Looking for an off-grid cabin break with added benefit? I spent 72 hours on a digital detox cabin break with Unplugged. Here, I’m sharing exactly what this experience is, what it’s like and why I think everyone should do it.
What is An Unplugged Digital Detox Cabin Break?
Unplugged offers three night digital detox breaks in over 30 cabins across the UK that have been designed for exactly this purpose. Each cabin has it’s own tranquil location in destinations designed to help you switch off, but is also within a few hours driving distance of major cities including London, Bristol, Manchester and Cardiff.
We stayed in a cabin called Bunty near Thatcham in Berkshire. Every Unplugged cabin is delightfully named and comes incredible views from a picture window, premium Piglet bedding and a cosy log burner.
That alone would make for a wonderful cabin break, right? But here’s the thing that makes this a digital detox cabin break: you get a phone lock box so you can intentionally put your devices away. In place, Unplugged provide maps and compass for plotting walking routes, an old-but-gold Nokia (charged and complete with snake) and an old school Polaroid camera for capturing those unplugged moments.
The Unplugged experience isn’t just based on wellness science, it’s also based on experience. The company was founded by two friends who had experienced the effects of high screen time and burnout. You can read their story here.
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The Unplugged Cabin
Each cabin is beautiful, sustainable and designed for life offline. Spending three nights in one is a nurturing experience.
The cabin interior is made entirely of wood, giving it a simple, Scandi vibe. That doesn’t mean basic though, everything in the cabin is quality, from the Falcon enamel ware in the well equipped kitchen through to the premium bed linen. Think simplicity, but elevated.
A minute for the Unplugged cabin bed. Sleeping-on-a-cloud comfortable and designed to let you begin and end your day with views from the picture window, it’s the perfect spot to rest, read and enjoy a morning coffee.
I very much enjoyed waking up slowly, lifting the blackout blind and watching the fields beyond Bunty come to life with pheasants, squirrels and a couple of deer. Bliss.
What Do You Do on an Unplugged Cabin Break?
First of all, arrival and switching into an unplugged mindset. Bunty had her own parking space, but as it was a short walk from the cabin, we were provided with a pull along trolley for loading and unloading. Then, self check in and unpack. It’s best to travel light, there isn’t a huge amount of storage but honestly, you won’t need much. Walking gear and cosy PJ’s just about covers it.
We spent our first afternoon exploring the cabin and letting Little Wolf have a sniff about. Bunty came with outdoor seating and a firepit, so we enjoyed afternoon coffee outdoors.
Unplugged thoughtfully provide coffee beans and a manual grinder, so you prep them yourself. You do that while waiting for the whistling kettle to boil on the two ring gas stove. Then you wait while it drip brews. Digital detox didn’t just get us offline, it also forced us to slow down.
After an evening walk, we settled into our first night in the cabin. A simple meal prepared in the well equipped kitchen and then washing up done by hand. One of us washing, one drying and time to chat while we did it. A change from the home routine, which involves taking turns to load the dishwasher.
My bedtime routine always includes a bath or shower and the shower did not disappoint. The Unplugged cabins might be powered almost entirely by solar energy, but you still get a hot and powerful shower. Accompanied by some lovely complimentary toiletries and ending with me being cocooned in a big, fluffy towel. No roughing it here.
A note on the bathroom: the toilet is a composting toilet. It doesn’t smell, it’s just like a standard loo less the water flush. Nothing to worry about.
We filled the rest of our time with a blend of walking, board games, reading and just be-ing. Bunty came with a radio-cassette player and some great 80’s pop cassettes- vintage Madonna and Run DMC. This unplugging thing, it’s not dull. Doesn’t even have to be quiet. Have a sing along, if you feel like it.
We also had board games, including a rather beautiful Art Deco Edition Scrabble. I didn’t win, but enjoyed losing. Books, inspirational and outdoorsy. A mix of fiction and non-fiction, and luxury of time without distraction to read.
The cabins are rural, but not remote. Each one is within walking distance of a village, usually with a nice pub. We ventured out to nearby Thatcham, plotting our route old style with the paper map. Unplugged left us a guide to the area with local pubs marked on the the map, handily.
Bunty is situated on the Eling estate with miles of woodland walks, and we took full advantage of that. A nice change after the usual rugged beauty of Salisbury Plain. And not a soldier in sight, except for the one I brought with me.
A Digital Detox: My Honest Thoughts
I’ve tried lots of things to cut my screen time with limited success, but this digital detox cabin break worked. Why? Because everything was set up to support me in switching off.
I did feel a bit lost at times, you don’t realise how much you reach for your phone from habit until you don’t have it. The first full day was tricky, I reached for my phone many times.
