For almost 30 years, we’ve been crafting something unique: a web browser. But not just any web browser – one that feels comfortable and special every time you open it. Beautiful and functional, it’s packed with features to make your online life smoother, safer, and more comfortable. 

Today, we’re zooming out of the browser to focus on your desk. Yep, your desk. Take a good look around. Is it the cozy, stress-free oasis you deserve? Is it…dare we ask…hygge enough?

Here’s the thing: at Opera, we’re not just browser nerds, we’re also full-blown hygge enthusiasts (can’t help it, we’re Scandinavian). This means we value comfort, coziness, and beauty not only in the apps we make, but also on the desks that are home to our laptops and PCs. So now, take another look around you – take a good look at your desk, and give it a ponder: is this the best you can do? Is it the coziest, most hygge place you could be in?

For us, the best place to feel hygge and browse the web from is, naturally, Norway – and we want to share this joy with you. That’s why we’ve set up ten hygge desks in the most beautiful cabins across Norway, and we want to give you the chance to browse from one of them for six days. Sounds dreamy, right? You can apply here, but first let’s talk about ways to bring some hygge magic to your own desk.

What is a Hygge Desk?

Hygge is used in Scandinavia to refer to an environment of coziness, calm, comfort and well-being. Think candles, warm colors, a sheepskin to sit on, and a perfect view of nature. Now that’s hygge. 

A hygge desk is where we transfer those principles over to your workspace; the lighting, furniture, and the general surroundings of your desk transmit the feeling.

At this point, you’re probably wondering why we are so into hygge. Well, here in Scandinavia, the winter nights get very long. That’s when we retreat indoors, cozy up to our computers for comfort, and light the fireplace – or, for the safety-conscious, pop on a crackling fire video on YouTube. Hygge vibes, no fire alarms! But those computers wouldn’t have a soothing effect if they were placed in a drab, gray, ugly place. That’s why their surroundings – the room as well as the desk – and the mood you are in are super important. 

A hygge desk is one that lets you get rid of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming, letting you take pleasure in the presence of gentle, soothing things – plus a view of nature, because we deeply care about nature in Norway.

Imagine walking into a room where a desk like this is waiting for you – that’s not hygge.

Kudos to our Aria AI for understanding what a not-hygge desk would look like. So, to make your desk and surroundings more hygge, start by getting some candles (or their electric equivalent) for soft lighting. Then, get some smooth and fluffy textiles for your chair – think natural wool blanket instead of anything polyester-based. Some green elements are good too, like houseplants or a nice view of nature. Finally, download Opera, install it, and set up one of our Dynamic Themes inspired by Scandinavian nature. Now your desk is already more hygge. You’ll thank us later!

Exporting hygge to the entire world

You now have an idea of what we’re talking about – but what about the inside of your computer and the app you use the most, the browser? Your browser also needs to be hygge. In fact, at Opera, we’re exporting hygge to the entire world.

We’re taking the Scandinavian tradition of a simple, unassuming life that leaves extra stress behind – embodied by the concept of hygge – and putting this into our browser. With Opera One R2, we’ve built a browser that’s equipped to help you go about your daily tasks – and we know there are many – with ease and comfort, and without stress. 

The Opera browser comes with a set of Dynamic Themes inspired by Scandinavian nature, and it was only natural that we would make our browser feel hygge. And, because we know that you like to be on the go, we’ve also made our mobile browsers for iOS and Android feel as hygge as possible.

Feel hygge when browsing with Opera

We’re taking inspiration from Scandinavia’s hyggeness and placing it within your browser – elements like the Northern Lights during the winter, the midnight sun in the summer, or the imposing fjords and the colors of the North Sea are what inspires us at Opera. 

We’ve made a browser that feels as cozy as you want with our new Dynamic Themes in Opera for desktops. Want your browser to look like the Northern Lights? Use the Aurora Dynamic Theme – that one is hygge. Or, maybe you want your browser to resemble one of those summer days when the sun just won’t set because you’re in Scandinavia? Then use the Midsommar Dynamic Theme. 

Our desktop browser also has all the tab management features necessary to keep it comfortable and stress-free, like Tab Islands, Split Screen, Tab Traces, and Workspaces. Additionally, we’ve built an ad blocker right into Opera to keep annoying ads and trackers from popping up everywhere, whether you’re browsing on-the-go or from your desktop. And to keep you safe, we’ve also added a free, no-log VPN that’s available for our Windows, Mac, Android and iOS browsers. After all, feeling safe – both online and offline – is also very hygge. 

How to get a chance to experience Opera’s Hygge Desk

Have you hyggefied your desk and your browser already and want to go the extra mile and really feel it? We believe that sharing is caring, so you can now win a spot to get the full on hygge desk experience in Norway. So, to take the Edge off and really experience hygge, all you have to do is tell us why you deserve to try out one of the Hygge Desks set in a hygge cabin by Opera. You can use a photo or a text to do so. Submit your entry here or via social media by following us on TikTok, Threads, X, Instagram and Facebook, replying to the Hygge Desk posts, and tagging a friend or retweeting it. 

The application period is open from 21 January to 28 February 2025, with the travel taking place between 5 March and 30 April 2025. You’ll be able to bring your plus one too.

Don’t let the winter darkness get you down – experience hygge with us in Norway and download Opera today. Click here to apply and tell us why it should be you working from one of the ten Hygge Desks.

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