I usually review books because I am constantly reading and love to share books with you that I enjoy. This week, I’m sharing something I also use constantly: my water bottle.
I drink water, kombucha, and herbal teas almost every day. At home, I drink out of a quart size mason jar with a Cuppow lid, but that doesn’t work as well on the go because a mason jar doesn’t fit in my car’s cup holder.
I have a Klean Kanteen and have used it for years (in fact, I can’t even count the dents it has now and it has served me really well). My only complaint with the Klean is that it is all metal and it doesn’t keep liquids cool or hot for long. If I use it to workout outside in the summer, my water is hot enough to make tea by the end of my workout.
I love the idea of glass water bottles, but they aren’t practical with my kids.
Until recently, I typically just loaded up the ice in my Klean Kanteen and hoped it wasn’t hot by the time I wanted to drink it.
A few weeks ago my husband and I went out for our anniversary and we stopped by our local outdoor sports store to get extra carabiners for our treehouse zip line. While he was getting the needed climbing supplies, I browsed the camping gear and saw something called a Hydro Flask.
What is Hydro Flask?
The packaging claimed that this Hydro Flask water bottle could keep cold liquids cool for 24+ hours and hot beverages warm for 12+ hours. I was skeptical but intrigued. I read the rest of the package and found that Hydro Flask was made with food grade stainless steel and a double-wall vacuum insulation to keep temperatures steady. I also noticed that the plastic lid was BPA free.
I noticed a store employee carrying one around and drinking out of it so I asked him about it.
He opened it and showed me the ice inside… and told me that he put the ice in the night before. Not only had it kept it cold for almost 24 hours, there was still ice in it.
I grabbed a purple wide-mouth bottle and a black bottle with a flip top lid for warm drinks and asked my hubby if they could be our anniversary gifts to each other.
Does the Hydro Flask Work as Advertised?
Fast forward a few weeks and I’ve tested them daily:
- I used the coffee cup Hydro Flask with my special coffee and it stayed hot for 4+ hours (I finished drinking it then so I don’t know if it would have stayed warm even longer)
- I put ice water in it in at night and then taken it with me the next day on errands in a hot car and working out and it still had ice in it when I got home.
- I put fresh juice with ice and it stayed cold all day
- Used it to keep homemade kombucha cold and carbonated all day long
I now use my Hydro Flask daily and it is pretty much the only bottle I use. If you’re ever in the market for a water bottle, I highly recommend them. These are the specific ones I’ve tried:
Do you use a water bottle? What is your favorite? Share below!
I was surprised by your comments about your Klean Kanteen. I have been using one of their insulated Klean Kanteens for a few years now and love it. As a matter of fact when I went to go purchase another one since my husband confiscated mine, I saw that the store also carried the “Hydro Flask” brand. The sales rep came over to tell me about them since she had experience with them and like them. She did not have personal experience with Klean Kanteen. Everything she had to say good about them was what I had been experiencing with my insulated Klean Kanteen so I opted to purchase another of what I knew for sure would work.
I know this is an old post, but I was looking for something on this blog and saw this one. I’m guessing Katie didn’t/doesn’t have the insulated kind. Klean Kanteen makes an insulated and a non-insulated kind. I did an experiment with my insulated KKs and insulated HFs and KK did noticeably better keeping the water cold (I took temperatures over greater than a 24 hour period).
I have heard of S’well 500ml bottles (New York based company I think?) – which tick all the boxes you mention – as well as: 10% of all sales go to build safe and hygienic water sources in Africa and India through a partnership with WaterAid. Does anyone have any experience with these water bottles?
S’well water bottles are amazing!! I love mine. It keeps ice in Oklahoma heat and doesn’t sweat. They are made in the US, have great customer service, and donate a percentage if their profits. Plus you can get any color imaginable in different textures and sizes.
would you suggest a 17 oz or 25 oz S’well bottle? I’m looking to get my first one.
Hi, it is easy and no cost to make a spout for a mason jar. Just cut out the top from a juice container with a sealable spout and place that in the top of the mason jar. I keep one in the garden, on the balcony for watering plants. Great to use anytime for your needs.
Great article, didn’t know about these bottles. I’ll definitely get one! Also love the Cuppow lid idea, (so interesting though … that wide mouth cuppow lid costs $8.60 on Amazon.com and $32.10 on Amazon.ca in Canada! What the heck?) Thanks for this great info!
Hi Katie – I was wondering if you tested for leaking? I would love something like this for my kid’s lunch boxes or even just to carry on the outside of their backpacks. Since the backpacks get thrown into the car, turned upside down, etc., I need something that will not leak. Thanks!
I keep it in my purse and it has been upside down and not leaked.
They do not leak with the reagular cap, but I like the ease of the sports cap, which does leak if on it’s side. It’s still a fabulous water bottle.
The Kleen Kanteen Sport Cap 3.0 fits the standard opening Hydroflasks perfectly. It does not leak when closed and liquid flows out very easy and fast without effort when open.
