As some of you may have noticed, Coke now has new screw-off caps on their plastic soda bottles. That look like this:

The caps are slightly shorter than the old ones:

 

old-vs-new-coke-caps.png

A quick scouring of the internet shows not everyone is pleased with the redesign. Here are a few of the comments I came across:

“Is it just me, or do the new caps on Coke bottles suck? They’re more shallow, and as such become harder to grip when the bottle or your hands are even slightly moist. They have, like, zero traction.”

“The cap is smaller and you can’t get a really good grip on it and it just doesn’t feel right. It’s like they tried to replicate the classic coke cap on the glass bottles. Either way, I hate it.”

“The surface area is half as big, so you don’t have as much to grab hold of in the first place, and plus it’s SMOOTH, which is a pretty stupid concept for use on a twist-off cap.”

But not everyone is a hater. One person points out the positive environmental impact of the new caps:

“It’s supposed to save money, and use less plastic (cap and new bottle design). I approve of it even though it sucks, it saves 1 million pounds of unrefined oil a year from being turned into plastic.”

So what do people think? Has anyone noticed the new caps? If so, do you like them or hate them or not care either way?

Pictures and quotes thanks to SoulPosition, paulsouthworth.

117 Responses

  1. srhcb

    Last bottle of Coke I had was made of glass and I opened it with a “church key”

    Reply
  2. Ruca Bangs

    Hard to tell from those pictures, only the background is in focus. If peeps be bitchin’, just carry some pliers.

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    I hate them!! No grip…too smooth of a surface. If they were made this way to save money and plastic then they need to rethink their plan here by making the surface less smooth. That would solve a lot of the problem maybe.

    Reply
  4. Nathan H.

    I just bought a Sprite today and noticed the new caps. The first thing I noticed is that it did require a bit more of a grip to open.

    It could just be my bottle, but the code under the cap is really hard to read; The plastic seal is translucent, but it looks like its scratched up, and you have to hold the cap at the right angle or you can’t really see the code…

    Reply
  5. Elisa

    I hate them, its just impossible to open them if you are not a grown man. I battled it out with my coke zero bottle for about 5min.

    Reply
  6. GoofyRobo

    The grip part blows, but as I seem to always recap my bottle after every swig, the new design I can do it on one twist with two fingers, as opposed to the old design with three twists. Plus that whole environment/cost savings thing can be a plus.

    Reply
  7. vis

    i kinda thing these ones are a bit easier to open. the old caps would kinda hurt my hands when they were difficult to open. the smoothness is constructive in my opinion. i’m all for the new caps. well done coke.

    Reply
  8. DJ

    A cap is just a cap, who cares? They didn’t change the taste of the coke, so isn’t that what matters? You’d rather have a better cap and pay more for gas than have a slightly different one so we can save oil and hence help the economy and gas prices?

    Don’t complain about gas prices being too high when companies try to do something to help save the world’s resources and all you can do is piss on about “Oh the cap sucks, oh there’s no grib, blah blah blah blah blah….”

    If you don’t like it then don’t keep buying it! No one is forcing you to…. But for the rest of the die-hard coke drinkers who will never give it up and will support it no matter what, like me, here’s to you. (Raise Bottle with NEW CAP and CHUG) This Coke’s for you!

    Reply
  9. Bill

    These caps suck. There are folks with arthritis that have a hard enough time with their hands and fingers. Now they make it almost impossible to open their products.

    Leave it to a bunch of know-it-all, no-talent ass clown marketing drones to have this brilliant idea of product modernization. I seriously hope this isn’t their lame attempt to go green by reducing the size. Sometimes, companies need to rely on us common-folk to see if changes like this make any sense whatsoever. Time for all of us to call consumer relations.

    Their number (from my Dasani bottle) is 800-788-5047, Monday-Friday, 9Am-7PM Eastern Time. Call them and give em hell about these crappy new caps.

    Reply
  10. aron

    I work in a nursing home where we serve both residents and staff. I have received terrible feedback about the new caps. There is very little grip on them and tyhey are too short. If your hands are a little moist you just can’t grip them and this is dangerous especially when you’re driving and trying to pop off the top.
    Coke needs to go back to the old design.

    Reply
  11. Barbb

    I hate them! I need to ask someone to help me open it and that is just gross!!!! You don’t know where someone else’s hands have been!!!!!!!

