Outdoor furniture is a lot more complex nowadays than at any point in the past. People are no longer happy with just ‘another design’ that offers comfort. Growing awareness regarding the health of the planet and the fact that most gadgets that we carry around today need constant charging, and consumers want outdoor décor that taps into alternate energy and charges up their smartphones and tablets with ease. The spread of solar power has meant that designs like the SOFT Rocker that we found, are now more popular than ever before.

Developed by a team of architecture students at MIT, lead by Professor Sheila Kennedy, the SOFT Rocker taps into solar power world using the photovoltaic panels on top, by storing it using a 12-ampere hour battery. The Rocker can be mass-customized for each location by taking into account the latitude and the angle of the sun.

Looking a lot like a leaf, it offers not just a stylish and ergonomic design, but also ample protection from sunlight during the day. It’s both an aesthetic and a practical. You can simply hook up your laptop or tablet for charge instead of worrying about finding a socket, or you can add a glow to the evenings and the late night parties on campus with its in-built luminescent lighting.

Beautiful during the day and brilliant at nights, this is all about kicking back in eco-friendly style.