Hydro Flask has two straw lid options, their original design and the newer Flex Straw that was released in early 2022.  They can be fairly tricky to clean, but we're going to review the step-by-step process so you can get a better deep clean on your Hydro Flask Flex Straw or original straw lid.  This includes showing the complete disassembly of each one, as well as giving some general recommendations.

Content Overview:

1. Video link (covers similar information as this post)
2. Are Hydro Flasks Dishwasher-Safe?
3. How to Clean a Hydro Flask Bottle
4. How to Clean a Hydro Flask Straw Lid (Original Version)
5. How to Clean a Hydro Flask Straw Lid (Flex Straw)

Recommended Products:

• Hydro Flask Original Straw Lid
• Hydro Flask Flex Straw Lid
• Complete Bottle Brush Kit - Best for Straw Lids
• Cleaning Tablets
• Replacement Straws
• Fun Add-On: FlavorFuze Straw Fruit Infuser (snaps onto Hydro Flask straw lids)

If you found this post helpful, you can use the links to buy any of the items you need off Amazon.  We get a small commission if you purchase that way, and every little bit helps our small business.  It enables us to keep making information videos and posts like this one.  We really appreciate the support!

​Let’s get this out of the way first.  We know it’s a pain in the butt, but we generally recommend hand washing all Hydro Flask products.  The reason why is that it’s pretty confusing to know which Hydro Flask products are actually dishwasher-safe and which ones aren’t.  Even if it says the product is dishwasher-safe, Hydro Flask mentions that some accessories like caps may last longer if they are hand washed.

​So to be safe, we recommend sticking to hand-washing as much as you can to help your Hydro Flask products work well for many years to come.

​This one's pretty self-explanatory, and here are two of the items we use most for deep cleaning our large bottles.

For cleaning the bottle, just use warm soapy water and your bottle brush.  We do this every day before going to bed.

For a deeper clean, you could use cleaning tablets like the ones made by Bottle Bright.  We recently tested Bottle Bright tablets to clean the tea and coffee stains from a 20oz Hydro Flask Coffee bottle, and the results were very impressive!  We're going to start doing this at least on a monthly basis, but we're not sure exactly what the best frequency is.  Let us know what you think!

Now on to the lids.  Get your brush kit, a sponge or rag, a butterknife or some other kind of picking tool with an end that won’t cut silicone, and a bowl with warm, soapy water.  It’s also a good idea to get set up at least a few feet away from your sink since you’ll be handling some pretty small parts, and you don’t want to accidentally drop them down the sink.

Start by disassembling the lid.  The straw is attached with a friction fit on the cap, so you can just pull it off.  Next, pop off the spout by pushing it past the open position.

Remove the spout seal either by tapping the lid upside down, using your fingernails, or use a small tool like tweezers or the butterknife.

The silicone vent hole insert doesn’t usually get that dirty, but for a really deep clean you can pop that out too.  Just use your thumb or fingernail to pry it out from the bottom.

And the last removable piece is the big o-ring under the threads.  This o-ring generally doesn’t get as dirty so you may not need to clean it as often, but it’s still good to clean it every once and awhile.  You need to use a butterknife or other kind of tool to get it out, but it’s not too difficult.

​Clean each piece thoroughly.
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1. Use the straw cleaner to get inside the straw, from both sides if your cleaner isn’t long enough.
2. Use the detailing brush or toothbrush to clean up under the threads in those hard-to-reach areas.
3. Clean the air and spout holes in the cap with the straw cleaner.
4. Don’t forget to clean inside the detached spout itself.
5. We like to let each piece soak in the warm, soapy water for at least 15 minutes, take it out for a rinse, and then lay everything out on a towel to dry.

Once it’s all dry, we put it back together the way it was before.  This should be pretty simple since you saw how it all came apart, but there are a few things to double-check to make sure you don't have too much leaking.
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1. Add the large o-ring first and make sure it’s properly seated to prevent leaking.
2. Insert the small vent piece simply by pushing it into the hole from the top-side of the lid.
3. Make sure you add the spout gasket in the correct orientation.  If you look closely, you’ll notice that one side has a slight taper that conforms better to the rounded bottom of the spout.  Make sure this side faces up or your cap might leak more (see the image below).
4. Pop your spout back into place
5. Reinsert your straw.

If you followed all of these steps, then you should be all set with your deep-cleaned Hydro Flask with the original-style straw lid!