By day three, I was really enjoy the feeling of being unplugged. I experienced better sleep, felt less stressed and Mr THL and I chatted a lot more than we usually would. I actually felt a slight sense of dread at leaving the cabin and stepping back into the busy, digital world.
Although some of my old habits have crept back in – who can resist a quick Insta scroll?- the digital detox did have a lasting effect. Afterwards, I unsubscribed from several apps and websites and have stuck with an early evening cut off for my phone and laptop.
72 hours with Unplugged taught me that offline time is vital for our health and sense of wellbeing. The duration isn’t an accident and the concept behind Unplugged is science backed. You can read more on that here.
What’s Included in An Unplugged Cabin?
Ok, the practical stuff. The Unplugged cabins do come well equipped , allowing you to pack light and enjoy some down time. Inside the cabins you’ll find:
- Double bed with all bed linen provided. Black out blinds for optimal sleep quality.
- The phone lock box to get your phone out of sight, out of mind and then everything you’ll need to replace it. Books, games, maps, music, a camera with 10 film.
- Kitchen with all the basics- tea, coffee, olive oil, salt & pepper. A two ring gas stove (no oven), small fridge and sink with fresh drinking water.
- In the bathroom- shower, eco/composting loo, mirror, towels & basic toiletries.
- Log burner indoors, fire pit outdoors and everything you need to use them.
- The cabin has electricity but no sockets. There are USB plugs so you can recharge your phone at the end of your stay.
Are Unplugged Cabins Dog Friendly?
Yes- our cabin was dog friendly, so of course we brought the Little Wolf along. In fact, many of the cabins are named after dogs. I’d love to see a ‘Little Wolf ‘ cabin one day, but of course I’m biased! With miles of great walks and a welcome pack just for the dogs, an Unplugged cabin makes a great pet friendly break.
Most of the cabins are dog friendly, apart from a couple that aren’t suitable for four legged visitors due to wildlife or location. Full details for individual locations can be found on the cabin pages on the Unplugged website.
Update: Since my original stay, Bunty has gained a hot tub! Some cabins do come with their own hot tubs or sauna, see individual cabin descriptions for details. Unplugged also now offers some unique digital detox spaces in Catalunya, just 1-2h from Barcelona and Girona. So many amazing locations to go unplugged.
And now over to you. Would you enjoy a digital detox cabin break? Can you see yourself going Unplugged?
If your looking for slow living and wellness inspiration you might also enjoy this post: Life Outdoors:Forest Bathing
If you’re looking for another quirky UK stay, you might enjoy this post: Champing– How You Can Spend The Night in A Historic Church
We were guests of Unplugged. All opinions are my own. If I didn’t love it, you wouldn’t be reading about it.
Helen x
What a lovely place to unwind for a day or two Helen. It looks so well equipped and of high quality and I liked the way that the comfy bed was up against the windows to gaze out into the countryside. I’ve never tried a digital detox, the longest I’ve been offline would be on long haul flights! Having said that, I’m not totally addicted to it. For instance I met a friend for lunch today who I hadn’t seen for about 10 years and we spent around three hours in each other’s company with my phone staying on silent in my bag the entire time. Don’t know if I could or would want to last out a weekend though ! How did we ever manage before! M xx
That sounds like a lovely catch up with an old friend- I love the friendships that can pick up like that! I’ve been quite wedded to my phone, but it’s half preference and half need with a husband working away a lot and three children at school/work/hobbies etc. And I am bad for Instagram scrolling. But the break made me think I could tweak my habits and feel better for it. The cabin was a beauty- worth it for the views from the bed alone!
I would struggle, I admit. But I think I could definitely spend time with my feet up on the bed just gazing at the view.
That view was very soothing, especially first and last thing.
The cabin sounds absolutely blissful. In fact, I wouldn’t mind moving there for good. Though, I would need WIFI eventually, for work and the blog, and other things like the World Cup. Having some quiet time, and the abundance of gorgeous walking trails on your doorstep, sounds like a weekend we all need. Going off the grid would’ve been very tough for me, but I’m sure I could endure a couple of days.
It was a lovely break, and an interesting experience. Like you I’d always need WiFi eventually (I’ll pass on the World Cup though 😆) but it has made me realise I reach for my phone a lot when I could do other things. I could happily make an off grid, off line break an annual event though!
Beautiful scenery and Bunty looks very cosy. I had a digital detox during the summer, felt less distracted and more focused at the time, but fallen back into bad habits since then. I’d recommend Catherine Price’s How to Break Up with Your Phone.
