What is a Lilo?
Floating. Drifting. Sometimes aimless, but never without purpose.
What some know as an air bed, a pool float, or an inflatable lounger, others know as a Lilo. The term originates from P. B. Cow & Co., a Victorian-era UK manufacturer who invented, and gave a name to, the first ever inflatable mattress in 1936. “Li-Lo” was a simplified, phonetic rendering of the intended use: lie low.
The first Li-lo was a rubberised canvas bed, inflated with breath and enjoyed for about as long as the seams held together. It worked, and those with access to water and leisure noticed how well. Those early innovators had created a moment.
Within a few years, the Li-Lo trademark was registered in the US. Across Europe, Li-Los were appearing in summer imagery for package holidays to the Mediterranean, cementing its place in the lifestyles of summer holidays.
With the rapid spread across the world, the inflatable’s meteoric rise saw long, swift strides for the product into the positivity of a post-war future, outpacing even its inventors.
Rubberised canvas was replaced by PVC. Stitching became heat-welding. By the 1970s, the Lilo had become a light, inexpensive novelty ubiquitous with summer, recreation, and the glistening dreams of waterside activities. Production increased and the average lifespan shrunk, turning the 1930s’ promise of air-supported, well-engineered leisure into something to be enjoyed, discarded, and forgotten by Autumn.
In our time, the Lilo market is worth almost three billion dollars worldwide, even as the product’s perception has stepped lower and lower. Despite this, innovation continues at every level of the spectrum. On the fast end, thematic shapes dominate sales, chasing summertime trends. At the considered end, upholstery replaces the sticky vinyl of sweaty summers, and design precedes development.
This is where Oliver James Lilos carries the story.
Founded on a belief that everything that makes life enjoyable is worth making well, our Lilos comprise a highly flexible, durable TPU inflatable with generous, playful proportions and a richly cushioned, lasting upholstery cover that feels less like a float and more like luxury furniture.
Every decision is intentional, every result is tested. The Ring, Single, Double, and Hammock Lilos are the distillation of years of work, the best materials, the most stringent manufacturing, and the most considered designs. Upgrades, iterations, and improvements motivate each collection, and reward every person who chooses an Oliver James Lilo for their float.
The Lilo was born of design and innovation. It deserves to reclaim that position, and be remembered beyond the first wisps of cool weather.
Oliver James Lilos are engineered to last, to matter, and to make summers. They are for bringing to a restful moment with the same intention as bringing a good book. For sharing, caring, and remembering. And for re-building the reputation of a once-vaulted innovation beyond its disposable reality.
