Ever so recently, we saw a revival for the fanny packs. While a generation before us would have thought that they were done for good, the Millennials and the Gen Z can now take the credit for bringing it back and making one heck of a fashion statement. After all, fanny packs are just great in every way. They are closed to your body and spacious enough to hold everything.
Now imagine a “fanny pack for your rack.” Confused? That is precisely how female entrepreneur Christina Conrad described her amazing invention that she lovingly named BoobyPack. It literally is a fanny pack but made out of a sports bra that you can practically wear and hold all your precious items like phone, card, and cash in its pockets.
This revolutionary idea came to her when she was at an EDM rave. As she is a huge fan of electronic dance music and went on to attend quite a decent number of events and festivals, she noticed a gaping lack of a safe place where she could hold all her essential possessions. That’s how the BoobyPack came on to be. As for a woman, the safest and closest is her chest.
She went on to first sell her invention to a targeted audience of EDM fans like herself. However, soon enough, she understood that the BoobyPack is, in fact, a very handy and useful product that many women can use. She thought of women in sports, having an active lifestyle, or a physically demanding work life where they are mostly outdoors and understood how BoobyPack could benefit them.
Hence, she moved on from targeting a niche to targeting women in general and went on to launch a Kickstarter campaign. She was aiming to raise somewhere over $15,000. However, so much for her evolutionary luck, she successfully earned a great total of $32,700 right off the bat. This earning greatly helped her get BoobyPack off the ground and expand her product range.
Now she had not just one initial design of BoobyPack, but a brand name with multiple designs of the OG product and other fitness apparel for women showcasing tank tops, etc. She was having a good time selling her products online, but she knew she needed to broaden her horizon to get out there in the market.
Now naturally, this meant more funding, and a consequent next step in her journey came about in plain view as Shark Tank. That’s when she decided to take BoobyPack to national television and make an appearance on Shark Tank with a pitch of $80,000 investment in exchange for a 20% stake in her venture. The real question was, would the judges find it worthy, or she’ll walk away.
As she came to the studio, she had no difficulty in retelling her Kickstarter campaign success and how much she had already earned from successfully retailing online. However, it was apparent that she wanted to take this to the next level, and that’s what the funding would help with. Naturally, she had Barbara in the loop right from the start, and negotiation began.
However, much to the surprise of everyone, there really wasn’t much back and forth. In fact, all the judges jumped to the opportunity at once, giving out their own proposals. But in the end, it still was Barbara who offered the same amount but for a quarter of equity in her business, and Christina was sold. She says she really couldn’t have been happier.
Soon after the success of Shark Tank, all online orders were magnified and converted into enormous sale precedence. It is safe to say that the funding was also adequately used, and BoobyPack went on to become a huge success and a household name for women. However, much to many women’s dismay, Christina shut down the business in December 2017.
Our Review of BoobyPack
Although the BoobyPack has been discontinued, we were able to get our hands on one of the designs, and it is clear as day why the product was successful. It is made of high-quality fabric, with an absorbent layer to sweatproof the apparel. It has enough space to allow you to hold your belongings without the fear of closing in or slipping out.
Moreover, it makes for a great standard sports bra even if you don’t want to keep anything in it. It has high-grade support, especially for heavier women that are physically active and want to control their movement. You can easily find multiple designs and various color options to suit your preferences. It is sad that it is discontinued, given how useful it can be even today.
Pros of BoobyPack
- High-quality sports bra.
- A high-grade support mechanism
- Spacious and sturdy
- Absorbent layer for sweat-proofing
- Multiple color choices
Cons of BoobyPack
Many phone companies warn against keeping your cellular devices close to your body. Hence, promoting to hold your phone so close to your body, especially in as sensitive an area as the chest, is dangerous.
Who Is BoobyPack For?
BoobyPack is designed for women. It is specially targeted toward physically active women who need some place to be safe to keep their belongings close to them. Many women work in an outdoor environment and don’t have anywhere safe to keep their stuff. Moreover, people attend Coachella, EDM festivals, raves, and parties where something such as BoobyPack can be very safe.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Entchin Fanny Pack for Hiking, Running and Travel
The actual fanny packs are a great alternative to BoobyPack. Especially now that it has been discontinued, you can find various high-quality options on Amazon for a great price and in various color choices. These fanny packs are also great for people who are physically active and spacious enough to hold all your stuff that is too close to your body.
Our Final Thoughts
It is very unfortunate that despite a successful product that she invested so many years in developing, Christina simply chose to shut down her business and move away from it all. As of 2021, she is working as a freelance writer in England. We say had she sold the business, we at least should have had the use of the amazing product. But it is unknown why she didn’t even consider selling the business and simply shut it off.
