If you’ve visited the library this year you must have noticed the white alien-type things behind the new fish tank.

Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Those ‘things’ are actually called ‘Energy Pods’ and are produced by a company called Metronaps.

Metronaps is a company dedicated to providing “napping areas” for those in professional settings, such as work, schools, hospitals, etc. Seeing them at different college campuses when redesigning the library, the administrators thought it would be a good chance to utilize the Social, Emotional, and Learning (SEL) funds, as they carried a balance over from the previous year.

Now if you’re like me, for an estimated price tag of $10,000, you’re wondering how exactly they work and what they can do. According to HHS Librarian Mrs. Krista Dunn, Harvard studies talk about how beneficial 15 – 20 minute power naps are for the brain and body. But ongoing studies with the EnergyPod show how it can be used as a place to take a break from the world in isolation.

For example, for those who may have had a long night and couldn’t get as much sleep as they may have wanted or, someone who has anxiety and needs a calm place to steady their emotions. The EnergyPod would be your medicine.

Now to actually use the EnergyPod you would have to consult with Mrs.Dunn or one of the counselors. In addition, there is a google form needed to be filled out before and after the use of the pod. In this form, there are easy questions asking about your emotions, how you feel, your day, and what you’re using the EnergyPod for.

Now for the good stuff… reviewing.

Let’s start off with the pods themselves. They’re a lot less intimidating than they appear, and actually easy to use. It can move backward and forwards and you control it with a set of buttons located within the pod itself. 

With a total of 12 buttons, you have three to control the volume of the music (one to mute completely), one to change the music, a button for the vibrations within the seat, a stop, and start button, 2 buttons to control the tilt of the chair and a button to control the light. In my opinion, the light doesn’t do much, as it’s located behind your head and it’s not bright enough to emit light that would make a difference.

But, it’s cute.

Luckily enough, Mrs.Dunn (live laugh love her) actually let me experience the Energy Pods firsthand to get a better grasp on the concept and feel of them. After filling out the form, she gave me directions on how it works and how to not…break it.

There is a shutter that you have to close yourself, which makes it easier for you to leave and come.

When looking at the design of Pod, it mostly looked uncomfortable to me because of the deep dip that was in the chair but, very surprisingly, it was comfortable. Now that I think about it, the more time I spent in the chair, the more I felt myself sinking in and appreciating the awkwardness.

First thing I noticed was the vibrations in the seat. It’s what made my muscles relax, really. They aren’t strong vibrations by any means but, they are noticeable and contribute a big part to the experience that is the EnergyPod.

Another large part of the experience is the music. It was relaxing and I played with the sounds and listened to all that it had to offer.

You can not play your own music but you can plug headphones in if you want a more personal listen. It had sounds of waves or soft tunes and sounds of people talking. Personally, I loved the audio in which people were talking. The voices were soft and relaxing.

Overall, I like this addition to the Library. I wasn’t even anxious or nervous when entering the pod, maybe a little irritated/ tense because of lack of sleep. But when leaving the Pod I felt relaxed and that tenseness I felt before, wasn’t as present anymore.

I think it was a mix of the sounds and vibrations that made me love the experience. I could definitely see myself falling asleep in those pods. I’m gonna give the EnergyPod 4 out of 5 socks!