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Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeWe've seen our fair share of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/solar-powered-cell-phone-charging-station-pops-up-in-new-yorks-bryant-park/">solar charging stations pop up</a> throughout NYC, but they aren't nearly as prevalent as we'd like them to be. Luckily, there's a new contraption in town that we hope becomes a part of the fabric of our city. Part bench, part USB charger, the <a href="http://www.soofa.co/getsoofa">Soofa</a> is a sleek new innovation that soaks up sun in the daylight hours and holds a charge through the night, providing a welcome place to rest one's bum while charging phones, tablets and computers for free.1
Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeIt's clear that Soofa is revolutionizing the city bench with its 30W tempered glass solar panel and a 12V, 8Ah battery, roughly the same power of any traditional indoor outlet.2
Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeWe spotted the Soofa at this year's <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/worlds-first-smog-tasting-street-cart-serves-up-pollution-as-sweet-meringues/">IDEAS CITY Festival</a> on the Bowery, where we happily took a break to load off and charge up.3
Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeThe makers behind Soofa designed the useful structure simply and efficiently for any individual, municipality or organization to install from a <a href="http://www.soofa.co/request-a-cad-model">provided CAD model</a>.4
Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeTwo weatherproof USB units allow two individuals to charge at one, while seated atop its FSC certified hard wood slatted bench.5
Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeAnyone can also "adopt a Soofa bench" to memorialize a loved one, or as a gift for any special occasion, and they've also instituted a corporate sponsorship program for companies to help improve local communities.6
Soofa's solar bench lets people charge electronics on city streets for freeSoofa is made in the USA and the woman-owned business is currently in talks with the City of New York, with hopes of bringing it to other cities across the country as well. Though with such a forward-thinking, useful design, it's hard to believe that this wouldn't be an easy sell.7
