You won't want to miss out on the world-class speakers at TNW Conference this year 🎟 Book your 2 for 1 tickets now! This offer ends on April 22 →

This article was published on April 8, 2016

This app-connected furniture is what happens when cool ideas meet bad decisions


This app-connected furniture is what happens when cool ideas meet bad decisions

With everything else quickly joining the connected realm, it’s only a matter of time before your ratty old couch joins the party.

Lift-Bit isn’t the only connected furniture in town, although it might be the most unique due to its shape-shifting design. To achieve this, each piece of the furniture is uniquely adjustable in order to create nearly any configuration you can dream up — or you can stick with some that are pre-configured.

Of course, there are problems with this level of configurability.

First, you’d presumably need to buy more than one or it’d be the world’s most boring connected device. I know raising and lowering a stool with your iPad could amaze your grandparents, but don’t expect it to go over well at a dinner party.

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

Secondly, it’s expensive — like really expensive. Each piece will set you back a cool €800 ($910). And back to the first point, you’re going to need more than one. If you like the couch configuration from the video, it’s going to set you back a cool €16,800 ($19,107)!

And if we’re doling out that amount of coin for furniture, it better be like laying on a cloud. Instead, it looks like making an inclined mattress in Minecraft; that can’t be comfortable for anything other than sitting.

Currently available for pre-order, Lift-Bit furniture is calling itself the first “digitally transformable sofa,” and while that might be true, it’s really not all that practical unless you’re planning on transforming from a foot stool to a cocktail table.

Me? I’ll pass on Lift-Bit.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.