Reza Bavar Interview: The Story Behind Kaloud, the Lotus, and Hookah Innovation

Key Takeaways

• Kaloud founder Reza Bavar invented the Lotus in 2012 to make hookah less harmful by cooking tobacco instead of burning it.
• Bringing the first Lotus to market cost several hundred thousand dollars — Reza was nearly homeless during development.
• Independent German lab testing shows the Krysalis Eltheria, Lotus, and Ayara filter system reduces nearly all harmful compounds in hookah smoke.
• The Krysalis Eltheria has won two international product design awards — a first for the hookah industry.
• Kaloud manufactures in China, the Netherlands, Italy, and the Czech Republic.
• The mission: transform the world one puff at a time.

Medkov StanislavCan you tell the story of how and when you got into the hookah industry?

I fell in love with it and saw it as an amazing tool to connect people. Over the years I thought about ways to make it better, and eventually the Kaloud Lotus was born out of that desire in 2012.

Medkov StanislavSome successful people in the hookah industry don’t actually smoke hookah themselves. How often do you smoke, and what are your favorite tobacco brands?

It depends on the week, but I’m enjoying a Krysalis Calix right now as I type. On average, I enjoy hookah about three times per week — unless I’m testing products, in which case it might be three times a day.

“I wanted to cook the tobacco instead of burning it.”

Medkov StanislavBack in 2012, I was skeptical of US “hookah innovations.” A few years later I noticed your product had gained traction in Russia. People said it had revolutionized the industry — and I agree. How did the Lotus come about?

I wanted to figure out a way to make using hookah less harmful. I realized people were normally applying too much heat and using too much charcoal, so I wanted to cook the tobacco instead of burning it. Unfortunately, people now add four or five pieces of charcoal, which may be convenient, but they’re causing long-term damage to their bodies.

This is why we included a lid with the Lotuses — to trap heat and minimize charcoal use. Now, after more than a decade of meticulous labor, we have scientific proof from a laboratory in Germany of the effectiveness of what we create. You can see our lab results here.

Medkov StanislavHow much did you invest in the development of the first Kaloud Lotus?

The first Kaloud Lotus took several hundred thousand dollars when tooling, prototypes, design, and development were all calculated.

Medkov StanislavWho were the first people in the hookah community to support your product?

The first were Smoke or Pass (Shaunn) and Dragonfly Mike. They were very supportive from the beginning, and without their YouTube reviews I don’t think Kaloud would ever have succeeded. I still haven’t realized that I’m famous. Hahaha.

Medkov StanislavWhen did you start selling abroad? Who was your first distributor?

We started selling abroad in 2013. The first countries were France (El-Badia) and Germany. We also sold some in Russia to individual users.

Medkov StanislavWhat is Kaloud as a company today?

Kaloud is a company devoted to the mission of transforming the world one puff at a time. We do this by creating beautiful products that function incredibly well when used properly and also act to reduce the harmful effects of using shisha.

We did almost a year of testing at a lab in Germany and found that the Krysalis Eltheria with the Lotus and our Ayara filters reduces almost all of the harmful compounds in hookah smoke to nearly zero. We are still a very small company, and we have suffered due to counterfeiters and people who copy our products. Despite all this, we will do our best to help our Tribe have the best possible hookah experience.

“Transform the world one puff at a time.”

Medkov StanislavDo you have any awards for your product?

The Krysalis Eltheria was recently awarded two design awards, which we are all very proud of. As far as I know, we are the first company in the hookah industry to win a design award. I am grateful to the committee that awarded us, and also to John Caliano for recognizing the contributions Kaloud makes.

Medkov StanislavI didn’t find information about the 2016 award on your website. Why?

To be honest, we didn’t know about the award until our distributor told us about it. That said, we try our best to be humble and focus on what we do best — create.

Medkov StanislavWhat is the mission of Kaloud?

To transform the world one puff at a time. When people use hookah, they connect. And when they connect in a deep way, they can know each other, share their humanity, and — hopefully — respect one another. This is how the world becomes better: one person at a time.

Medkov StanislavWhen did you first encounter a counterfeit of your product?

In 2013, and it was very painful. I sacrificed a lot to create Kaloud and was almost homeless. To see people steal what I created is very hard, but, as I mentioned, we are doing our best to create and continue to enhance the experience our Tribe has.

“I sacrificed a lot to create Kaloud and was almost homeless. To see people steal what I created is very hard.”