Next we’ll look at the Flex Straw lid, which is honestly the better version.  In some ways it’s easier to clean because the pieces are harder to lose, but it’s also a little trickier to take apart. Like before, the first step is to disassemble the lid.  Pull the straw out of the red silicone insert, then pull the red insert itself out from the bottom.

Detaching the spout is a little different and trickier compared to the old lid, but you can still do it.  Lift the spout to about a 45-degree angle, then press it to the side and up.  We like to keep the lid on the bottle for more leverage, and we put the spout between our thumb and index finger then push with our arm muscles and not our wrist.  The spout should then pop out of place.

It takes a lot more force that you have to apply at an awkward angle compared to the original straw lid.  You might even feel like you're about to break it, but follow these steps and it should pop out!

The last removable piece is the large o-ring up under the threads.  This seal doesn’t get as dirty so you may not need to clean it as often, but it’s still good to include in your deep clean every once and awhile.  It's much more difficult to get out compared to the original straw lid, and you’ll need to find a tool with a fine-tip end to get it out.  I couldn’t get it with a butterknife, but I was able to use the pointy end of this letter opener to get up under the seal and lift it, just making sure to only use the plastic part of the letter opener and not letting it go all the way to the blade.  I’m sure there are better tools out there, and if you find something that works great for you, please comment on it below to let us and other people know.

​Clean each piece thoroughly.
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1. Use the straw cleaner to get inside the straw, from both sides if your cleaner isn’t long enough.
2. Use the detailing brush or toothbrush to clean up under the threads in those hard-to-reach areas.  The small brush in our recommended brush kit also fits perfectly into the opening where the red silicone insert goes.
3. Clean the two holes in the red silicone insert with a straw cleaner.
4. Don’t forget to clean inside the detached spout itself.
5. We like to let each piece soak in the warm, soapy water for at least 15 minutes, take it out for a rinse, and then lay everything out on a towel to dry.

Once it’s all dry, we put it back together the way it was before.  This should be pretty simple since you saw how it all came apart, but there are a few things to double-check to make sure you don't have too much leaking.
​

1. Add the large o-ring first and make sure it’s properly seated to prevent leaking (see the image below).  This seal is difficult to get back into place, so be sure to double-check that it didn't get twisted around while you were re-inserting it.  We sometimes have to retry inserting it a few times before it's correctly in place without any kinks.​
2. Insert the red silicone insert from the bottom.
3. Pop your spout back into place
4. Reinsert your straw.

After these steps, you should be good to go with your deep-cleaned Hydro Flask Flex Straw!

If you found this video helpful, let us know!  And thanks again if you make a purchase through one of the links in the description.  It really helps our small business out.  Keep BottlePro in mind for accessories for your large bottles, and happy hydrating!

If you’ve had one of the original Hydro Flask straw lids, then you probably know how to take off the spout for cleaning.  A common question people have about the new Flex Straw lid is whether you can do the same thing.
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The good news is that you can take off the spout, but it’s a little more difficult and you have to do it a little differently. 

​Here's how to remove the spout from your Hydro Flask Flex Straw lid for cleaning.

​First, open the spout to about a 45-degree angle.

​This is important to help prevent damaging your lid and to make it easier to pop the spout off.  You'll see why later.

Then grip the cap like this with the spout between your thumb and index finger.  (This is called the thenar web space for those who wanted to know!)

​Push the spout to the side while also lifting upward some, and it should pop out.

Once the spout is out, you can see how the grooves align with the pegs in the cap base, which is why it helps to pop it off at a 45-degree angle.

If you try to pop the spout off at a different angle or push it beyond open like with the original straw lid, then you run the risk of stripping the pegs or grooves so they don't line up as well.  Your lid may still work OK, but it probably won't open and close as crisply / nicely.

We’ve included a link to the Flex Straw lid below.  If you purchase after clicking the link, we earn a small commission.  Every little bit helps our business, and we really appreciate the support.  Thanks again, and happy hydrating.

​I had this problem with my 20oz Coffee bottle, and I wanted to put the stainless back in stainless-steel.  Hydro Flask has these recommendations and best practices listed on their website.  But instead, I wanted to try something that I remembered seeing on Shark Tank to see if it was the real deal.

​I ordered a pack of Bottle Bright tablets to see how they work to get the stains out.   They aren’t that expensive, and they seemed easier than using a homemade concoction.  They’re made with ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and citric acid and are marketed as being completely safe and without any residual tastes or smells.  

