Mamoris | a chair that transforms into a helmet

Safety, right under your butt. That’s actually the slogan for this new helmet. But, the designers weren’t joking around when they created Mamoris, a chair that transforms into a helmet. The name comes from the words mamoru (to protect) and isu (chair).

“You never know when a natural disaster like an earthquake might strike you,” says Yuji Ikawa, one of the co-founders. “We thought about how best to implement safety into our daily lives.” Realizing that chairs are not only ubiquitous but that they could also take inspiration from its shape and form, the designers created a helmet that doubles as the backrest of a chair.

The helmet chair does have a lot going for it. Not only does it completely eliminate the need for helmet storage, it’s unique design offers protection to delicate areas like neck and back as well.

Even though it’s been 2 and a half years since the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, safety continues to be a dominant theme in the Japanese design industry, whether it’s with unique helmets or conceptual pieces of furniture to remind us of the threat of radiation.