What Will They Think of Next?: The Speaker Pillow

Music has been incorporated into almost everything these days, especially thanks to the iPod. But this is the first pillow I've seen that promises comfort through music, not design.

Called the Sound Oasis Sleep Therapy pillow, the cushioned pillow comes with a pair of thin speakers smothered inside the filling. Connect an audio device via 3.5 mm plug, than enjoy the immersive tunes (or any audio sounds) as you catch some slumber or relaxation. If you just want to use the pillow as a regular sleep aid, the speakers can be silenced and/or removed. Then, slide your head onto the soft, 20 x 25" surface.

The pillow is machine or hand washable (of course, remove the speakers first!), and sells for US$50.

I'm a bit skeptical about resting my head in the middle of two speakers. The sound will likely be similar to if you were wearing headphones; but the feel as your ear or the back of your head touches the tiny speaker might not exactly spell comfortable therapy. Granted, you can set your noggin dead centre, in between the speakers; just don't roll over onto one! Plus, the pillow's use is likely more for relaxation than it is for getting your nightly eight hours of sleep: who wants to sleep with music going the entire time anyway?

Regardless of what you use it for, the speaker pillow is just evidence of yet another place where we can immerse ourselves in music. Now if only they'd come up with the universal remote control blanket, I'd be in heaven!