Water bottles are no longer just containers for the health necessity that is H2O – they have become a statement piece that expresses the latest trends in hydration. Thanks to the popularity of bottles like the Stanley cup and reusable water bottles that came before that (Nalgene, Hydro Flask, CamelBak and more) the red carpet has rolled out for a new type of water bottle: the Air Up.
O Air up it is unique in that it was designed to alter the natural taste of water, but not to flavor it. Instead, Air Up activates your taste buds by adding a scented capsule near the mouthpiece to provide a fragrance while you drink your water – a water bottle concept that was born as part of a final project by two German university students. Because smell is closely linked to our taste buds (as anyone who's ever lost their sense of smell will tell you, it can drastically affect the tasting experience), Air Up is aimed at people who don't particularly care about the taste of their water. , are hoping to replace their sodas or carbonated drinks with simple products, or are simply interested in taking a sip of the latest trends in the world of bottled water.
But the concept is different from reality. I tested Air Up with a selection of its flavors to get an idea of what the company is selling. I also asked my colleague who uses a water bottle what her experience has been like. Here's what I found.
O Silver Stainless Steel Air Up Bottle.
There are different models of the Air Up, including a black stainless steel version and hard plastic ones that come in different colors. Water bottle prices start at $32and you need to add pods.
Unpack the Air Up and attach its parts
I tested one silver stainless steel Air Up that holds 28.7 ounces of water and comes with a neon green straw and spout; It's currently $70 on sale when you buy it in a package that comes with nine fragrance capsules. The company has a 28-ounce silver steel bottle and black steel models in 16oz and 28oz capacities. Air Up also sells hard plastic models made from Triton which come in fun colors like hot pink, orange, blue and white. Plastic bottles are sold in 22-ounce sizes. The mouthpiece of all water bottles is made of silicone. You can also buy accessories of different colors separately.
I also tried the 1-liter charcoal-colored plastic (Tritan) bottle, which is part of the newer Gen2 line and currently only available in some European countries. These bottles are made from 50% recycled materials, are dishwasher safe, and are more leak-proof, the company claims. The shape of the bottle resembles the shape of the larger steel models available in the US, as the bottle is not angled or angled at the top and has a larger cap.
Air Up is quite intuitive to set up. It arrives in a box, loose parts, with whatever selection of scented capsules come with the bottle packaging. The main event during setup is securing the capsule, which is easy as long as you align the tip of the nozzle with the tip of the capsule and lock it securely. To “activate” the capsule and put it in flavor-water mode, gently pull it up until it stops.
The Air Up water bottle with “activated” capsule on the side. When the capsule is pushed down or not activated, the thin gray line will not be visible and it will also be easier to drink from the bottle. Drinking with an activated pod results in a slurping sound, but this is what helps provide the “flavor.”
How Air Up works
Through what the company says is its patented Scentaste technology — attaching a scented capsule around the spout of your water bottle — you're tricking your mind into thinking you're drinking something flavored. This works because your olfactory sense (smelling) is closely related to taste; actually smell makes up the majority our perception of taste. (If you need an example of this relationship in reverse, try holding your nose the next time you eat your favorite food.)
Once your capsule is activated or inserted correctly, you will drink through the straw as normal, which stirs the air and flavors your mouth and nose, giving you the illusion that you are drinking flavored water without altering the real thing. composition of the pure thing you are drinking.
As long as you're using the Air Up, you'll need to buy replacement pods, which is probably one of the biggest downsides to this water bottle – it can add to the cost.
A flavor or aroma capsule that fits into the mouthpiece or mouthpiece of the Air Up. When using the Air Up, you will need keep buying disposables green beansthe cost of which varies from US$8 to US$13 for a pack of three. The company says one pod should last 1.3 gallons of water, which equates to about 18 refills of the 28-ounce bottle and 31 refills of the 16-ounce bottle.
The Drink Test: My Air Up Experience
Drinking with the Air Up pod activated is a new experience; that's sure. I knew my pod was properly activated when drinking through the straw resulted in slurping sounds—the kind of sounds you make when you try to suck the last bits of your drink through a half-broken straw. (Activating the pod is easy, but it took me a minute before I realized I hadn't followed the basic instructions and couldn't get the pod into “activation” mode. So if you're not hearing bubbles or sounds, your pod probably isn't working. activated.) Unfortunately, there's really no way to avoid this sound, because it means the air bubbles are working their magic, awakening smells in your mouth that prompt you to taste retronasal smell fashion (casually leave this phrase at your next party).
