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3 Reasons why you SHOULDN'T Buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley

3/18/2023

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3 Reasons why you Shouldn't Buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley Bottle

Content Overview:
  1. Intro - Hype Articles
  2. Link to our Video Review
  3. Reason #1 - Affiliate Marketing
  4. Reason #2 - Cost
  5. Reason #3 - Environmental Cost
  6. ​Summary and Link to our Store (Thank You!)

Products Mentioned in this Post:
  • Hydro Flask 40oz
  • Iron Flask 40oz
  • YETI 36oz
  • Stanley 40oz
  • BottlePro's Amazon Store

Counterpoint - Why you should Think Twice before Buying a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley Water Bottle

​YETI recently released a new bottle with a straw lid, and it’s their answer to Stanley’s Adventure Quencher bottles that took the internet by storm.  You may have noticed articles like these predicting that the new YETI straw tumbler will go viral.  These kinds of articles come up seemingly every week describing the next big Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley product that you should buy. 
YETI Hype Article NY Post
YETI Hype Article NY Post
YETI Hype Article Yahoo
YETI Hype Article Yahoo
YETI Hype Article SF Gate
YETI Hype Article SF Gate
​But we’re here to give the counterpoint with three reasons why you shouldn’t buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley.

Our Video Review

Our YouTube video covers the same information in this post, so click the link if you'd rather see the video.  Otherwise, keep reading the full post below!

Reason #1 Why You Shouldn't Buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley - Affiliate Marketers

​Here’s the deal.  The people and companies writing these articles are affiliate marketers.  They get paid if you click a link and make a purchase, so it’s in their best interest to promote the most popular and expensive items.
Example of Affiliate Marketing (bottlepro.net)
Example of Affiliate Marketing (bottlepro.net)
​And look, we’re fine with people giving reviews and recommendations, and in fact that’s mostly what we do on this channel.  These reviews and summaries by experts and knowledgeable consumers can save you a lot of time so you don’t have to sift through all the junk on Amazon’s bloated marketplace.

The problem is that many of these affiliate marketers don’t really have your best interests in mind.  They’re just trying to ride the hype train with the most popular, expensive products that they can post links to and earn their cut.  Many don’t care about giving you a true all-around representation of the product they’re promoting.
​Always remember that there is no such thing as a perfect product for every person and situation.  Every single product has a drawback or something that can be critiqued.  If the article you’re reading doesn’t list at least one negative to be aware of, then you might want to get a second opinion elsewhere.

Reason #2 Why You Shouldn't Buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley - You're Mostly Paying for the Logo

​We run a business selling products on Amazon and ordering items from China.  Our manufacturing and shipping volumes are obviously not nearly as high as Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley, but we can take what we’ve learned and use that to take our best guess at what kinds of costs they have.
Our Estimates for Hydro Flask's Costs
Our Estimates for Hydro Flask's Costs (click to see Amazon listing)
For this analysis, we’re going to look specifically at a 40-ounce Hydro Flask. The standard retail price is $49.95, so that’s what we’ll base this analysis on.  Manufacturing costs are probably around $4 per unit.  This includes the bottle, printed inserts, and the label wrap.  Freight costs have been more difficult to predict within the last few years since COVID, but bulk sea freight from China to the west coast of America probably comes out to around $1 per bottle.  Amazon usually has a 12% referral fee for sales on their platform so that’s what we’ll use here, though we wouldn’t be surprised if Hydro Flask has negotiated that down or partnered with Amazon somehow.  The Amazon fulfillment charge, which is separate from the referral fee, is probably around $7.

​Together, these costs total $17.99, which gives a gross profit per unit of $31.96.  That’s a 64% profit margin, which is pretty high.
​Now obviously there are many other costs that will bring down Hydro Flask’s true net profit, including customer service, marketing, facilities costs, and employee wages.  We’re not going to try to guess what Hydro Flask’s costs are in these categories, but it’s clear to see that a minority of what you pay for with a Hydro Flask bottle is in the bottle itself.  If you think of customer service, marketing, the facilities, and the employees as essentially being the brand, then this little logo basically costs you around $30 per bottle.

Most of the price you pay is for the brand, not the bottle.

And though there are surely some differences between brands, we wouldn't be surprised if YETI and Stanley bottles are in this same ballpark.

Let’s compare these costs with Iron Flask, which is a well-established knockoff brand on Amazon.  They were close on our insulation test, and they’re almost exactly the same size and shape.
Our Estimates for Iron Flask's Costs
Our Estimates for Iron Flask's Costs (click to see Amazon listing)
​You can get a 40-ounce Iron Flask for $28.95, or $21 dollars less than a comparable Hydro Flask.  Iron Flask’s direct product costs will be a little lower on the Amazon referral fee since it’s tied to the price point, but they will have mostly similar costs compared to Hydro Flask, including manufacturing, freight, and the Amazon fulfillment fee.

