We are calling it now, 2020 will be known as the “year of the smart device.” Smart devices have exploded in popularity in recent years due to the proliferation of smartphones and our ever-increasingly digitally-oriented lifestyle. Smart devices put a new spin on old appliances to offer a more comprehensive and personalized user experience.
We have already covered smart scales and smartwatches on our site, so now it’s time for something a little different. Today we are going to take a look at the Lifefuels Smart Bottle (yep, you read that correctly; there are smart bottles now. The Lifefuels smart bottle advertises itself as a nutritional bottle that can adapt your daily diet.
We know what you are thinking, how smart can a bottle be? After all, they just need to hold liquid, right? Don’t fret; we’ll talk about all the neat features the Lifefuels has, how much it costs, where you can buy it, and most importantly, whether it is worth the purchase. Let’s get to it.
Overview Lifefuels Smart Bottle
The Lifefuels smart bottle is an automated bottle injection system that is meant to turn your ordinary water into a beverage with good flavor, essential vitamins, and nutrients. The bottle itself has 2 main parts, the liquid reservoir on top and the injection system on the bottom. The liquid container holds up to 16.9 fluid oz. and gets filled with water from the top. The injection system contains small fuel pods that contain a mixture of vitamins and minerals. When you press the button on the front of the bottle, it automatically injects and mixes the nutrient solution into the water. In other words, you can look at the Lifefuels Smart Bottle as a high tech automated version of those flavor packs you can add to bottled water.
Like pretty much every smart device out there, the Lifuels has a downloadable companion smartphone app that receives and records data related to hydration and nutrition. The app tracks how much water you drink each day, what the nutrient levels of your water are, and lets you modulate the level of mixture injected.
Lastly, the Liffuels runs off a standard lithium-ion battery. You charge it with a standard micro-USB wall charger and a single charge can last up to 4 days without any dips in performance. The outer casing of the bottle is made from a tough anodized aluminum that is scratch resistant and a great insulator, so beverages stay cold and fresh.
Advantages
- Easy to set up and use
- Mixes with just one touch of a button, no shaking or stirring needed
- Each pod can make up to 30 individual beverages
- 7 different pod flavors available
- Companion app tracks hydration and nutrition
Disadvantages
- 16.9 fluid oz. is not that much
- Companion app is kinda wonky
- Somewhat expensive for just a bottle, even if it is a smart bottle
Who Makes Lifefuels Smart Bottle?
The Smart Bottle is made from Lifefuels, a Virginia based company founded in 2014 by John Perrelli and Rob Lawson-Shanks. After 4 years of development, Lifefuels finalized and released its new smart bottle, fuel pods, and companion app. The product is available all around the US and a few markets overseas. Lifefuels Smart Bottle has received two CES Innovation Awards, one in 2016 and one in 2018.
Lifefuels is also motivated Lifefuels state mission from their website is “to empower people to reach their health and hydration goals while reducing (and eventually elimination) the need for single-use plastic bottles.” Their ecological mission is reached via the development of the reusable Smart Bottle.
How Does the Lifefuels Smart Bottle Work?
The operation of the device is simple. Just open up the top of the bottle, fill with water or your liquid of choice, and screw the top back on. Open the bottom and insert the desired fuel pod into one of the three chambers until you hear it lock in place. Close the bottom, turn the bottle upright, and press the center button on the injection mechanisms. The mixture will be injected and then wait about 20 seconds for it to fully disperse. Now just drink and enjoy.
To connect the app, first download it from the app store and make sure your phone’s Bluetooth connectivity is on. Turn the Smart Bottle using the Power/Reset button on the base. The LED will blink to indicate the bottle is powered on. Connect the bottle to the Bluetooth on your phone and open the app. Click on the “Get Started’ button to create your account and follow the onscreen instructions to set up your account.
Unfortunately, the app is only available on Android devices for early access beta, but they plan to release the full version for Android devices soon. For now, you will have to use an iPhone to get the full version of the app. The top reservoir component and the lid are dishwasher safe, but the injector base is not. The base can be cleaned using the included brush. The company recommends cleaning your smart bottle at least once a week, depending on usage.
Where to Buy and Cost?
As of now, you can only buy the Lifefuels from their website, but they plan to release it in physical retail stores soon. As of the time of writing, the Lifefuels Smart Bottle is available for $179, no counting shipping and handling.
Lifefuels Smart Bottle: Worth It or Not?
It honestly depends on how much help you need with your hydration. If you already drink a good amount of water and don’t need a fancy automated drink mixer, then you can probably forgo this purchase. However, if you have some extra cash and want to get serious about your hydration and nutrition, then there is really no reason not to give it a try.
