Wayfair's Revolutionary HydroRoom Furniture
What is it?
Wayfair is excited to announce a new technology that we believe will revolutionize the furniture industry as we know it. Available late summer 2013, our new HydroRoom™ Collection features water-activated expandable foam furniture that arrives at your door (in a watertight pill bottle) condensed down to 1-inch sealed gelatin capsules. This exclusive collection features sofas, armchairs, ottomans, accent tables, and more, available in a variety of styles and curated by leading designers.
How does it work?
The result of a five-year research and testing collaboration between Wayfair and two Boston-area Universities, the new technology is based on the science of hydro-phillic expanding carbon polymers (HyDrex 4-1).
Why is it special?
Not only do the natural properties of HyDrex 4-1 allow our furniture to be anti-microbial and hypo-allergenic, but also suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Due to the ultra-lightweight and compact nature of the unexpanded product, an entire average room of furniture can now be shipped in one container about the size of a quart of paint, but much lighter.
Collections are available in an array of styles: French countryside chic, ornate late- century Renaissance, rusty industrial, sleek futuristic, and many more. Wayfair is developing relationships with leading designers who will offer curated rooms in their signature styles as kits.
The ultra-durable polymer is perfect for high traffic areas, too. Results of beta test studies conducted in student lounges, shopping malls, and international airports have shown remarkable resilience when exposed to these demanding environments.
It's also fully customizable. Have an idea for a shape or specific detail you'd like incorporated? Use Google's SketchUp to create a custom piece of furniture, upload it to our site, and within two weeks it could appear in your mailbox (subject to certain limitations). Use any latex based paint if you wish to customize your furniture even more. For a cozier look, upholstering is ideal.
- Made of hydro-phillic carbon fiber polymers
- Expansion time: 24-36 hours (see graph)
- Indoor/outdoor use
- Non-toxic, and naturally anti-microbial and hypo-allergenic
Sign up for HydroRoom & HyDrex 4-1 updates.
History
Always interested in advancement and innovation, Wayfair's co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine were inspired to team up with academic labs to create the HyDrex 4-1 technology and HydroRoom concept. Conine credits his science classes at Cornell University for planting the seed of this idea.
As a child, I was always fascinated with those little sponge dinosaur toys that came packed in small capsules and would expand in water. Later, as a freshman at Cornell I saw a demonstration in a chem lab of a material that trapped water and oxygen to expand to many times its original size and it appeared that one might be able to also govern the shape the material formed. When I helped found Wayfair 10 years ago and encountered some of the problems faced with selling home furnishings, a light bulb went off in my head. But the science just wasn't there-the materials lacked the final strength and durability needed for practical furniture, and the shapes weren't able to be controlled to the degree necessary. But through exploring new carbon nano-filament technologies that have surfaced in recent years and collaborating with some of the best minds in the field, I'm very pleased to say my dream appears to have finally been realized.
Shah and Conine saw an opportunity to revolutionize furniture shopping, delivery, and assembly and knew the technology would be perfect when combined with their at-the-time fledgling ecommerce startup, Wayfair. When they first heard about fellow Internet company Google's "Click-to-Teleport Chrome browser extension" it gave them additional motivation for continued innovation in the home furnishings industry. After years of experimentation, Wayfair is ready to unveil this ground-breaking technology.
Warranty & Safety
Warranty is void if left in water for more than 15 minutes. Over exposure to water can negatively affect polymer expansion properties and weaken final product. We are not responsible for malfunctioning timers, alarm clocks, or smart phones used in the process of soaking your HyrdoRoom furniture.
DO NOT consume HydroRoom capsules. If ingested seek immediate medical attention.
Keep away from children and pets while expanding.
