The purpose of Protect U is to help ordinary people better deal with extreme events. It has various functions—including a life-saving blanket, buoyancy assistance, and a sleeping bag—that will meet the basic needs of refugees during their migration. With a simple operation, it can be quickly expanded into a sleeping bag. As a life blanket, the aluminium film reflects back the heat radiation emitted by the human body, with a heat reflection efficiency of up to 90%. As a buoyancy aid, internally filled buoyancy sponge provides approximately 90N buoyancy in the water. Protect U will assist people and improve their chances of survival when necessary.

Overall, the estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades. The total estimated 281 million people living in a country other than their countries of birth in 2020 was 128 million more than in 1990, and over three times the estimated number in 1970 (IOM). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an annual average of 21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced by weather-related events – such as floods, storms, wildfires and extreme temperatures – since 2008. These numbers are expected to surge in coming decades with forecasts from international thinktank the IEP predicting that 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050 due to climate change and natural disasters.

Protect U is a 2021 Red Dot Design Award Winner.