‘Shark Tank’ in review: Our favorite products of 2015
“Shark Tank” is a show that we have covered rather extensively really since the third season, even though we’ve gone back and watched many episodes even before then. One thing that we had never done before now, though, is actually look at many of the products that aired over the course of the year, ranking the very best ones … until now.
As a way to entertain ourselves / hopefully some of you moving through the New Year’s holiday, we’ve compiled for you here what are our personal favorite products that made it onto the show in the past twelve months. Let’s make it clear that there is no real criteria here other than personal preference. We don’t care whether or not a business made a deal with a Shark, or if they have gotten an update segment / appeared on “Beyond the Tank.” It’s all about the products and brands that speak most to us as a casual observer.
5. Windcatcher – We’re not much of an outdoor person (or someone who sleeps on an air mattress), but it is impossible for us to deny the genius that this company has in creating what is effectively a very simple but effective twist on something that has been around for ages. They’ve come up with not just a multi-use product, but also a technology that could replace many traditional nozzles in a variety of different fields. It’s much more convenient to use the wind as a means of inflation than breathing into a tiny tube … especially since you don’t know how many people have done that before you.
4. Foot Cardigan – It’s one of those ideas that is in one way silly, but in another way brilliant. While custom socks once a month is a pure novelty product, they are totally in at the moment and the company’s designs are really fun. We love their attitude, their wit, and the way that they seem to celebrate their product. Both during their presentation on the show and in everything we’ve seen from them after, you completely get the sense that they love this business and having fun with their consumers.
3. Bee Thinking – It’s interesting that two of our top five products both come from the same episode, but sometimes that’s the case when you have great ideas. What we love about this company is that they are really positioning themselves as an expert in their field, offering up not just beekeeping products, but also insight and information. We’re not someone too interested in beekeeping, but at the same time we love that this can be your one-stop shop for everything from hives to honey to, if you are in the Portland area and can go to pick them up, the bees themselves. They make the importance of bees in our ecology clear, and we love the companies that have a message that go along with what they do.
2. Bantam Bagels – You cannot really argue with success, and what this company has done over the course of the year is incredible: They’ve managed to transform stuffed bagel balls into a sensation. They’re in many northeast Starbucks location, they have a specialty shop, and they are online. While we never loved whatever that name was that Lori Greiner came up with as an alternative, they’ve done a very good job otherwise of producing one of the rare food products on this show to really garner some attention and recognition.
1. Budsies – The crazy thing here is that this wasn’t even a hard decision to make. We’ve probably told the story on an article before of how when we were a child, we would draw our own characters, cut them out, and then play around with them as action figures of sorts. It was the only way we could think of to feed that imagination. We would’ve loved one of these. We’re stunned that Budsies didn’t get more love in the Tank given that it provides its consumer base with something that is becoming more and more difficult to find: Imagination. In the world of mass licensing, so many companies tell children and even some adults what to think and who to like. Budsies opens things up to where any world is possible. The prices are reasonable and the options have expanded since its first episode aired in the spring.
What are your favorite products from “Shark Tank” this year? Share below, and head over here to get some more of the latest news on the show! Also, be sure to sign up over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ABC.)