Andrew Wade

Keep a lid on it: clever design conceals cans of beer from the cops

News

A new Kickstarter project called Lolo Lids is raising money for a device that keeps your beer cold while at the same time hiding it away from prying eyes.

A snap fitting holds your beer in by the upper rim suspending it in the cup.
A snap fitting holds your beer in by the upper rim suspending it in the cup.

The plastic top, designed to look like a disposable coffee lid, snaps onto the rim of an open beer can. The can is then placed inside a cardboard coffee cup, allowing the user to stealthily drink away. As the can is suspended in air away from the heat of the hand, the entire device acts like a koozie or stubby holder, keeping the beer cold.

But the clever design doesn’t end there. According to the Kickstarter site, Lolo Lids are ergonomically designed to fit your lips and nose, and there is a breather tube to allow air in for a consistent flow of beer.

The small red tube allows the can to breathe and your drink to flow smoothly.
The small red tube allows the can to breathe and your drink to flow smoothly.

The device could well prove popular in North America, where public drinking tends to be policed more aggressively than in Europe, and drinking out of paper bags is a familiar sight. Lolo Lids creator Jerry Mcarthur, from Vancouver, said he came up with the concept after receiving a $250 fine for drinking in public.

“The idea for Lolo Lids came as I was going out drinking to meet some buddies downtown,” he said. “Obviously I wanted to have a beer for my walk, but I’d already got a $250 ticket, and I wasn’t going to take that risk again. I thought about taking a cup to go, but what was I going to do with the cup in the bar for the rest of the night.”

Once you’re finished your drink, you can recycle the empty can and cup, then keep the lid in your pocket to reuse in the future. Mcarthur says he has been testing numerous prototypes over the summer, which up until now have been 3D printed. The Kickstarter project - which at the time of writing has raised over three quarters of its $20,000 target with 20 days remaining – aims to bring production to the next level, with investments in materials, tooling and moulding.

Lolo Lids’ Kickstarter page promises a number of rewards in return for investment, including access to the first batch of production lids, t-shirts, and even invites to Mcarthur’s wedding next year. The initial run of Lolo Lids is due to ship in February 2016.