Heywell

by Heywell, LLC.

Review: Heywell

Posted: Nov 20, 2019 at 3:29 PM (Last Updated: Nov 22, 2019 at 10:44 AM)

Covers Products: Energy + Focus - Strawberry Lemon, Energy + Immunity - Grapefruit , Calm + Restore - Blackberry Ginger

Heywell is a line of sparkling functional beverages that come in three varieties: Energy + Immunity, Calm + Restore and Energy + Focus. The products are sweetened with juice and erythritol and contain 10-15 calories per 12 oz. can, depending on the SKU.

The products are sweet but light in body and crisp in finish. They each contain a mild functional bite. However, we aren’t fans of the strategy that Heywell has taken, which requires that consumers choose between the flavor they want or the function they want. In the case of Heywell, Energy + Immunity is grapefruit flavored, Calm + Restore is blackberry ginger flavored and Energy + Focus is strawberry lemon flavored.

All three of the flavors are tart, while two of them -- Energy + Immunity and Energy + Focus -- have a pretty good amount of citrus flavor. Energy + Immunity, which contains 8% juice from blood orange and grapefruit, is our favorite and has the cleanest tasting fruit flavor of the bunch. Calm + Restore was our second favorite, containing 9% juice from ginger, lemon, and blackberry juices. Finally, there’s Energy + Focus, which includes  5% juice from lemon and strawberry but actually felt like it needed a bit more. 

Shifting gears to functionality, each SKU has a slightly different set of ingredients. The two energy varieties are the most similar, with each containing 75 mg of natural caffeine, in addition to L-theanine and schisandra. Energy + Immunity also includes amla berry, which contains vitamin C, while Energy + Focus features ashwagandha. Relax + Calm, which is caffeine free, is enhanced with L-theanine, lemon balm, schisandra and amla berry. 

Heywell is packaged is a slim 12 oz. can with a shrink sleeve label featuring a matte finish and metallic ink for the brand logo, which runs vertically along the can. The rest of the front panel stacks the SKU name, the tagline, a circular callout for calorie and sugar content and the flavor name at the very bottom. 

While the product looks nice, we think the label needs some work. For starters, the Heywell logo is rather hard to read without turning the can. Next, we think that the layout of the core elements requires your eye to jump from side to top to bottom to get the gist. Finally, the layout of the circle used to highlight the low caloric and sugar content is a design element for the sake of having another design element. This text, which is pretty important, should be easier to read.

In its present form, we feel as though Heywell definitely brings something to the party, both in terms of the look of the brand and the flavor of the products. However, we feel as though a trio of products that includes two energy varieties and one relaxation product might make things unnecessarily complicated for this upstart brand. Dialing it in -- and making it more clear what the brand stands for -- will be critical in getting this brand off the ground.


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