S'well facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Sarah Kauss |
| Headquarters |
Manhattan, New York City, New York
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United States
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Key people
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Hugh Rovit (CEO) |
| Products | Water bottles, reusable food containers, stainless steel straws |
S'well is a company that makes reusable water bottles and other insulated products. Their main office is in Manhattan, New York. Sarah Kauss started the company in 2010. She was the company's boss, or CEO, until 2020.
Contents
The Story of S'well
Sarah Kauss started S'well in 2010. She got the idea after going to a meeting about the world's clean water problems. This meeting was at her five-year reunion from Harvard Business School. Sarah first put $30,000 of her own money into the company. She worked out of a building in Manhattan.
About a year after S'well started, it became very popular. This happened after the company was shown in O, The Oprah Magazine. This is sometimes called "The Oprah Effect."
From 2013 to 2014, S'well's sales grew a lot. They made $10 million by the end of 2014. In 2015, S'well moved its offices to a new area in Manhattan called the Flatiron District. By May 2015, the company had sold 4 million bottles!
In 2016, Forbes magazine said S'well was the fastest-growing company led by a woman. Their sales went from $10 million in 2013 to $47 million in 2015. This fast growth also put them on Crain's Fast50 list in 2016 and 2017. By 2016, S'well had over $100 million in sales.
In 2017, the company hired more people for its London office. They also started selling their products in 65 countries around the world. That same year, their main office in Manhattan moved to an even bigger space.
In September 2018, S'well worked with the New York City Mayor's Office. They gave S'well water bottles to 600 high schools in the city. In February 2020, Hugh Rovit became the new CEO of S'well.
About S'well Products
S'well sells bottles in different sizes. These include bottles that hold about 9 ounces, 17 ounces, or 25 ounces of liquid. The bottles can be used again and again. They have three layers of special insulation. This helps keep drinks at the right temperature.
The company says their bottles do not leak and are not toxic. They also claim the bottles keep liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours. However, some tests show that the actual times might be a bit shorter.
How Well Do S'well Bottles Work?
In 2015, a consumer report tested how well a S'well bottle worked. They filled the bottle with water that was 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). They also used a regular plastic bottle to compare.
After five hours:
- The water in the plastic bottle was 79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius).
- The water in the S'well bottle was still 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius).
After twenty-four hours:
- The water in the plastic bottle was 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius).
- The water in the S'well bottle was 69 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
They also tested how long the bottle kept drinks hot. They filled the bottle with hot coffee that was over 168 degrees Fahrenheit (76 degrees Celsius).
- Six hours later, the coffee was still over 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).
- Twelve hours later, the temperature was 126 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius). This was a drop of 42 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius).
New Products and Designs
In March 2016, S'well launched a new line of bottles called S'ip by S'well. These 15-ounce bottles were sold at Target stores.
By November 2017, S'well made bottles in over 200 different designs! In 2017, they added new bottle styles called the Traveler and the Tumbler. In 2018, they added the Roamer, which is a very large bottle.
In 2019, S'well also started selling new containers for food and snacks. These also have the special triple-layer insulation.
