Bottoms up: Companies try to prove there’s still innovation left in bottles
Numerous have introduced bottles that do things like keep water cold for up to 24 hours, provide easier ways to stay hydrated while active and filter out that tap-water taste. Plus, a few companies are bringing products in many people’s favorite material to drink from: glass.
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Throughout the next month, SNEWS will recap its coverage of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2012 with select stories from the O.R. Daily we published at the show Aug. 2-5. It’s an opportunity for you to catch up on stories you might have missed in O.R.D., and for us to update and upload the articles to our searchable archives.
This SNEWS Outdoor Retailer Summer Market recap is brought to you by Cordura:
There were a ton of water bottle companies at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, and every show that number seems to keep growing. How much innovation can companies really introduce into a bottle?
Numerous brands are trying to answer that question with products that do things like keep water cold for up to 24 hours, provide easier ways to stay hydrated while active and filter out that tap-water taste. Plus, a few companies are bringing products in many people’s favorite material to drink from: glass.
Part of the reason behind the growing popularity of bottle companies is consumer desire to stay hydrated, cut out plastic and drink from bottles that won’t leach chemicals and plastic taste into water.
Prior to Outdoor Retailer, Hydro Flask sent SNEWS staff a Hydro Flask Narrow Mouth bottle (MSRP $28) filled with ice, carefully packed at around 11:30 a.m., Pacific Standard Time. The ice didn’t melt completely until 3:37 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, the following day.
Though the model Hydro Flask sent wasn’t new, the company is introducing its new 18-oz. Flip Top Flask (MSRP $24), a double-walled, vacuum insulated product that keeps liquids cold for up to 24 hours or hot for up to 12 hours.
Some companies are trying to move consumers away from the idea that a bottle is just a bottle by adding features that make it easier for consumers to drink while active or distracted.
Stanley, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2013, is bringing a two-for-one in its Stanley Classic Nesting Vacuum Mug and Water Bottle (MSRP $30), which keeps liquids hot for up to three hours. The 18/8 stainless steel mug won’t rust and is naturally BPA free.
Sigg’s new 1 Liter and .75 Liter Active Top Bottles (both MSRP $26.99) incorporate a straw and bite-and-suck system that can be taken apart for easy cleaning. Plus, the handy top can be turned to an “air” setting to allow excess pressure from carbonated beverages to be released slowly so it doesn’t spill all over.
Avex’s new Autospout Technology incorporates a pop-up straw that consumers can use one-handed. With the press of a button, the drinking spout is released and consumers can engage in tilt-free sipping that’s perfect for people who are driving or riding a bike. The new products are the Wells Autospout Tritan (MSRP $14) and the Freestyle Autospout Kids Triton (MSRP $11).
In line with consumer desire for products that are convenient for everyday living, Vapur has reintroduced its Vapur Element Anti-Bottle, which rolls down so people can easily fit it into a pocket or a purse.
Glass has been making a comeback over the past few shows and Lifefactory brings back its Flip Cap glass bottle (MSRP $16.99), with protective silicone outer. The Flip Cap makes it easier to drink. Bamboo Bottle offers a similar concept though the glass is completely covered by its signature sleeve. There are bottles with three different models of tops, the Hot Top (MSRP $25), the Flip Top (MSRP $25) and the Classic Top (MSRP $20).
Now hydration giant CamelBak is in on the game with its new eddy Glass (MSRP $24, photo, left), which also has a silicone sleeve that’s thicker in the high-impact areas where bottles hit first when dropped. Jon Austen, director of product for CamelBak, enthusiastically dropped the bottle to prove its resilience.
If your customers aren’t into glass or stainless steel because of the increased weight, there’s a new game in town in Eco Bottle products (MSRPs $16-$23), which are made from one strip of aluminum that’s not welded in any place, leaving it less susceptible to bacteria growth.