Medkov StanislavWhere is your manufacturing located?

We manufacture in China, the Netherlands, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

Medkov StanislavWhat actions do you take to prevent counterfeiting?

We do everything we can, including online searches. Mostly we hope the community will reject the counterfeiters and copiers in support of the authentic innovators.

Medkov StanislavWhat do you think about Quasar Raas, the French heat management device?

I like Quasar — they have always been respectful of our intellectual property, and they are creative in their own way.

Medkov StanislavThe most famous heat-management manufacturer on the Russian market is “Kalaud Alpha.” Its owner gave an interview titled “How to make money in the hookah industry?! Million dollar secret,” where he admits to copying the Lotus and claims they have sold millions of pieces. What is your reaction?

I don’t know who he is, but in general, I think if a person is focused only on themselves, they’re likely afraid of something — maybe everything. In these situations, people are living in a kind of delusional state where they don’t really understand what they’re doing, or, by extension, the karma they’re accumulating.

It’s unfortunate because they’re likely only interested in the short-term perceived benefit of their actions and not at all in the benefit they could bring to others. Society sometimes celebrates and supports a kind of cannibalistic behavior that is actually counter to its long-term interests.

“We get the world we deserve. So maybe people should start considering what kind of world they truly want.”

Medkov StanislavWhat about creating an “association of hookah manufacturers against counterfeiting”?

It might be helpful, but ultimately the people promoting and using the products have to decide what they really want. We’ve asked event organizers like Hookah Battle to restrict the use of counterfeits and copies, but this is only one element.

Every choice has some kind of consequence, whether we can perceive the causal links or not. I would much rather see people deciding that support of creation and creators is more valuable than the slight savings associated with buying products that are cheaper but are sold by people who have no interest in the greater good.

Medkov StanislavCompared to other products, yours are expensive — average hookahs cost €100–300; yours start at €564. The packaging looks like something from a jewelry store. Is Kaloud a luxury brand?

Most of the hookahs you’re referring to are just a stem, or maybe a stem and base. The price you’re referencing includes our Aeolis Hose, Aeolis Hose Tips, our Samsaris Bowl, one of our Kaloud Lotuses, and possibly the Vestara Tongs. We don’t consider ourselves luxury — we consider ourselves affordable quality. As for our packaging, we think people who purchase our products deserve the best, from the packaging to the products to the experience. That’s what we deliver.

“We don’t consider ourselves luxury. We consider ourselves affordable quality.”

Medkov StanislavYou’ve said you invested several hundred thousand dollars in developing the Lotus. Some people think you put a really high margin on your product, given the 10x price difference between fake and original. What do you say to that?

First off, our prices are not 10x our costs, and I also feel that the “race to the bottom” mentality in pricing in our industry isn’t really benefiting anyone. In fact, some of the cheap products use toxic chemicals and people are literally poisoning themselves over time. Why? To save a small sum? That may not prove wise over time.

Most people who make this kind of statement don’t appreciate what it takes to run a company. I don’t pocket the cash — I reinvest it in creating new products and services, which creates jobs, which fuels the economy everyone benefits from.

Medkov StanislavWhy not launch a cheaper version for hookah lounges? In Russia, 8,000–12,000 lounges could buy 20–30 Lotuses each.

First off, we do sell lounge packs to lounges. With that said, many of these lounges are spending hundreds of euros per unit on high-end hookahs and accessories. Like any other investment, they should recoup their money and transition into profit in a short period. The difference between using a cheap copy and an original Kaloud Lotus is minimal when taken in the broader context of the time it will take them to recoup their investment.

Medkov StanislavHave you ever been to Brazil? 95% of the market uses traditional foil, and they’re not even interested in cheap fakes. Why didn’t this category gain popularity there?

I’ve never been to Brazil, so I can’t really speculate. Hopefully someday.

Medkov StanislavYou have a deep brand philosophy, but sharing it on your website isn’t enough. 80% of people who buy a fake don’t realize they’re doing something wrong. You should promote your mission to the masses — hire social media managers, support authentic lounges with “Kaloud Authorized” signage, sponsor innovators, attend expos. What are your plans?

I really appreciate and admire Russian hookah culture. We would love to grow our brand in Russia and connect with our Tribe there. I’m open to all ideas. Thank you for the suggestions.

Want to experience what Reza built?

Explore the award-winning Krysalis Eltheria, the Kaloud Lotus that started it all, and the Ayara filters featured in our independent German lab study.