I have to say up front I’m pretty frugal with my money, since I live in San Francisco. My metric of what is worth the money might be different from others’. While I do ok, I’m not so high up in the technology ecosystem to start pitching my own start-up to Y Combinator.
One aspect of this lifestyle that’s a bit lacking is the notoriously high cost of real estate around here, which makes a tiny apartment necessary even for a six-figure income. That means space is at a premium. So when it comes times to look for furniture, I’m looking for top value for the money I do spend, in terms of complete efficiency. I don’t want to clutter up the place. Sparse furnishings just give me more room to move around when using my Oculus Rift without bumping into things. When it comes to furniture, I prefer soft surfaces and forgiving edges, something I won’t bang a toe on.
Q3 2019 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Mission: Chair
For a chair or some approximation, I pondered going to a furniture store and just picking out a chair, but I decided to check out the online options first. I thought about air mattresses, overstuffed sofas, and then remembered a trend the hipsters were bringing back: the bean bag chair! It's been so long since I'd seen one, I wondered if they still made them.
Well, a quick check of my Instagram revealed that bean bag chairs were, indeed, out there, and a Kickstarter feed led me to the Moon Pod. It's a zero-gravity seating and reclining experience that's reminiscent of Floatation Therapy, made from high-friction gritty stuff encased in a supportive dual membrane. I checked down my list of requirements: Lightweight, inexpensive to ship, suitable for iPad browsing, and comes in Apple iPod Grey so it won't clash with anything else in my apartment.
I decided to give it a shot, especially since it is touted as helping with stress and anxiety issues. I'm not really diagnosed or anything, but my girlfriend does point out that I could stand to lighten up. The selling point to me on the Moon Pod, though, was that it is flexible and adaptable. Why buy one single-purpose furniture unit when you can get 3-in-1? This is the perfect model of small-space efficiency.
The new seating arrives!
I unboxed the Moon Pod while doing the obligatory YouTube video and took it around the room to feel for the proper feng shui location. It has to be a spot near an outlet so I can plug devices into a charger, and also near a window where it gets some sun, while not interrupting the navigational flow of the room. It turns out that you don't have to worry about its permanent location, since it's lightweight enough to casually flop anywhere or move it out of the way for those Rift activities.
So it wasn't my original purpose to film a Moon Pod review, but I must say this chair is hardly covered on social media yet, so I might as well score some Internet points. Now, at some $400 with tax and all, the Moon Pod isn't a chair you'd leave lying around in an AirBnB. But it has great aesthetic appeal and is comfortable enough for a snooze. I also broke down for the Crescent, by the same company as the Moon Pod, because it's a curved croissant shaped extension that supports your neck. Together, the Moon Pod and Crescent make a stacked recliner, or can be disassembled and tossed about to make all kinds of versatile lounging arrangements. Or I can sit up for a Skype with the team, keeping me relaxed and casual enough so my work anxiety doesn't get to me.
I have no major complaints with the Moon Pod, except for hoping the price comes down so I can get a few more for entertaining. A few Moon Pods scattered around works so much better than having people bump their shins on the coffee table while navigating to their spot on a couch. Small apartments call for smart resources.
