 Content Overview:
Products Mentioned in this Post: Counterpoint - Why you should Think Twice before Buying a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley Water BottleYETI 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.
But we’re here to give the counterpoint with three reasons why you shouldn’t buy a Hydro Flask, YETI, or Stanley. Our Video ReviewOur 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 MarketersHere’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.
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 LogoWe 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.
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.
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 EnvironmentIt'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?
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!
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Our Review of Hydro Flask’s Carrying Pouches – Which is the Best, and What are Good Alternatives?3/3/2023  Content Overview:
Products Mentioned in this Post:
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 ReviewOur 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 First, we’ll start with Hydro Flask’s Packable sling. Some benefits are:
But there are a few downsides to keep in mind.
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 Next we’ll look at the Tag Along. Some benefits are:
But this also leads to the first downside.
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 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 OptionsOverall, 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 FlasksBefore you buy a Hydro Flask product, you should also look at the competition. Here are a few ones to consider. |
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