The SoBe

The story

Some chairs are just chairs. And then there's the chair — the aqua terry lounger on every beach trip, every backyard afternoon, every summer worth remembering since the nineties. They stopped making it. We didn't stop loving it. So it gets reborn — measured to the eighth-inch, rebuilt digitally, and renamed for the two people who grew up in its shadow: SOphia and BEn. The SoBe™.

the original — 20+ years of faithful service
the famous cup holder, measured to the eighth-inch

The motion

One pull and it blooms open. One push and it folds home. The vision, and the engineering model that proves it — side by side.

the vision — from home video to product animation
how it holds up: the vision vs. the kinematic model — same anchored back, same seat-to-sky fold, same scissor gather
frame by frame: back holds still · seat folds home · legs gather · the bundle stands

Mk II — seven invisible upgrades

Improve the metallurgy, never the geometry. Hub bearing sleeves · magnetic carry latch · arm capture clips · SandPod™ feet · hidden cam tensioner · stainless pivots · SwapSkin rail sleeves. If you can see the difference, we failed — you'll only feel it, in year ten, when it still feels new.

the engineering concept, annotated
the original hook joint that taught us everything

SwapSkin™ — one frame, many summers

The sling wraps the rails and closes at the velcro front pocket — so the entire fabric set swaps in minutes, no tools. The frame is forever. The skin is a wardrobe.

Beach Terrythe launch edition — the aqua stripe Sophia & Ben grew up on
Pool Meshquick-dry Phifertex — splash-proof
Sunset Canvasprint-ready — bold patterns, birthday editions
Harbor Flannelbrushed & cozy — October beaches

The road to reborn

Done — reverse-engineered: spec, 3D model, collapse kinematics verified against the family video
Done — named, rendered, campaigned; vendors shortlisted with messages written
Next — quotes to the sewing specialists; frame to powder-coat ($440–840, 3–4 weeks)
Then — Mk II winter build ($1,900–3,400) · SwapSkin wardrobe · maybe, someday, a fleet of ten

Definition of done: Liza sits down, closes her eyes, and says it feels the same.

Explore

🎨 SoBe Studiodesign it with me — chat and watch it change 🪑 3D Chairspin it, fold it 🔧 Engineeringseven invisible upgrades 📖 The Campaignthe full story (PDF)