Okay, so the world is slowly opening up, and we do find ourselves cautiously stepping out for work, to run errands, or to complete some unavoidable task. Though it is comforting that the world is returning to some form of normalcy, however, this does not mean that the danger is over, COVID-19 is still thriving and on the loose. Hence, it’s extremely imperative for us to take the appropriate precautions and ensure the safety of our loved ones and us. This means taking the needful measures before leaving our house, while we are outside, and once we return home. Sanitizing before and after we enter our home, wearing protective gear, and cleaning foreign surfaces before touching them are a few of the basic measures we can follow, and having gadgets and appliances to help us with that can be a boon! So, we’ve curated a collection of products that will make sure you’re fully equipped to step into the outside world while keeping yourself completely protected – from foolproof face masks to a wearable wristband that shoots out a stream of sanitizer, we’ve got you covered from head to toe! Stay safe!
Milan-based Salvo Lo Cascio designed the SaniCase as a response to a common problem he saw with people who wore masks. During brief intervals when they took their mask off to eat or drink, they’d often end up putting their masks on tables, armrests, or back in their pockets along with their phone and keys. Designed to give people a place to safely store their masks when not in use, the SaniCase comes with a cylindrical compartment lined with UV-C lights on the inside. When you don’t need the mask, just slip it into its protective casing and it’ll get sanitized too. Speaking of which, the base of the SaniCase even has a push-to-deploy hand-sanitizer bottle on it, allowing you to periodically clean your hands too. By helping disinfect your hands as well as your face-mask, the SaniCase covers all the critical areas to prevent germs from accidentally entering your system. Besides, its portable avatar and optional lanyard make it really easy to carry around with you!
The UV Mask scales down active UV filtration tech to a wearable level (it’s the only existing mask to do so). Its patent-pending design uses a combination of a CE-FFP2 (EU standard same as N95) filter and two powerful UV-C LEDs to actively sterilize the air you breathe. Even during exhalation, the air you breathe out is sterilized and filtered too, effectively protecting asymptomatic people from infecting others around them. The UV Mask comes with a silicone outer-ring to create a comfortable airtight seal, ensuring effective protection from air pollutants, as well as preventing what I personally call ‘foggy-spectacle syndrome’. Multiple strap styles let you secure the UV mask around your head or even around your ear, based on what suits you best. The mask comes with a removable outer hard-shell that lets you access and replace the filter after weeks of use, while the UV-C lamp itself has a usage life of 10,000 hours, and the UV Mask’s internal battery runs for 6 hours on a single full charge. The UV Mask comes with an optional carrying-case for securely storing the mask when not in use, and a pack of 10 replacement filters sets you back just $12.
The 0° Clean concept offers a new way to make sure your face-mask is fresh, dry, and sanitized between uses. Created by Jungkwang Hwang as a fan-made concept for Samsung, the 0° Clean is a nifty flat-bed UV-C sanitizer that uses a combination of ultraviolet light and dry air to cleanse and blow-dry your mask. It comes with a detachable cylindrical battery-unit (with a built-in display) that you can easily snap onto the sanitizing flat-bed to power it. The bed’s space is big enough for almost any flat surgical or cloth mask. Just place the mask in, shut the lid, and switch it on using a button on the side. The UV-C lights neutralize any microorganisms, and the hot air dries off any perspiration on the mask, so you can wear it after a few hours knowing that it’s dry and sterile. The circular display can even calculate how much dust and particulate matter is on the mask – so you know when to dispose of your surgical mask or give your cloth mask a thorough wash, so it’s as good as new!
I’ll admit, web-slinging from building to building seems like an absolute dream, but give me a wristband that sanitizes objects and I’d probably settle for that right now! The SprayCare is probably the most literal version of a hand-sanitizer, in that it’s a sanitizer that sits on your hand. Designed to fit into a wristband no larger than your Apple Watch, the SprayCare contains a tiny vial, an atomizer nozzle, and an electronic pump that you actuate using a button. Fill the vial with sanitizer and the SprayCare lets you deploy a fine mist of disinfectant on an object before you touch it. It could be a door-handle, the railing inside a bus or train, the grip on a shopping cart, or even the latch of your car door. SprayCare shoots out an even mist up to distances of 5 feet, letting you quickly and effectively sterilize surfaces without needing to pop out your sanitizer bottle and clean your palms before and after you touch anything.
