Internet Obsessed With Italian Sunbeds Deemed ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ Worthy

Looking to get a tan on your body without exposing your face to the sun? Well, an innovative sun lounger allowing you to do just that has been spotted on the beaches of Italy and has taken the internet by storm.
A video of the “genius” sunbed was shared on TikTok by @em_fischer and has garnered 7.1 million views since being posted on July 3. A message overlaid on the clip says: “I hope they gave the person who invented beach beds a Nobel Peace Prize.”
The footage—captured in the coastal town of Santa Maria Navarrese on the Italian island of Sardinia, according to a later comment from the poster—shows a woman on a sun lounger that’s built with an overhead cover that can be pulled down to protect your face from the sun.
“The way my body is tanning but my face is covered. A huge leap for society,” the poster noted in a caption shared with the video.
Similar sunbeds spotted in other parts of Italy—described as the “best invention ever”— appear in clips shared by TikTokers @alex.and.aimee and @klaudialewandowska.
Although the sunbed design may be great be for sunseekers wanting a tan, it’s important to protect yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
In a video posted on May 4 on the official YouTube channel of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dawn Holman, a behavioral scientist from the cancer prevention and control division at the CDC, says: “The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes and sun damage builds up over a lifetime, increasing the risk of skin cancer.”
Most incidents of skin cancer are caused by overexposure to UV rays and among all types of skin cancer, melanoma causes the most deaths because of “its tendency to spread to other parts of the body, including vital organs,” warns the CDC.
UVA radiation is weaker than UVB radiation but “penetrates deeper into the skin and is more constant throughout the year,” the national health body says.
UV rays can reach you on both cloudy and cool days, as they reflect off surfaces such as water, cement, sand and snow, the CDC explains.
“In the continental United States, UV rays are strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daylight saving time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time),” according to the CDC.
The federal health body recommends staying in the shade as well as wearing sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and protective clothing when the UV index (a forecast of the strength of the UV rays on any given day) is 3 or higher.
TikTok users praised the unique sunbed design in the viral clip.
Shelby Steel said it deserved a “A Nobel Beach Prize” and Brooke.Inspires said it was “Genius.”
Viola wrote “no but seriously its LIFE CHANGING” and thesofiatraveldiaries simply noted it is “Too good.”
Lex said “Absolutely need to get one” and punkworldviews agreed, saying “I need this!!!!!!”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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