Story

THE BIG IDEA. In 2006, Tal Winter and Kate Cutler were two best girlfriends who always believed that inner and outer beauty were connected and that hydration was the foundation of both. Back then, they bought water by the case like everyone else around them. But they were fast becoming aware of what would be one of the most important environmental and health issues of their time: the many implications of single use plastics. They made a decision to breakup with single-use plastic water bottles, but they fundamentally disliked the metal and plastic reusable options. In 2007, the friends committed to solving the issue and they worked nights, weekends and every spare moment dreaming up their ideal solution.

THE BKR. In 2011, Tal and Kate launched bkr with a focus on one main concept which in their minds was Beauty 101: drinking water is the foundation for soft, dewy, pretty skin–and wtf­–hydrating shouldn’t be so hard. The clean, addictive, cult favorite, small-mouth, original glass water bottle was sustainable and eco at its core, but it also made drinking water blissful and easy for a change and people started noticing. A growing obsession with the pretty little bottle resulted in reports that they people were finally truly hydrated and, as a result, they were looking and feeling better. And, as it's said, the rest is history.

PARIS WATER BALM + THE KISS KIT. Fast forward to a couple years later. Confident they had solved the hydrating-is-hard problem, they began dreaming about 1) the things they wished existed that would further hydrate (and floor) bkr people around the world, and 2) the things that would make their beloved reusable bkrs more vital than any disposable could ever be.

They chose to tackle the lip category first because they were ultra-hydrated people who owned every lip product imaginable, but their lips felt constantly dehydrated. They worked on it for five years and in 2018 released the most hydrating, clean, vegan lip balm in the world and a patented compact cap engineered to connect it to the bkr. Magically, balm was always within reach, lips were soft and minds were blown.

THE KEEP KIT. A light bulb moment that started as an elaborate and actually-executed April Fools’ joke in 2019 resulted in this extension of the Kiss Kit with an empty compact container where the balm had been. Teeny tiny storage at the top of the bkr, but we made it fashion. Now we had the perfect space for all our tiniest necessaries: mints, hair ties, emergency candy, medicinal gummies, vitamins, and everything in between.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, overnight (lol), the most beautiful reusable bottle in the world has become more and more indispensable and unforgettable than any disposable could ever be. And we're just getting started. We’re on a mission to become your hydration everything and the ultimate destination for people who know to start inside for a pretty outside.

THE BKR COMMUNITY. A note from the founders: We’re beyond proud of everything we’ve created, but we’re so much more than a pretty water bottle and we owe so much of that to all of you. We’re a tight-knit community of thoroughly hydrated, caring, supportive, strong, smart, beautiful bada$$es who, when asked what we want out of life, say “everything.” We can’t think of a better way to illustrate this than to share a story that was shared with us on Instagram by one of our bkr ride-or-dies:

“Ok so the cutest/bkr-iest thing ended up happening. I finished work late and [had to rush] to the airport…I was cutting it close on making my flight (Southwest). Made it through security with 20 min to spare and was racing to the gate. Thought about skipping filling up my bkr but needed the hydration. So, I fill it and race onto the plane holding it. Flight is pretty full and I spy a lone window seat, but I have my hands full and can’t figure out how to wedge my bag into the overhead compartment. All of a sudden, the woman on the aisle of the row with the window seat asks if she can help hold my stuff so I can get my bag in, and then said I should come sit in their window seat. I thanked her, took her up on the offer, got my bag settled, and slid into the window seat. As I was sliding in, the woman’s friend who was sitting in the middle seat says, “We were looking for someone good to sit next to us and when we saw you had a bkr bottle we knew you would be good!” It had been a rough week and the kind gesture was so lovely. And to think it was all because we were bonded over being bkr women!”

Not sure we could explain it any better. We absolutely love our bkr community. We affectionately call ourselves ‘bkr fam’ and if the story above gave you the kind of goosebumps we just got from reading it for the hundredth time, you’re definitely one of us. We’ll help hold your bag and you can come sit over here with us, always. ❥T&K