It’s no secret that your glossy, shiny, expensive smartphone is one of the most germ-filled things currently in your pocket. It’s also no secret that your phone is one of the most useful gadgets you’ve got on your person, so that’s really a conflict of interest, isn’t it? Cell by Ampere comes with a collapsible design that houses 2 wireless charging coils on the top, and UV-C LEDs on the base. Place your phone on top, and it fast-charges without wires, however, collapse the silicon rim around the sides and the base becomes a UV chamber, allowing you to sterilize your phone, watch, earphones, keys, or any EDC in mere minutes. Designed to be handy, Cell can be used as a UV wand too, allowing you to sterilize larger areas (like your door-handles, keyboards, food delivery parcels) by just waving the UV light over them. One could argue that being germ-free is just as much of a benefit as a fully charged smartphone, and the Cell’s 2-in-1 nature helps cover both those areas.
ZERO is a smart sterilization product that can mount from any wall and direction. Its accurate and responsive dispenser not only motion-detects and sanitizes your hands with six UV-C LED chips, but it also includes a smartphone sterilizer. Based on the honest need for home sanitizing technology, Jung Yi Jung created the product with human instinct in mind. From each angle, the product is pleasantly inconspicuous and elegant. Upon first glance, the sterilizer appears like any unassuming and ordinary home appliance. However, along the rim of the device, a rectangular slot reveals a supplementary sanitizer that swallows your phone for a good ole’ UV-C LED cleaning. Its stainless steel construction increases light reflection and sterilizes your phone for safe use before coughing it back up. In order to enhance the product’s intuitive design, you’ll find only four buttons: two sound control switches for programmed signals, an adjustive mood light, and a power button. Additionally, ZERO charges with a type-c cable, a common mobile phone charging port, delivering seamless setup and service.
Nuvoe isn’t a product as much as it’s an accessory. Designed as a device you can drop into any water bottle (as long as it has a neck diameter of 36mm), the Nuvoe uses UV-C lights to purify the water inside your bottle in under a minute. The Nuvoe attaches to the side of your bottle using a nifty magnetic anchor that sits outside. Drop the Nuvoe in and it automatically snaps to the magnet, turning your bottle into a self-purifying one. Give the bottle a quick shake to activate the Nuvoe and its UV-C LEDs switch on, eliminating any microbial elements in your water by breaking down their DNA in mere seconds, decontaminating your drinking water. The pod-shaped, Nuvoe fits into most traditional water bottles and flasks. It sports an array of 3 UV-C LEDs that activate when you shake the bottle, switching off when the device emits a ‘beep’ to let you know the water’s safe to drink. The Nuvoe uses a proprietary set of Gallium Nitride UV-C LEDs that emit ultraviolet light at a precise 275nm. At this wavelength, the ultraviolet light is safe to be around, since it doesn’t break down oxygen into individual nascent atoms, creating ozone.
Calling the POD a coat-hanger seems a little reductionist, now that I think of it. The device gives you a place to hang your coats, hats, place your shoes, store/charge your phone, keep your keys, and even provide a dedicated hook for your face-mask. Designed to be the last piece of furniture you interact with on your way out, and the first when you return from the outdoors, the POD stores your belongings, while also sanitizing them with PCO and UVC technology. The vertical wood-veneer pillar comes with a sliding door that opens when you approach it (thanks to a motion sensor at its base), revealing the organizing space within. Hooks give you a place to hang your coat, hats, and even your masks, while a tray at waist-level provides the perfect place to keep your wallet/purse, keys, and even wirelessly charge your smartphone.
Using copper’s inherent anti-microbial properties to its benefit, the Copper Corner turns your smartphone into a PPE of sorts. This tiny little attachment (no larger than a thumbnail) fits right on the corner of your smartphone, allowing you to use it to tap on keys and push buttons without touching them. Its tiny, universal size means it fits on practically any smartphone (or even on a smartphone case), and even with its minimal form-factor, the Copper Corner hopes to make a massive impact by fundamentally introducing a healthier way to interact with objects and interfaces like elevator buttons, doorbells, keypads, etc. by letting you engage with them without touching them. The copper’s inherent conductive properties make it great on touchscreens too, which means apart from pressing buttons, you can even use your ATM’s touchscreen interface with the Copper Corner, or sign against a delivery on a POS device without getting your fingers contaminated.
Designed to be a safe sanitization-station for your fruits and vegetables, the Elepsy uses a dual-stage process to make sure your food is immaculately clean before you consume it. The product can be broadly separated into three parts – A carafe that lets you measure the water needed to clean your fruits/vegetables, a sanitization-unit that carefully cleans your food, and an outer tray that you can use to place your food after it’s been cleaned. The design intuitively guides the user through the process while the overall aesthetic helps convey the message of cleanliness, minimalism, and simplicity.
