A product designed in a Sydney kitchen has taken its place on the world stage. Bound, a two-person Australian startup, has collected a Red Dot Award: Product Design 2026 for Looplock, its patented reusable roll-top bag seal, at a ceremony at the Aalto Theatre in Essen, Germany.

The Red Dot is one of the world's largest and most respected design competitions, drawing thousands of entries each year from more than 60 countries. Winners are chosen by an international jury of design experts who physically test every product, putting the Sydney-made Looplock alongside entries from the world's largest consumer brands.

"We're a team of two, and last night we stood on the same stage as the biggest brands in the world," says Luke Hamilton, co-founder of Bound, who accepted the award in Essen. "The Red Dot jury physically tests every product that comes through the door. This isn't a pat on the back. It's independent proof that Looplock does exactly what we say it does."

The thinking behind the product

Looplock takes the roll-top closure trusted in the outdoor world, the same seal that keeps dry bags watertight on rivers and hiking trails, and brings it into the kitchen. Roll the bag over Looplock, loop it, and lock it with a click, and everyday packaging becomes an airtight seal. Food stays fresher for longer, labels and expiry dates stay visible, and packaging shrinks as contents are used.

At its core is a shape memory polymer that resets in hot water, returning to its original form and ready to seal again.

"Great design isn't reserved for companies with thousands of staff," Hamilton adds. "It's about finding one problem and solving it perfectly. We obsessed over one simple object until it couldn't do its job any better, and we did it all from Sydney. Every Looplock is still designed and made there today."

Image: Supplied

Architecture & Design Team

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