Overall, I was surprised at how well the concept worked – injecting “flavor” into plain water just through smell and straw suction. It was a similar experience to drinking some kind of artificially sweetened fruit juice. (The company claims its fruits are derived from natural ingredients.) I was sent several different flavors to test (Peach, Cherry Cola, Mango and Passion Fruit, Orange Swirl and Vanilla), and while I liked some more than others, They all gave me a similar, artificial, noxiously sweet vibe. So in terms of activating smell or “flavor”, Air Up works, and I think it does pretty much what it claims to do, although I would still say there is a difference between the “normal” taste and the Air Up taste experience.
Right away, I found the flavor pods to be quite strong. In fact, perhaps too strong, and I can't say that the Air Up provides a delicious drinking experience. Probably my least favorite thing about drinking Air Up was how the taste and smell experience affected the experience of the food I was eating alongside. I found drinking Air Up after eating an egg sandwich and before taking a bite of sweet potato to be quite off-putting and almost nauseating. But that's strictly my personal experience, as someone who has a sensitive nose and doesn't mind ultra-sweet flavors like Orange Vanilla Swirl — plus, I don't like artificially sweetened foods and drinks to begin with. And to be fair, the company makes no claims that it's ultra-delicious. It is promoting a new experience that could make people drink more water. I will also note that I got used to the flavor over time as I got used to drinking Air Up.
A big note for straw lovers: the drinking experience from the Air Up in aroma/flavor mode is quite different from the normal stream of water you get from a water bottle with a straw. The configuration that allows the capsule and bottle to come into play retronasal action It's the same thing that results in a less satisfying flow, so I found myself turning off the drinking pod just as often as I left it on. If you want to use the Air Up like a “normal” bottle of water without the sips and flavor, you still need to have a pod in place, even if it's deactivated, which I was a little disappointed to realize.
When you're done drinking, you close the lid. The process of cleaning the Air Up is quite simple and I found it easy to take apart and put back together.
Since the Air Up's overall appeal and usefulness depends on your reasons for wanting one in the first place—and it's best suited for people who want to drink more water or prefer it to be flavored—I asked my colleague Faith Chihil, social-media producer Here at CNET, what she thought of the Air Up. She started using the water bottle after it piqued her interest; she said she is “always trying new ways to trick myself into drinking more water.”
“I've also had unpredictable experiences with flavored water drops (trying to figure out the best tasting ratio; weird, fake sugar flavors), leaks and spills, etc. So I figured a perfume-based product would be cool to try,” he said. Chihil.
She said it helped her remember to drink more water, at least for the first week. She did have some notes about the water bottle, though. She said it can be annoying to use in quiet environments because of the sounds it makes; the plastic version is not insulated; and a lid that screws on is easier to lose than a lid that flips over. She also said that of the flavors she's tried, the pods seem to vary in intensity, which I agree with.
Some people have reported leaking issues with the Air Up bottle, but I haven't had any problems drinking from the stainless steel bottle as long as the cap is screwed on tightly. I also didn't notice any leaking issues with the 1-liter Tritan bottle, which is part of the Gen2 line that the company claims is leak-proof. This may be due to the construction of the bottles – if you compare photos From plastic bottles to metal bottles (silver or black), the top of the steel bottle is different and similar to the Gen2 line.
A 1 liter plastic Air Up bottle in charcoal color. The company sells Gen2 water bottles in Europe.
Who is Air Up for?
Air Up is not for people who expect this smell and taste experience to be delicious, and it may not be for people who don't like the taste of artificially sweetened things. People who don't have a particularly strong sense of smell may not get much use out of it either. Strictly in terms of sustainability, there are better bottled water options, as you will need to continue purchasing capsules while using the Air Up.
Basically, people who don't care about the taste of water and/or aren't interested in finding a way to drink more should save their money. There are cheaper water bottles that deliver the (simple) goods.
People who want to try the latest technology in water bottles, people who don't mind spending a little money to spice up their hydration routine, and people who aren't thrilled with the taste of water could all be good candidates for this water. bottle.
Jokes aside about the noises that Air Up makes and the “taste” of the fruits, the company behind Air Up makes a point of focusing on the benefits of pure water and the benefits of people going back to basics instead of opting for by the popular carbonated or sweetened drink. Sugary and/or carbonated drinks are not good for your teeth and can damage the enamel (protective coating) over time, as can adding sour fruits like lemon for drinks all the time.
Furthermore, hydration is the simplest tool we have at our disposal to improve our health and help our body eliminate its waste, regulate its temperature, and function more smoothly overall. In the quest for better health, we cannot disregard whatever is good for someone to get there.
