If you had shown me the price of these capsules a month ago, I would have laughed in your face…
This time of year is a reminder of just how much my travel routine leaves to be desired. I’m notorious for forgetting key toiletry items (think, contact solution), and the ones I do bring (when I remember) are overpriced random brands from my local pharmacy. This pattern leads to an air of internal, self-imposed chaos on every trip I take.
Then, my mom sent me a link to the website homepage for Cadence Travel Capsules, saying she caught an ad for them and they looked “neat.” What I noticed next was unfortunate… the price tag, coming in at $14-36 per item. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Back Up… Who’s Cadence?
I learned a ton on that fateful afternoon after opening my Mom’s text. Cadence is a second-gen AAPI- and women-owned company, founded by Steph Hon in 2020. Hon is now CEO of a thriving company, and for good reason… she worked on over 200 iterations of her final product. And what is that product, exactly?
Cadence makes TSA-approved travel containers designed to be leakproof, spill-proof… generally, life-proof. Made with 20% repurposed ocean-bound plastic, these so-called “capsules” (I rolled my eyes, too) are supposedly both durable and lightweight. Their purpose is to maintain the cadence of your personal routine on the go… whether you’re crossing town or crossing the country.
I have to admit that their ever-growing list of press mentions was pretty darn impressive. Everyone from Vogue to The New York Times to Conde Nast Traveler had (good) things to say. In 2022, TIME even named them a “Best Invention”… the last time I tried a product with that title (the Owala FreeSip) I was blown away. My interest was decidedly piqued.
Back to the $$ of It
That being said, an award wasn’t enough to get me to shell over my money just yet. As I mentioned, capsules range in price from $14 to $36, and they come in three sizes: 0.56 fl oz, 1.32 fl oz, and 1.75 fl oz. (This is not including the Flex Extender, which makes any capsule larger by 1.43 fluid ounces.) I quickly confirmed that you can buy capsules à la carte, but they’re more effective in a group given their magnetization and cluster-worthy design.
The Bestseller Set, for example, is 8 pieces and priced at $152… so you can see why I took pause. If I were to buy, what would I be paying for? I wondered.
The Investigation Stage
My parents used to tell me I was too curious for my own good, but I think that’s impossible. Curiosity comes in handy, particularly in situations like these. I began a deep-dive on Cadence and what makes them so special (fill in the blank with “award-winning,” “beloved,” “constantly out of stock”).
The longer I looked, the more evident it became that purchasing Cadence capsules is a little like buying nice jewelry or a new phone—it is a long-term investment. These travel capsules (yes, I finally gave into the name) are built to last through anything you throw at them… and if you’ve ever used a suitcase, you know that can be a lot.
My biggest complaint with pharmacy travel-sized toiletries is that the bottles are flimsy and tend to spill… this, beyond the fact that they are brands I rarely use and thus present a disruption in my routine. If they’re name-brand then they’re upcharged, too, which means I’m spending an elaborate amount of money pre-travel on, say, mouth wash, and it ends up leaking all over my clothes anyway. A miserable pattern. Cadence capsules pledged to be utterly spill- and leakproof, which was reassuring to say the least.
The customizable element of Cadence capsules also got me excited. The closest I’ve been to customizing toiletries on the go is using masking tape to distinguish my face lotion from my body lotion. With their interchangeable tiles, Cadence presents the opportunity to build a personal set with labels that directly correspond to your essentials.
At this point, I began playing around with building my own capsule system, and I have to admit I had more than a little fun. I included some of the brand names I use, days of the week for certain meds, etc. After I spent a good twenty minutes toying with a personalized bundle, the roughly $150 pricetag started to make a bit more sense. It was in that moment, staring at the digital preview of my personalized capsules, that I decided to pull the trigger.
My Life A.C. (After Cadence)
Fast forward to thr present day… and I literally use these things every. Single. Day. I keep a few in both my purse and gym bag, and I gather my whole set together for overnights and longer trips. My sister is about to graduate from college and I’m planning on customizing a set for her as a grad gift, too.
It makes sense that the $8 travel bottles I previously bought all failed me—the quality just wasn’t there. I wouldn’t want to risk my daily medications (or my $60 face moisturizer) with untrustworthy packaging. My routine is extremely important to me in every sense… physically, emotionally, mentally. I get no shortage of use out of my capsule system, because my routine is so central to my daily life. This set of capsules is the security I never knew I needed.
Long Story Short, Cadence Changed Me (For Good)
Not only did this initial Cadence case study end in a purchase but it was followed by another purchase two months later. (I bought three more tiles to switch out in my system, and another Flex Extender). I was (am) hooked. Spending a bit more doesn’t feel like a splurge when I consider the extensive use I’ll get out of them—more than any pair of shoes, for example, and I’ve definitely spent the same amount on Cadence as I have on white sneakers.
All in all, my Cadence System is more than a mere set of travel containers… it ensures that my entire routine (essential to my well-being) is safe and accessible wherever I go. Never again will I lose $15 worth of serum to a leaky bottle, or rinse spilled mouthwash out of my favorite top (true story). Cadence keeps me and my essentials secure, and no one can put a price tag on that feeling.
Create Your Own Capsule System
The only travel containers you'll ever have to buy.