Launched in December 2021, Simpler Ways is an online shop dedicated to life on the road. The idea came during the pandemic, as founder Ben Quesnel was building his second van after a couple years living on the road. Looking for well-designed products optimized for tiny spaces was as much of a hassle as it was in 2017 when he built his first van.

The Vanlife movement had been getting exponential interest for some time, and the pandemic was inspiring a lot of people to choose to downsize their lives and embrace new habits and lifestyles that allow them to step away from a linear lifestyle revolving around the idea of always owning more. There was room for a unique destination, carefully curated by and for the community, to inspire escapism and minimalism. 

Neither an outdoor or overland accessories brand, Simpler Ways focuses on the lifestyle embraced by people in our community, and offers a community-curated selection of sustainable, functional and stylish home goods and outdoor essentials for the modern downsizers. Our mission is to inspire people to downsize their lives to live better. 

With downsizing comes the necessity to redesign your everyday life, adapt your habits and routine to new gestures. Space requires optimization, and so do the things around you. At Simpler Ways, we call this "space-optimized design": when everything you own has a purpose, and is designed to take up as little space as possible.

We lead by experience, focusing on the functional and making sure it’s beautiful by design. But we also strive to lead by example, by running a business and working with partners that are sustainable for our Planet. We select products from companies committed to making a change, and with inventory located in North America. We strive to be as transparent as possible and our badge system allows minority-owned or eco-conscious businesses to let our customers know they are.

Today, we are proud to be trusted by over 70 brands and makers, with over 500 products — a catalog that grows every day.