It would be easy to dismiss the Lyd upon first hearing about it. It’s a Kickstarter hardware project that is setting out to build an electronic water bottle. I mean, water bottles have worked pretty well without electronics for decades, and this could seem like another ploy to “disrupt” something that doesn’t need any disrupting.
But! If the Lyd works as advertised, it might actually be useful.
The Lyd bills itself as “the world’s first spill-proof water bottle.” It keeps liquids from dribbling down your chin with an electronic lyd, err, lid, that automatically opens and closes when you put your mouth to it. You can see how it works in this video:
That means the Lyd is spill-proof. Again, if it works as promised, you can hold it at any angle, any time, or knock it over and keep all of your hot coffee inside.
The Lyd also features a 360-degree drinking area, which means no awkward spinning the bottle around blindly while driving trying to find the opening. It’s everywhere! Just put your lips to the Lyd and take a sip.
The downside is that unlike every other beverage bottle you own, the Lyd needs to be re-charged. Depending on use, the Lyd needs to be recharged every two weeks to a month. It recharges wirelessly, using the Qi standard, and takes an average of four hours to charge.
The company behind Lyd launched its Kickstarter campaign today and is hoping to raise $30,000. Early backers can get a 13oz Lyd complete with Qi charger for $39, or they can pick up the 17oz version and Qi charger for $44. Both models are made from stainless steel, and the two sizes will eventually retail for $69 and $79, respectively.
If successful, Lyd says it will use the Kickstarter money to help place initial orders with its manufacturers. The company has raised some additional funding via angels and friends.
The Lyd may not heat or cool your beverage to a precise temperature like the Ember travel mug, but if Lyd delivers (which, on Kickstarter, is not a guarantee) it could disrupt your current water bottle option.
