on November 02, 2025
Why the Loon?
“Cute duck” is usually the opening comment on our label. We get it, Loons and ducks look similar from a distance. But that’s about where the resemblance ends.
Once you know the difference, it’s hard to miss, which feels like a pretty good metaphor for what we’re building here.
Loonen started around the same time one of us became a mother. Suddenly, “what’s in the water” stopped being a nice-to-know question and became a daily imperative. Somewhere in that fog of feedings, filters, and new priorities, we remembered the loon, a creature whose instincts felt startlingly familiar.
Loons are protective by nature. They carry their babies on their backs and are constantly looking behind them, checking, guarding. That’s why our logo looks the way it does: the loon glancing backward, keeping an eye on what matters most.
But it wasn’t just the parenting instinct that stuck with us. When you learn about the loon, you start to see the world a little differently. We did and we hope you will, too.
They only show up for the good stuff.
Loons are waterbirds, but not just any water will do.
They return to the same lake year after year, raising their young in familiar places. That loyalty is real, but it is conditional. If the water quality drops, they leave. No drama, no negotiation, just a quiet refusal to adapt to something that no longer meets their standards.
In the scientific world, loons are considered bioindicators. Their presence tells researchers a lot about the health of a lake. If the loon is gone, something’s wrong.
That instinct to stay loyal only to what’s clean and safe felt like the right one to build around.
We’re not the only ones who care about what’s in our water.
Most people assume bottled water is clean. The truth is murkier. A 2024 study found an average of 240,000 plastic particles per liter. And it’s not just plastic bottles. Aluminum cans and those “eco-friendly” cardboard cartons are all lined with plastic to keep the water from touching metal or paper.
To make matters worse, bottled water is regulated by the FDA, not the EPA, which means fewer tests, fewer contaminants screened, and longer gaps between checks. In many cases, your tap water faces stricter oversight than what’s sold on the shelf.
You shouldn’t have to guess. And you shouldn’t need a PhD to decode what you’re drinking.
Loons don’t guess. They just stop showing up.
We built Loonen to be the kind of water that would pass the loon test. It starts at a protected spring, is bottled only in glass, and is verified by third parties from source to sip. We share our test results because water shouldn’t require trust falls.
Built on instinct that’s been right for millions of years.
Here’s the thing about loons. They’re ancient. Some of the oldest birds still flying today. And they haven’t changed much because they haven’t had to. Their instincts work.
They’re monogamous to one lake for life. They mate for life, too. They defend their young longer than most species. They return to what’s familiar, but only if it still meets their standards. That combination of loyalty and discernment is rare.
We think that’s something to learn from.
Not just a mascot, a model
When we chose the loon, it wasn’t a branding exercise. It was a filter.
Would this pass the loon’s test? Would we feel good putting this in front of a species that only shows up for clean ecosystems?
That’s the standard we hold ourselves to. Every bottle. Every batch.
So yes, we’re a little obsessed. And we hope, by the end of this, you are too.
Because once you learn what a loon will and won’t tolerate, it’s hard to unsee. And once you know what’s really in most bottled water, it’s even harder to go back.
