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Holiday Destinations

Sleepbox gives weary travelers a place to rest their heads

By Jeff Salton
March 31, 2010
Sleepbox gives weary travelers a place to rest their heads
Sleepbox: Unobtrusive at the airport
Sleepbox: Unobtrusive at the airport
View 10 Images
The Sleepbox hostel version - no need for walls between bedrooms
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The Sleepbox hostel version - no need for walls between bedrooms
A typical layout
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A typical layout
Inside the Sleepbox ... a bed, desk, and room to relax
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Inside the Sleepbox ... a bed, desk, and room to relax
The Sleepbox hostel version with double bunks
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The Sleepbox hostel version with double bunks
The Sleepbox airport version
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The Sleepbox airport version
The Sleepbox airport version at night
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The Sleepbox airport version at night
At the airport, inside the Sleepbox there's plenty of space to work or relax
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At the airport, inside the Sleepbox there's plenty of space to work or relax
At the airport, inside the Sleepbox there's plenty of space to work or relax
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At the airport, inside the Sleepbox there's plenty of space to work or relax
Unobtrusive at the airport
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Unobtrusive at the airport
Sleepbox: Unobtrusive at the airport
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Sleepbox: Unobtrusive at the airport
View gallery - 10 images

Sometimes even the travel-weary budget flier would pay just about anything for a couple of hours sleep after a long haul flight in “cattle class” - which is where the Sleepbox concept comes in. Imagine your joy at spotting one of these comfy cocoons at the airport lounge while you’ve got a few hours between connecting flights. Or if you’ve arrived late at night in a strange land and don’t want to risk finding a hotel room in the dark – or the lone cab driver parked in the shadows of the airport or train station. Check into the Sleepbox and you could be on cloud nine before your head hits the pillow.

Looking a little more spacious than the Nemorelax, the Sleepbox concept is a small mobile space that measures 2m x 1.4m x 2.3m (h) with a bed 2m x 0.6 and offers more convenience than just a place to catch some Zs. Designed by Arch Group’s Russian architects Alexey Goryainov and Mikhail Krymov, the Sleepbox is equipped with a desk, a built-in LCD TV, WiFi, wall-sockets for laptops and recharging cell phones, etc, ventilation and has storage space for luggage. There’s even a drink dispenser for re-hydration.

And don’t worry about dirty sheets and pillows. The room automatically changes the bed when the occupant exits. Visitors can sleep on a flexible strip of foamed polymer with a surface of pulp tissue that is rewound from one shaft to another, like hand towels in a bathroom. Proper bed linen costs you more.

Clients could purchase time inside the Sleepbox from 15 minutes to several hours.

Designed primarily for use at airports, railway stations, bus depots, exhibition centers and public shopping centers, the creators say the Sleepbox might also be useful for corporations (executives working long hours or for when the overseas boss pays a surprise visit).

There is also a hostel version of the Sleepbox that provides basic functions and is equipped only with a bunk bed, electrical outlets and lighting. It is envisaged that the hostel sleeping quarters would be one large room filled with Sleepboxes instead of lots of rooms with one or two beds in them.

The Sleepboxes could also be re-arranged for different layouts when required.

Via SwissMiss.

Sleepbox

View gallery - 10 images

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Holiday DestinationsTravelSleepRelax
6 comments
Jeff Salton

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6 comments
John in Brisbane
I like the description better than the pictures - I think that the concept is sound but I reckon most people would want more privacy that these artist impressions (I assume) suggest. I assume those large clear panels have electronically adjustable opacity? And I reckon a simple bunk with little more than room for you and your baggage is more realistic. These designs look more the like business class version.
I know that back in the late 80s there was the development of sleeping tube-type hotels in Japan that we in Australia were amazed by. This seems to be a development upon that. I think the idea has merit, especially for passengers in transit etc. I can\'t see the idea taking off in ye olde backpackers anytime soon - nothing is cheaper than a few rooms full of cheap bunk beds and backpackers are very price sensitive, by definition.
On a related topic - I read an interesting Gizmag piece last year about airline seats that were reconfigurable as bunks - I had wondered about that a few times myself so I liked the article but thought the designs were unwieldy. I reckon a simpler design is possible and which would allow all passengers to have a lie-flat bed, even if the cheaper fares get you seats that require a bit of climbing and contortion for entry and exit. I like seeing article on these topic though - I am travelling more and more and it amazes me that the passenger technology, particularly to and from end-of-the-line places like Australia has really not progressed since WW2.
Eletruk
Just imagine being woken up from your little snooze by some random joker pounding on the side of this sleepbox, hilarity ensues.
Ed
This can only come from the mind of the Japanese... What\'s with their fascination of claustrophobic spaces?
matthew.rings
Looks like an idea for some semi-permaent homeless shelter sleeping pods, and could be put in an area with security overwatch. Give the homeless shelters some dignity and privacy, rather than a gymnasium with 200 snoring homeless fellas, with women sharing the same areas.
Facebook User
Oh my god Ed, I hope you\'re joking because it\'ll be funny if you are but concerning if you aren\'t. You just assumed that this must be a Japanese person\'s idea, then you accuse what-is-going-on in their head to think of this sort of stuff out of utter disbelief?
That doesn\'t make any sense at all, as you express disbelief despite your border-line faith that this was a Japanese persons idea based on no real evidence other than the Capsule hotels used in limited Urban locations around Japan. - Regardless, Urban, and predominantly Japanese people aren\'t claustrophobic because... they literally lack a fear of confined spaces. They have more patience, but in Urban cities it is also a product out of demand and delivery. Cheap housing to have a mattress and roof over your head for yourself. (Usually capsule hotels come with a restroom area, common area, shower facilities)
Facebook User
\"Give the homeless shelters some dignity and privacy, rather than a gymnasium with 200 snoring homeless fellas, with women sharing the same areas.\"
Very noble of you, but are you going to help this cause by taking some initiative and choking up the few thousand dollars each of these \'pods\' are probably going to cost