It has been a minute since I posted anything in the EDC category. Maybe that is because I am currently tearing my daily carry apart and rebuilding it. Summer is creeping up, which means fewer layers, fewer pockets, and less space to hide your gear. But it is more than just a wardrobe shift. I am actively questioning what I actually need to carry.
I am fully on board with the „better to have than need“ philosophy, but there are days when you just want the bare minimum. And for me, one absolute non-negotiable essential is a good toothpick.
The Flosser Problem
I have tried every variation under the sun. I ran through flavored toothpicks to stop myself from snacking on candy. I bought heavy-duty metal ones so I would always have a durable tool on hand without worrying about them breaking. But my undeniable favorite has always been the „violin„, as I call it.
You know exactly what I am talking about. Those little plastic picks strung with a tiny piece of floss. They let you clean your teeth without wrapping string around your fingers until your knuckles turn purple.
They are incredibly convenient, but they come with a massive flaw. You use them once and throw them in the trash. They might not cost much upfront, but that single-use plastic piles up fast. The average person blows through about 365 of these things a year, generating nearly a kilogram of plastic waste. Plus, those small costs add up to money you could easily save.
I spent years looking for a sustainable alternative. I just wanted a reusable flosser where you could swap out the string. I was honestly a few weeks away from trying to invent one myself. Fortunately for everyone, I am great at planning and absolutely terrible at execution.
Enter FLOSSR
Someone beat me to it, and they did it way better than I ever could.
I recently stumbled across FLOSSR. It is exactly the tool I had been picturing in my head. The concept is simple but brilliant. It is a reusable flosser made out of dental-grade stainless steel. Instead of tossing the whole plastic stick in the garbage, FLOSSR has a built-in refillable spool. You just load it with whatever standard dental floss you already buy at the drugstore, string it up, and you are ready. Because it is steel, it is naturally hygienic and will easily outlast your current EDC loadout.
The team behind this is SNRGY Studios out of Gothenburg, Sweden. These are not random people promising vaporware. They are a crew of engineers and designers who have already run successful Kickstarter campaigns for actual, physical hardware like the GLORB desk light and the SOLDR soldering station. They know how to take a product from prototyping and manufacturing all the way to global fulfillment.
The Kickstarter Craze
The Kickstarter campaign for FLOSSR hit its funding goal in minutes. Then it doubled (and doubled and…), proving that I am definitely not the only person who has been waiting for a product like this. The sheer amount of cash flowing into this project shows a massive, pent-up demand for a better way to clean your teeth on the go.
The wait is the only catch, as the estimated delivery date is early 2027. If you want to jump on board and secure one for yourself, they are running a 40% discount for Kickstarter backers right now.
I am already hyped for this thing. It is going straight into my rotation the second it arrives. If you are not ready to commit to a Kickstarter waitlist, you could always look into biodegradable silk floss in a refillable glass jar. It is not as convenient as the violin, but it keeps the plastic out of the ocean while we wait for 2027.
What about you? Have you found any weirdly specific items that solved an everyday problem, or are you still relying on those cheap plastic violins? Let me know in the comments.
