If you’ve ever Googled ‘air up review’ in a bid to figure out whether these popular bottles are a health game-changer like they say they are or whether they’re just another influencer-fuelled gimmick, then you’re in the right place.
Because I’ve totally been the person that’s been frantically Googling ‘Air Up review’ in the hope of finding some answers.
You see, Air Up has been on my radar for a good few years now. I remember my niece getting one for Christmas around the time every teenage girl wanted one. My daughter who was in primary school at the time, saw her cousin with this magic bottle and immediately began lusting after one.
Now, not gonna lie, I was that mum who thought it was far too faddy, I didn’t really get it, couldn’t see what all the hype was about over what was essentially just a water bottle. And so she didn’t get one.
Until now.
Because the thing is my daughter doesn’t drink anywhere near as much as she should. A whole day can go by and she’s had maybe half a bottle’s worth of drink. It’s not enough. Especially in the heat. Which is rich coming from me, because I also don’t drink anywhere near enough.
According to government health advice, we should all be aiming to drink between 6-8 glasses of water a day – that’s about 2 to 2.5 litres. This amount can also include low fat milk, tea, coffee, and sugar free drinks. But of course, water is by far the healthiest option.
Let’s be honest though, drinking water is just a bit boring after a while, isn’t it?
And that’s exactly why I’m writing this Air Up review. I want to see whether Air Up will get me and my daughter drinking more water and figure out once and for all whether this is genuinely healthy flavoured water or all just hype.
How Does Air Up Flavour The Water?
Ah ha well the thing is, it doesn’t. Well, not exactly. You see Air Up isn’t about adding stuff to water, it’s all about tricking the brain into believing that the water you’re drinking has a taste.
I mean, what kind of magical sorcery is this!?!
At the risk of sounding clichéd… here comes the science bit:
Taste isn’t just a job for the tongue. Sure, our tongues help distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami flavours, but we experience true flavour through our noses. If you’ve ever had a bad cold that leaves you with a blocked nose, you may have also noticed your taste goes too.
If you’re wondering what on earth I’m talking about, try this little experiment – hold your nose and then eat or drink something with a strong flavour. You won’t taste anything. Now release your nose and the flavour will come flooding back in. It’s a technique I used all the time as a kid when there was a dinner I didn’t like (new potatoes yuck!).
The process of tasting through your nose is known as retronasal olfaction and that’s exactly what Air Up uses to convince us that we’re drinking flavoured water. Or rather I should probably say ‘scented water’, because remember we’re not adding anything to the water as such, we’re just adding a scent that creates the illusion of flavour.
And the secret to this are the Air Up pods.
These little doughnut shaped scent pods are attached to the bottles so that when you drink water your nose smells the scent as you swallow. This scent travels to the olfactory region at the top of your nasal cavity and your brain then recognizes it as a taste. So although you’re drinking plain water, it tastes like it’s flavoured. Clever, huh?
So, now we know how it works, let’s take a look at a couple of the products in a bit more detail:
The Air Up tumbler is one of their newer products and I gotta say, I love it. Aside from looking super stylish I’ll always give extra brownie points to a product that is considerate of how it’s actually being used. Features like a slimmer base means it fits perfectly into cupholders and you gotta love a drinks container with a handle.
There are two different ways of drinking from the tumbler, you can either use the straw or there’s a traditional opening that you can sip from. But let me tell you more about the straw. You see the straw is where you attach the scent pod to. It simply inserts over and down the straw to sit snugly on top of the tumbler lid. Which means when you drink, the scent is in prime position of those nostrils of yours. Et voilà – flavoured water!
The tumbler holds 700ml of water, so basically you need to drink about 3 of these to hit your daily quota. And the double-wall vacuum insulation keeps water cold up to 24 hours, so in summer you’re sorted. Plus, you don’t need to stick to still water, you can also use sparkling water, which is great news if you’re a bit of a fizzy drinks fiend like me.
