Some of us ask very little of our water containers. The list pretty much begins with “must hold my water” and ends with “must allow me to drink my water.” But Rohan Burdett, founder of Crio, thinks we should expect more from our water bottles, specifically that they do a better job of keeping our liquids at their starting temperature.
Unsatisfied with the current offerings on the market, the Australian-based Crio has developed its own design, the Crio water bottle (35 Australian dollars or about $26 U.S.), which you can back on Kickstarter.
At a glance, the Crio looks like hundreds of other water bottle design on the market. Its BPA-free plastic body eschews high-end finishes like aluminum or stainless steel, and its shape is pure form-follows-function, with only a small finger groove breaking up the otherwise smooth cylinder shape. That’s because what sets the Crio apart from the competition is invisible: Between the inner and outer layers of plastic lies a thin layer of cryogel, a material that has impressive insulative qualities for its size and weight.
“It was very clear to us that cryogel is the most advanced insulation available,” Burdett tells Digital Trends via email. Burdett claims that independent tests have proven that using cryogel makes the Crio two-and-a-half times more efficient than the popular CamelBak, which beat out the Klean Kanteen.
Cryogel is a specific formulation of aerogel — a material that NASA has used for insulation as well as collecting dust particles in space — and is now enjoying growing adoption among consumer products, most notably in outdoor apparel, where its lightweight and superior insulation make it a natural fit. “When organizations such as NASA and Formula 1 are using the product,” Burdett enthuses, “you know it’s at the cutting edge.”
Beyond its thermal performance, the Crio boasts a 300ml capacity — a volume that according to the product’s campaign page is “the optimal amount of water required for a 60 minute moderate-intensity workout in 20 degree Celsius climate” — and a proprietary one-way drinking valve, which the company refuses to show in detail. Each Crio comes with a lifetime guarantee, and is available in a variety of colors and graphic designs.
Will the Crio outperform other insulated bottles like the Klean Kanteen and CamelBak. It will need to if it hopes to compete: A vacuum-insulated CamelBak Chute with a similar capacity retails for $27.95 on Amazon. Crio estimates that backers will get their hands on their water bottles by January, but given this is the company’s first campaign, some wiggle room should be expected.
