Inchbug is a brand by Brenda Lee, which she started in 2004, and appeared with a pitch for it on Shark Tank in 2016, 12 years after establishing her business. The two main products she pitched to the Sharks were her Orbit Labels, which she started the brand with, and her latest product at the time: The MyDrinky holder for juice boxes.
The Orbit Labels were personalized labels that can be stretched to fit a variety of containers and can hold the name of the child to whom the container belongs. The MyDrinky Cup, the product she wanted the Sharks to notice, is a simple juice box holder that comes in cute animal shapes and is intended to prevent children from using their juice boxes as squirt guns and making a mess. The juice box holders cannot be squeezed; therefore, the juice becomes very difficult to spill.
The idea did capture the interest of the sharks, especially the labels. Brenda is interested in selling her product retail and focuses on the MyDrinky holder instead of the labels. This is why Robert, Mark, Barbara, and Lori pull out and choose not to invest. However, Mr. Wonderful does offer Brenda a $400,000 investment in the business, on the condition that she does not sell retail. He wants $1 royalty for every unit till he is able to get to $1.2 million and 5% of the business. While Brenda is interested in the deal, she does not like the idea of being promoted on social media entirely and wants to focus on retail as well, which is why she turns down the investment.
Inchbug is still an active company and Brenda also sells her products online. She has modified the labels and introduced new options for MyDrinky as well, which shows that the business is doing well so far.
Our Review of Inchbug
Both of the Inchbug products; the Orbit Labels, and the MyDrinky Juice Box holder have helped parents all over the world; here are some of their prominent features and our thoughts on the products:
Orbit Labels
Each pack of Orbit Labels consists of 4 labels with the same personalization. The labels can tightly fit around containers, so children cannot remove them. The labels are non-toxic, non-adhesive, and easily removed as well.
These labels are excellent accessories for all parents. They are easy to fit and remove from all sorts of containers. Not using paint or ink on the containers also helps preserve them, and the name does not come off either, which is excellent. The only drawback we see is that the logo is very prominent and sometimes seems more noticeable than the child’s name. Other than that, the bands are also sometimes difficult to stretch over containers when they are new, so a little more flexibility would make them better.
MyDrinky
The MyDrinky juice box holder is designed to contain juice boxes and pouches while locking them up firmly inside the holder. The container cannot be squeezed, so it prevents explosions and spillage. You can easily use the container in a dishwasher as well.
The MyDrinky container has undoubtedly been a Godsend for parents everywhere with its excellent capacity to prevent spillage. The cute icons and designs also attract children to the container. Parents can let their children roam free with their juice boxes instead of monitoring them the whole time, which gives them a much-needed break. The main criticism regarding this juice box holder is that it is unable to fit all types of juice boxes and pouches. While it does fit most, there are some that are too oddly shaped or too big for the container. Other than that, the container is very easy to dismantle once a child gets the hang of it, so it may not be suitable for all children either!
Pros of Inchbug
There are many great things to say about the two most prominent Inchbug Products, and here they are:
Orbit Labels
- Helps to keep track of kids in daycares and other social settings
- Fits snugly around most containers
- Easy to clean
MyDrinky
- Cannot be squeezed, so you avoid spillage
- Cute, attractive icons for kids
- Dishwasher safe
Cons of Inchbug
Undoubtedly, there are some drawbacks to the Inchbug products as well:
Orbit Labels
- The logo seems to be more prominent than the name of the child
- Can be difficult to stretch when new
MyDrinky
- Does not fit all shapes and sizes of juice boxes and pouches.
- Can be dismantled by some children
Who Is Inchbug For?
Inchbug is the perfect brand for parents looking for convenience. While children are the apple of their parent’s eyes, they can surely create havoc! With the MyDrinky cups, parents can prevent juice box explosions all over the house.
The orbit labels are ideal for children who go to daycare and are often part of social activities. In fact, parents can use the labels to keep track of all their kids’ special containers in their homes as well.
Are There Any Alternatives?
You can find some alternatives to the Inchbug products online
Orbit Labels
For the orbit labels, you can use any label maker to attach your children’s names to their food and drink containers. You can also make DIY stretchy labels.
MyDrinky
The most well-known alternative to the MyDrinky juice box container is the Mommy’s Helper juice box holder, which you can find online.
Our Final Thoughts
While Brenda’s pitch at Shark Tank did not score her the kind of investment she was looking for, she still took her business as far as she possibly could. Inchbug only has a few items to date, but the company is doing well since parents all over the world use these products and trust the Inchbug brand name as well. We can hope the brand releases more interesting products in the future to help parents lead more convenient lives and prevent all sorts of messiness!