Meet the Maker: Eric Berger
Like any product, Sling Bottle began with a need that sparks an idea — but what shaped it into the brand it is today was a lifestyle. Founded by the Berger family — whose original roots are in the medical field — the brand first entered the market with a multifunctional 3-in-1 cooler bag, featuring dry storage, cool storage and a solar panel — a hot seller to this day. However, Sling’s evolution into a hydration brand took shape the day a simple kitchen-table experiment brought to life a new concept: a wearable water bottle.
“We’re a very coastal, beachy type of company,” said Eric Berger, vice president of sales and customer relations at Sling. The family spends long stretches on the sandy shores of the Outer Banks, where they noticed how many people juggled water bottles, bags, dog leashes and phones.
CUE THE “AHA” MOMENT
“Me and my mother, Debbie, were sitting in the kitchen, and we took a sewing measuring tape. We duct-taped it to the bottom of a water bottle, pulled it all the way out and duct-taped it to the top,” he recalled. “That was when Sling was born — in our kitchen.”
The result is the Sling Bottle: a wearable, retractable-strap water bottle created to simplify life’s busy moments — whether walking the beach, navigating an airport or corralling kids, Berger said.
FUNCTION MEETS DESIGN
Sling Bottle is defined by its patent-pending retractable strap, which pulls out from the base, hooks to the top of the bottle and disappears seamlessly back into the base when not needed, meaning it also fits in cupholders.
“There’s no other water bottle on the market like it,” Berger said. “We’re the first and only water bottle that has that retractable element — what we call ‘the liquid leash.’”
The bottle is designed to be cleaned easily — by dishwasher or by hand — and features a double-wall insulated steel design to keep drinks cold all day.
But functionality is only part of the draw — color is core to Sling’s identity. Its colors are bold, on-trend and often reminiscent of the coast. With 24 colors available and 576 total color combinations, customers can mix and match between base colors and bottle colors for a product that’s entirely their own. According to Berger, retailers often carry full-color assortments for merchandising impact.
“People love purple — if you’re a purple person, you’re often a ‘purple only’ person,” Berger laughed. “Caribbean Coast and Conch Coral have been really hot colors as well.”
The 24-ounce size leads in overall sales, although it also is available at 16 ounces. Meanwhile, the new Chrome collection — a reflective, high-shine finish available in both metallics and glossy, bright colors — has quickly become a standout.
COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
Much of Sling Bottle’s philosophy is derived from the Berger family’s medical background, where quality and durability are non-negotiables.
“Coming from the medical field, you cannot not be top quality,” Berger said. That mindset extends into the family-owned and -operated water bottle line, from insulated performance to the engineering of the retractable mechanism.
The brand also stays closely connected to consumer behavior and retailer needs. “We care about our customers, we care about our clients, we care about our retailers,” Berger said. “We care deeply about them all.”
NEW-TO-MARKET
As Sling Bottle prepares for the upcoming market season, two new product lines are slated to debut. First is its sea creature collection, created in collaboration with a local watercolor artist.
“The collection will have a watercolor seahorse, a watercolor crab and a watercolor blue marlin,” Berger said.
This coastal collection also features a measuring tape detail on the strap that adds function to design yet again — a nod to regulations for anglers. “You catch a flounder, you better measure it or else you will get fined,” he said.
Then comes the Taylor Swift-inspired orange glitter bottle, available for preorder — an instantly recognizable homage to the singer’s new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” For Sling, it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of which trends and demographics — like Swifties — can be catered to in order to help their retailers be successful.
“We have to dial into that,” Berger said. “Retailers want to see product move, obviously, so we’re constantly thinking of new ideas, and this glitter bottle is really cool.”
IN 5 YEARS
For Berger, the next five years are about reach and recognition. The goal isn’t a specific number — it’s brand presence, awareness and education.
“Everybody who walks their dog, goes hiking, is active outside doing things, going to festivals — I want every one of those people to know who we are and what we do,” he said. “You’re missing out if you don’t have one of these bottles.”
At its core, Sling Bottle remains exactly what it was the day its first prototype was taped together: a family- built brand meant to simplify moments spent outside and hands free.
“Our customers are not just customers, they’re partners,” Berger said. That partnership mindset — paired with innovation and a clear design identity — continues to shape the brand’s path forward into 2026 and beyond.
