What Secret Feature Is Hiding in Plain Sight on Every Soda Can Tab?

Have you ever stopped to really look at the can of soda, seltzer, or energy drink in your hand? You've likely opened thousands of them in your lifetime, performing the familiar crack-hiss without a second thought. But what if I told you that a clever, intentional, and genuinely useful feature has been staring you in the face this whole time? It’s not the satisfying sound or the easy-open lever itself. It's the small, unassuming hole in the tab you use to open the can. This post will unveil the simple yet ingenious purpose of that hole, a feature designed by an inventor to solve a common and fizzy frustration.

The Evolution from Problem to Solution

To understand the genius of the modern can tab, we first need to remember what came before it. Until the mid-1970s, beverage cans were opened with "pull-tabs" or "ring-pulls." These were entire pieces of metal that you ripped off the can top and discarded.

This design created two major problems:

• Litter: The discarded tabs were a massive environmental nuisance, littering beaches, parks, and sidewalks.
• Safety: The sharp metal tabs were a safety hazard, causing cuts to feet and hands, and were sometimes even swallowed by wildlife or children.

The solution came from an engineer named Ermal Fraze. In 1975, he patented the "stay-on tab"—the design we all use today. His invention kept the tab attached to the can, eliminating the litter and safety issues in one elegant move. But his design brilliance didn't stop there.

The Secret Revealed: It’s a Straw Holder

The secret feature hiding in plain sight is this: The hole on a soda can tab is designed to be a straw holder.

Think about the last time you put a straw in a freshly opened can of a carbonated beverage. The fizz and bubbles often create enough buoyancy to push a lightweight plastic straw right back up, sometimes even making it pop out of the can entirely. It’s a minor but persistent annoyance.

Ermal Fraze anticipated this. The intended use is simple:

1. Open the can as you normally would.
2. Instead of leaving the tab pushed back, spin it 180 degrees so the hole sits directly over the can's opening.
3. Slide your straw through the tab’s hole and into the drink.

The tab acts as a secure anchor, pinning the straw in place and preventing the carbonation from pushing it out. It keeps your straw exactly where you want it.

Not a Myth, It's in the Patent

This isn't just a clever "life hack" discovered by observant soda drinkers; it was part of the original design. Fraze's U.S. Patent 3,967,752, which describes the stay-on tab, explicitly mentions this function. The documents detail how the tab can be rotated to align its opening with the can's opening to receive a straw. This confirms that the straw holder was an intentional and integral feature from the very beginning, designed to improve the user's drinking experience. It’s a perfect example of thoughtful engineering that solves a problem you may not have even realized you had.

A Lesson in Simple, Effective Design

The story of the soda can tab is a masterclass in great design. It took a widespread environmental and safety problem and solved it with an elegant, low-cost solution that didn't require changing the fundamental manufacturing process. The addition of the straw holder was the final touch—a feature that adds pure function without adding complexity. It costs nothing extra to produce, yet it makes the product just a little bit better to use.

So, the next time you pop open a canned drink, take a moment to appreciate the small piece of engineering in your hand. Spin that tab around, secure your straw, and enjoy your fizzy beverage without a floating distraction. It’s a simple secret that, once you know it, is impossible to ignore.