What Dock & Bay does

Dock & Bay is a London-headquartered, privately-held direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand founded in 2015 by Andy and Ben. The company designs, sources, and sells a portfolio of over 100 quick-dry lifestyle products — beach towels, cabana towels, beach ponchos (adult and kids), picnic blankets, dry bags, cooler bags, foldable totes, beach bags, toiletry bags, bath towels, hair wraps, tea towels, travel eye masks, cooling towels, dog towels, beauty gift boxes, and inflatable beach pillows — built on its proprietary DryQ™ fabric (83% recycled polyester / 17% recycled polyamide microfibre from plastic bottles), plus a separate Jadestone cooling fabric in its cooling-towel line. Performance claims include 3x faster drying than cotton, sand-repellent loop-free surface, absorption of up to 2x the towel's own weight in water, natural odour resistance, UPF50+ on ponchos, IPX6 waterproofing on dry bags, and up to six hours of cooling relief; the company is B Corp and GRS certified, has sold over 3 million towels worldwide, and reports that 49.2 million 500ml plastic bottles have been diverted from waterways across all orders.

The business operates a pure-play D2C model via dockandbay.com (UK/Europe/Australia) and us.dockandbay.com (US), supported by a Twin Lakes, WI distribution centre that fulfils US orders through USPS and UPS within one business day, with a separate wholesale portal at uswholesale.dockandbay.com for bulk and corporate buyers. Pricing is transactional (unit pricing across the range from ~$15 eye masks to ~$75 cooler bags) with multibuy bundles (3-for-2 ponchos, sets of 4 save 10%, sets of 6 save 25%), free shipping over $115, 15% off for verified key workers and students, custom-embroidery personalisation, and digital gift cards in multiple themed designs; accepted payment methods include Klarna BNPL, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, and major card networks. The company received angel investment from Deborah Meaden via a 2017 UK Dragons' Den appearance and has since grown to a team of 30+ serving consumer segments across beach & travel, home & household, fitness & sports, pet owners, families, key workers/students, and gift & corporate buyers in the UK, US, and Australia.

Name

Dock & Bay

Legal name

Dock & Bay

Website

https://us.dockandbay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dock & Bay is a UK-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand (founded 2015, 30+ employees) that designs and sells 100+ quick-dry lifestyle products — beach towels, ponchos, bags, hair wraps, cooling towels, and pet towels — built on its proprietary DryQ™ recycled microfibre, serving consumers in the UK, US, and Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel & Beach Towels

NAICS

Textile Bag and Canvas Mills (314910)

SIC

Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Apparel & Footwear Retail (Wetsuits, Rash Guards, Deck Shoes) (CRAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Quick-dry beach towels
• Travel accessories
• Recycled microfibre products
• Sustainable lifestyle brand
• Outdoor beach gear

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales (B2C E-commerce): Dock & Bay generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer online sales of its range of quick-dry towels and travel accessories. Products are sold individually and as sets/bundles at various price points. No subscription model is in place — revenue is one-time transactional per order. Upsell opportunities exist through multibuy discounts (sets, 3-for-2), personalisation add-ons, and gift cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dock & Bay designs, manufactures and retails a portfolio of quick-dry microfibre lifestyle products — primarily beach towels, cabana towels, adult and kids ponchos, picnic blankets, dry/cooler/tote/toiletry bags, bath towels, hair wraps, tea towels, eye masks, cooling towels, dog towels and inflatable beach pillows — built on its proprietary DryQ™ fabric made from 83% Recycled Polyester and 17% Recycled Polyamide (from recycled plastic bottles). Products are sold direct-to-consumer through the brand's Shopify storefront (us.dockandbay.com) and a separate wholesale portal, with gifting and personalisation add-ons and bundled sets.

Product overview

Dock & Bay is an eco-friendly lifestyle brand offering a comprehensive portfolio of quick-dry travel and lifestyle products. The core offering centers on the proprietary DryQ quick-dry fabric technology used across all products, which dries 3x faster than cotton, repels sand, and is made from 100% recycled materials. The product portfolio includes: Quick Dry Beach Towels and Cabana Beach Towels (the flagship products in over 40 designs and 3 sizes); Adult and Kids Beach Ponchos with UPF50+ protection; Picnic Blankets with water-resistant bases; Dry Bags (5L and 20L with IPX6 rating); Cooler Bags; Foldable Tote Bags; Canvas Beach Bags; Toiletry Bags; Quick Dry Bath Towels; Quick Dry Hair Wraps; Quick Dry Tea Towels; Travel Eye Masks; Cooling Towels with Jadestone technology; Dog Towels; Ballast Beach Pillows; Beauty Gift Boxes; and Gift Cards. The company also offers Personalisation Services for custom embroidery on towels and hair wraps, and bundled Beach Towel Sets for families. All products are B Corp and Global Recycling Standard (GRS) certified, made from recycled plastic bottles, and feature the same DryQ technology regardless of category.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ballast: Beach pillow sub-brand featuring inflatable, sand-repellent travel pillows that deflate to pocket size for effortless transport.

