Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

There’s Nothing to Hide With These Seriously Cool Transparent Home Goods

If you’ve ever lost an entire weekend binge-watching How It’s Made (and haven’t we all?), here’s a roundup of seriously cool products that let you get a glimpse inside the inner workings while adding some style to your home.

Louis Ghost Chair

Louis Ghost Chair

Okay, while there technically aren’t any “inner workings” for this chair, it’s an iconic piece that needs to be number one on a list of cool transparent products. Created by darling of the design world Phillipe Starck in 2002, the Louis Ghost Chair stands out because it is made from one single piece of polycarbonate plastic — something no other see-through chair can claim. Take that timeless shape paired with the futuristic material and it’s no wonder this chair is already considered one of the most important pieces of the 21st century.

Related Videos

Thurso Freestanding Shower

Thurso Freestanding Shower

You may be wondering, what’s so special about a glass-enclosed shower? After all, the hot trend in bathroom design is to ditch those boring curtains for sleek glass walls. But the Thurso Shower stands out because it stands out. This freestanding unit gives you a 360-degree view of the entire shower, including the piping that leads to the dual shower heads (a rainwater overhead and a handheld). The clear glass walls are held in place with industrial-style metal pipes that match the exposed waterworks, combining elegance and grittiness for a one-of-a-kind shower.

Atmos Transparente Desktop Clock

Atmos Transparente Desktop Clock

We all know the Swiss are king when it comes to watchmaking. So it’s only natural that Swiss manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre would be the place to snag a desktop clock that can only be described as sexy. The Atmos Transparente is a new spin on the company’s classic Atmos. The all-glass box houses 217 components of the perpetual movement beauty. Finished with an Art Deco-inspired face, this complex clock is not only intriguing to look at with all of its exposed mechanisms, it’s an ageless design that will forever be in style.

Teckell Glass Foosball Table

Teckell Glass Foosball Table

Anything made in Italy is guaranteed to stand out for high-end style and high-quality manufacturing. Teckell’s products are no exception. The brand’s glass-top foosball tables have all of the swagger and timeless beauty of an Alfa Romeo. Mid-century modern-inspired solid Canaletto wood legs support a glass, crystal, and stainless steel playing field. It’s a work of art that’s almost too pretty to use. Almost.

Gearbox Records Automatic MKII

Gearbox Records Automatic MKII

Every game room needs some tunes, so why not splurge on a transparent turntable to match that glass foosball table? Gearbox Records’ Automatic MKII turntable has inner workings that are in a transparent case, letting you see all of the features that make this plug-and-play model stand out from the competition. The small footprint, sleek electronics, and high-quality sound make it perfect for vinyl lovers of all levels. As an added bonus, this bad boy can automatically add any track to your Spotify playlist — a futuristic feature that matches its futuristic look.

Transparent Sound Transparent Speaker

Transparent Sound Transparent Speaker

If you have a see-through turntable, you might as well get the matching speakers. Transparent Sound has built a whole company around the concept of transparent audio products. The flagship product is the Transparent Speaker. Beautiful in its simplicity, the transparent speaker has a black aluminum frame and glass walls. Minimal wiring stands out in bright red and the three black speakers are bold against the clear walls of the unit. A basic control panel lets users make some adjustments, but Transparent Sound boasts that its speaker will always be true to the recording so even novice listeners will experience great sound.

Editors' Recommendations

These Swanky Black and Copper Klipsch Speakers Look as Good as They Sound
Klipsch Reference Theater Pack

If you put a lot effort into collecting records or movies, then you should put the same amount of effort into selecting a sound system on which to listen to them. Not all of us can be audio pros, however — enter Klipsh, a big name on the scene.

Klipsch has taken its acclaimed Reference speakers — a seriously sleek and sexy series of high-quality (and pricey) home theater setups — and crafted a more compact set that will fit into any room. The Klipsch Reference Theater Pack also features 5.1 surround sound (which refers to the number and type of speakers) and a wireless subwoofer for maximum utilization in your space.

Read more
The Porsche Design Group Made a Bluetooth Speaker — from the Exhaust of a 911 GT3
Porsche 911 Speaker, Porsche Design 911 Speakers

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche once famously said "If you analyze the function of an object, its form often becomes obvious." For more than 40 years, the Porsche Design Group has taken this philosophy as gospel, working alongside the legendary automaker and producing car-related accessories for Porsche enthusiasts. Recently, the studio announced a new addition to its catalog: The Porsche 911 Speaker, a Bluetooth-enabled speaker framed within the exhaust port of a Porsche 911 GT3.

The speaker, bathed in a glossy black finish and adorned with the Porsche wordmark on its crown, features the GT3's iconic dual exhaust ports housed within a rounded, trapezoidal chassis. The speaker looks identical to the exhaust on the car itself -- except instead of a growling H-6 engine, you'll hear your music of choice, blasting out with clarity and power.

Read more
Master & Dynamic and Bamford Watch Department team up for these cool-as-ice wireless cans
Limited Edition MW60 Headphones

Master & Dynamic, an up-and-coming high-end headphone maker out of New York City, has teamed up with expert timepiece manufacturer Bamford Watch Department (BWD) to craft a limited special edition redesign of M&D's flagship MW60 headphones. The result is a stylish piece of luxury audio that should fit right in with any smartly dressed audio fan's best business attire.

Keeping in line with all of Master & Dynamic's sleek gear, the MW60 are a premium pair of wireless over-ear headphones inside and out. This new design upgrade matches black lines of stainless steel and aluminum, black lambskin leather on the ear pads, and black Saffiano leather trim on the outer headband and earcups with Bamford aqua accents on the underside of the headband and interior mesh of the earcups, as well as on the exterior logo decals. This touch of color makes the pair standout from the rest of the MW60 family -- and other premium headphones as well.

Read more