By Michaela Wang ‘21, Student Writer

“S’well bottles have a lot of patterns that are cute,” an anonymous middle schooler stated, as another one blurted, “It makes your drink cold for 24 hours and hot for 12!”  In Newark Academy, Soho, Paris, and many other fashion districts, S’well bottles have been the buzz.  These colorful thermoses, which resemble the form of milk jugs, have been stacking up on the shelves of the trendiest stores, plastered on magazines, and even paired with designer clothing.  You may have seen some bottles lying around the Arts Wing or the cafeteria, and there’s a high chance that half the girls in your grade own at least one.  As I gazed into my classmates’ bright pink bottle, almost absorbed by its nature and form, it left me puzzled on who created S’well, how this bottle rose to the market, and why it has such a hefty price tag.

The CEO and Founder, Sarah Kauss, wasn’t like Bill Gates, who dropped out of college and became a billionaire; in fact, her story is quite the opposite.  At first, Kauss started out studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder and worked as a CPA.  She realized what she really wanted to pursue was entrepreneurship.  She went to Harvard Business School, but 9/11 put her studies on hold, and Kauss resulted in real estate and consulting.  In 2009 on a hike in Arizona, all Kauss had was a cheap, thin metal water bottle that had warmed up in the sun, and she suddenly thought, why not create a more upscale and reusable bottle that would keep beverages cool? Kauss hired a designer and worked with manufacturers in China; within a few months, she had a prototype that was double-insulated, stainless-steel, and in a single color, ocean blue.

Harvard Business School was her first ultimate customer, purchasing bottles to give to students.  Later, O, the Oprah Magazine wanted to put S’well bottles on a recommended products list, so Kauss scrambled up a few more bottle colors.  Soon, more and more retail stores, like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, and some coffee shops, i.e. Starbucks, called for this product.  Not only that, but numerous celebrities fell in love with S’well, posting photos all over social media.  Now in 2016, the company expects to sell more than 200 million bottles.  As we look back, S’well and its creator had a tremendous rise to fame.   

Searching through S’well’s website, Kauss emphasized that the company is a mission to stop the use of plastic bottles.  All this generated waste is negatively affecting the ocean and human environments.  Furthermore, S’well gives a portion of their money towards charities like American Forest, Drink Up, and UNICEF.  However, the prices may not be as friendly as the company; one bottle can range from $25 to $50.  So why is the product so expensive? S’well aims to sell bottles that can keep drinks cold for 24 hours and hot for 12, while still creating a unique piece of artwork.  The bottles compose of non-leaching and non-toxic stainless steel that’s double walled, making it very durable and unbreakable.  Also, the stainless steel means that there isn’t a metal-like taste that’s found in aluminum bottles, which are mostly cheaper.  One can say S’well bottles are overpriced, but the product is worth it if you want a sturdy and fashionable bottle that helps work towards a better environment and community we live in today.  The bottle is a symbol of hard work and effort to get where it is, and that’s what your parents have to do in order to purchase a S’well bottle.