How do you stop baby bowls from slipping and sliding or even worse being picked up and the contents being emptied all over the floor? There are three main ways to solve this problem:
1. Silicone based bowls and plates.
These are standard bowls and plates but have a grippy material permanently attached to the bottom. These are ok but do not really grip that well. They can be quite expensive and some can only be hand washed. They do not hold the bowl or plate down at all.
2. Suction.
There are bowls with built in suction and separate units that attach to your existing bowl/plates. The suction systems vary enormously in quality and the aim is that the bowl is held completely down eliminating spillage. This is fine in theory but the problems start as soon as you try to use them. Our research suggests that many users complain that they simply do not work. Others say that they need pumping several times to create enough suction. Our tests verify both of these complaints but the results do vary between products. The difficulty we found was that when pumping the air out of the suction cup it was very difficult and impractical to do when the bowl or plate is full of food. We also found that babies didn't want to sit and wait patiently while we pumped their food up and down in front of them until it was firmly held in place. Nearly all of the suction systems lost suction during the babies meal and some to the point that they completely came loose and toppled off defeating the purpose completely. There is also a moral question for parents and carers to ask themselves here. If the suction cup does manage to completely hold the bowl in place, what are we teaching our young children? Is it really teaching them how to eat?
3. Gecko Grippers.
Gecko Grippers are a revolution in the baby market. They are highly sticky, flexible mats that are designed to hold any smooth object to any smooth surface. They do not use any adhesive whatsoever, leave no marks whatsoever and last indefinitely. We have taken these through the strictest testing possible, comparing them to the other options discussed above and they outperform them all. They are incredibly grippy little things. Only 3mm thick and 12 cm diameter but can hold a solid metal 2Kg weight to the ceiling. How is this possible? The science can be discussed in another blog post but for now lets think about baby bowls and plates. Gecko Grippers are the best all-round solution for when your baby / toddler starts weaning / self-feeding. They will hold the bowl or plate securely but not completely as a prolonged peeling action will release the bowl. Only 3 of our 10 babies realised that they could eventually lift the bowl and we had to sit and watch them as they put every ounce of effort in to do it. In the real world this would buy parents and carers the time they need to intervene if they chose to. An important thing to bear in mind is that most standard plates and bowls have a small ridge on the underneath. Depending on the size of the ridge, this means that the surface contact and therefore the grip is limited. I.e. the more surface contact, more more grip. This is not normally a problem though as the Gecko Gripper sits inside this on most bowls and plates. In the washing tests, the Gecko Grippers also won. A very quick rinse in lukewarm, soapy water and any food on the mat simply slipped off. It's interesting to note that the properties of the Gecko Grippers completely changed when wet. They became very slippery instead of grippy, weird. When dry, the Gecko Gripper really did stick just as well as when it was used for the first time. All in all, a remarkably simple yet fantastic solution to the age old problem of baby bowls!
A common question for all who are tired of hearing irritating banging and slamming cupboards and drawers.
You have two main options:
1. Damper / Piston type:
Soft close dampers are by far the most professional, high quality and quietest option. Months have been spent developing the "Ultimate" soft close damper. Our research told us that only the very best smart synthetic oil should be used in conjunction with the highest grade steel springs. The quality of the materials we have used in this soft close piston are second to none. This means that we can guarantee our Ultimate soft close dampers for over 100,000 uses which equates to over 40 years of service in the average UK kitchen and ensure the best operation of any equivalent damper on the market.
Ultimate soft close dampers are easy to fit and come with the holder and screws for each piston. It is important to temporarily hold the damper in place in order to find out the best position for your particular doors this can be done easily using blue-tack. Once the optimal position is found, the piston itself can either be slotted into a hole that you drill in the unit carcass or placed into the holder that simply screws into place.
2. Adhesive Rubber Bumpers / Buffers:
If you want an easy life we have a simple to fit, yet very effective method! We have a range to suit every budget and situation. Our Standard dome shape adhesive rubber buffers / bumpers are very good and will help a great deal. However, we offer two further options. Advanced and Advanced Plus. These are the "creme de la creme" of soft close bumpers / buffers. Uniquely designed with a scientific approach in mind at all times during their development, these bumpers are made from the softest polyurethane you could imagine. They absorb incredible amounts of energy, dramatically quieting the sound of the cupboard door closing.
As a very happy customer of ours just said after buying his second lot of Advanced Plus, "Now I just have to stop wandering around the place opening and closing drawers and doors with a stupid look of delight on my face, my other half thinks I've lost the plot. Thank you once again for a wonderful product, I'm sure I'll be back for more".
Enjoy peace and quiet with our easy to fit, high quality and super effective soft close door and drawer buffers.
Hello again Phil and thank you for the free gift.Just to let you know these rubber bumpers are as I said. "A great cost effective help for Tinnitus sufferers."People tend to slam cupboard doors especially in kitchen and bathroom areas with no idea of the effect a little door slap can do to a ringing brain.Whinging nagging or complaining never helps, just spreads the misery and makes you look like a wimp.Your rubber bumpers should be available on the NHS, complete with a big label saying, "NOT TO BE TAKEN"Now I just have to stop wandering around the place opening and closing drawers and doors with a stupid look of delight on my face, my other half thinks I've lost the plot.Thank you once again for a wonderful product, I'm sure I'll be back for more.James.
Gecko Grippers are almost available. We are in the final stages of production and will soon have a You Tube commercial to promote the positive use and diversity of the product.
Ideas for Gecko Grippers range from replacing blue tack for holding paper in place to a kitchen aid when mixing with bowls just don't want to stay still!
Leave comments on our Facebook page and let us know your ideas. Just think... Gecko Grippers can hold virtually anything smooth, dry and flat. What could you use them for?
First Post June 15 2014, 0 Comments
Welcome to Proper Design! We are still in the process of developing our website but are too excited to leave it hidden away!
We've got some incredible developments that we're working on and are sourcing manufacturers to produce a completely new product; Gecko Grippers.
Why not check into our Facebook page, feel free to make a post, like us, share us and you can grab some exciting offers from free samples to discount codes.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Proper-Design/642427739141392?ref=hl
All the very best and thanks for looking,
Phil Roper