    Reply
  12. Gwen

    The worst thing about the shorter neck on the Coca Cola bottles (therefore, a shorter cap) is your mouth touches the exterior area of the bottle that is covered with every germ it’s touched since being bottled, being packed, being transported and finally placed on retail shelves. Just think of it!! That’s a lot of germs from a lot of different places to be touching your mouth.

    Reply
  13. Nancy T>

    I mean they really smell bad. I don’t know why but many cokes I have bought with this new cap have a terrible smell to it and it makes me not want to drink another diet coke. Please go back to the original cap!

    Reply
  14. Dave

    I noticed the change in design when I saw my Dad having difficulty opening a coke. Two tries and a towell later I finally got it open but not before it had a chance to spew all over the place. I have opemed several since then and they all had problems, and don’t even think of re-caping one. It will just cross thread and/or leak like crazy. If anyone thinks they are trying to be “green” don’t. Aps are plastic and plastic is petro they wamt to save money. I had rather pay an extra penny and be able to open and close the damn thing. My Dad and I fixed the problem. We now have Pepsi-co products in the fridge until Coke decides to stop screwing things up. Hopefully they will eventually give us a choice…”New Cap” or “CLASSIC CAP”.

    Reply
  15. MB

    I hate the new caps! I tried opening the thing and it sliced my finger open. I was shocked. I don’t know how it happened, but I may have to start drinking Pepsi products so I don’t have band-aids all over my fingers.

    Reply
  16. Shawn

    Obviously not designed with the elderly or young people in mind. Hard to remove and even more dificult to thread back on to replace.

    Reply
  17. Andy

    Just wait until you get older and have some arthritis in your hands. I have to keep a pair of pliers handy because I don’t have enough grip to unscrew the new caps with my bare hand. Maybe I should just switch to Pepsi???????

    Reply
  18. DougS

    The reason they are harder to open is simple physics: smaller surface area for grip of your fingers and the sides are angled in the opposite direction for the best traction.

    Reply
  19. DougS

    Oh and if someone actually measured the force to open one of the new caps (they can do this) I would guess it’s as least 3 times harder to open now.

    Reply
  20. Dennis Ray Nestor Jr.

    If it helps cut cost and save the environment I am OK with that.

    I understand the old metal bootle top design they where going for, But it is clearly not working funcitonaly.

    I think they should do one of to things
    1. Add the old ridges back to the plastic cap.
    2. Redesign the top lip so that the caps sticks out farther so it is easier to grip like the old glass bottles

    Dennis Ray Nestor Jr.
    ideaguy.tv

    Reply
  21. jess10014

    I’m surprised that no one has mentioned MY biggest frustration with the terrible new cap situation! When I try to open the new caps (difficult enough in itself) the pressure of my grip on the (also new) thinner plastic bottle, causes the water to leak out the top all over my hands as I squeeze and twist. Has no one else experienced this?

    Reply
  22. Nan

    I absolutely hate the new bottle cap! I bruised my hand trying to get it off! No USER FRIENDLY. Hate it!!!

    Reply
  23. Tom in Miami

    These caps sliced our fingers open also! It has happened to me twice and to two of my friends.

    Reply
  24. Glenn R.

    My wife (39 yrs old and in perfectly good health, i.e. no arthritis, etc) can rarely open one on her own (I usually have to do it) and has also sliced her fingers trying to open one. I can get them open, but they are definitely much more difficult. Either the old ridges on the new size cap, or old size cap with new ridges, would probably work. To get the reduction in plastic usage, obviously the first option is the most likely answer.

    We will be calling Coke this week. I suggest everyone else do also, and that anyone who has been injured, suggest to them that if reports of this happening continue to show up everywhere, then in today’s litigious society, a class-action lawsuit can’t be far behind.

    Reply
  25. Ethan

    I HATE the new caps. Used to be able to put the old caps back on one-handed if need be. It now takes much more effort than it’s worth. Maybe it doesn’t sound like much of a complaint to some, but try doing it with Dupuytren’s Contracture in both hands…

    Reply
  26. cutopen

    After breaking the seal it sliced my finger open about an half inch. I see a class action suit on the horizon.

