鈥淲hy shouldn鈥檛 there be a dog bed for people?鈥�
That鈥檚 the question Noah Silverman asked himself while working at a coffee shop at the University of British Columbia campus.
Silverman and his best friend, Yuki Kinoshita, are on the brink of graduating in economics. They are also co-founders of a growing business, inspired by a Great Dane and napping, called Plufl.
Silverman said in a news release Thursday (May 26) that the idea was inspired after seeing his boss鈥� Great Dane lazing in a custom-made, extra-large dog bed.
鈥淚t just looked so comfortable and cozy,鈥� he said.
Both full-time students, juggling work and school, Silverman and Kinoshita described themselves as avid nappers.
鈥淲e just felt there had to be a better napping solution,鈥� said Kinoshita. 鈥淓ven when I鈥檓 working at home, I don鈥檛 necessarily want to go to bed because that鈥檚 where I go for long-term sleep.鈥�
So the pair came up with a solution and invented Plufl, an oval-shaped human-sized dog bed that naturally puts one in a fetal position.
鈥淭he ability to tuck your hands and feet under the border actually creates a very soothing experience, similar to that of a weighted blanket,鈥� said Silverman, adding that the name of their product, inspired by a friend, is a combination of the words 鈥減lush鈥� and 鈥渇luffy.鈥�
Initially, Silverman was a skeptic, questioning if the product would be even remotely successful. But after releasing a promotional video about Plufl on TikTok, the faux fur bed garnered millions of views and additionally raised $400,000 with a Kickstarter campaign.
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鈥淲e get messages every day from people reaching out saying they鈥檝e been searching forever to find a product like this,鈥� said Silverman. 鈥淎 mother from the U.K. emailed us last night saying 鈥業 need this for my nursery.鈥� It literally has been an outpouring of necessity for a human dog bed, which is kind of funny.鈥�
Silverman and Kinoshita are currently working on manufacturing the first batch of 800 Plufl orders for shipment. They have also enlisted the help of a designer to create an even plusher, fluffier version of the Plufl with orthopedic and memory foam.
Additional napping products, such as pillows and blankets are also in the works.
鈥淲e believe the napping industry is really unexplored and completely untapped,鈥� said Silverman. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be really hard-pressed to find companies that market and design products solely for napping, despite the fact that, I鈥檝e read a figure that one-third of all Americans enjoy napping.鈥�
laurice.gomes@aldergrovestar.com
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