Products and services

• Quick Dry Beach Towel Flagship award-winning beach towel made from DryQ fabric that dries 3x faster than cotton, repels sand, and packs into a compact carry pouch. Composed of 83% Recycled Polyester and 17% Recycled Polyamide, available in 40+ designs and three sizes (Medium, Large, Extra Large). Targeted at individual consumers for beach, pool, and travel use.
• Cabana Beach Towel Classic striped quick-dry beach towel featuring DryQ technology with a sand-repellent surface and compact iconic pouch packaging. Available in multiple colorways including navy, light pink, khaki, blue, green, red, black, and beige. For beach, pool, and travel consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Towels dry 3x faster than traditional cotton
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WWF (World Wildlife Fund)minorOthersAnnual charity partner. Dock & Bay makes regular donations and gives a percentage of profit from specially designed charity products to WWF's environmental conservation work.
• Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC)minorOthersAnnual charity partner receiving donations from Dock & Bay. Supports marine conservation aligned with the brand's ocean-plastic mission.
• One Tree PlantedminorOthersAnnual reforestation charity partner. Each tree planted supports environmental restoration aligned with sustainability mission.
• Smiley x TWLOHA (To Write Love on Her Arms)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health collaboration launched in 2022. 20% of sales from Smiley x CALM/Feelin' Good towel designs donated to TWLOHA, a non-profit providing hope and help for people struggling with mental health.
• The Hunger ProjectminorOthers2023 charity partnership. A percentage of profits from specially designed towels (created with London-based artist Eloisa Henderson-Figueroa) donated to The Hunger Project to help feed hungry people.
• StonewallminorOthersRegular donations recipient. Stonewall is a LGBTQ+ rights organisation. Donations are part of Dock & Bay's broader charitable giving programme (totalling over £500,000 since 2015).
• The Red CrossminorOthersRegular donations recipient. Dock & Bay includes The Red Cross among the foundations it supports with regular charitable contributions (totalling over £500,000 since 2015).
• U.S. Soccer FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimited-edition U.S. Soccer collaboration — the 'Summer of Soccer' collection features Quick Dry Beach Towels in an officially licensed U.S. Soccer design. Sold as a flagship seasonal product with dedicated marketing campaign, hero imagery, and 9,618+ verified reviews. This is a co-branded product partnership for the 2025/2026 summer season.
• BallastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallast x Dock & Bay beach pillow collaboration. Ballast makes inflatable pillows that are sold under the Dock & Bay brand in the beach pillow collection, combining Ballast's inflatable pillow technology with Dock & Bay's sand-repellent fabric and design aesthetic.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rumpl: Rumpl makes technical outdoor blankets and towels using recycled materials with strong design and DTC positioning. Comparable to Dock & Bay's picnic blanket and beach towel range, with overlapping sustainability narrative.
• Sand Cloud: Sand Cloud sells sand-resistant, quick-dry Turkish-style beach towels with a strong sustainability/marine-conservation mission. Highly comparable to Dock & Bay in product positioning (sand-free + eco-credentials) and DTC marketing approach.
• Nomadix: Nomadix makes versatile, quick-dry outdoor towels marketed for travel, beach, yoga, and camping. Overlapping product features (sand-free, compact, quick-dry) and similar DTC distribution make it a close direct peer.
• Frescobol Carioca: Frescobol Carioca is a Brazilian-inspired lifestyle brand selling premium beach towels, swim shorts, and beach accessories. Direct overlap with Dock & Bay's cabana-style beach towel and swim shorts range.
• Slowtide: Slowtide makes premium quick-dry towels, blankets, and apparel with artist collabs and sustainability positioning. Directly competes with Dock & Bay in the design-forward, eco-positioned beach towel category.
• Tesalate: Tesalate is a direct-to-consumer brand specializing in sand-free, quick-dry beach towels made from proprietary microfibre fabric. Closely comparable to Dock & Bay in product technology, target customer (beach/travel consumers), and DTC go-to-market model.

Broad incumbents

• Sea to Summit: Sea to Summit is an established outdoor brand with a broad portfolio including PackTowl quick-dry travel towels. Larger incumbents compete in the same quick-dry travel towel niche but with a wider product portfolio and broader outdoor retail distribution.
• REI Co-op (house brand): REI's house brand sells quick-dry travel and camp towels alongside its broad outdoor assortment. A large incumbent that competes in the same functional category but with significant retail distribution advantages.

Emerging players

• Coolibar: Coolibar sells UPF-rated sun-protective apparel and beach accessories. Comparable in UPF50+ poncho category and beach-travel target customer, though with a stronger medical/skin-health positioning.
• Matador: Matador specializes in ultra-packable, travel-focused outdoor accessories including towels and dry bags. Comparable in target customer (frequent travelers) and product philosophy (compact, lightweight) though broader category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dock_and_bay

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dock & Bay