Winter Release Radar: Dirty Labs, Backbone, quip Gum
These products may be the perfect stocking stuffers
If you’re starting to think about the obligatory gifts you have to give to your nephew or mother-in-law, 2020 may be the perfect year to switch it up (because it’s 2020 and why not?). Cleaner laundry detergent, a portable gaming system, and PEZ-like chewing gum are some of the most interesting concepts recently launched.
Dirty Labs
Although it makes our clothes feel new and homes smell fresh, laundry detergent is one of the most chemical-loaded products we use on a daily basis. Because there are few to no laws requiring manufacturers to list the ingredients used in detergent, manufacturers oftentimes get away with including chemicals like naphtha as cleaning agents. (Naphtha is derived from synthetic crude oil.)
Dirty Labs launched in October and is backed by Vectr Ventures, Bullish, and Entrée Capital. The brand hopes to be the solution for decades of detergents that are harmful to the body and the environment. They’ve developed a proprietary cleaning technology called Phytolase®, which does some pretty cool stuff. A bottle is available for $19 and can be used for 75 loads.
Backbone
2020 has become the year of the gaming system. Both Xbox and PlayStation have released new consoles over the past few months and sold out. If you weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on the new PlayStation 5, Backbone has you covered.
The controller is specifically designed for iPhone and works with games like Call of Duty: Mobile and Minecraft. It also lets you record your gameplay, edit it, and share it on social media. $99 isn’t a bad price to turn your phone into a fully-fledged entertainment hub.
quip Gum
quip—maker of this aesthetically-pleasing electric toothbrush—has ventured into the candy aisle. The brand introduced its refillable dispenser along with a reoccurring subscription last week. Depending on the plan selected, the lowest price is $1.78 per 9-piece pack.
quip was founded in 2014 and has raised money from firms like Sherpa Capital and former design studio Gin Lane.
As the Christmas season speeds up, these new innovations could be the perfect thing for friends and relatives still working at home—and they won’t break the bank.
