For homesick students and expats, Proton and Aries weave a VPN into a blanket

Privacy-focused VPN service Proton has teamed up with streetwear label Aries to launch what they're calling the world's first VPN blanket.

The soft grey blanket embeds NFC technology into a woven tag, allowing users to tap their phone and unlock a free month of Proton VPN service with access to content from over 120 countries. Made in Italy from a blend of 80% wool and 20% polyamide, the blanket was created by Uncommon Creative Studio and designed with university students and expats in mind — people for whom accessing content from home carries emotional weight.

The collaboration stems from research showing that 88% of expats surveyed by Proton VPN say accessing content from home reduces feelings of isolation, while 82% of international students in the UK report experiencing homesickness. Aries founder Sofia Prantera, herself an Italian expat, led the design with her own sense of displacement in mind. The launch campaign included targeted outdoor advertising across London aimed at diaspora communities with messaging that acknowledged the pull of home. Students could pick up the blanket for free at the Aries flagship store, though it now retails for GBP 195.

TREND BITE
The VPN blanket represents a shift in how tech companies are thinking about digital products — not just as invisible utilities but as tangible objects that address emotional needs. As work and study continue to scatter people across borders, brands that can marry practical technology with the psychology of belonging will find receptive audiences. For globally mobile consumers, home isn't a place you visit, but a feeling you carry. Or in this case, wrap yourself in.