Beach chairs redesigned for better comfort, easier portability, practicality and most importantly produced to be fully eco-friendly.
How it all started…
It all started while I was spending a summer in Lima, Peru. Having lived in Canada for 18 years, one of the things I missed the most was being able to get in the car and drive to the beach where I could forget about everything and spend a relaxing day. A group of friends and I organised going to one of the nearest beaches on a perfect sunny day and I was so excited for it. We were getting ready and I realised they were all carrying these cute round beach bags with them. At first, I didn’t really understand what these were for and didn’t pay much attention to it. I thought they might just be cute beach bags where they carried their towels and other stuff. As soon as we laid our beach towels down, they all settled comfortably on their balls and it all quickly made sense. These are the lightest, most comfy beach chairs EVER! As the day went by, they all soaked the sun perfectly angled on their beach chairs while I was uncomfortably moving around every couple of minutes. I immediately understood: everyone who loves to be outdoors needs one of these. I made it my personal goal to be able to bring such a practical and useful accessory to my new home, Australia and making it fully eco-friendly.
Aussie life mostly happens outdoors and the beach culture is something that still has me so infatuated with this country. Given such a lifestyle, I couldn’t understand why such an innovative product did not exist here. Being a Bondi local I have honestly not been able to enjoy my time at the beach if I don’t have my Turtle-Ball with me. We are excited to finally be able to share a product that has become even more amazing by making it Eco-Friendly in every aspect of production.
Why Turtle-Ball?
Beach & camping chairs come in many different styles and sizes, so there’s something perfect for everyone. Most people often go to Kmart to get the standard reclinable beach chair or to Bunnings to get a cheap camping chair as these are easy options. They know they work, they know how much they cost and it’s simple. However, metal beach or camping chairs you find at Kmart or Bunnings are heavy, uncomfortable to transport/carry and they are often made from plastic and metal. This isn’t good considering it means they have shorter lifespans, which means you’ll need to buy a new chair once yours breaks or rusts. Once they rip or the metal rusts they end up in the bin and people often just go get themselves a new one which can end up being a costly option.
Turtle-Ball is a long lasting product that will last years if taken care of and it’s light as a feather, super comfortable and it is machine washable and doubles as a beach bag or backpack so you can have all you need on one shoulder. There are reclining chairs, folding chairs, lounge chairs, long chairs but there’s nothing like Turtle-Ball in the practicality, quality, eco-friendliness and comfortability it offers.
Our fabric is made from 100% recycled Ocean Bound Plastic and it’s OBP certified. The process consists of the collection of plastic, the recycling process and finally the production of the fabric. The OBP Certification Program is designed to encourage the removal of Ocean Bound Plastic from the environment by adding value in effectively collecting and treating it before it reaches the ocean.
The filling in our Turtle-Balls is 100% biobased and contains no nasty additives. Production of the filling results in 80% fewer greenhouse gases than traditional polystyrene. However, the beans are perfect for outdoor beanbags. There is no problem if the beans get wet. Ambient conditions will not cause them to degrade.
As the founder of Turtle-Ball I have always said ‘this is not something new’. Different designs of what is now Turtle-Ball have existed in other countries and under other names. However, the products that were out there were not in any way eco-friendly. This was a key factor for us, we really wanted to make this an environmentally friendly product that would make a difference. We wanted the fabric to be made from recycled materials.
Plastic was of particular interest to us because it’s such a latent issue, we are producing so much plastic and we are not recycling enough of it which has resulted in catastrophic consequences for the environment. Most importantly, we have seen the repercussions of plastic being dumped into the ocean and the impact it's had on our marine life has been brutal. We have watched all kinds of animals being washed up to the shores of all coasts being killed by plastic in all forms. There’s a specific video of a sea turtle getting a plastic straw removed from its nostril where you can see how inhumane, selfish and reckless we are being to the planet. It is such a painful thing to watch that it made us really want to jump into action.
The Practical Aspects of Turtle-Ball:
We wanted to make Turtle-Ball the most comfy of all but we also wanted it to be a practical accessory to bring with you anywhere you want to take it. Turtle-Ball is a bag within a bag. The main compartment contains an inside bag that holds the plant based filling. This means you can take the inside bag out and throw your Turtle-Ball in the washing machine. It’s that easy! It also means you can open the main compartment and put your towel, suncream, shorts in there and the filling will be safely contained. You also have an outside pocket to put your important things like your phone, keys, cards etc. and a bottle holder so you can stay refreshed. Ultimately, you can think of the Turtle-Ball as your multifunctional beach chair that doubles as a bag.
Some of Turtle-Ball everyday uses:
Turtle-Ball is an ideal beach chair, back rest while having a picnic at the park, comfortable back and/or head support while sunbathing around the pool, perfect to sit around in an outdoor festival, camping chair, watching the sunset in a park or on the rocks by the beach, in any outdoor situation the possibilities are endless.
We have discovered that Turtle-Ball owners also love to use it around the house. Using it in the living room to add a seat to watch TV when having people over, around a coffee table when having cheese and wine, as a foot rest in the study, to sit up in bed for breakfast when having a lazy morning. It is a very multiuse item that becomes a must once you try it!