May 7, 2026

11 Brands Spotted

New and emerging brands, curated by the Thingtesting team

About a decade ago, "chef-grade" pet food became a thing. Now the category is getting yet another upgrade, courtesy of Golden Child. As well as packages of fancy dog food, it also sells "gourmet drizzles" to artfully splash over a pup's plate, in roast chicken, braised beef and peanut butter flavours.

In the health aisle, we've spotted TIES, a supplement brand for men who are getting ready to become fathers, Sweetr, which is developing a soon-to-launch probiotic sweetener, and Log Off, which sells supplements to help with sleep. For the pantry we have Day Seven's beeswax bread bags which promise to keep loaves fresh for up to seven days, savoury tofu snacks from TofuGo, high-quality matcha from Idle Hour, and magnesium-infused soda from Heaven. We also have two brands battling the enshittification of everything — Aurie promises its jewelry is robust for real life, while CloseCo says its timber-frame furniture is so good it can offer a 10-year warranty on it.

One brand that really piqued our curiosity was Im Water. Do you think its carry sling — which is made by peeling off part of the bottle's label — can withstand real life? We're curious to hear from anyone who's tried it.

Want to discover more new brands? Check out last week's Brands Spotted.