‘Shark Tank’ review: Firefighter Turnout Bags, Trainquilo mat, Peaceful Fruits, Doc Spartan, R. Riveter

Tonight, “Shark Tank” is back, and with a special hero-themed installment. All of the entrepreneurs being featured in this episode have some sort of resume of helping others already, whether it be through military service, as a nurse, through the peace corps, or as a firefighter. This episode should be fun! We also have a feeling that there’ll be some bickering between the Sharks for deals.

Also in tonight’s episode, you’re going to get a chance to see an update on R. Riveter, a handbag company that is also well-themed for this episode given the involvement of military spouses in it.

Stay tuned, as we plan on having updates on all of these products / potential deals as the episode progresses.

Tranquilo Mat – Want to make life easier on your newborn? This vibrating mat may be the right product for you, given that it helps to simulate a mother’s womb for newborn children.

The negotiation that we saw in the tank from her the nurse behind this product was incredibly risky, and it was something that could have went awry in a blink of an eye. Kevin O’Leary gave her exactly what she wanted, and he potentially had a platform for her that would have enabled further sales. She just didn’t want to give up anywhere near as much equity as Kevin wanted to take from her. Luckily, she found another partner in Robert Herjavec with an even sweeter offer!

Doc Spartan – Finally, we close with a line of skin-care, deodorant, and beard care for people who work hard, but want to stay clean. Their veteran background adds another bit of power and credibility to the brand. It’s interesting that the website sells a wide array of different things, but the product that was specifically highlighted here was a healing ointment.

There was some confusion with the product and its packaging, just as Mark Cuban also had some concerns over the claims. Still, there were two things that these two entrepreneurs had going for them: A clear vision for what they wanted their brand to be, and also a ton of personality. They made a great pitch to Robert in particular, and that was enough to get him on board.

Peaceful Fruits – Think of this as a grown-up fruit snack, like the ones you find in the store. The difference is that this one is made of 100% fruit, and it is designed to be good for you and good for the environment. We do feel for the guy, given that we think 100% that he has a great idea for a company that he very much believes in. Also, we think that it’s probably super-tasty and it’s a conveniently way to get a healthy dose of fruit into your diet.

Are we surprised that the business had no investment from a Shark? Hardly, mostly because of the fact that this was a food product. These are very difficult investments for a Shark to make, given that they are in such a competitive field and it’s hard to anything to stand out in the midst of everyone else.

Firefighter Turnout Bags – These bags are a great way to provide a second life to retired firefighter gear — they’ve got custom-built bags and other products that very much capture the firefighter flair.

There’s one thing about being a hustler and a fighter, and there’s another thing to be said about getting a little too argumentative. There were times that this pitch was tough to listen to just because she had such different opinions than the Sharks — and in one case — an incredibly wrong opinion, from our vantage point. The whole appeal of the bag is that it’s been worn by a firefighter before; there’s an easier way to do it, but it’s not interesting. There are tons of other bags you can buy for that. Luckily, we think she saw the light by the end of this.

This is where Robert officially went into full-on BOSS mode in trying to buy the full company. It didn’t work, but we admire the hustle. She ended up going instead with Lori, who made her a smart deal that allowed her to be a 50-50 partner. She keeps her equity, and she’s going to continue to build the brand.

Be sure to share your thoughts and reactions to this episode below! Meanwhile, head over here for some other highlights from this season. (Photo: ABC.)