignity

I don't get it!

The Japanese are usually 5 steps ahead of us when it comes to product innovation.  

But somebody dropped the ball on this one. 
 
My Dome Pal Travel Sleeping Hood helps people catch up on shut-eye in public.  It is apparently quite effective at masking the embarrassing mouth dribble and jaw drop that accompanies most people who sleep sitting up.

I said "most people".  That has never happened to me.
 
With due apologies to any of my readers who lisp, does anyone besides me see a serious safety issue with this thingamajig?  Such as suffocation? 

I don't know about you, but I like to wake up from my public naps with as many brain cells as I had when I first closed my eyes.

Then there's the aesthetics. 

The My Dome Pal Travel Sleeping Hood comes in 4 colors: green, gray, pink, and purple.

Yawn.

What would you rather be sporting while taking a public nap?  A green, gray, pink, or purple bag over your head...
 
Or a Snazzy Napper?
 

The Snazzy Napper is much more fashion forward.  That sheep wearing sunglasses is stinkin' adorable.  

And the Snazzy Napper is functional!  It actually has slot for you to breathe!   There is no way that woman will die of suffocation while wearing her Snazzy Napper.  (She may die in a car accident, but she will not asphyxiate.)

If aesthetics and safety aren't enough to convince you, the price might.  The My Dome Pal Travel Sleeping Hood sells on the Japan Trend Shop Web site for $70 plus shipping and handling . The Snazzy Napper is a fraction of that cost ($14.99).

Or, you could get the Nerdling Dome Pal Travel Sleeping Hood for just $9.99.  

Complete with breathing window. 

Introducing The Little Nipper Napper

Oh, how I laughed at the Snuggie.  But the Snuggie laughed back.  In fact, it laughed all the way to the bank, selling over 20 million in year one. They've since released the Snuggie for Kids, Snuggie for dogs (no, Kevin does not have one) and even Electric Snuggies. 

Why didn't I think of it first???

Considering how wrong I was about the Snuggie, I decided to give the Snazzy Napper the benefit of the doubt. For those of you who have never seen the latest product in the 'consumer polar fleece novelty blanket' category, here's a picture of it:

Yes, you are right. It's like polar fleece meets burka. Users basically strap a blanket onto their faces and nap (the blanket is complete with nose hole.)

The advertising claims are inspiring: It's the snazzy way to travel. Ideal for travel in a car, on a bus, train or airplane.

That is, if you don't mind looking like a moron.

Being the visionary nerd that I am, I decided that if the Snazzy Napper was going to become the next Snuggie, it needed some enhancements to help overcome some its obvious shortcomings (such as looking like a complete wacko while utilizing the product).

My first idea was Snazzy Napper with built in Gel Mask for Tired Eyes. That was definitely an enhancement. But I was skeptical that it would overcome the permanent psychological scar that might result from being seen in public with Snazzy Napper on one's face.

And then I had my scathingly brilliant million dollar idea.

I purchased a fleece blanket from the baby department of Walmart (for only $4.00), re-purposed the Polyurethane bladder from my Wine Rack (see June 27 post "Test Driving the Wine Rack"), and...

Voila!!! (drum roll please...)

The Little Nipper Napper

So simple. So ingenious.

As a service to my readers I test drove my Little Nipper Napper. I filled my wine rack bladder with wine, inserted it into a pocket I sewed into my Walmart blanket. The plastic straw fits right into the nose hole on my Napper, proceeding directly to my mouth (bi-passing my nose). It works!

The Little Nipper Napper has several benefits in addition to those of the Snazzy Napper.

1. The wine bladder works like a gel mask, soothing tired eyes.

2. The wine (or other beverage) facilitates your slumber.

3. But most importantly, after a while you no longer care about how stupid you look in public, sporting your Snazzy Napper.

 Look out Snuggie!  Here I come!