Crowdfunded in China: maglev speakers, smart table coasters, and mini massagers

In past Crowdfunded in China lists, we’ve always covered projects that have met or surpassed their fundraising goals. But that metric is growing increasingly arbitrary both in China and western crowdfunding sites as many startups just throw in their own cash to bolster hype.

As a result, we’ve decided to drop the requirement and simply provide a list of what we think are the best. The projects on this month’s list are all still raising funds. Here’s our top five for November:

Levi – the Maglev speaker

This Bluetooth speaker looks sure to catch both the eyes and ears of everyone who passes by. Powered by the same technology as high-speed maglev trains, the floating ball is also immune to resonance created by speakers that are grounded to hard surfaces. Levi promises 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge and also works with NFC devices. The final retail price is RMB 599 (US$98), but early bird buyers can preorder it for RMB 399 (US$65) on Demohour. Levi has raised over RMB 18,000 (US$2,940) so far.

CentM – dashboard air cleaning

We see a lot of smart air purifiers on Chinese crowdfunding sites. Probably too many, in fact. But CentM makes it onto our list as the first smart air purifier we’ve seen that’s specifically made for cars. Place it on the dashboard and CentM will both clean the air and serve as a wireless charging pad for phones equipped with a compatible case. It can be plugged into a car’s cigarette lighter or a normal wall outlet, so it can also be used in small indoor areas like a computer desk. CentM just started crowdfunding on Demohour, so it hasn’t raised much money yet. Preorder one at the early bird price of RMB 399 (US$65).

Leravan – sticky massages

Leravan claims to be the world’s smallest portable massage device. At just a centimeter thick and about four centimeters in diameter, sticks to skin and gently vibrates to relax the muscles. As a very hairy man, however, I’m worried that this can only attach to clean, smooth skin. The device is controlled via the accompanying smartphone app. Leravan has raised over RMB 2 million (US$327,000) on Demohour so far, with less than a day remaining in its campaign.

Snail – tentacle phone cable

We spend hundreds of dollars on our smartphones, but when it comes to their data and charging cables, most of us just go the cheapest possible route. Snail wants to change your mind with its flat, wide design lined with suction cups. That might seem like a gimmick, but it actually has several useful applications. First of all, it’s durable and it doesn’t tangle. Stick it to a surface so it doesn’t fall to the floor when it’s not connected. Even use it as a stand to vent heat or keep your device upright. Snail comes in a variety of loud colors, and has raised over RMB 78,000 (US$12,700) on JD Coufenzi.

Coaster – because every little damn thing in your house needs to be “smart”