Back to school essentials: How to hydrate students healthily this term

As summer comes to a close, parents are gearing up to purchase all the new term necessities. For many, the back-to-school checklist consists of a few non-negotiables, from a sturdy lunch box and a new uniform following a summer growth spurt, to a water bottle which can ensure their child stays healthy and hydrated all day long, with data unveiling that half of kids are now not drinking enough water, turning to sugary alternatives instead.

Copious amounts of ’empty calories’ appear in school children’s favourite sugary drinks, and with school children rushing to corner shops and vending machines before and after school as they return to education next week, air up are seeking to tackle this with a new back-to-school essential – a water bottle that adds our favourite flavours, from Kola to orange, with no sugars, additives or chemicals allowing the nation’s schoolchildren to get the flavour they crave while drinking 100% pure water.

What is retronasal smell?

Studies have shown that up to 80% of the flavour we perceive comes from smell, not taste, which is why the smell of food is so linked to appetite and why people hold their nose when they eat or drink something unpleasant. When we eat or drink, flavour-filled air rises up to our nose and takes our senses beyond the five basic tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.

So how does air up work?

air up harnesses this clever bit of science by infusing flavoured air into every sip of water from the bottle. One of 27 different flavours will be added in bubbles every time you drink and it is this that will give your 100% pure water its flavour. Each pod contains natural flavourings and scents that infuse with ambient air to be added to the pure water, these flavours range from Lime and Orange-Passionfruit to Cola and Iced Coffee with ten others in between.

Who came up with this amazing idea?

The first prototype for air up was developed by Lena Jüngst and Tim Jäger in 2016 and spent three years in development, including a Master’s thesis on aromas, to combine innovative design and the neuroscience behind the idea and turn it into a real product. Since then, air up has successfully launched in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands, with more than one million customers already. Now Lena and the team are bringing this innovative way to drink water to the UK.

Where can I buy one?

air up’s reusable water bottles are available from their website. The Starter Set, including one bottle and two scent pods, is priced at £29.95 to £34.95 depending on the colour of the bottle. Each additional pack of three pods (flavouring a minimum of 15 litres of water) then costs between £5.95 to £8.95, depending on the flavour.