In lieu of the recent debate over the health ramifications of BPA in consumer products, I had the perfect excuse to purchase the Kor One Hydration Vessel. I’m not quite sure where I first saw the Kor, but I instantly loved the unique design, BPA free materials and the fact that Kor donates 1% of their sales to a different water-related cause depending on which Kor you buy. I wanted a new bottle considering the age and condition of my Nalgene.

My initial hesitation to purchase this bottle lied in the one aspect people criticize first: the price. At $30 dollars, the Kor is basically just a pretentiously named, grossly overpriced water bottle. I’ve definitely taken some flack from friends over this. The cost of the Kor makes the (previously expensive but now relatively less so) Nalgene and Sigg bottles which serve the same function a fraction of the price, look like a steal. However, the same can be said about nearly everything we purchase; a cheap Timex watch tells time just as well as an expensive Rolex. The difference lies in the statement the Rolex makes for the wearer. The fact is, we pay a premium for things that provide value to us beyond that item’s intrinsic function (thanks largely to some tricky marketing).

For me, I found the Kor to be superior to other similar water bottles on an intrinsic functional level, as well as a more abstract philosophical level. The design of the Kor is much more appealing than any other water bottle I have seen. I get comments everyday on my Kor. It is also transparent so you can the contents (something the Sigg and Kleen Kanteen doesn’t allow) and has a hinged lid for one handed operation (sorry Nalgene). Kor donates to worthy causes, albeit given the price, Kor should probably donate much more than 1%. Kor also greatly reduces plastic bottle consumption; even though I always recycle my plastic bottles, reducing demand for them couldn’t hurt. I also find that I’m drinking much more water daily which, as an athlete, I definitely wasn’t drinking enough of before.

Ultimately, I am very satisfied with the Kor and it’s undeniably unique design. Even if you still think the Kor is ridiculous, I hope you consider doing something about the bottled water you consume. Packaging and transporting bottled water creates a huge carbon footprint people don’t normally think about. The amount of these recyclable (petroleum-based) bottles that end up in landfills is also staggering. Filtering your own water and carrying it in your own bottle is just one of the many small steps we can take to living more responsibly.

P.S. I got the green one from Koyono. Read more about Kor at http://blog.korwater.com/.

Koyono Slimmy Wallet

I’ve had mine for several months now and I love it. It really is a sleek looking wallet. Koyono also has some of the coolest accessories in their collection as well. Be sure to check them out.

The adventurers of the urban wilderness, globetrotting jetsetters and new business thrill seekers have lifestyles that demand high-performance. These people are on their own mission in the world and must maintain a high level of effectiveness with style, ease and fun.

That being said, I instantly became fascinated with the Slimmy and after doing extensive research, I found only good things being said about this little wallet. One thing that sets the Slimmy apart from traditional bi-fold or tri-fold wallets is that the Slimmy is meant to be carried in your front pocket as opposed to your back pocket. This way, you’re not reaching for your butt every time you need your wallet or more importantly, sitting on an uneven surface resulting in damage to your spine. While some people opt for a card carrier, I liked the Slimmy because it had room for cash and other miscellaneous items.

Satisfied with what the Slimmy had to offer, I opted to purchased a Special Edition Slimmy for some extra flair. Because I ordered from Amazon, processing my order took a few extra days but shipping was quick. An added benefit from ordering off Amazon came in the form of a free magazine offer in which you can sign up for a free year subscription Lucky, Teen Vogue or GQ. The subscription is totally free, in fact the publishers don’t even get your credit card information and the subscription does not auto-renew. If you’re not a fan of any of those magazines, you can also opt for a $12 credit to your account.

As soon as I received my Slimmy, I transferred contents from my old wallet to it to see how it fared. Koyono claims the Slimmy can hold 8 cards, 5 bills and a few receipts. I was able to fit 7 cards and a decent mix of receipts and business cards with no problem. It is important to keep in mind that the Slimmy is not designed to carry all of your stuff; it forces you to reconsider what is and is not essential for your wallet which is a big part of reducing your wallet’s size. For those of you who think you’ll have a hard time dealing with the reduced payload of the Slimmy, printing yourself a card from Just One Club Card may do the trick; it allows you to consolidate up to 8 store rewards cards on to just one. With all my essentials tucked in my new Slimmy, it was the same thickness as my old bi-fold wallet when it is empty and roughly the same thickness as my 80GB iPod. The quality of the leather and the construction of the wallet are both top-notch however I do find the price tag a bit high considering how simplistic the Slimmy is.

In the short time that I’ve had it, I already know that I (and my back) will throughly enjoy using the Slimmy. The Slimmy also comes in a few varieties as well as other stylish wallets and money clips. I find Koyono’s product line very tempting (espescially the Cableyoyo) as they blend equal amounts of design and functionality.

I think only Art Lebedev rivals Koyono in terms of shiny things I will likely waste my money on. Any other cool stuff you think I should know about?