9 ms·
Show HN: UrbanDesk - Combination Full Size Bed and Desk
- michaelt 14y agoLooks neat! I wonder how hard it is to lift, and whether my laptop cables and things would end up jamming in all the moving parts.
- gphakos 14y agoIt is pretty easy to lift, I am not a strong guy (bench press < 100lb) and I don't have any trouble putting it up or down. The lifting action is assisted by gas springs which you can kind of see in the video but I didn't really mention them. There is plenty of room for running cables off the back of the desk, I currently have a half dozen cords for charging phone, laptop, etc... and I haven't had any problems.
- wilfra 14y agoLooks really cool. If these were done and you were offering them for $650 I'd buy one, but donating to a kickstarter and maybe getting one next May doesn't sound like fun... You can take down my email (in my profile) and feel free to hit me up in the future if and when they actually get built and are ready to ship. Good luck!
- bryanlarsen 14y agoSince it's already elevating, how hard would be to make it adjustable height up to a standing position?
- ssebro 14y agoIt looks cool, but the marketing doesn't address the fact that most people have laptops and desktop monitors on their desks. Nobody will want to take their desktop+laptop off the desk everytime they go into their bed - 7 inches of height (collapsed) isn't going to cut it.
- TYPE_FASTER 14y agoGood point. How cool would it be if the desk included a folding monitor stand that could fold a flatscreen flat onto the desk origami-style?
- LinaLauneBaer 14y agoCan't you just put the monitor face down on the desk surface in most cases? Another alternative would be to mount the monitor on the duckboard or on the wall with a long flexible arm... THe latter option would provide a big screen TV to watch movies while lying on the bed... :)
- ssebro 14y agoCan you imagine doing that every single day of your life(putting the monitor face down on the desk surface, then bringing it back up)? This is engineering - I think we can come up with something better (like your monitor mount idea).
- heyitsnick 14y ago> Can you imagine doing that every single day of your life(putting the monitor face down on the desk surface, then bringing it back up)? If every day i was collapsing my bed to get to the desk, sure. Just a minor extra step.
- gphakos 14y agoYou're right taking the monitor off the desk every day is not fun, my desktop case does fit in the storage area underneath the desk so I do not have to move that everyday. I have been working on a monitor mount that will work in conjunction with the UrbanDesk but it is not yet finished and I have been anxious to launch. Check back soon, as I hope to post a video of the finished mount within the next week or two.
- warfangle 14y agoIf your monitor has a VESA mount, you could mount it to the bottom of the bed, perhaps?
- kiba 14y agoInteresting, but it looks like it won't support anything that is higher than the bed, such as a big monitor.
- chaselee 14y agoI sleep on the floor and stand at my desk =(
- samirahmed 14y agoI would like to a mattress on that bed frame, how does the mattress not fall over all the time
- gphakos 14y agoThere is a board in the back that supports the mattress when the bed is raised up, and it is held down to frame / slats with some nylon cord which is under the sheet so it is not really visible.