I have been researching so many water bottles and still haven’t found one I like yet. I need one with a filter (because it’s so much gunk in the water) and also one that is chemical free. Most plastic bottles are BPA free but not of other chemicals that still get released, And all the glass and metal ones don’t have a filter. I tried also looking up on charcoal but it doesn’t filter out everything. I know it’s good to have a filter at home, but I need a bottle that I can bring and fill up at work for example. If anyone knows of a good option I would love to hear it!
I know that Life bottles are really good at filtering things. They are a British product I have been looking into lately. The bottle is plastic I believe:-(, but they are supposed to work better than a Berkey water filter. They filter farther down than other filters do. Just something to look into. They are EXPENSIVE though, so beware.
Which Life bottles are you referring to? Lifefactory or LifeStraw?
Hanna,
I bought some Ion Pods, stainless steel water bottles. They fit almost in any vehicle, These bottles create alkaline water which has many benefits. I use these bottles everywhere and they are great. They are pricey but worth every penny. They also sell the ion filters you can replace.
You can check them out at “Healthy Habits”.
Good Luck.
Try Eco Vessel…great filter and bottle for those occasions where you can’t fill it up at home with your home water filter. Love mine!
Is there a reason you never got an insulated Kleen Kanteen?
No, just haven’t tried it yet…but I will!
Thank you for writing this review! I’ve been using the same cheap plastic water bottle for years, and been saying for a long time that I need to get a new one. I knew I wanted to buy a good quality water bottle, but shopping for them is overwhelming – soooo many choices to wade through! And I’m an indecisive person, lol! Your review just made it so much easier for me. I’m sold! 🙂 I just made my purchase on Amazon and can’t wait to finally throw away my nasty old water bottle!
I absolutely love my glass life factory bottles! My one year old has dropped them many times and they hold up so well. Haven’t had one break yet and we have 4 of them. I use it daily and never leave home without it. For me nothing compares to drinking out of glass.
Yes,plastic and sunlight is a bad combination.I always use a discarded glass bottle with nice fitting cap which I replace as soon as possible.In my opinion,Glass is the best if you wish to enjoy the taste of your drink,be it water.But on a trail run I use my camelbak.
DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A GLASS OR FOOD GRADE STAINLESS STEEL REFRIGERATOR WATER CONTAINER(APPROX 1 GALLON)WITH A SPIGOT. I HAVE LOOKED FOR YEARS AND THE ONLY ONES ARE THOSE MADE IN CHINA OR SPAIN WHICH ARE THIN AND I HAVE NO IDEA IF THERE IS LEAD IN THEM. NONE IN THE U.S.A. I NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE HARD TO FIND BUT THEY ARE.
You might try looking at the sites that sell (American made) home water distillers. I’ve not looked for a glass jar with a spigot but I know that many sell glass water containers that are refrigerator-sized. Finding a glass, one-gallon water container with a spigot that doesn’t leak may prove to be a greater challenge. Thanks!
I have been interested in purchasing Life Factory bottles for a long time now. Thanks for the feedback. I also have a 1 yr old (and 5 yr old). Which tops do you recommend. I believe they have a flip top and straw top?
I am looking for a practical water bottle! Does the wide mouth one fit in your cars cup holder? Thanks.
The black one in the picture does, but the larger purple one does not.
live in HOT Florida and cycle anyone know of a water bottle that fits into a bike bottle holder and keeps cold no sweat and chemical and BPA free
I have used Thermos double walled stainless steel flip top straw bottles for water, for 8-9 years. Stays cool, doesn’t sweat, fits in car’s cup holder. My children have used the smaller 12 oz. sizes, Funtainer beverage bottle, since they were three. They can be purchased on thermos site or at retailers (in Michigan, Target Meijer etc). The best thing about Thermos is they guarantee for life. I received FREE replacement bottles after sending in the childrens’ and mine. after being dropped a million times, the plastic bottom cover became loose from the cup (still totally functional). Plastic caps are not guaranteed, but only cost a few dollars (cap + straw set).
I bought a pkg of 2 bottles. Glass with a rubber covering at Costco. Sorry can’t remember the price. The brand is Takeya 20 oz’s. BUT… I just ordered the purple wide mouth. Thank you for the info..
I like my Tervis cups and will stick with them. They have a lifetime guarantee as well (can be exchanged at Bed Bath and Beyond on the spot), made in Florida not China, and have tons of designs and sizes most of which fit in a cars cup holder.
Tervis, all day. No where on the Hydro Flask website does it say made in CHINA. Buy American
Hydroflask is based in Oregon and manufactured in China
Klean Kanteen is based in Chico and manufactured in China!
I am looking for a large water bottle for my husband and small for my kids. I use glass but I’m not as rough on things. It is very hard to find!
I want to get the 32 oz hydro flask. Do you get special pricing since you are showing on your site and how do take advantage of this? Link on your site shows it at a lower price.
I just purchase it through Amazon, the price is the same for me as it is for anyone else…
I have the 24 ounce Hydroflask and it fits in all of my cup holders!