A shiny $50 tumbler has entered the world of trendy water bottles. Meet Frank Green.
An assortment of Frank Green water bottles. Frank Green If there's one thing American shoppers love, it's reusable water bottles in fun colors and prints. Frank Green, an Australian drinkware brand, is now catching the attention of US shoppers. The brand's shiny bottles are starting to stand out in a sea of Stanley cups and Owalas. This summer, Morgan Symone was ready to break up with Stanley. Then Frank Green came along. We're talking, of course, about water bottle brands. "I had a Stanley for a while, but she was always leaking, and I'm not a person who will put a charm [cover] on the straw," Symone, a 27-year-old from Los Angeles, told Business Insider. "I wanted to pivot to something new and fresh." The recent master's graduate and marketing professional started researching and found the Australian company Frank Green online. She was so intrigued by the brand that she told her friend about it at lunch the next day. A few weeks later, a personalized, green-and-pink Frank Green bottle arrived on Symone's doorstep — a gift from her friend. "I don't go anywhere without it," Symone said. "I bring it with me in my car, at work, in my bag, to the beach, to the gym; I love it." The cup has become both a practical tool and a fashion accessory for Symone and other fans. And while it's popular, it's not so trendy that you have to fight a crowd to get one — at least, not yet. But with its shiny chrome bottles popping up across social media, Frank Green is starting to look like the next "it" bottle for American shoppers. Morgan Symone and her personalized Frank Green water bottle. Morgan Symone The water bottle craze goes chrome There's a good chance you already have an Owala, a Stanley cup, and maybe a Bink bottle in your kitchen cabinet. Water bottles have become more than drinkware in recent years. They're status symbols. Shoppers waited hours in line for coveted Stanley releases, with their prices ranging from $25 to $75. Some Target workers were even fired after buying limited-edition cups themselves, and middle schoolers became ruthless in their quests to have the best bottles. At its peak popularity, Stanley's annual sales increased from $94 million in 2020 to an estimated $750 million in 2023, largely due to its 40-ounce tumbler, CNBC reported. It also fixed that leaking issue Symone mentioned by releasing a new version of the cup, the Quencher ProTour, with a flip-top straw. Over time, Owala, whose prices range from $26 to $55, emerged as another trendy option, wooing "cool girls" with its FreeSip bottle, which has a top loop for carrying and a built-in straw. Today, rare or sold-out Owalas get listed for triple the price — sometimes over $100 — on sites like eBay. Joe Derochowski, a home industry advisor at the global market research company Circana, told Business Insider that sales of reusable drinkware have remained strong since 2020, with $5.2 billion in portable beverage items sold over the past year, up from $3.1 billion in 2024. The 595ml chrome water bottle from Frank Green. Frank Green Frank Green isn't a response to the water bottle craze, but the Australian brand said it still wants to earn a spot on American shelves. The brand offers customizable bottles with metal straws and rubber straps attached to the lids, making them easy to carry. But its shiny chrome bottles are what's really capturing people's attention across social media, offering a more elevated aesthetic than many of the printed or brightly colored options that have dominated the market for years. "There's a visual aspect and the quality is so good," Symone said. One complaint from Symone, however, is that the bottle doesn't fit inside car cupholders, which is a big deal. Taking reusable cups on the go is kind of the whole point. No one wants their bottle rolling around their passenger seat while they drive. It's a drawback Frank Green has attempted to address by offering a $15.95 cupholder expander on its website. An Australian cult favorite comes to America Frank Green may be unfamiliar to some US shoppers, but the brand isn't new. Benjamin Young, the brand's CEO, founded the company in 2013 as a retailer that could bring both sustainability and style to customers. He first crafted a reusable coffee cup and later introduced ceramic-lined water bottles. Now, the brand sells the latter alongside kids' cups, water bottle holders, and other products. Its most popular products are its range of chrome bottles, which cost $47.95 for a 20-ounce bottle and $52.95 for a 34-ounce version. Frank Green's chrome water bottles. Frank Green Frank Green experienced significant growth in Australia. Nearly six years into its business, the company was generating over 15 million Australian dollars, or more than $10 million, in annual revenue, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. Frank Green declined to share current revenue and sales numbers with Business Insider. "We've always thought of Frank Green as a global brand, not just an Aussie one, so the US felt like the natural next step," Young, who announced a US expansion back in 2018, told Business Insider. "What's been amazing for us is seeing Americans get on board with what we're about: You shouldn't have to choose between sustainability and functionality for style." Social media is helping the brand reach more shoppers. In fact, the brand had a TikTok presence before it even joined TikTok. According to a business case study by the social media company, videos about Frank Green's products surged in 2022, prompting the company to create its own account. "Most Americans have discovered us through social media, off the back of the 'emotional support water bottle' trend," Young said. Now, Frank Green is seeing another wave of attention online. While reporting this story, we watched dozens of videos that new American fans have posted about their Frank Green water bottles. Again and again, they described the bottles as "chic." US Google search interest in "Frank Green bottle" has also surged in 2026. And in August, Frank Green checked off another signature sign of American success: a collaboration. It launched two $80 bottles with the skincare brand Laneige. Search interest for "Frank Green bottle" on Google in the US over the past five years. Google Even though Frank Green has yet to catch up to the popularity of its US competitors, that fact has become a selling point for some consumers. "Frank Green is still a little niche — and I like that," Symone said. Read the original article on Business Insider
Join the argument
House rules →Comments load as you scroll.