Canadian brand Ibboo is on a mission to disrupt the travel accessories category in travel retail with its Complete travel pillow set.
The set, which has a RRP of US$60, centres on a memory foam travel pillow which is designed to hold all the weight of the wearer’s head and offer all-round support. A lumbar cushion is included along with a carry bag, which transforms into an arm pocket, an eye mask and ear plugs. The whole set fits into a 20 x 30cm compression bag. Ibboo products for children will be available next year.
Ibboo Complete is available in North America on various ecommerce platforms and in selected travel retail locations in Canada. However, the brand is intent on extending its footprint beyond North America and will open an office in Shenzhen, China in 2020.
Ibboo President and Co-Founder Philippe Dallaire said: “We aim to challenge the status quo in the field of travel accessories and really feel that our product will pave the way in the future of travel pillows. We want to disrupt by offering something new and different; a product which is designed for travellers but is already attracting the attention of athletes.”
Dallaire launched Ibboo with his brother Simon in 2018. Its original name was Igloo but trademark problems had the young entrepreneurs opting for Ibboo. The name, as Dallaire pointed out, sounds the same in English and French and is very close to the French word hibou for owl.
Their decision to develop a travel pillow was prompted by comments from their father after a particularly uncomfortable plane journey.
“The idea came from a real experience that reflected a daily problem for travellers all over the world,” Dallaire said.
“The primary goal was to solve the problem of the support for the head since our research indicated that no pillow on the market could procure real 360 degrees support.”
The Ibboo set’s development was phased, with the first ‘product’, made of pieces of wood, towel and rope, finished in November 2015. A second model was developed with the help of the brothers’ grandmother and they later collaborated with a professional designer, Josée Proulx, to finalise the set.
“We believe 2020 is going to be a big year for us,” Dallaire said. “We are looking to develop the Chinese market and are already in discussions with distributors there and in other countries including New Zealand.”
He underlined the importance of travel retail as a “unique way to connect with future travellers and enhance the quality of their journey”.
“We believe that the best travel experiences start with the right products in the hands of the right people. Because of travel retail, Ibboo is optimising the comfort of passengers right from the start,” Dallaire added.
