When the water went into the bottle, it was flat, tasting like boring old tap water. When it came out of the water bottle, it sparkled. Not in that highly-carbonated, almost spicy way a fresh can of seltzer tastes, but a milder sizzle, like that same can after you’ve been sipping from it for 10 minutes. And here’s the most interesting part: The transformation happened in the bottle, not in a big countertop soda machine.
The Roam SodaTop is like a handheld SodaStream. The cap is where the magic happens. A tight seal and a small CO2 cartridge are the key elements in turning boring still water into something a little more exciting. You can screw the top on a water bottle Roam sells itself, or on a compatible bottle (say, a HydroFlask).
Roam expects to start selling the SodaTop directly from its website in the first quarter of 2025, for $50. The CO2 cartridges are expected to cost about 70 cents apiece.
Handheld carbonation
The process is simple. You insert a CO2 cartridge into the SodaTop’s special lid, release that carbon dioxide into the bottle, let out excess gas on the inside and drink. Each cartridge is good for a single liter of water.
Roam says its stainless steel water bottles are designed to keep drinks cold for 24 hours. If you already have a SodaStream, Roam also has an adapter cap, which will sell for $13, that lets you carbonate your drinks from your countertop machine.
Flavor is in the air
The only thing you should carbonate in the bottle is water, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add flavor. Flavored syrups or other drink mixes can be added after the CO2 is if you want something that tastes like, well, something. But Roam is also developing its own ways to add variety.
CEO Sunjay Guleria said the company is working on flavored CO2 cartridges, which will contain the essence of a flavor and allow you to make your own zero-calorie sparkling water with just plain water and the cartridge. Imagine ginger, lemon, yuzu, grapefruit or white peach flavors — natural sparkling water or flavored sparkling fresh in your own bottle. That’s refreshing.
