The water bottle name on everyone’s lips
Why is Nalgene so popular?
If you Google the word “Nalgene”, the first frequently asked question the search engine offers is: “Why is Nalgene so popular?” It’s a valid query.
For the most part, the American brand makes straightforward BPA-plastic-free reusable drinking bottles, which is noble, given our climatic pickle, but not especially cool. But then there are the collaborations: partnerships with the hottest names in streetwear that have made Nalgene the go-to bottle for hype kids and serious outdoor types alike. There have been sold-out collabs with Supreme, Brain Dead, JJJJound, And Wander, Bape and Online Ceramics, among others — all of whom are trying to espouse their concern for plastic waste while gleaning a little of Nalgene’s adventurous authenticity.
“It’s a legit product in its own right,” says Josh Rothery, buyer at Outsiders Store, an outdoorswear shop with branches in London and Manchester. “But where making a collab apparel item seems a little more difficult, brands can drop their own Nalgene with relative ease.”
Though, not that much ease, apparently. Outsiders Store is currently working on its own special-edition Nalgene bottle, but Rothery says getting the design right is giving him and his colleagues a headache. Perhaps they need to drink more water.
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