Why We’re All Bad @ Drinking Water—& How Bello Plans To Fix That (Win!)

Staying hydrated should be simple—but for most of us, it’s anything but. Plain water feels uninspiring, bottled flavoured drinks come with sugar and additives, and sustainability often falls by the wayside. Enter Bello, a Montreal-born hydration brand with a smarter, more joyful approach to drinking water. Co-Founder Joseph Karam set out to turn hydration into an easy, everyday habit with Bello Home—a sleek at-home system that filters tap water, preserves essential minerals, and adds clean, functional flavour at the touch of a button. In this Q&A, Joseph shares how Bello is transforming water from an afterthought into a feel-good ritual—without compromise. —Noa Nichol

What was the personal “aha” moment that made you realize the problem wasn’t water itself but the experience of drinking it?

Our aha moment came when we noticed we were getting up throughout the day to make coffee, but never to drink a glass of water. Coffee felt like a ritual, a break, or a moment for ourselves. Water felt like a task. That was when it clicked: the issue was not access to water, but the experience surrounding it. We realized that if hydration felt like a series of small daily rituals rather than a chore, people would naturally drink more without forcing themselves.

Bello sits at the intersection of wellness, sustainability, and design. When you were building the brand, which pillar came first, and how did you ensure none of them felt like an afterthought?

From the beginning, we saw these pillars as inseparable. Sustainability was deeply important to us, but we knew people would not change their habits for sustainability alone unless the solution fit seamlessly into their lifestyle. So we built Bello around the full picture of what people actually care about: wellness, taste, convenience, design, and ease of use. Every decision had to check all those boxes. That is how none of them became an afterthought; they had to coexist in the same product experience.

The Bello Home system turns hydration into a one button ritual. Why was it important for Bello to feel as effortless as making a coffee or pouring a glass of wine?

Most people want to be healthier, but very few can stick to routines that feel complicated or inconvenient. Hydration is one of the most important daily habits, yet many existing solutions require planning, mixing, cleaning or extra steps. We wanted Bello to remove friction completely. If taking care of yourself is as simple as touching a button, consistency becomes realistic.

From zero calorie blends to electrolyte and aperitivo capsules, Bello offers flavour without compromise. How did you approach flavour creation so it felt indulgent but still aligned with health and clean ingredients?

We start by listening closely to our customers and how they actually drink throughout the day. Some people want very subtle infusions, while others enjoy more expressive flavours. We design our range to cover that full spectrum while staying true to clean ingredients and no added sugar. Innovation on the beverage side is a core part of our business, so we are always developing new flavours and new lines based on what our community wants, while staying grounded in our core pillars of health, natural ingredients, and great taste.

Bello is not just a product, it is an ecosystem. How does combining filtration, functional flavour, and an app based hydration tracker change the way people relate to their daily water intake?

Healthy habits are never about just one factor. Take sleep as an example, it’s not only about the number of hours you get, but also the consistency, and the environment. Hydration works the same way. The quality of the water matters, the nutrients you take every day matter, and consistency matters. By combining advanced filtration, functional ingredients, and an app that helps you track your goals and results, Bello helps people become more aware of their hydration and build a more intentional routine, rather than drinking at random throughout the day.

Sustainability is built into Bello’s DNA. How do you see Bello fitting into the future of at home wellness and more conscious consumption?

We believe the way beverages are consumed at home will change dramatically. Single-use plastic is already being phased out in many areas, and plastic bottles are the logical next step. Most beverages you find in stores are mostly water with a small amount of flavour. Shipping heavy bottles makes no sense when you can ship concentrated ingredients in compact glass capsules and use the water already in your home. We see a future where a system like Bello is as common as a coffee machine, enabling people to make personalized drinks at home with far less waste and greater awareness of what they consume.

Montreal has a strong culture of food, design, and innovation. How did launching Bello in Montreal shape the brand’s identity and approach to taste, aesthetics, and lifestyle?

Montreal has a strong sense of taste and culture. A brand is not built in one moment, it is shaped over time by many people, influences, and perspectives. Montreal’s diversity exposes us to European, North American, and many other cultural traditions. That mix influences how we think about gathering, hospitality, and rituals around drinks. Whether it is coffee in Europe and the Middle East or tea in Asia, the idea of connecting over a drink inspired us to bring that same sense of ritual and lifestyle to hydration.

If someone brings Bello into their home, what is the biggest shift you hope they feel after a few weeks, not just physically but in how they think about hydration as part of daily life?

We already hear from customers that they drink much more water after bringing Bello home. Beyond the physical benefits, we hope hydration becomes something they look forward to. Receiving new capsules, opening the beautiful packaging, and trying new flavours bring enjoyment back to a habit that is fundamental to every part of life. Our goal is for people to see hydration not as an obligation but as a daily act of self-care.

Win! A $325 Bello Wellness Prize Pack!

Congrats Bradley R. of Kitchener, ON, who will receive a Bello Wellness Pack (1 Bello Home machine + 4 Wellness capsules for a value of $325)! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding. Full contest rules/regulations here.