The Penna Straw for sustainable, conscious consumers has already raised 400% of its funding goal on Kickstarter.
The portable and reusable straw promises to be sterilized after each use. The product has already gained 675 backers pledging $40,000 compared to a goal of $10,000.
What is the Penna Straw?
The Penna Straw, designed by Elretron, is a metal straw that comes in a case with UV sterilization.
The straw is divided into four pieces and is put together through magnetics. It comes with a silicone tip to make it easier to drink from.
To clean, you place the straw back in the case, put in water, shake it with the hole plugged, and then release the water. The rechargeable UV LED light gets rid of about 99.9% of bacteria, the company claims.
The company also claims that the straw will save at least 10,000 plastic straws from being used each month. It comes in a PVC leather pouch explicitly designed for the case. The case itself comes in four colors: white, black, green, and pink. Pledges start at $29 for one straw and case and can go up to $9,000 for 200 straws, cases, and pouches.
The Team Behind the Penna Straw
California-based company Elretron focuses on designing household products. It is best known for its electric keyboard that looks and feels like a retro typewriter. It has also successfully funded a wireless laser pointer for presentations.
It has successfully created and shipped out three other products, which means backing this product is relatively safe. All the same, know that any Kickstarter campaign has a risk of not being fulfilled or coming out as expected.
Pros and Cons
The case that the Penna straw comes in is rather bulky. It’s just another item to add to the list of things to carry around. The case is also made of plastic, so while you might help save the ocean from plastic straws, you aren’t necessarily riding the world of plastic use. Not to mention the fact that charging the case also uses up energy.
Besides, there are many other portable and reusable straws out there.
You can get a set of reusable metal straws that come in a cotton pouch for only $5. You can even get glass straws if you prefer a clear option. Or for an all-natural version, bamboo.
The bottom line is if you want a sterilizing case, then the Penna straw is a good option. But if you’re more concerned about your carbon footprint, look at other options.
