With 21% of Brits saying water is their least favourite drink, the issue isn’t supply — it’s behaviour. Despite years of wellness messaging and NHS guidance, plain water still struggles to compete with flavoured, functional and sugary alternatives. That leaves a significant commercial opportunity for brands that can make hydration more appealing without compromising on health credentials. Hannah Barnett explores the latest offering from air up, the company that flavours water through scent.
The new air up pod pairing joins the brand’s expanding portfolio for 2026 and is designed to keep everyday hydration engaging, accessible and easy to maintain. What immediately stands out is that this is no generic strawberry or raspberry ‘flavoured’ water. Blending sweet tropical dragon fruit with light, floral lychee notes is certainly more unusual. The pod uses air up’s defining scent-based technology to make what is still essentially plain water taste a way you have may never experienced it before – all with no sugar, sweeteners or additives.
Available in a 3-pack, each pod flavours a fairly large amount of water – up to 25 litres (recommended daily intake is 2-2.5 litres according to BUPA), supporting consistent fluid intake without relying on sugary drinks or high-calorie alternatives.
The launch comes as new research, conducted by air up itself so worth taking with a pinch of salt, highlights a growing hydration challenge in the UK. According to the findings, 11% of Britons say they feel constantly dehydrated, while more than one in five adults under 35 admit they struggle to stay hydrated. Despite NHS guidance recommending six to eight glasses of water a day, many consumers still find plain water unappealing.
While initially buoyed the gimmick of its scent-based technology, and a strong social media presence through partnerships with influencers, air up has sustained its success by genuinely attempting a wider mindset shift around water. Since the German company pioneered and developed the world’s first refillable Scentaste™ drinking system in July 2019, air up has raised more than EUR 60M over two funding rounds, and has grown into a company that operates in 14 countries including the US. The scale-up counts more than 250 employees worldwide and enjoys a customer base in the millions
With more than 25 flavours now available across wellness, soft-drink-inspired and limited-edition ranges, the sheer breadth of flavours on offer seem aimed to keep hydration habit-forming. This range is helping to drive repeat use and long-term engagement – particularly as New Year wellness trends shift towards small, achievable changes consumers can actually stick to.
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