It’s currently available in either creamy white or soft lilac both of which are the perfect pastel tones to match your summer outfits and to take away on holiday with you.
From a mum’s point of view I want to know:
- Can it go in the dishwasher?
- Will it leak?
- How long do the pods last?
And the answer is yes it can go in the dishwasher, no it won’t leak, and the pods will flavour 15l of water so that’s about 20 tumblers’ worth. Happy days!
The Air Up Twist Pro is the one my daughter chose. Not gonna lie, the second I told her I was doing an Air Up review she’d pretty much hopped on the website, chosen what she wanted, picked the colour, and before I knew it, it was a done deal. She went for the lavender colourway because I mean why wouldn’t you, look at it it’s lush. But there are 9 other different colour options to choose from, so there’s bound to be a colour on there that works for you.
The bottle comes as either 600ml or 1000ml and you can also choose from Tritan or Steel versions. Like the tumbler, it is dishwasher safe and has a leak-proof design so you can bung it in your bag safe in the knowledge it won’t spill over any of your stuff. It also has a quick twist cap (hence the name Twist Pro) and a handy carry loop.
Each bottle/tumbler comes with 3 flavour pods included in the price. In this instance we had Lemon-Lime Soda, Cherry, and Blue Raspberry. If you want different flavours you can buy pods in packs of individual flavours or as variety packs and there are 25 different flavours to choose from. My personal fave is the Virgin Mojito, because after giving up alcohol 20 months ago I am no stranger to a Virgin Mojito and this proper hits the spot.
Now, if you want to get the best flavour from your Air Up the trick is to get water in your mouth first and then inhale. It took us a couple of go’s before figuring this out and at first my daughter was a little disappointed as she couldn’t taste anything other than water. But my advice is to persevere and you’ll get it. And when you do, you’ll know about it!
The other thing I feel it’s important to mention is that this is just a gentle touch of flavour. A cola scented Air Up pod is never going to taste exactly like cola. There’s a bit of a texture thing going on as well. Like I know all liquids are liquids, but for instance fruit juice and squash feels different in the mouth to water. So you need to get your head around this when you first try it.
Because the pods are scented, not flavoured, there’s no sugar or additives to worry about. The pods contain natural aromas from fruits, berries, herbs, and spices, which are blended together to create authentic tasting flavours. And it’s why Air Up can proudly state that they can give you the healthiest flavoured water out there… because it is just water
Air Up Review – Final Thoughts
Healthy flavoured water or just hype?
Look, I know the cynics among you are probs thinking jeez why spend 30 odd quid on a water bottle when you can just bung some slices of fruit and sprigs of herb into a jug of ice cold water and get healthy flavoured water that way. But the fact is, most of us won’t bother to do that. I know from my own personal experience of being someone who doesn’t drink enough water that it’s a struggle to even remember to drink let alone be expected to add garnishes!
Air Up have come up with a way for us to drink water that has a taste and I think that’s pretty remarkable. No calories, no nasties, just plain and simple water with some scentsational science.
So, has it made me and my daughter drink more water? Well yeah it has as it happens. She regularly reaches for her Air Up bottle and because the scent pods are so easy to take on and off (you just need to remember to keep them sealed in between uses so they don’t lose their scent) she can easily switch between flavours depending what mood she’s in.
And I am loving putting sparkling water in my tumbler. It kinda feels like I’m still getting the flavoured fizzy drinks I love, but without all the nasties.
So bearing all that in mind, no I don’t think it’s hype. There are lots of very good reasons why I’m pleased Air Up has entered our lives. Here’s to a healthy and hydrated summer!
*Products gifted for review.
Do you have an Air Up bottle? If so I’d love to know your favourite flavour!
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Author Bio
Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web publisher, and blogging coach. She continually strives to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive image of how to lead a healthy life. When she’s not writing she can be found running through muddy puddles, making lists of lists, having a good old moan, talking in funny voices to her dog, renovating her house in the country, and teaching others how to make money from their blogs.
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