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A Truly Mobile Workspace: Andreas De Smedt's Portable chAIR, for Working Outdoors

"On the inside, we're all outsiders"

By Rain Noe - May 5, 2021

in Furniture Design

In 2019, Belgian engineer Andreas De Smedt designed the Notadesk, a portable standing desk that can perform a neat trick: While it can be used like a simple laptop riser…

…it's got a suction cup, so you can stick it to a window:

It's also got a strap, so you can fasten it to things like this:

"I came to understand first hand that working with a view helps to regain focus," De Smedt writes. "Having grown up on the countryside, it was difficult for me to focus in big open office spaces. Being an engineer, I decided to take matters in my own hands. After a few years of research I founded Notadesk.com."

Now De Smedt's back with a new work-from-anywhere design, called chAIR:

"Use chAIR in the morning to have breakfast and read the papers with a cup of coffee. Take chAIR with you in your car to be productive when you arrive early to a meeting or to work in between meetings, after you've dropped your kid at training. Escape your routine and work outside. Return home but first, share a beer with friends. Prepare your meeting for the next day by your baby's bed and finish the day by reading a chapter from your favorite writer next to the fireplace. The possibilities are endless!"

"The armrests are true armrests and offer good support. Thanks to the bamboo inlets they are pleasant to touch. The chair weights less than 13.2 pounds (6 kg), is suited for persons up to 209 pounds (95 kg) and the desk can be loaded up to 44 pounds (20 kg)."

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On Kickstarter, the $288 chAIR currently has $8,323 in pledges on a $9,619 goal, with 26 days left to pledge. The pandemic has made the outdoors even more appealing, and successful backing looks like a sure thing.

"On the inside," De Smedt writes, "we're all outsiders."

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Sam A

3 years ago

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Strapping things to trees like this can damage the bark and kill the tree. If you must attach something, use layers of cardboard and cloth to distribute the weight, but even better just leave the tree alone.

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Spencer Williams

3 years ago

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So are they only for right-handed people orrrr...

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- Spencer Williams
  
  Spencer Williams
  
  3 years ago
  
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  Update: I've reached out to the creator and heard back: "The table will always be mounted from the right but we've tested the product with left-handed persons and there was no concern. It is wide and stable enough!"
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