- jawns 14y agoA question that has come up more and more lately with similar Kickstarter projects: Is crowd funding a good way to go about this project? And specifically, is crowd funding through Kickstarter a good way to go about this project? Basically, the project creator has an idea for a product for which he thinks there is a market, but he lacks the capital to get the business off the ground. By using Kickstarter, he's able to acquire the capital, and the backers -- the vast majority of whom, I'm assuming, are either friends who just want to help him out or strangers who just want a bed-desk -- know that they'll get their money back if the goal isn't reached. But once the goal is reached ... that investment becomes a risky investment. The obligation to actually deliver a product to those investors to whom it was promised is, at best, a moral obligation, rather than a legal one. Kickstarter has been very insistent on this point lately: If you donate to a project, consider it a donation, not a purchase (http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store). With more artistic projects -- say, a musician raising money to record an album -- I think it's a little bit easier to see those pledges as donations rather than purchases, even if a copy of the album is promised to donors. Why? For one, donors are likely to already be fans of the artist and feel a sort of kinship with them. But probably more importantly, the final cost of the album is likely to be in the $10-$20 range, which is a lot easier to write off, if the artist doesn't deliver, than an expensive piece of furniture. In contrast, with a project like this, I'm assuming that if you're going to "donate" $650 or more, you're going to want a bed-desk at the end of it. And at least on Kickstarter's current terms, the arrangement is not favorable to somebody who just wants a bed-desk at the end of it. There may be other crowd-funding options out there that are more favorable to the would-be owners of a bed-desk (for instance, if the project creator were contractually obligated to deliver the product). Or perhaps the project creator could simply raise $65,000 with micro-loans, then sell the completed product to interested buyers, then use the proceeds to pay back the micro-loans. At least in that case, it's the aspiring businessman who's on the hook if something goes wrong, not the aspiring bed owners -- which is as it should be, because when an aspiring businessman is willing to take on financial risks, that demonstrates his commitment to the business. Or, if the project creator is not willing to take on all of that financial risk, perhaps he might be willing to offer equity in the business to potential crowd funders. That way, you're distributing the risk, but you're also distributing the potential upside, which is only fair, right? As things stand, I just don't see a Kickstarter project for this type of product as being a good deal for anyone but the guy building the bed-desks ... unless you are willing to consider the $650 (or more) you donate to be just that: a donation.
- shortlived 14y agoI expected to see something regarding design/production issues under the _Risks_and_challenges_ section, not worries distraction and miscommunication. I assume that a wooden prototype may have different properties than one made of steel.
- michaelbuckbee 14y agoThis design looks remarkably like Resource Furniture's bed+desk combo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dAa6bOWB8qY#t=58s http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d...
- rabidsnail 14y ago"Request a quote"!?
- dsr_ 14y agoMeans it's more than three times what you were thinking would be affordable. Also, they don't want your business. They want a design consultant's businesss, so the price can be a small part of a huge contract.
- gphakos 14y agoI did not find that in my search for a solution to this problem before I attempted to build the UrbanDesk. It looks a bit out of my price range...
- periferral 14y agoexactly my thought when I saw this at a cheaper price point. However, the resource furniture one is a lot more finished product (flat back with sides covered). I've even seen ones with shelves to hold more things. I think $660 price point is more appealing but it lacks the visual appeal. If it were more finished (not an eyesore as a desk), I'd definitely consider paying up to $1000 for a queen.
- pbreit 14y agoYep, Italian-made and super cool. They are certainly expensive but very well made. Not only durable but counter-balanced such that a just a light touch is needed to pull down the bed. http://www.resourcefurniture.com/space-savers/queen-space-saving-beds/ulisse-desk http://www.resourcefurniture.com/space-savers/queen-space-sa...
- FootballMuse 14y agoHow much (or free/open source?) for simply the instructions? Maybe I'd like a different size, material, standing option, or other modification.
- gphakos 14y agoHow much would you be willing to pay for the instructions?
- FootballMuse 14y agoNot much, since I can deduce most of the design from the video. Hopefully you can offer some additional advice, pitfalls, and potential variations to those people that you learn throughout the process, because it would be almost entirely a donation at that price point. I imagine the more people see this, the more people will simply attempt this themselves and post their version on make/instructables/hackaday. Others who want to simply purchase one outright, can certainly get one from you. However, waiting until May to potentially get one will not jive with many people. Not to demean your work/project, I just think you are going to have to offer some polish and niceties that iterative building this product multiple times allows rather than offering what someone could duplicate with a trip to Home Depot and a Saturday to be successful. Regardless, good luck.
- evoxed 14y agoYou should set a pricepoint, $25-75 that includes instructions, bill of materials, as well as a CAD file (I know it's a pretty simple mechanism, but some will appreciate it).
- 51Cards 14y agoAnother company had these for sale at our local home show 3 weeks ago, functionality and movement is identical.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- rabidsnail 14y agohttp://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59872897/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59872897/
- randomchars 14y agoLots of people don't like sleeping high above the ground.
- antihero 14y agoGreat if you never get laid...
