Chuppi the Color-Changing Light by TADO and Mathmos

Chuppi by TADO and Mathmos

Last month, this giant Lite Brite was my most popular post. This month, let’s swim across the pond and make waves with light blighty! Allow me to introduce Chuppi, a “customizable art toy and wireless color-changing light” designed by the UK’s TADO [interviewed] and produced by Mathmos, inventors of the lava lamp.

Chuppi by TADO and Mathmos

Chuppi is a portable, rechargeable character and also a color-changing light with a cycle of soothing colors. (Alternately, Chuppi can be tuned to just one color, for instance, green.) If you’d like to use Chuppi as a nightlight, it’s got an on-board sleep-timer of 30 minutes. (Alternately, if you’d like to use Chuppi as a partylight, you can override this timer and party til you crash, or, up to six hours on a full charge, whichever comes first.)

Chuppi by TADO and Mathmos

Fans of the Sheffield-based design duo, TADO, will appreciate the two sticker sheets that arrive in Chuppi’s box. TADO clearly had a lot of fun providing a combination of facial features that can be turned into one of eighteen designated characters, or, combined for infinite possibilities.

Chuppi by TADO and Mathmos

From TADO:

We wanted to make something that could be used either as it comes, or as a platform to be customized, with the added dimension of it being illuminated. The stickers we created also allow people to have some fun and get creative without having to break out the pens and paints! We worked really closely with MATHMOS to come up with the characters shape and pose, a true collaborative project in every sense of the world and we are delighted with the results.

Chuppi by TADO and Mathmos

I like the idea of adding function to a designer toy, and six hours of color-changing light effects make for a good desktop buddy when working late into the night. Mathmos ships Chuppi with a desktop charging base (or, as I like to call it, a flying saucer) and a converter for electrical outlets outside of the UK.

Chuppi by TADO and Mathmos

At £30.00 or ~ $47 USD, it’s a little spendy for a nightlight, but I’d counter that the design input from TADO, the Chuppi’s portability, and the long-lasting wireless light effects, justify the bottom line. And speaking of lines, you could string a bunch of Chuppis together through the top hook and make the ultimate cute holiday garland. My only nitpick is that the included stickers don’t adhere to the Chuppi’s curvature perfectly, though I guess this encourages you to switch ’em up. Pick up a Chuppi, and see for yourself here!

Thank you to Miss Cakehead for sending me a Chuppi to check out. I am now at one with Chuppi.