We’re all boxed in.
The pod — a small, free-standing box or space that is typically soundproof and designed to fit just one or two people — is taking over our offices, airports and other public spaces.
Privacy pods that allow you to meet or talk on the phone without others overhearing have been installed in the offices of companies ranging from tech start-ups to large media companies. Office pods that offer a private, internet-enabled space for you to work are also emerging at airports like LaGuardia in New York, which recently got seven of them. And there are now even nap pods like those made by MetroNaps, which rotate to get you into an ergonomic sleep position and then play you gentle music as you try to catch some Zs on the job.
The growth in pods has been rapid: Back in 2015, only one company (Framery) exhibited a pod at NeoCon, which showcases ideas and innovation in the commercial design space. This year, there were more than a dozen companies at the show, including Steelcase, a 105-year-old furniture company; Muraflex, a Canadian manufacturer of privacy solutions; and Jabbrrbox, which offers a technology-enabled pod.
One reason you’re seeing companies put pods in their public spaces is that the people using the space are desperate for silence and privacy. For “hundreds of thousands of years” the human body has needed silence, and yet “urbanization is putting pressure on our lifestyle in an ‘unnatural’ way,’” says Eric Gervet, a partner at global strategy and management consulting firm A.T. Kearney. “The pod is simply a way to revert back to what our body is used to.” Indeed, fully 85% of Americans say it is important to be able to have times when they are completely alone and away from anyone else, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
And yet, we are increasingly around others. Not only are we spending more hours at work than in decades past, but we can’t just shut our office doors while we’re there: By some estimates, 70% of offices are now open plan. (Pod-maker Zenbooth tells Moneyish that their solutions are “fighting back against to the open office to make it more tolerable.”) We also travel more for business , which often means more time in crowded airports, where once again we can’t work in private. And even when we’re technically alone, we’re often connected to others via technology: Americans now spend most of their waking hours looking at screens.
Another reason behind the rise of the pod? An increased focus on wellness, says Jeremy Jennings co-founder and president of Jabbrrbox. “There are a lot of introverts in the world that need a place to go and think and recharge,” he says. And even those who aren’t may want to meditate, he adds, noting the popularity of apps like Calm and Headspace. That won’t work well in all pods -- many have clear glass doors where people can see you in them, -- but others are designed with shades and other things that can make the space more private.
Productivity is another factor -- at least for companies putting them in their offices. These pods make it “more convenient for their employees to work more, thereby increasing productivity,” explains senior business analyst, Megan Hanna at FitSmallBusiness.com. And bringing in a few extra pods is likely cheaper than redoing your office or public space layout to create more private spots.
But these pods aren’t cheap -- most cost at least a few thousand dollars, and some are well above that; MetroNaps nap pod costs nearly $13,000, for example. But it’s still typically cheaper than renovating an office to create more space, and it offers flexibility in the future, as you can move the pod where you need it.