6 Non-Traditional Uses for bökee
By now you probably know how helpful a bökee can be when it comes to preparing your baby’s bottle (and if you don’t, we'll explain below!) And though that’s exactly what bökee was created for, we’ve quickly come to realize how useful it is in many other ways, too.
Today we want to share with you all the non-traditional uses for the bökee. Not only is it a long-lasting product that can be used beyond the baby stage, but it’s also a product that’s making an impact among various groups of people with special needs.
But in case you need a refresher on just how this genius contraption works, let's start there.
What is the bökee?
To understand just how helpful the bökee can be for various groups of people, let’s take a quick look at what this small but mighty product is all about.
For an in-depth look at bökee as a baby bottle prep accessory, we recommend reading "The bökee: The Bottle Prep Accessory Parents Need."
But here’s the nitty gritty.
The idea for bökee was born out of a need for one-handed bottle prep. We all know that hungry babies are anything but patient, so you end up with two choices as a parent:
- Put down your screaming baby so you can hurry up and make a bottle without spilling.
- Hold your baby in one arm while attempting to make a bottle without spilling or knocking bottles over.
Neither of these options is ideal and the creators of bökee weren’t having it any longer. The bökee, a food-grade silicone device, was created to solve this problem for new parents. It suctions to a hard smooth surface and holds a bottle securely inside making it simple to remove and replace caps one-handed as well as pour and mix breastmilk or formula.
It didn’t take long to realize that the bökee can hold a lot more than just baby bottles and that means it’s benefitting a much larger portion of the population than just parents with babies.
How bökee Helps Beyond Baby Feeding Time
We love how much bökee is helping moms and dads feeding their babies, and are happy to see how one small product can change other people’s daily lives for the better, too.
Here are six non-traditional ways people are using the bökee.
1.) Giving Babies and Young Children Medicine
If you have little ones, then you know how clingy they can be when they don’t feel good. And of course there’s no where else you’d want them to be but in your arms. Much like baby feeding time, you don’t want to have to put your under the weather baby or toddler down to have to get the medicine prepped and ready.
Because of the bökee’s funnel shape, it’s easy to secure a medicine bottle inside allowing parents to open safety caps one handed (that take a fair share of work to open in the first place!) Check out our article, "How to Feed a Baby with Reflux" to find out how this can look in action!
2.) Opening Stubborn Lids
We all know the struggle of opening jar lids. I’m especially amused when my “big, strong” husband tries to come in to save the day only to be left having to give in to some other crazy tactic to get it open.
The bökee is great for offering support in opening those stubborn lids that you may just not be able to otherwise. As long as it fits (think ketchup bottle size give or take) the bökee is there to give you the assistance you need whether you’re carrying a little one or not.
Elderly persons with reduced strength would highly benefit from having a bökee on hand!
3.) Teaching Toddlers to Be More Independent
I think we all know what happens in the kitchen when you have a little Mr. or Miss Independent on your hands. A big ‘ol mess. Yet, you continue to let your kiddo try to pour the juice themselves because you know that saying “no” to “I, do it!” is often enough to send your mini into a full blown temper tantrum.
This is where the bökee comes in to help. It’s the perfect way to stabilize your child’s cup so they can use two hands to pour their milk or juice. We know you want to foster your child’s excitement about doing things on their own, but we also get that cleaning your kitchen for the 17th time that day sounds completely unappealing. Using the bökee means problem solved.
4.) Children and Adults Impacted by Impaired Motor Skills
There are several disabilities that can make motor skills a challenge.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability among children, and according to Nationwide Children’s, between 8,000 and 10,000 babies born each year will have CP. A child living with CP will experience developmental delays and a child with CP may have low muscle tone or have trouble controlling their movements. This can make normal day-to-day tasks difficult to complete.
As much as we love helping make the lives of exhausted parents a bit easier, it has been a true joy seeing how the bökee is used as an adaptive tool to provide independence to adults and children with impaired motor function.
Kyra is a young girl living with CP determined to not let it stand in her way of doing the typical activities kids her age are doing like swimming, making crafts and even making her own sandwich. We are honored that bökee gets to be a small part of her journey to becoming more independent.
Watch the video below to see how bökee allows Kyra to make a sandwich all by herself!
You can find out more about Kyra's story on her mom's blog at Imperfectly Perfect Life.
5.) People Living Without an Upper Limb
We certainly take our ability to perform day-to-day functions with both hands for granted.
Becoming parents makes us realize how often you suddenly have to get things done one-handed since you’re often carrying a little one in the opposite arm. Luckily, that’s only temporary. We don’t consider what it would be like if we only had the use of one hand 100% of the time.
According to this study for the Open Access Journal of Plastic Surgery, there are about 1.7 million people in the U.S. living with limb loss, with about 20-25% of those missing an upper limb. Many others are living with a reduced limb, which also inhibits functionality.
This means that the challenge we experience from time to time, many others have to cope with on a daily basis. They rely on many tools to allow them to live life to the fullest, and we realized how bökee can make an impact.
Whether it’s opening a jar or bottle one-handed or leveraging something you would typically hold in the opposite hand, the bökee has proven helpful for those living with limb loss.
We were honored to donate 500 bökees to the Amputee Coalition, a non-profit with a mission to empower those affected by limb loss.
6.) Individuals Who Have Weakness on One Side of the Body
Hemiparesis is the term for someone experiencing weakness on one side of the body, and it’s one of most common effects of a stroke according to Verywell Health. This partial paralysis may also be caused by several other medical conditions including MS, tumors or autoimmune conditions. Some symptoms include lack of coordination, muscle fatigue and an inability to grasp objects.
Targeted treatment is used to strengthen motor skills and patients also learn to improve everyday activities through modifications to their environment or by using tools (such as the bökee) that help them regain independence.
The bökee’s ability to hold bottles and jars steady means that anyone living with hemiparesis is better able to handle everyday tasks - especially when it comes to opening and closing tops.
The bökee Just Makes Life Easier
It was the bökee creators' intention from the get-go to create a product that eased stress.
And though bökee was made to lighten parents' load at feeding time, we are all for finding ways to make it a mainstay product in your household. We also love seeing the product making its way into homes of the people who can rely on it to turn difficult tasks into simple ones.
The bökee is clearly a versatile and adaptable product being used far beyond the baby stage. (We also love that it blends right in with a minimalist kitchen aesthetic meaning you won't be aching to get rid of it like some of your other unsightly baby gear.)
We’re sure the bökee is being used in other ways we haven’t even seen yet! How do you use your bökee when you’re not bottle prepping for your little one? Reach out and let us know!
Interested in purchasing the bökee for you or a loved one? You can purchase one here!
