Air conditioners do wonders to help stave off the brutal heat of the summer months. They don’t do any favors for your back, though. For some reason, and for far too long, air conditioners have been heavy chunks of awkwardly shaped metal that practically required a body builder to install safely and without the risk of endangering anyone’s toes. (Or head, for that matter.)
It’s obvious that in creating air conditioning units for the average apartment dweller or small home owner, ergonomics and design weren’t taken into account. Noria’s laser focus on their many problems completely reinvigorates the idea. The result? A lightweight, attractive air conditioning unit that weighs in at just 30 pounds and is 40% slimmer than the average model, letting users keep their view even when installed. Still, it’s no pushover in the cooldown game: at 5,000 BTUs, it can effectively cool a 160 square foot room without leaving pockets of warm air like others.
Installation is an, ahem, breeze, too: A lightweight frame is first placed in a window to avoid the awkwardness and strain of a heavier unit, making it a one-person job. A single knob makes it dead simple to control, while an iOS or Android apps lets users connect with Bluetooth (No Wi-Fi yet!) and get a little fancier with schedules. Interested backers can grab a Noria for $299, $100 off its eventual retail price, and expect it to be shipped March 2017. Noria is looking for $250,000 by June 4, 2016.
Noria is one of those products where everything that was done in creating it makes complete sense. There aren’t very many people who couldn’t identify with the pain — both physically and mentally — of installing an air conditioning unit and Noria intelligently finds that pain point and does a 180° — arguably resulting it a pleasant experience. Other products only play nice with already installed air conditioners and central cooling systems, leaving many urbanites high and dry. The team behind the Noria has tackled the problem head-on — and are duly getting recognized for it.