It’s very tricky, isn’t it? Especially when so many of our daily tasks have become app or technology based. For example, even paying for something for the kids at school is via an app now. I’m trying to strike more of a balance. I’ll look up the book, thank you!
This looks beautiful and I found myself wondering how I’d get on. I did have an enforced lengthy unplugged period when visiting North Korea as there’s no access to the internet or social media while there, but our tour was so busy I didn’t have much time to miss it – although I did yearn to be sharing photos with family and friends as we travelled. Your time in Bunty was rather different however, much more slow-paced. I fear I’d get bored, but of course that’s the point – if we’re so addicted to our online lives that we get bored without them, maybe we should be finding other ways to fill at least some of our time.
I did struggle a little bit at times, there’s also no clock in the cabin so the only time is your time. It’s a little strange but as I relaxed into it, I did really feel brighter and refreshed. It made me think that I appreciate the speed and advantages of what is at my fingertips, but maybe I could be a little more mindful in how much and often I use it.
It looks lovely – I was offered the same stay but couldn’t make the dates worked. Maybe I will give it a go next year as it’s probably great to be unplugged 🙂
I’d recommend it without reserve, the cabins are gorgeous and the whole experience of slowing down really does lift a weight that I don’t even think most of us know we are carrying.
What an interesting experiment! I think we could all do with a digital detox now and then, and it would be so much easier in a location like that.
That was exactly it, Ruth, it was set up to allow you to do it. I’ve tried at home, but modern life is pretty tech heavy.
This is a very nice place. I wouldn’t mind spending a day or two without any technologies.
It was strange at first, but definitely something I could do more often!
Looks a seriously quiet spot and just right for a detox. I can easily do without TV, computer and mobile phone but would miss my radio a lot. I often spend a couple of days without the first three just relaxing with the radio (confession here, it’s not always voluntary, my eyes just go wonky and I have to close it all down) and it’s good for the soul. I’m not receiving notifications of your blogs Helen, so that’s why you haven’t had any comments from me lately. I see I’m listed as still ‘following’ so hope WP will start the emails again.
There was a radio, but reception seemed a bit touch and go! It did highlight for me how much I use technology out of habit and that I could be more mindful. You’re right, a bit of down time is good for the soul! I think WordPress has been a bit wonky for everyone lately- hopefully it will straighten up soon. Thanks for dropping by, Mari!
Oh wow, this sounds like a fantastic experience. I think like you, I’d find it a little difficult to be offline, but I’m sure I’d benefit from it like you did. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for coming along and taking time to leave a comment- appreciate it!
I’d love this. I spend far too much time hooked up to my computer or phone, but find it surprisingly easy to junk the lot on holiday. It’s a bit all-or-nothing with me. I can’t ration my usage, but I can go without altogether. I’m looking this place up right now!
I think I’m a bit ‘can resist anything but temptation’. But that’s why the cabin works- temptation is removed and distraction on offer! I believe Unplugged have- or are about to launch- a cabin near Manchester, so not terribly far from you?
I’ve looked. You’re right!
i really really must try this…
It’s a bit tricky at times, but I did feel better for doing it.
Got to try it.
That does look and sound lovely. I like the idea of the box of handy retro gadgets, such as the Polaroid Camera. 🙂
I have been on a social media detox break before, but completely by accident. A holiday in the Dales 10 years ago with no phone signal, nevermind wi-fi. It was very relaxing, even then. Not sure I could manage a week ( like then) but a weekend I could. X
The polaroid was great fun, but showed me how impatient I’ve become, it felt like aaaages waiting for the picture to appear. 72 hours did me good as a reset, I’m not sure I’d enjoy much longer.
We are all much more impatient now, wanting things to happen asap. Even 10 years ago we were not quite so social media obsessed, I remember feeling slightly panicked because I couldn’t use my phone, but in the end, we had such a relaxing holiday. I am glued to my phone even now when supposedly watching the England Wales game. Whoop! X
*whoops I meant. 😀
I would love to go unplugged. In fact, it would go well with my current goal of trying to find my own stillness. The information overload from the internet is such a pesky thing, and it hampers my creativity. But it’s like giving an addict free access to his substance of choice, but having my phone so readily available.
Anyway, I love your prose for this piece. The shorter sentences and rhythm makes it different from typical travel pieces. And nice pics as always.
“I love the idea of disconnecting from technology and immersing myself in nature. This article has inspired me to plan my next camping trip! I also love reading some blogs here: https://explorenetworth.com/unplug-and-explore-essential-tips-for-off-the-grid-camping-bliss/
I think we all benefit from switching off sometimes, I’ll take a look at the link you posted. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Appreciate it!