Koa : The Easy Way to Change a Duvet Cover

I’ve been chatting with the guys at Koa since about this time last year when we found each other on Twitter. I was intrigued by their plans to launch a new product that would apparently revolutionise the act of making the bed. At the time, it was all top secret and they wouldn’t divulge any details to me but gradually over time I managed to coax some information out of them about their plans to design an easy way to change a duvet cover.

Yesterday, Ben and Luke, the founders of Koa, finally launched their long-awaited Kickstarter campaign to fund the production of their innovative new bedding design. They are designers who love finding creative fixes to daily frustrations that are often overlooked but can be solved through clever, thoughtful design.

Between them, they have a combined 14 years of experience working in innovation & product management for leading brands such as Intel, Joseph Joseph, Haier, Samsung, Unilever, Honeywell and many startups. They have designed and developed 32 innovative products including the Titan Compactor Bin from Joseph Joseph which I previously reviewed.

We think the little things are really the big things. And we believe that even the most mundane moments can be lifted through clever, thoughtful design. By reinventing accepted chores, we can really make people’s day.

Ben & Luke, Founders of Koa

I’ve just checked in on the Kickstarter campaign and 39 hours after it launched it has already smashed through its £25k funding goal. And it’s easy to see why. As soon as I learned of their plans to design an easy way to change a duvet cover, I knew that these guys would create something not only beautiful, but also extremely practical and functional.

Based on the results of a survey conducted with 150 people, Ben and Luke learned that for most people, changing the duvet cover was a nightmare. Slow stuffing, getting tangled, heavy shaking and fiddly buttons were all problems that most people experienced whilst carrying out this necessary but frustrating and energy-sapping chore. The majority of people wanted an easy way to change a duvet cover.

To solve the many bug bears, Koa has launched a new duvet cover design that features a central zip running down the front of the cover and one at the base. This allows you to lay the duvet cover flat on the bed, undo the central zip, lay the duvet on top and easily fit the duvet inside with minimal effort.

No need to worry about comfort when it comes to the central zip either. There is an extra fabric flap that discreetly hides the zip so you won’t feel it or see it. 

In addition, easy access corner ties hold the duvet in place and stop it from bunching. This is music to my ears. One of my absolute pet hates is when the duvet slides down inside the cover and leaves a baggy empty flap at the top. I just can’t deal with that.

Even the pillows have been thoughtfully redesigned so that the opening runs along the long edge of the pillow case. No more violent shaking to get the pillow down inside the cover or having to shove your entire arm down inside the case. It all just makes so much sense and makes you wonder why it’s taken so long for someone to solve these problems.

Koa really is an easy way to change a duvet cover, and is a perfect example of universal design. The whole family is now capable of helping with this chore including kids and the elderly or less able-bodied members of a household.

Not only is this an easy way to change a duvet cover, but it is also much quicker as Ben and Luke proved with their attempt to break the current World Record. They proved that with Koa, it takes just 26.5 seconds to change the duvet cover. What would you do with all that extra time you would save? Sleep maybe?

The cover is available in white or slate. I would imagine the white version would be perfect for hotels. Whilst studying for my A-Levels I worked as a chambermaid in a local hotel and it was absolutely exhausting having to change multiple duvet covers a day.

For the pattern and colour lovers amongst you, Koa has collaborated with Kitty McCall, is a graphic print designer with over 14 years experience in the creative industry. Her signature images play with colour, overlaid pattern and shape.

She has designed two exclusive patterns for Koa: Landscape and Fragment. Luckily for me, both these patterns would work perfectly in my bedroom, but especially landscape.

These are without doubt some of the best designed duvet covers I have seen. I am so happy for Ben and Luke that the project was funded so quickly and I can’t wait to watch the rest of their journey as they bring their products to market.

So what do you think? Do you hate changing the duvet cover as much as I do? What do you hate most about it? And do you think that Ben and Luke’s design solves these issues? Let me know in the comments below.