    Reply
  27. Bob Forsyth

    I bought 2 cases 2 weeks ago and have had 1/2 of them leak WITHOUT so much as opening them.
    One in my brief case destroying TONS of work and a MESS of my Case, another in my daughters Luggage, many others just in the cabinet while in storage (hours of work cleaning up that mess). If they are NOT straight up, there is a 50% failure rate of leaking all over where ever it is.
    I had my bottles on there side (like I store my 2 liter bottles) and when I went get a few I saw 1/2 were missing 50% of the contents. I wanted to ask the kids what happened to them, but upon looking closer I saw under the shelf (rack type) everything under was covered in it, NONE were opened, banged or disturbed.
    This is a case of fixing what isn’t broke AGAIN, to save less than a penny in costs. They are thinner and less reliable. I designed plastic molds for 8 years and KNOW this was for a cost cutting measure here. NOT to make it easier to open, please that’s a joke of an excuse. It saved as I said less than a penny and I guess when you sell over 10 million a year it adds up. But at who’s expense now? There is no way on earth am I buying another one of those and I would like to call the consumer relations about this. (Cant find the number anywhere, help would be appreciated if anyone knows it). I have a few hundred dollars of damage now b/c these cheap bastards didn’t do proper testing.

    Reply
  28. Len

    In reply to: I hate the new caps! I tried opening the thing and it sliced my finger open. I was shocked. I don’t know how it happened, but I may have to start drinking Pepsi products so I don’t have band-aids all over my fingers.

    Len: I agree. Coca-Cola IF YOU ARE LISTENING: I saw 2 small cuts to the surface of my skin and did not realize what caused it earlier today, tonight while washing my hands, I felt the sting of soap. I soon realized this cut was much deeper and was caused by your new design. I’m now here on the internet trying to contact Coca-Cola. Please contact me. r/s

    Reply
  29. Mike

    Another sliced-open finger here. Like a really nasty knife cut. Did it last night while I was opening a Dasani bottle.

    I sent Coca-Cola a letter today, via their web site. (Those of you contacting Coca-Cola, make sure you don’t use the anonymous comment form. Go to the page where you can put your return e-mail address.)

    If my next cut is deeper and requires stitches, I will see to it that I OWN that company! LOL

    Reply
  30. Dave

    I hate the new caps. I’ve been just seething for an outlet to tell Coke that it sucks. First, they are not thinking about those with Arthritis. I have no strength in my fingers and I find that I can’t even twist the damn thing off. I’ll choke down a Pepsi before I buy another Coke product… Let’s go Coke – start listening!

    Reply
  31. Nancy

    Oh my God-I thought I was the only one! My hands work just fine and I can’t get the darn cap off. I hate,hate,hate it. Enought to buy something else?-yeah!

    Reply
  32. Travis

    I hate them too! They really piss me off so I designed a new coke cap opener. The opener fits over the cap and locks with the new ridges tightly. A simple twist and the cap opens and additionally it cleans the area your lip toughes. One more thing, open the cover to the cap opener handle and you have a tool easily cutting the plastic off the six packs. No more struggling to seperate a six pack of coke. Look for them next to coke products.

    Reply
  33. dehydrated in Ohio

    I cannot open the new caps. I always have a w co-worker help me open them. I complained to coke and they said that they would investigate my “unusual” complaint. They gave me a coupon for 2 free 2 liter bottles – I hope I can open them.

    Reply
  34. shawna

    I HATE THEM! I was so glad to see this blog! lol.. thought I was going crazy not being able to get them on!
    they suck!

    Reply
  35. Lynne

    I don’t like them because they’re so bloody hard to open, but, since it’s good for the environment to use less plastic, I guess I can suck it up. But couldn’t they have given it some ridges or something? You can’t get a grip on the silly things!

    Reply
  36. DC

    They are extremely hard to open. Haven’t had one I haven’t had to struggle with. Not worth the effort required to open. Guess I’ll have to switch products!

    Reply
  37. Gaye

    Since you changed the caps on your cokes, I have been unable to open them. I have arthritis in my hands, and have had to change to another cola, which I don’t like. Unless a change is for something better, why do you people do this?

    Reply
  38. sally

    I hate the new caps….have scars on my finger from opening the stupids things!!! New coke-New cap-New cut. I call it CCC
    coke cap cut!!!

    Reply
  39. Tamara

    I do not like the new caps. Hard to get a grip on and open. A cut for me as well. Go back to the old caps. Not much of a $$ savings we are not talking about that much less plastic.

    Reply

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