Northstar Unplugged #008. Charles Hall: inventor of the waterbed & holder of 40+ patents including the solar shower and inflatable kayak
In 1967, while a student at San Francisco State University, Charles Hall designed a 300 lb gelatin-filled chair for his masters thesis. This concept eventually evolved into the modern day water bed. He has also designed and earned over 40 patents for other products, from inflatable kayaks to solar showers. In this episode, we'll hear from Charles about his various designs, why a water bed might provide a better night's sleep than a traditional mattress, and how Charles has recently revamped the water bed into a version for today, called AFLOAT.
Charles’s current companies:
Advanced Elements- inflatable kayaks
Afloat- redesigned waterbed
Articles/videos/podcasts about Charles:
“Meet the Man who Invented the waterbed after the ‘60s ‘Summer of Love’”- Business Insider
Curiosity-ness: Inventor of the Waterbed, Charles Hall (video)
The Squishiest, Sweetest Sleep The New York Times
A new wave in waterbeds: Introducing the afloat CBS- video + article
Meet the Bainbridge Island Man who Invented the waterbed (King 5)- video
“Who Made That Water Bed?” The New York Times
The Groovy Origins of the Waterbed (YouTube video)
The History of Waterbeds (YouTube video)
Trailblazers with Walter Isaacson podcast (S3: EP6)
Waterbed- Wikipedia
Sleep tracker he uses:
His book recommendation:
Bio:
- Born Miami Beach, FL
- High school in St. Louis, MS
- Attended Univ. of Miami
- Transferred to SF State Univ. (BA in history)
- After graduation, found his true interest was in product design, entered industrial design dept, SF State University; received MA in product design
- Developed modern day water bed while a grad student
- Waterbed first showing was at cannery art gallery in San Francisco, Aug 1968
- Started Waterbed manufacturing and retail company (Inner Space Environments). Grew to 32 retail stores throughout CA
- Applied for and received US patent on basic waterbed concept. Patent validity upheld in 9th district US federal court. Judgment against one of largest infringers exceeded $6M
- Founded Basic Designs company that designed and manufactured camping, outdoor, and sailboat equipment. Later sold the company to division of K2
- Cofounder of Advanced Elements, design and manufacturing company for inflatable kayaks and other outdoor equipment
- Cofounder of Hall Flotation, manufacturers of AFLOAT waterbeds, the reimagined improved and updated modern day waterbed
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