Product Review: Head Defender

Background

As a medical device rep, Founder and CEO Keely Watson did a ton of coast-to-coast traveling.  One particular day, someone walked down the aisle and put his hand on top of Keely’s headrest.  He instantly felt something sticky on his chair.  Gross.  Keely started thinking about all of the things that could potentially be on headrests, including someone else’s hair, dandruff, mucus or other harmful bacteria.  Really gross.  Enter the Head Defender.

What is it?

The Head Defender is a headrest cover that contains antimicrobial solutions developed through extensive research.  Keely and his team were able to find a solution to increase the difficulty – or even better, eliminate the possibility altogether – of contracting harmful bacteria that are common on public surfaces.

I tried out the Head Defender during my flight to Abu Dhabi and was admittedly a little unsure of why I’d need a cover for my headrest on an airplane.  But I was willing to give it a fair try since I’m famous for getting sick during travel.  Waking up with my face on the Head Defender was actually refreshing and comforting.  I had never really thought about what lies on a plane’s headrest.  But having the Head Defender on my chair during a 13 hour flight provided a little reassurance that I’d make it through my trip without getting sick.

Benefits

I loved that the Head Defender was lightweight and easy to put over the seat.  At a cost of $29.99, it’s hypoallergenic, washable, reusable and only fades after 30 washes.  And if you really want more surface covered, they offer a deluxe version that’s 4 inches longer on the front of the seat ($34.99).  It also comes in 5 different colors.

The Head Defender is the first of many products to come that will defend you against harmful microbes.  They plan on creating pillows, gloves, sheets and other compact consumer products to carry and protect against disease causing microbes.

Contact Them

Check out their website or go to Amazon to get your own Head Defender. Have more questions?  Contact Keely at contact@headdefender.com. Tell him I sent you!

Photo Credit: headdefender.com

Interview with John Golicz – CEO and Founder of the Travel & Adventure Show

John Golicz is the Founder and Creator of The Travel & Adventure Show Series.  It’s largest series of travel shows in the United States, appearing in seven major cities each year.

After selling his high tech company, John started Unicomm LLC and launched his first travel show 13 years ago  in New York with 26,000 people in attendance.  John loved travel and knew that there were shows for travel agents and the business side of travel, but none for travel enthusiasts.

Since its start, the Travel & Adventure show has expanded into top markets including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, D.C. Dallas, and Philadelphia.

The Travel & Adventure shows aim to educate and inspire people to find, plan, book and take their dream trips.  It was great speaking with John about his favorite destinations, recommendations for places with awesome foods and drinks and his best travel tips.

St. Maarten

In all of his travels, John says St. Maarten is amongst is favorite places for food and drinks due to the Dutch and French influences.  There are great beach restaurants, including Sunset Beach Bar, which is on the beach and right next to the landing strip at the airport (If you’re wondering, his drink recommendation is a painkiller!)  On the French side is Grand Case, which is a beach town full of shops and restaurants.

One of my favorite tips of John’s and a best kept secret is to stop on the side of the road for great home-cooked and authentic meals.  I’ve done this before throughout my travels and they tend to be the best meals.

Nantucket

John recommends taking a boat from Montauk to Nantucket.  There are lots of restaurants, so it’s a great place to people watch, order a grapefruit with raspeberry vodka and seltzer and enjoy the harbor breeze.

Additionally, The Pearl Restaurant has an excellent Szechwan pan seared lobster with a heavy eastern influence.  Sounds delicious!

European River Cruising

There are so many options to cruise iconic European cities, but if you do decide to take a cruise, private walking tour and double decker bus tours are great ways to see the cities.  Additionally, strip malls have most authentic and affordable foods.  (Who knew?!)

If the Travel & Adventure Show comes to a city near you, I highly recommend checking it out.  Thanks to John and his team for assembling such a great event for people who enjoy travel just as much as I do.  I’ll definitely be at next year’s DC show!

Want more expert tips from travel insiders? Check out John’s latest venture: 1000TravelTips.com.