- warfangle 14y agoI'd like to see a medium pricepoint of, say, $50 or $75 that would include schematics for the bed (so you can build one for yourself if you desire).
- camiller 14y ago...and maybe a $150'ish for plans and hardware kit. Seems like the harder part of this would be the mechanical hardware. Shipping something the size of a bed assembled from 2x4s is going to be expensive, sourcing the lumber locally should make it pretty easy.
- mw63214 14y agoOne thing I could foresee happening with the increased use of furniture/concepts like this (the UrbanDesk, as well as some of the other products from other companies) is that a user may get disoriented from using the same space for multiple purposes. I like having a room for different functions. A room for sleeping has a different feel than a room for working. A room for eating breakfast has a different feel than a room for eating dinner with family. A room for relaxing and watching TV casually, has a different feel than a room for entertaining guests. You get the picture. This helps create mental and emotional "spaces", but also leads to a lot of wasted space. With more people wanting to move back to the cities, I imagine this distinction between mental and emotional "spaces" will become more blurred. Does anyone know of any good products or services that would compliment these products? I'm thinking along the lines of programmable/wireless ambient lighting.
- alexchamberlain 14y agoThat's a lot of rooms! I have bedroom, a bathroom and a lounge/kitchen.
- rabidsnail 14y agohttp://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?SearchText=murphy+bed&IndexArea=product_en&fsb=y http://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?SearchText=murphy+bed...
- ryanpers 14y agoso much room for activities!
- wtvanhest 14y agoA nice touch would be a flat screen mount on the bottom of the bed that is at the correct height.
- codequickly 14y agoFor small room, there's always the Ikea's Tromso loft bed and desk is only $220 (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59872897/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59872897/). It' is not as elegant as the kickstarter bed but it is cheap and easy to assemble. The downside of ikea bed/desk is that when you invite your date/GF over for the first time, it is definitely not going to make any positive impression.
- taskstrike 14y agoOr...it will invoke memories of college years for her and brings a aura of youthful vitality to you.
- anthonyb 14y agoHammocks are also pretty comfortable. Screw a couple of hooks into the ceiling beams and away you go :)
- dredmorbius 14y agoSome similar designs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAa6bOWB8qY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAa6bOWB8qY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4yJGTPUR_0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4yJGTPUR_0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=juWaO5TJS00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=juW... As others have noted, the inability to leave items (particularly monitors) on the desk is a major downside. I'm a fan of the collegiate solution: a loft bed. This is particularly suitable where high ceilings are available, especially cathedral or A-frame designs.
- smiler 14y agoYou could imagine a few startups putting these into their offices :)
- s_v 14y agoHave you considered using cardboard instead of steel?
- verisimilidude 14y agoI do have one very important question about your design. How does the UrbanDesk currently hold up to nasty, aggressive sex? On the bed? On the desk? This might sound like a joke, and it is, but I'm also totally serious here. Sex is the critical secondary use of beds. Engineering a "smooth ride" seems like an important thing to consider. Google "West Elm bed frame" for some anecdotal evidence of what can go wrong. Great work, either way. I can always appreciate some clever woodworking.
- reustle 14y agoWest Elm Bed Frame: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/west-elm-bummer-1316 http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/west-elm-bummer-1316
- nerdtastic 14y agoSecondary? You are not getting enough sex.
- centro 14y agoThis problem has already been solved. I wish people would do a little more searching before starting a kickstarter project. http://bredacomponents.com/shop/hiddenbed.html http://bredacomponents.com/shop/hiddenbed.html
- maratd 14y ago> $1,383.75 + $80.00 (for full size) On what planet is that problem solved?
- pbreit 14y agoYuck, yuck, yuck. A _much_ better option: http://www.resourcefurniture.com/space-savers/queen-space-saving-beds/ulisse-desk http://www.resourcefurniture.com/space-savers/queen-space-sa... Who should be doing more searching?
- reustle 14y agoI'd buy the designs for $50+ because I will most definitely want to build it myself.
