This is one of those inventions that is so simple it’s brilliant. Better yet, it’s a small business that is keeping at least the sewing part of production local, creating jobs right here in Arizona. Shop small, shop local and a brilliant gadget that improves car travel for all of us – it sounds like a winner!!
The invention is called “The Noggle”. Two Arizona dads figured out how to help their little ones beat the heat while riding in the car…a very hot place if you are sitting in the back seat without any direct air flow. Conversely, I remember freezing in the back seat during the winter-time when I was growing up in Upstate New York. This gadget comes in handy whether it’s hot or cold in your part of the world!! It can redirect whatever temperature air you are using and direct it towards your Sweet Peas.
Forward facing child – you can hang the noggle™ from a seat or let them hold the hose and direct the air flow themselves.
Using the noggle™ with a rear-facing child – it can direct air down their back, where AZ Sweet Peas tend to be the sweatiest!
From the “About Us” section of their website, www.nogglenation.com:
The heat of an Arizona Summer can be merciless. Shortly after putting my son, Hunter in the car he would begin to sweat and quickly become irritated waiting for the air conditioning to reach him in the backseat. This made travel very difficult trying to comfort a fussy child while staying focused driving the vehicle. One afternoon, my good friend Chris and I began looking for a way to beat the heat in the backseat. We worked with various parts and instruments to find a simple system that would allow A/C to be redirected to blow on both Hunter and Chris’s children. After a couple of weeks and many failed designs, we were able to create an effective design that would become the Noggle. Hunter loved it and I was thrilled! No more sweaty and uncomfortable car rides for him and no more dangerous distracted driving for me.
Check out a News Clip from a local television station HERE
We have a couple of SPB mamas who got these for their Sweet Peas – Jennifer was kind enough to share a review for your consideration:
We live in Phoenix. It is hot. In summer, it gets very hot. We have a baby. And a Honda Civic. Our civic has 4 air conditioning vents; all in the front of the passenger compartment. This all adds up to a backseat in the car that gets uncomfortably *hot*. My Sweet Pea is still rear-facing and spent all of last summer stewing in her car seat in a pool of her own sweat. As a result, I spent most of last summer hiding out at home with a baby.
Now she’s a toddler and she likes going places. I didn’t want to deny her the chance to get out and do things. She also drives with me to and from work, so I had to figure out a solution. A new car wasn’t an option so I decided to try the noggle™.
My husband wasn’t sold on the idea of the noggle™. We found them to be bit pricey. However, he finally agreed we should give it a shot this summer. The very first time we tried it, an evening in mid-May, made him a believer. “She’s cold!” he exclaimed as we pulled her out of the car.
Now a couple months and 114F later, when we pull her out of her car seat, she’s generally a bit sweaty. But then again, so am I – it can’t be helped in the desert. I think that she would be less sweaty if I could direct the noggle™ so that it actually blew air in her direction. This is not a design flaw on the part of the noggle™ manufacturer. She’s just afraid of wind, so we face the air nozzle away from her.
What are some things I like? It works! Also, I like how it connects to the vent. It also easily twists off if I have a passenger in the front but no baby in the back.
What don’t I like? We have an 8-foot noggle™ based off the recommendations on their website; but it is a bit long for my car. We are looking to get an SUV in the near future so this may turn out to be a good thing since it will fit well in an SUV. (Plus, the easy twist off feature mentioned above, will make it easy to switch the noggle™ between cars.) For now, the length is a bit annoying. Also, the price. The noggle™ is basically a fancy, pretty-patterned vacuum hose. In fact, a friend made her own noggle-hack from a vacuum hose for about $10. That being said, I would have paid much more to make sure my baby was safe and as comfortable as possible. And frankly, I knew I have no MacGyver tendencies so I wouldn’t be fashioning one out of a straw, some string, and duct tape; and since my husband wasn’t a believer he would have continually bumped it to the bottom of his honey – do list…so it was either go without or pay up. At the end of the day, I can say that I am glad I paid for a device that securely attaches to the vent and near our Sweet Pea so that we can drive worry-free.
All in all, the noggle™ is something I would definitely recommend to any parent in a warm climate.
Jennifer also wanted to pass along a suggestion that reminds her when her Sweet Pea is with her in the car. We have all heard those heart-breaking stories of good parents who forget about the child in the car seat, and then go back to the car and find unspeakable tragedy. She only connects her noggle™ hose to the vent when her Sweet Pea is in the car with her. She is in the habit of disconnecting the noggle™ when they arrive at their destination, which serves as a reminder to take her Sweet Pea out of the car .
So we have some great news for our readers – the folks at the noggle™ have been very generous. They provided us with a coupon code to share with you to make this more affordable for our Sweet Pea Families… thank you so much, the noggle™ crew!!
Coupon Code for 15% off:
sweetpea
Our readers can enter the code “sweetpea” at checkout to get the 15% off. I am so excited for you because they normally only offer 10% off. Take advantage of the bonus while it lasts!