​Our best guess is that Iron Flask’s total direct product costs are around $15 per 40-ounce bottle, leaving ~$13 profit, or 45% margins.
You'll spend less money overall, and most of the price you pay is for the bottle, not the brand.  And considering that you get 3 lids instead of just 1 and that they have ~30 color options, it seems like an even better deal.  We've used Iron Flasks quite a bit, and honestly we can't tell much of a difference between them and Hydro Flasks.
​Now some of Hydro Flask’s higher costs are well worth it.  They have great customer service, and they make really good products that last a long time.  But in our opinion, it’s still a lot to fork over for the logo and we’d rather have a greater percentage of the price we spend go into the product, not the company.  YETI’s branding-related costs are possibly even more excessive.  Stanleys aren’t quite as extreme, but you're definitely still paying for the logo.

Reason #3 Why You Shouldn't Buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley - The Environment

It's a little counter-intuitive at first because one of the most important reasons why you should get a reusable bottle is for the environment.  Disposable water bottles are terrible, and upgrading to a reusable bottle is one of the best things you can do on an individual level to reduce plastic consumption.

But the reality is that most people only really need one or two bottles to get them through the day.  This why we really don’t like how viral bottles and excessive marketing budgets always push customers to get the next best bottle or color.  It's one thing if you if you want a different type of bottle for specific reason, like a smaller one with a sip lid for coffee.  But do you really need a 6th color of a 40-ounce bottle when you already have 5 similar bottles?
Diminishing Returns with Plastic Reduction and # of Bottles
Diminishing Returns with Plastic Reduction and # of Bottles
There’s a type of diminishing returns when it comes to the number of bottles you own and how much you’re helping reduce overall environmental waste.  The first bottle you get cuts down a lot of your plastic consumption, but each additional bottle you buy doesn’t help as much.

And every bottle has an environmental cost related to manufacturing and shipping the product.  And remember that shipping doesn't just mean from the warehouse to your door.  Shipping also includes getting supplies and materials to the factory, and then freighting the finished products in bulk to a fulfillment warehouse. 
​Sooner or later, the total environmental cost related to manufacturing and shipping your next reusable bottle will be greater than the environmental benefit from the reduction to your plastic consumption.

So before you buy your next reusable bottle, take a second to think about whether you really need it.

​And that’s it!  You might find it a little weird for our company to tell you to not buy a water bottle given that we’re in the business of making accessories for these bottles.  But like always, we try to give our honest thoughts and recommendations that will actually help.  And we know we railed on affiliate marketers before, but we did include links to the products we talked about.  If you make a purchase after clicking one of the links, then we get a small commission.  It helps our small business out, and we appreciate the support so we can continue making unbiased posts and videos like this one.  Keep BottlePro in mind for accessories for your large bottles, and happy hydrating!

Buying a bottle?  Keep us in mind!

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.
BottlePro's Amazon Store
BottlePro's Amazon Store
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Our Review of Hydro Flask’s Carrying Pouches – Which is the Best, and What are Good Alternatives?

3/3/2023

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Our Review of Hydro Flask’s Carrying Pouches – Which is the Best, and What are Good Alternatives?

Content Overview:
  1. Intro
  2. Link to our Video Review
  3. Hydro Flask's Packable Sling
  4. Hydro Flask's Tag Along Sling
  5. Hydro Flask's Slingback Bag
  6. 3rd Party Bottle Slings to Consider

Products Mentioned in this Post:
  • Hydro Flask Packable Bottle Sling
  • Hydro Flask Tag Along Bottle Sling
  • Hydro Flask Slingback Bottle Pack
  • More Storage – Wild Wolf Bottle Sling (32oz)
  • Leather – HikerPouch
  • Budget – BottlePro’s Neoprene Sling
  • Paracord Sling – Wontego 2.0 Paracord Bottle Sling
  • Just a Handle – QeeCord Paracord Carrying Handle
  • Best for the Gym – Bottle Caddy

Which Hydro Flask Bottle Sling is the Best?

​Hydro Flask has two bottle slings, the Packable and the Tag Along.  We’re reviewing how they are different, which one you should get, and whether any alternative options could be better for you.  The short answer is that different pouches are better for different situations, and at the end of the post we’ll give our opinions on why you might want to pick one over another.

Video Review

Our YouTube video covers the same information in this post, so click the link if you'd rather see the video.  Otherwise, keep reading the full post below!

Review of Hydro Flask's Packable Sling

Hydro Flask's Packable Sling
Hydro Flask's Packable Sling
See Amazon Listing
First, we’ll start with Hydro Flask’s Packable sling.  Some benefits are:
  • Lightweight: It’s just under 2 ounces, so you’ll hardly be adding any extra weight on your walks.
  • Packable: As the name says, it’s very packable.  You can even fold it up into a built-in pocket, which certainly helps save on space and makes this a great option to stow in the car, a bag, or wherever else you might end up needing it.

