Hydro Flask (Review)

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HYDRO FLASK REVIEW

What: Hydro Flask Wide-Mouth Vacuum Water Bottle with Flex Cap - 32 fl. oz.
Price: $33-45 (depending on color and cap details. Variable caps with or without straws available.
What I use it for: Everything. It keeps my coffee hot, water ice cold, and cocktails chilled.

QR Code directing you to the Hydro Flask website. — Go to hydroflask.com

OVERVIEW

I’m going to tell you where this is going up front. I always hate clicking on a review and having to scroll for five minutes to get the answer I want. The reason you’re here, I’m guessing, is to find out if we (and by we, I mean I) recommend the Hydro Flask . FYI: I use one of several we own every day, all day. This isn’t one of those one-and-done reviews.

Clicking the link below will redirect you to the Hydro Flask website, and if you end up purchasing one, it will support our efforts here at Roast! West Coast:

BUY A HYDROFLASK!

FEATURES (from Hydro Flask)

TempShield® double-wall vacuum insulation keeps beverages cold for up to 24 hrs. and hot up to 12 hrs.
Durable 18/8 pro-grade stainless-steel construction ensures a pure taste and no flavor transfer
Flexible strap on the lid makes the bottle easy to transport and comfortable to carry
Color Last™ powder coat provides nonslip grip and lasting color
BPA and phthalate-free
Dishwasher-safe

THE GOOD STUFF: THE BOTTLE

It is durable as all heck. Sometimes “double-wall steel” sounds more durable than it is, but in this case, the bottle is really solid. If you keep it by the bed at night and someone breaks in, the flexible cap-handle makes it easy to swing through the air.
It doesn’t leak. I actually bought this one because my previous bottle (from a major outdoor cooler company) began leaking after about a year of hard use. It had warped out of shape.

The Hydro Flask has not done that, nor leaked despite taking a lot of damage. It has been dropped out of cars, rolled down an airplane aisle, been kicked into a fire pit. The exterior has been dinged, and the base of the bottle abused, and yet, no leaks. I have no qualms about tossing this in my shoulder bag with laptop or iPad.
I provides a place for the few stickers I still collect on my travels.*
It offers respite from all the single-use plastic one encounters on the road. Reusable bottles are a great way to eliminate the need for disposable plastic bottles or aluminum cans of water. The more you fill it up, the more landfill waste (or worse, river or ocean waste) you’re preventing from lasting long after we’re gone.
It fits an entire bottle of champagne and a few fingers of Limoncello perfectly. I’m not condoning drinking while wandering the streets of Portugal, but…wait…no I am doing that. As long as you aren’t driving and it is legal where you find yourself. Find a park with a view.
Multiple caps for differing drinking techniques. I like the wide-mouth cap. It is easy for me to drink out of. My wife prefers a straw. We can each have our thing.

*A while ago, I made the decision to not buy or collect stickers. I was packing after visiting the Specialty Coffee Expo in Portland. I had given out hundreds of R!WC stickers and collected twice as many on the convention floor. I was trying to figure out how to pack them all in my backpack for the flight home. I was looking the stacks and became very aware that it was all plastic waste. I decided then, to give up making or collecting stickers. It has been hard. I love stickers, but my life has not changed without them.

We have used and abused these bottles. This summer they traveled 5,000 miles by car. 10,000 miles by plane, and 2 miles by kayak.

THE GOOD STUFF: THE COMPANY

They are based in Bend, OR, which is one of my all-time favorite places to visit after a long PNW camping trip.
They have a Trade-in program.

From Hydro Flask: We are proud to introduce a first-of-its kind stainless steel bottle trade-in and recycling program, specifically designed to ensure your old products are recycled efficiently and properly. Get environmental cred and $5.00 toward your next hydroflask.com purchase.

TRADE IN YOUR BOTTLE

They care about parks and the outdoor spaces that I also love with their Parks For All program. Basically, they support non-profits doing good park and nature rehabilitation work that goes directly toward enabling everyone to have more access to nature. $3,700,000+ (so far) has been donated to 241+ non-profits.

THE NOT-SO GOOD STUFF

Sometimes the fancy colors I like don’t go on sale? Also, I want more bottles than I need, which isn’t very eco-conscious, but that is on me. So far, that’s about it. It isn’t an overly complicated product. It is just made very well.

THE FINALE

I take making recommendations fairly seriously. I didn’t actually reach out to be an affiliate until I found myself making short video advertisements for Hydro Flask just for fun while on a recent trip.* Full disclosure, I was filling that bottle with champagne and limoncello…

I feel comfortable giving Hydro Flask—the ones I have and the company, generally,—the thumbs-up.

Are there minor caveats? Maybe, although I’m not sure what they are.
Are there other good, perhaps even better options? Maybe.
At the same price point? Maybe.
Is the Hydro Flask the best water bottle I’ve owned for keeping drinks cold or hot and without taking on weird smells? Absolutely.

*You may be able to find these videos online if you dig deep enough.

Clicking the link below will get you all the product details, and if you end up purchasing one, it will support Roast! West Coast:

BUY A HYDRO FLASK