The Origins of FLYTE: Levitating Products That Add Wonder to Your Home
The Origins of FLYTE: Levitating Products That Add Wonder to Your Home
At zen minded, we love home decor items that combine craftsmanship, form, function and ingenuity. FLYTE’s gravity-defying products tick all those boxes and offer an extra unique quality: a touch of magic. After all, levitating lights seem more at home in a sci-fi film rather than the living room of a suburban semi-detached – until now.
The team at FLYTE says they’ve “set the lightbulb free”. So where did this company come from and how do these high-flying products operate?
The beginning of FLYTE
FLYTE’s levitating light was invented by Simon Morris, an American living in Stockholm. Morris worked in display design, using magnets to create floating displays for products such as Nike trainers.
A fascination with magnetic and wireless power transmission combined with long, dark winter nights in Sweden is the perfect motivation to get creative with lighting. After years of research, Morris designed FLYTE, which means “float” in Swedish. What started as a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2015 has grown to include everything from levitating planters to timepieces. The brand’s award-winning floating lights were chosen by TIME Magazine for its Best Inventions of 2016.
The secret of FLYTE
Levitating light bulbs are completely scientific creations, but all the best science has an element of wonder. Unlike the average light bulb, Flyte bulbs are powered wirelessly. Electromagnets lock them into place and suspend them in the air via induction without the need for batteries. It's a green alternative to the average bulb, and combined with energy-efficient LEDs, FLYTE bulbs can last up to 11 years if used for 12 hours a day.
Each product uses sustainably sourced oak, ash and walnut for the bases. To turn the light on and off, simply touch the surface of the base. Voila, your light will gently rotate and illuminate the space with a soft, warm glow. The effortless motion has a calming effect and is sure to generate wonder when you’re entertaining guests.
The best FLYTE products
FLYTE’s levitating technology is now used for a wide range of floating objects that blend modern and retro design with the wow factor. We’ve hand-picked some of our favourite FLYTE products available at zen minded.
FLYTE Nikola
This sleek minimalist levitating light bulb is named after the pioneering inventor Nikola Tesla, whose research into wireless technology made the invention of FLYTE possible. Its rich-toned walnut base and slim Marconi bulb make this a vintage-style lamp with a twist – a futuristic rotating twist! If you prefer Edison-style bulbs, take a look at the FLYTE Buckminster, Royal and Manhattan lamps.
LYFE Planter
Take your indoor planting to new heights with the LYFE planter. As the plant effortlessly hovers in place, light reaches each part of your plant equally. An innovative hidden reservoir provides drainage. Not only will your plant thrive, but it will make a stunning centrepiece as its 12 geodesic sides produce different shades while it rotates in mid-air.
FLYTE Buda Ball
FLYTE’s Buda Ball isn’t like other stress balls. It has hard surfaces and is not meant to be touched, but its calming effect is instant. The floating ball can be placed horizontally or vertically for an utterly hypnotic and time-stopping visual experience that aids meditation.
If you feel your life could benefit from the uplifting effect of a levitating product, browse our complete FLYTE collection.
