Here's What Went Down With Nicepipes Apparel After Shark Tank

Budding clothing lines often make their way on "Shark Tank," as entrepreneurs try to tap into the apparel market. Lisa Binderow was one such go-getter who brought her athletic line, nicepipes, onto the ABC reality show in the hopes of nabbing a shark and taking her brand to the next level. Binderow, a fitness instructor and yogi, saw a gap in the market for workout apparel that would keep athletes warm. She created arm warmers, knee-high warmers, and thigh-high warmers to add fabric where athletic clothing was lacking. For example, tank tops and cropped yoga pants left body parts exposed, and Binderow wanted her extra layers to keep people protected during and after their workouts. They also have sun protection, with UV 50+ SPF.

We've seen other apparel lines pitch their goods on "Shark Tank" too. KIN Apparel did really well on the show, thanks to catching an investor. The clothing line Grace & Lace exploded after they aired, landing a deal with Barbara Corcoran. Monthly underwear subscription BootayBag also did well, snagging both a deal and consumer attention. Unfortunately, nicepipes didn't do nearly as well on "Shark Tank," and Binderow turned down the only deal she got. However, the brand has still gone on to stay in business without "Shark Tank" funding.

Lisa Binderow appeared on "Shark Tank" in 2017, seeking $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity. Binderow explained that she founded her brand, nicepipes, in 2014 after she felt cold leaving yoga studios in New York City because her yoga clothes didn't cover her arms and legs fully. Binderow created her line of arm and leg warmers made out of the same material as yoga pants to mitigate this need.

Binderow explained to the sharks that she had sold $80,000 worth of product to date, and that she'd put $300,000 into her company, some of which includes $65,000 worth of inventory. Kevin O'Leary found Binderow's evaluation of her company far too inflated and pulled out. Robert Herjavec had the same issue. "You lose all credibility," Herjavec began, "when you stand there and you tell me you think this is worth a million dollars." So he was out too. Mark Cuban encouraged Binderow to focus on selling her supply of inventory and said that it wasn't a fit for him, so he was out. Lori Greiner also saw it as outside of her interest and pulled out. Barbara Corcoran ended up offering Binderow a deal. Corcoran offered Binderow $100,000 in exchange for 40% of her business. Corcoran also had a contingency for nicepipes; the brand Grace and Lace, whom Corcoran partnered with on "Shark Tank" previously, had to agree to a partnership with nicepipes. It was too steep for Binderow and she refused the deal.

Lisa Binderow did try to talk Barbara Corcoran down on her "Shark Tank" deal. She countered with $100,000 for 25% equity, but Corcoran wasn't having it, so Binderow left without a deal. In February 2017, Binderow wrote a piece for the magazine Entrepreneur, entitled: "Why I Turned Down a $100,000 Deal on Shark Tank." In the essay, Binderow talks about her desire to keep her business in her own hands, resisting Corcoran's deal of taking over 40% of nicepipes.

"For the past two years I have been all nicepipes, all the time, and it just didn't feel right to give up 40 percent of everything I have built," Binderow wrote. "I realized in that moment how proud I was, and still am, of my slow and steady progress. It got me thinking — what happened to building a small and respectable business? Where is the #momandpopshop?" Binderow reflected on her choice to turn down Corcoran's offer and said that she felt proud of that decision. She wanted to keep her business in her own hands, rather than turning over such a huge percentage of her company to someone else. So at least she felt happy with her decision.

Lisa Binderow is still the founder and CEO of nicepipes, as listed on her LinkedIn. According to that social media platform, Binderow is still in New York City and has been the CEO since the brand's inception in August 2014. So based on this, nicepipes is still Binderow's main project. 

Nicepipe's website is up and running, still selling the arm, leg, and thigh warmers that she pitched on "Shark Tank." There have been no new products listed since then, so this seems to be the brand's specialty. However, according to feedback, the products haven't always performed so well. On nicepipe's Amazon shop, there's one customer review that gave the arm warmers two stars. "Fits well — I usually wear a medium in tops so the medium fit perfectly," the review began. "Unfortunately the left sleeve started ripping after about a week of wearing it ... the stitches gave up. Not made very well." Hopefully, the production team of nicepipes can remedy that problem. The brand has a relatively active Instagram account. The last post went up in October 2018, so they could potentially use more brand engagement online. But with the website and social media, they do have an online presence.

Lisa Binderow continues to put her energy into nicepipes, and is focused on her brand. On her personal Instagram page, she also lists other ventures. Her bio reads that she's a lactation and feeding specialist, and she has a website dedicated to that business. So Binderow is putting her entrepreneurial spirit into other lines of work, too. On her personal Instagram, Binderow also notes that she's a wellness enthusiast, so the workout apparel that she creates with nicepipes is certainly on brand with that interest.

While Binderow is proud of her decision not to connect with Barbara Corcoran, at least based on her essay in Entrepreneur, others had different opinions. On Reddit's "Shark Tank" group r/sharktank, people felt like Corcoran's offer was a good one. "She's crazy for not taking Barbara's offer," one person wrote. "I'm surprised she even got an offer. I was waiting to hear that this was a product, not a company but it's so unoriginal that it's not enough to call it a product." Ouch! But the internet is full of opinions, and we're impressed with Binderow's commitment to remaining steadfast in her decision. She wanted to keep her business under her control and we respect that.