The Breakdown of Owala vs. Hydro Flask By: Mallory March

Introduction

Have you wondered what water bottle best fits your needs and preferences? If not, consider one of these brands to use for your daily tasks up to adventurous activities! I chose to review the convenience, durability and the visually pleasing aspect of the Owala water bottle and Hydro Flask water bottles. They both have great qualities but vary in each experience. Both water bottles vary in sizing which makes them different prices. The use of these may be applied for different schedules of your day depending on what style is preferred more. It's important to think over which water bottle will best fit for your life, from everyday use to workouts and outdoor quests.

Visual Representation

Diving in, when opening the package for the Owala water bottle, I was instantly intrigued by the design. They have so many bold color and pattern variants to choose from. I chose to get a bright pink water bottle which I feel like represents my personality well. That's another thing I like about Owala, their range of colors and patterns make it to where you can choose the one that best fits the buyer's personality and style. To fully “unbox” the water bottle, there is a label giving a brief introduction to what their water bottle’s best features are. I feel as if this is a great way to sell their brand and only make the buyer more excited to experience using it. I found myself searching “Owala unboxing” to see other color variants I will want to purchase in the future. It weighed a little more than typical water bottles, but it was still manageable. It comes with a handle and it's much easier to carry around comfortably.

To compare, unboxing the Hydro Flask my initial reaction was excitement for the sleek and minimalist appeal. If the buyer doesn't mind the color they're getting and wants something other than a plastic water bottle, it's a great water bottle to simply purchase for the convenience of having one. Their color range is more simple going from black, white to softer, neutral tones. They have few bold colors but not as extravagant as Owala, which calls my name more. Their design is simple as well, they have a straw cap and chug cap which is bought separately. I personally didn't support this aspect of having separate caps since it's only spending more money when you could get both when purchasing the Owala. So after experiencing both that was a main factor that made me decide ultimately which I would purchase again. Before purchasing either the Owala or Hydro Flask water bottle I would have to evaluate the cap mechanism thoroughly to see which would best fit my daily life.

Design

Continuing on the topic, the Owala and Hydro Flasks cap devices differ in both appearances and functionality. Owala had a well thought out plan to strive on the topic of convenience to which they successfully executed. First look of the cap is the carry lid which is its handle that protects your sipping experience. It covers the spring loaded button that opens the lid that keeps the spout clean. I find it satisfying when the lid opens and adds more to the experience, making me want to drink more water. There is a built-in one straw connecting to the lid which is a fun color to match your water bottle. The lid is completely leak proof through my experience with it on top of the description across all websites when purchasing. The large colored area of the cap is made from silicone to make dirt smudges, or keeping dust away much easier. The main part of the water bottle is made of insulated stainless steel, making drinks cold for hours. Owala's design is to keep the cleaning process. It's simple, remove the straw and rubber piece from the lid and clean. However, I found it more of a hassle to remind myself to remove another piece than to simply remove the lid and wash separately.

On the other hand, Hydro Flasks cap design is different. They do not have a built-in one sip and chug concept. However, you can purchase separate lids which are, the lid with the straw or just the chug only lid. They do have other options based on how you would want to drink it like the sport cap which is a different way to chug water. Or even purchasing a lid with a regular straw. After owning both, I did not feel like purchasing another lid to accommodate when I could buy a water bottle with both a straw and chug design. The material used to make the Hydro Flask is stainless steel, and their lids are made of a durable plastic. Which is what they're known for, keeping it protected from drops. Their designs do have less attachments, making it easier to clean, maybe faster than the Owala. However opening the lids may require more grip to open. This also proves that their water bottles are leak proof. I never had issues with Hydro Flask or the Owala.

Comfort

In addition, when purchasing a water bottle, comfortability is one of the most important things to convince me. The design of the owala is a sleek feeling, other than the large colored part of the cap which is a silicon material. It's to protect from dirt and grime which I noticed helps a lot. With the Hydro Flask, it collects dust which is annoying and inconvenient to have dust where your mouth may go. However, the Owala perfected that which has one of the best lids in the water bottle market. When I filled the Owala water bottle I noticed it's still comfortable to hold, and with the built in handle I don't need to worry about it slipping out of my hand. When drinking from the water bottle, if I choose to chug instead of using the sip part, I barely have to tilt the bottle and I can do it one handed.

Apart from this, the Hydro Flasks lid is sold separately whether it's the straw or chug aspect. I personally bought the chug lid which I regretted after using for some time. I found it immensely inconvenient. If I wanted some water while walking I found myself having to stop so I would spill it on accident, which did happen a few times. Although the handle is nice, I'd rate it as the same convenience level as the Owala water bottle. Hydro Flasks were the most popular in 2019 with the aesthetic of “VSCO”, which was fitting the role of beachy, saving the turtles, avoiding plastic use which brought up Hydro Flasks. They were one of the first water bottles to be visually pleasing and sustainable. After experiencing them, I can say I fully support their business as much as Owalas company.

Conclusion

All in all, both Owala and Hydro Flask have great features to them. Based on my experience and comparisons, I will be repurchasing another water bottle from Owala instead of the Hydro Flask. Both are great options but Owala executes every category in my opinion. The category I feel best makes my decision is Visual Representation. Personally, I feel appearance is what makes me most excited and want to drink liquids if it's pleasing to look at and experience. I did feel that way when testing out the Hydro Flask as well but I often found myself forgetting to drink water than when I was testing the Owala. Nevertheless, neither bottle is better or worse than another in each category but depends on personal opinion based on experience.