‘Shark Tank’ preview: Doc Spartan, Peaceful Fruits, Tranquilo Mats, and Firefighter Turnout Bags

There is another new episode of “Shark Tank” airing on ABC Friday night, and this one is going to be all about one thing in particular: Celebrating heroes! We’ve got nurses, veterans, and a Peace Corps volunteer being among the people who are going to be stopping by over the course of the episode, and they all have products that they think are worthy of investment. Whether or not they are, however, still remains to be seen.

We don’t have sneak peeks for all of the different products this time around, but hopefully some information on all of the products will suffice! Our first impressions of the four products are below; be sure to come back tonight for more courtesy of our full episode review.

Firefighter Turnout Bags – This is an interesting idea that seems to be conceived by a firefighter for the sake of finding a new use for retired gear that doesn’t go out into the field anymore — it’s a way to turn recycled gear into bags! If you order them custom, every one of them can look unique to whatever gear is available at the time. They are a little bit on the pricey side, but there is something cool to the idea that you have a bag that carries with it such a unique story.

Peaceful Fruits – On paper, we love everything about this. You’re getting real fruit strips that are great for the environment and for you; think of them as a healthy Fruit Roll-Up for adults. They’re also made in the USA, put in compostable packaging, and the company hires workers with disabilities. The company founder was in the Peace Corps! Basically, everything about this brand suggests that it should be a winner, but with a higher price point versus most other fruit snacks in the market, and a competitive battle for shelf space, there’s no guarantee that this will be a hit.

Tranquilo Mat – This is a portable vibrating mat that mostly serves as a way to help soothe babies following their birth, as it is meant to simulate the feeling of being in a mother’s womb. This isn’t a consumer base we know all that much about, but given the sort of exhaustion that new parents go through, we have to imagine that parents will do anything and be willing to spend whatever to help their babies (and themselves) relax a little more. This may be a way to do that without breaking the bank.

Doc Spartan – Cool name for the brand, and the image and tone of it feels appropriate. This is a product that does generate a lot of laughs in the Tank (see the image below), but the idea behind it is rather simple: Skin and beard-care products that are designed by veterans and to benefit veterans. It’s a tremendous cause, but the biggest issue that we see with this is that there are already two beard-care product lines to come out of the show already. Beyond the military branding and some extra skin-care products, is there enough for this one to stand out?

Want to get some further news and highlights from “Shark Tank” this season? Then be sure to head over to this link! (Photo: ABC.)