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After a long, hard day at work or school, there’s nothing like a nice, hot bath. But then again, a lot of people also like to unwind by kicking back and sending a few emails, watching a video or two, or perusing the Internet’s most profound sources of knowledge on their smartphone.

Rather than choose between the two options, some people opt to take their phone into the tub with them. But if you’re so tired you’re craving two indulgences at once, having to grip your phone in your hand while you soak can really put a damper on maximizing your rejuvenating/loafing time.

So instead of doing that job yourself, why not get one of these inflatable bath pillows that double as a smartphone holder to do it for you?

Between their Zero Gravity Armchairs, USB-powered anti-allergy masks, and upside-down laptop desks, we’re not sure if the designers at Thanko are geniuses or madmen. What we do know, though, is that their latest product is something we could actually see ourselves using.

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Officially called the Ofuro Demo Chotto Mottete (a play on words that loosely translates to “Hold this for me in the bath”), the clever product was released earlier this month. The larger of its two pieces is rectangular, with a small circular opening into which a separately inflated arm with a 90-degree curve can be inserted.

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With the pillow placed behind your head, the surface of the arm directly in front of your face is covered with a patch of Velcro. You’ll find another strip of Velcro on the exterior of the waterproof smartphone case that comes bundled with the set, so slip your smartphone into the sleeve, close it up, attach it to the arm, then sit back and enjoy your soak without the need to worry about dropping your phone into the soapy water.

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As shown in the image above, the length of the arm is adjustable. In addition, simply flipping the pillow around will easily allow you to choose whether you want the arm to wrap around you from the right or left.

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▼ We assume this is the environment in which everyone reads RocketNews24, and the face they make while doing so.

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While the pillow is likely to get most of its use in the bathtub, that doesn’t mean it won’t come in handy in other rooms of the house, too. After all, any bath pillow can also double as a normal pillow, and the smartphone holder will still work even after you’ve toweled yourself off and blow-dried your hair.

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As this video from Thanko demonstrates, the holder has a remarkably strong grip.

That’s good to know, because it means you can rest easy, knowing that the pillow won’t be dropping your smartphone directly onto your face if you doze off.

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The Ofuro Demo Chotto Mottete is available here directly from Thanko for 2,480 yen (US$21). Customers have their choice of white, pink, or gray, and the included case will fit smartphones of up to 160 millimeters (6.3 inches) in length and 82 millimeters (3.2 inches) in width.

Oh, and just in case you’re one of those suave sophisticates who’s still rocking a flip phone, you’ll be happy to know there’s nothing stopping you from removing the arm and using the Ofuro Demo Chotto Mottete like a regular old pillow.

▼ Thanks, Thanko!

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Source: Niconico News, Thanko
Images: Thanko (edited by RocketNews24)