- pav3l 14y agoSame. As I was watching the video, I thought "this would be a great project to do", rather than "I'd pay a lot of money for this".
- waynesutton 14y agoI like, even though there are some similar products he could still launch and compete. Regardless if he's the first, if his product brings something "new to the table" it will be good to see competition in the desk space especially if he can come in at a lower price point. Remember google wasn't the first search engine.
- adrian-inaustin 14y agohoney...honey, wake up...i need to write an email.
- ew 14y agoSuperior Wall Beds has something very similar, albeit much more expensive: http://calgarywallbeds.com/products/desk-bed.cfm http://calgarywallbeds.com/products/desk-bed.cfm
- Nimi 14y agoReally cool idea! Maybe add a monitor frame, rigged to the underside of the bed, so the user can have a monitor "on" the desk?
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- mattbot5000 14y agoAre you going to implement any safety features such as a locking mechanism to prevent the bed from falling on someone sitting at the desk?
- rangibaby 14y agoPretty cool idea, I am looking forward to seeing the final steel version if this gets funded. Until then I will stick with a futon.
- gasull 14y agoI just use a Japanese futon and it works great. It's also the most comfortable "bed" I've ever had, with the best back support: the floor.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]
- countessa 14y agomy problem with this is, with space at a premium, i currently use the underside of my bed to store linen, towels, clothes, etc etc etc.....
- willyt 14y agoSome super quick comments. What is the mechanical engineering behind this? Did you do all the calcs? Simulate it in CAD or something? Gas struts need to be tuned to the weight you are counter balancing; are you selling or recommending a particular mattress with this? How much resistance do the gas struts provide at the top of the stroke, what happens if you drop it at 3/4 raised? Do you need to fix this back to the wall or floor; i.e. could the whole thing topple over on top of you if it jammed while you were lowering it? Can you see all the parts where childrens fingers might get caught from the raising lowering position? The desk pantograph mechanism has quite slender struts, they look like they could be quite easily damaged. Most double beds have a central beam under the slats and a lot more slats than this. Why is yours different? In general, it's one thing to use your own prototype where you have an intuitive understanding of its weaknesses, but when other people use it they will break things you wouldn't expect. Will it fail safe? It looks terrible, some bits of structure look too big and some too small. There are parts of the design where the same problem has been solved with a different solution, why isn't it symmetrical? $650 Including all labour? Seems too cheap. Are you expecting people to build this out of construction grade timber like the prototype?
- jaseemabid 14y agoHere is what I think about it. Why are you flipping the bed to the wall? 1. The cot will slip down, will be a mess and I will have to fix it everyday. BAD 2. Unstable structure - Why is the heavy/big part on top ? It would have been better if this was like a standard desktop table. You could pull the whole table from underneath of the bed and put it above the bed like pulling a keyboard dock. The table would stay on top of the bed when in use and can be pushed underneath. Much better. This whole thing looks stupid to me.
- bobsy 14y agoI think its a terrible idea. So you wake up: 1. Make bed and tuck in sheets so when bed is folded all the bedding doesn't fall off. 2. Fold up bed - desk appears. 3. Unbox everything to put on desk 4. Plug in any electrical equipment. (obviously a desktop computer would be very impractical. 5. Pull up a chair and do some work. When your done reverse the steps. You cannot leave any work out or organized on your desk ready for the next day as you need your bed. Your desk chair I guess needs to be left in the corner at night as there is no table to tuck it under. It just seems like the guy is combining 2 pieces of furniture which should not be combined.
- acous 14y agoIt's pretty obvious from the video that you can leave stuff on the desk when you pull down the bed.
- smoyer 14y agoIn the early '80s I had the same problem with my dorm room and solved it by raising the bed above the desk. It looks like you have plenty of ceiling height and eliminates the need to unmake and remake the bed (or desk). The back of my desk also had a hutch for storage. Now 30 years later, my daughter's dorm room came equipped with a bed that was designed to be raised above either the desk or a bit of seating. I don't see a reason to flip the bed if you're not looking for open floor-space.