When is a water bottle more than just a water bottle? It starts when the brand behind the bottle sets forth a mission that goes well beyond the standard making and selling of hydration products. In the case of Hydro Flask® their mission statement reads, in part, “… free the world from lukewarm water, produce the highest quality flasks, [and] provide excellent customer service…” If that vision on its own doesn’t win you over, then the technical details of Hydro Flask will.
On Performance and Design…
We partnered with Hydro Flask to get a range of their insulated bottles in the hands of our Alpine Guides and Search and Rescue partners. From the outset, one thing became readily apparent. The Hydro Flask bottles proved to be as serious about performance as any member of our review team.
Made from hygienic, easy-to-clean 18/8 stainless steel, Hydro Flask bottles are highly resistant to absorbing odor, taste and bacteria. That means that your morning coffee doesn’t taste like yesterdays chicken noodle soup, and your post-workout smoothie is never tainted with an awkward aluminum taste tingle.
The stainless steel construction also ensures the family of Hydro Flask bottles are virtually unbreakable. Whether or guides were tracing the backwoods of Yosemite National Park, or our Search and Rescue friends were scrambling through the rocky hills of Southern California, the Hydro Flask bottles held up through every bump, bruise and tumble. But even more importantly, the bottles are undeniably unflappable when it comes to keeping your cold beverages cold, and your hot beverages hot.
The Heart of Hydro Flask…
Want your homemade chili to still be hot for lunch even though you poured it in seven hours and 4,000 vertical feet ago? Looking for your icy sport drinks to maintain its chill after you crush the trail? Hydro Flask’s high-performance vacuum insulated technology has got you covered.
The heart of every Hydro Flask® bottle is patent-pending double-wall vacuum insulation, it’s also the key to what makes these bottles such a valuable tool for outdoor enthusiasts and urban wanderers alike. In short, the double-wall vacuum insulation means that the temperature outside a Hydro Flask has a very hard time affecting the temperature of whatever you might put in it. it’s the feature that allows Hydro Flask to claim their product keeps your cold liquids cold for 24 hours, and your hot liquids hot for 12 hours.
When it came to vetting the performance claims of the Hydro Flask product, it just so happened that part of our review period coincided with one of Northern California’s worst heat waves on record. This afforded us the perfect opportunity to test the bottles insulating abilities. With temps peaking at 111° and the asphalt radiating 140°, it only made sense to fill the bottle with ice and water, and then let it bake in the hot sun.
Even when the scorching conditions made the exterior of the bottles difficult to touch, Hydro Flask’s double wall vacuum insulation kept our water ice cold. The only thing more impressive was that during daily use with temps consistently hovering above 110°, our Hydro Flask bottles never sweat, kept fluids ice cold, and kept our crew members hydrated.
When you have a bottle that doesn’t sweat there are two distinctive advantages to the user. First, it ensures your bag and belongings stay dry. More importantly, there’s less chance of the bottle slipping through your hands when you’re rushing from point A to B. And let’s be honest, whether you’re walking a ridgeline or boulder hopping across a river, there are moments in every adventure you need to hydrate and don’t want to risk that bottle slipping through your fingers.
The other feature we love is the non-toxic, food grade powder coating on the exterior. Not only do the multiple colorways mean you can have a Hydro Flask to match any personality or adventure, it ensures a solid and comfortable feel when in hand.
The Hydro Flask is available in 12-24 oz bottles in both narrow or standard mouth sizes. Full day of adventure ahead? Lengthy road trip is in your future? Hydro Flask has you and your big thirst needs covered with the 40 oz bottles and the 64 oz growler. Admittedly our team was torn when picking a favorite. Half our crew loved the narrow build and easy pour of the 24 oz bottle. On the other hand, while a slightly larger and weightier carry, the 40 oz Hydro Flask won over the rest of our review team ensuring there was always ample water at hand.
Notes from the Trail….
As with any product, you need to consider how you will use the Hydro Flask bottles. For the weight conscious backpacker, these stainless steel bottles are heavier and take up more room than some other alternative products on the market. That being said, the trade off is a family of bottles that allow you you keep your coffee piping hot through your entire morning of snowshoeing or ensure you don’t lose the benefit of that icy mountain water you just filtered when the temperatures begin rising.
Bottom Line…
Durable, dependable and downright awesome… if you’re looking for an insulated bottle to carry your fluids, then this might be the last bottle you ever need to purchase.
*Gumption Gear Review received the items featured in this review from Hydro Flask at no cost and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The items featured were provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.