​But there are a few downsides to keep in mind.
  • Shoulder Strap:  The shoulder strap doesn’t have any extra padding, so it’s not as comfortable on longer hikes with a heavy bottle.
  • Lack of Large Pockets: It doesn't have a built-in larger pocket that's meant for your phone, keys, or other accessories.
    • ​Side note: you can technically use the pocket that's meant to let you pack the sling into itself for stowing, but the pocket is a tight fit for larger phones.
  • Durability: We’re not sure how well this pouch would hold up to continuous use due to the thin plastic construction.
  • More Difficult to Insert the Bottle: We found it a little difficult to get the bottle into the pouch because the material is so flexible, but maybe this is something that just takes some getting used to.
    • Side note: this definitely got easier as we tested out the pouch more!  It helps to hold the pouch at the connection points with the strap.
  • Expensive: The 32oz size shown here is currently $24.95, which seems steep for what you get, but it’s a Hydro Flask product so you can expect to pay a premium for the logo.

All-in-all, this bottle sling is successful in what it was primarily designed for, which is to be super portable and stowable.  This makes it a great choice for certain situations like keeping it in your car or pack for whenever you might need it, but this is not the best sling for daily use.

Review of Hydro Flask's Tag Along Sling

Hydro Flask's Tag Along Sling
Hydro Flask's Tag Along Sling
See Amazon Listing
​Next we’ll look at the Tag Along.  Some benefits are:
  • Easier to Use: It’s easier to get your bottle in this pouch compared to the packable sling, which makes it quicker and simpler to use each day.
  • Phone Pouch: We also love that they added a pouch with a flexible mesh material to hold your phone.  It comfortably fit this iPhone which is roughly 3” wide and 6” tall, but anything larger than that would start to be a tight fit.
  • More Comfortable Shoulder Strap: The woven strap feels much better and is more comfortable compared to the packable sling.
  • Still Lightweight: At 4 ounces, the Tag Along pouch is heavier than the packable sling, but it’s still super lightweight and great for longer hikes.
  • Easier to Clean: The fabric is coated with what feels like a plastic liner.  The intent of the coating is to make the pouch easier to clean, and in that way Hydro Flask succeeded.

But this also leads to the first downside.
  • Plasic-y Feel: There’s something about the synthetic, plastic-y feel of this pouch that doesn’t feel right to us, though we acknowledge that’s just our preference.
  • Strap Could Be Better: Although the strap is more comfortable than the packable sling, it still doesn’t have any extra padding so it might get a little uncomfortable on really long hikes with heavy bottles.
  • Two Clips that Many People Won't Need: There are also two clips that let you attach the bottle pouch to a Hydro Flask Day Escape Soft Cooler.  This sounds like a cool feature and we wish we had the budget to buy a cooler to test it out, but instead we just ended up taking out the clips so the sling was more comfortable on our backs.
  • Expensive: The 32oz size shown here is currently $39.95, which like with the packable sling seems steep but is to-be-expected for a Hydro Flask brand product.

Overall, the Tag Along bottle sling is a really good option for daily use.  It comes in two sizes, so be sure to check which one is good for you.

Hydro Flask's Slingback Bottle Pack

Hydro Flask's Slingback Bottle Pack
Hydro Flask's Slingback Bottle Pack
See Amazon Listing
​One Hydro Flask brand option that we didn’t review was their newer Slingback bottle pack.  This thing looks really cool and seems like it would be the best option for longer hikes and walks because of the extra storage and padded strap.  We hope to test it out in the near future.

Summary of Hydro Flask Sling Options

​Overall, we recommend getting the Packable Sling if you’d like to store a carrying pouch in your car or pack for whenever you might need it.

But for everyday use, the Tag Along is the more user-friendly and useful Hydro Flask sling.

And definitely consider trying the Slingback if you’re looking for more of a backpack for longer hikes or walks and let us know what you think below.

3rd Party Slings for Hydro Flasks

​Before you buy a Hydro Flask product, you should also look at the competition.  Here are a few ones to consider.

Wild Wolf Outfitters Bottle Sling (32oz)
Wild Wolf Outfitters Bottle Sling (32oz)
More Storage
Wild Wolf Outfitters has a great pouch that gives plenty of storage and has a more rugged look with a padded shoulder strap.  This is a great option for longer hikes.
See Amazon Listing

BottlePro's HikerPouch
BottlePro's HikerPouch
Leather
Our HikerPouch is the best option if you’re looking for a leather Hydro Flask carrier.  Each HikerPouch comes with a tin of leather conditioner to keep your sling in good shape for years.
See Our Amazon Listing

BottlePro's Neoprene Sling
BottlePro's Neoprene Sling
Budget
For a more budget-friendly option, you can also look at our neoprene slings which are currently $9.95.
See our Amazon Listing

Wontego's Paracord Sling
Wontego's Paracord Sling
Paracord Sling
Paracords and Hydro Flask's have a colorful history together!  For man color options for paracord slings, consider Wontego’s shoulder-strap paracord design.
See Amazon Listing

Picture
Just a Handle
If you’re just looking to add a handle and don't need the shoulder strap, try QeeCord’s paracord carrying handle.
See Amazon Listing

Bottle Caddy
Bottle Caddy
Best for the Gym
And if you need storage without the strap like at the gym, try Bottle Caddy’s bottle sleeve.
See Amazon Listing

Buying a Hydro Flask?  Keep us in mind!

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.
BottlePro's Amazon Store
See BottlePro's Store
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