Huski believes that sometimes it’s the little things that can make a big difference. They’ve made it their mission to make every drink exceptional and to design a product that makes people’s lives, and the environment that little bit better, every day. Huski sought out an opportunity to re-imagine one of their most popular products in the Huski range – the beer cooler.
EXPERTISE
- Industrial Design
- Mechanical Engineering
- Prototyping
- Design for Manufacture
- Manufacturing Support
Existing beer coolers were limited to certain sizes of cans and bottles, and none had perfected the user experience. Drawing on over 500 customer reviews of the original product, they found they needed to create a beer cooler that not only keeps your beer cold but also fits almost any beer can or bottle.
Having worked well together on past products, Blender was already familiar with the Huski brand and what it stood for; it was easy to get started on this exciting new product brief to design the world’s best beer cooler. This project started out with an in-depth study of all the different sizes of beverage cans and bottles and an analysis of the optimal thermal performance required from the cooler. Blender quickly got to work conceptualising the product with sketches and 3D CAD. The initial focus was on solving the technical challenges, in particular, the challenge of fitting most sizes of cans and bottles without compromising the drinking experience. Various techniques were conceptualised, developed and tested through many 3D printed and vacuum moulded prototypes. This attention to detail and obsession with creating the perfect seal is what makes the Huski Beer Cooler 2.0 best in class.
The Huski Beer Cooler 2.0 is not your typical beer cooler. This simple, one-size-fits-most solution has a unique Push-Fit Flexilock™ Vented Lid which adjusts to fit most 330ml, 355ml and 375ml bottles and cans without compromising the drinking experience. When combined with the internal step and self-centring internal dome, it provides a secure fit for a wide range of vessels.
Through many prototype iterations and testing, the design was refined to the simple, convenient and easy to use product we have today. Everything from the overall proportions, thread of the lid, shore hardness of the vented seal, and weight of the bottle opener is refined and optimised to deliver an unmatched user experience.
The process of finding a way to cater for varying sizes of vessels allowed for a key feature of the cooler to be added – the 3-in-1 opener that fits in the base of the beer cooler. This handy multi-function opener pops crown caps, twists screw caps and slides to open can tabs. The refinement of this feature in itself was a process to ensure the opener had a unique aesthetic and fit securely and unobtrusively into the non-slip base of the beer cooler.
The Huski Beer Cooler 2.0 is a high-quality product made from premium marine grade 316 stainless steel inside and out, using a punch press process to form the stainless steel, which ensures no internal seams. Internal copper plating within the vacuum chamber is used to enhance thermal efficiency. It is triple insulated for exceptional thermal performance, so it does a great job of keeping your beer ice-cold while you drink, with no condensation.
Cracking open a cold beer is one of life’s simple pleasures, which is the sentiment we wanted reflected in the design of the Huski Beer Cooler. Everything is beautifully integrated to balance form and function. The shape and dimensions have been finely tuned to balance performance, ergonomics and style. A lot of effort was put into ensuring the aesthetic of the beer cooler was not too bulky considering it had to be a one-size-fits most product. Key aesthetic considerations were the scalloped side panels for a better ergonomic grip and unobtrusive Huski branding, while following the form language of the rest of the Huski range. The beer cooler comes in 5 different colour options which gives users the opportunity to reflect their personal identity and style.
Performance, style and convenience were guiding design principles in the design of the Huski Beer Cooler 2.0. It couldn’t get much simpler than sliding your favourite beer, be it in a can or bottle, and enjoying ice-cold beer until the last drop.
