Cool Hunting

The Kor One Hydration Vessel elevates the humble water bottle to new aesthetic and functional levels. Forget Voss, Smart Water, and Jeff.

Face it, we need privatized bottled water like we need more internal combustion engines on our freeways. Getting people off the bottled water habit is no small feat though. City dwellers in particular, relish the convenience of a deli-bought bottle, preferring to quench their thirst on the fly rather than plan ahead by toting something reusable.

The answer might lie in making the bottle into an object of desire by co-opting some of the industry's very own branding schemes. Enter Kor, a new company dedicated to creating sustainable personal hydration solutions.

What started as one man's attempt to find a decent reusable water bottle has blossomed into one of the sexiest industrial designs of the year. Taking a few visual cues from bottled water packaging (click images for detail), Kor ups the ante with a handful of intelligent design choices. Foremost, the vessel (which starts shipping next month and retails for $30) features a hinged snap-cap that allows one to open and drink with a single hand. Unlike typical Sigg bottles (our former vessel of choice), the Kor One has a wide mouth that can accommodate ice cubes and deliver more water on demand. Lastly, consider the bottle's ovular shape. When viewed from the front, it reminds of an old thermos; only from the side or the top can you see that the vessel has been pinched to provide an easier hand grip. Brilliant.

Discerning partnerships with Eastman Innovation Lab, RKS (for the ingenious lid) and Nypro (who delivered a mould that allowed for a lens-like bottom), have resulted in a product befitting the highest annual design award. According to Kor's new blog, this is just the first in a series of "Water ReDesigned" solutions. We can't wait to see what comes next.

via Core77.