Innovation of the week: An office chair with a personal thermostat

If you work in an office, chances are you're freezing some days and burning up on others, says Adele Peters at Fast Company​. But what if "instead of having to wear a sweater in the office in the summer," you had a chair that kept you the perfect temperature? The Hyperchair, developed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, works like a heated car seat, using heating tape woven into the fabric to warm the sitter.

"If someone's too hot, strategically placed fans wick body heat away." The temperature can be adjusted via a button on the chair's side or through a smartphone app. The chairs aren't cheap — they start at $1,000 — but the designers say their individual climate controls will shrink utility bills. Plus, management will never again have to deal with employees arguing over the thermostat.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up