The Story
Eric Hoffman was inspired by his time living in Melbourne, Australia and traveling the world.
Everything from his journeys; the long flights, hostel hopping, couch surfing, dawn patrols, music festival campouts and people he's met, has contributed to the design and functionality of each product.
Returning to the U.S. he moved from California to Austin, Texas. He was working a corporate sales job and began thinking about his travels, the highs, the lows, and how he couldn't wait to travel again. So he decided to create a travel products company.
The first product he created was the Loungaroo travel blanket because he had brought one with him on his trip to Australia and saw how much he used it. There was room for innovation of travel blankets so he began prototyping.
(Picture: One of the first blanket prototypes flying 2 red eye flights from New York to Dubai via Amsterdam January 2016 )
He realized the first material was too big to pack away.
After walking through countless fabric stores, he finally found the best material to work with. A soft and stretchy polyester spandex with brushed knit soft fleece on the inside.
He then discovered that he could stuff away the blanket into pouch when pushed inside out, and added a reversible zipper.
In the prototyping phase of the blanket, he saw the self-containing pouch concept could also work on a sweatshirt with the new material. He was hesitant to start investing in another product, but decided to do so at the urging of his brother Mark.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign for the blanket, he went to China to meet with his manufacturer. He brought the sweatshirt with him and on the long flight came up with the idea for an adjustable strap on the pillow, replacing the need for a U-shaped neck pillow.
"Loungaroo is not just for travel." He said, "I find that I use my gear even more at home. With comfortable innovative products, you can lounge anywhere!"
His goal is to inspire people to travel with confidence, and to connect with others.