​Here is the inside of my Hydro Flask before the test, and you can clearly see the coffee and tea stains.  I followed the instructions on the package, which state you should fill your bottle with warm water and then add one tablet for each liter.

One liter is just over 32 ounces, so given that I was testing this on a 20-ounce bottle, adding one full tablet was more than enough.

​I dropped the tablet in, and it immediately started fizzing.  After letting it sit for 30 minutes, I poured out the water and used my brush with some clean water to rinse the bottle to make sure I got all of the tablet residue out.

The tablet honestly worked better than I expected.  Most of the stains were cleaned out, and it almost looks like a brand-new bottle as you can see from the images below.  I didn't use any other cleaners for this test, so I know the tablet was responsible for removing the stain.

I took a quick sample taste of some water, and I didn’t notice anything that seemed off.  Glad to know that my bottle won't have a weird aftertaste.

​It's a pretty resounding YES on this one.  Overall, it was a very good first impression of the Bottle Bright tablets.  They simplified the cleaning process and took the guess-work out of the equation.

You could save a little money trying a different brand, and there are plenty of knockoffs available.  But in our opinion, it might be a good idea to stick to reputable brands instead of buying from an unknown company on Amazon.

​We hope this post and video has helped.  We’ve included links to the products, and if you purchase after clicking the link, we earn a small commission.  Every little bit helps our business, and we really appreciate the support!

Rambler water bottles are one of YETI’s most popular and profitable product lines, due in no small part to how useful and versatile they are.  YETI has designed six lid styles that are compatible with any wide-mouth Rambler bottle.

To be clear, the lids we’re talking about only fit YETI Rambler water bottles.  We’re not talking about YETI’s tumblers, mugs, or new Yonder plastic bottles.

So the next logical question is, which YETI lid is the best?

Our goal with this post is to give you all the information you need to answer the more important question: which YETI lid is the best for you?

YETI has designed six (6) lids as of today: Standard, Chug, Straw, Hot Shot, Magdock, and Bottle Cup Cap.

​First is the one that started it all, YETI’s Standard Lid.  This was the lid that came out when this water bottle series was initially released, and it’s still the one that comes with most YETI Ramblers bottles today.

​We love the carrying handle.  The rigid design is wide enough to fit three fingers, making it very comfortable and easy to hold.

The simple, no-frills design is very easy to use, and it’s also easy to clean.
This is the best option for anyone who has limited finger strength because the handle is easy to hold, and it lets you get a good amount of leverage to open the cap.

It’s also the most lightweight YETI cap at only 2.9 ounces.

There are a few main drawbacks.  First, the lid is completely separate from the bottle, so it’s pretty easy to misplace or drop the lid, causing it to get dirty.  It’s not like a Takeya, which has a connected spout cap.

Second relates to YETI’s Over-The-Nose technology, which in non-marketing terms just means they made the mouth opening about 1/2” wider than competitors like Hydro Flask.  Because the opening is so wide, it’s notoriously easy to splash water in your face, especially if you’re in the middle of an activity like driving.  And if you have ice in your bottle, all we can say is good luck.

So while we love the simplicity of the standard cap and how easy it is to use, it’s definitely the base design for a reason since it does not offer many benefits or uses compared to other lids.

YETI’s Chug Cap is probably the most common replacement lid that people choose to use, and for good reason.  It consists of two parts that we’ll call the base and the spout cap.

The most important and obvious benefit is how lid solves the glaring problem with the Standard Lid by making it much easier to take drinks of water without splashing water all over your face.

The handle is the same great design as the Standard Lid and is very comfortable and easy to hold.

Some drawbacks are that the spout cap comes completely off and is easy to misplace or drop.

At 6.5 ounces, this is the 2nd heaviest YETI lid.

There are more parts compared to the Standard Lid, so there is also  more to clean, including an extra set of threads.
This is not as good of an option as the Standard Lid for people with limited gripping strength, mainly because the base is more difficult to get on-and-off.

Our previous video discussed a common problem we see in reviews about the chug cap, specifically that the threads can strip fairly easily.  If you want to use a chug cap, we recommend watching that video to help minimize this potential problem.
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While it may seem like we brought up a lot of drawbacks, the YETI Chug Cap is by no means a bad lid.  It’s a solid improvement over the Standard Lid in many ways, and it’s our favorite lid for drinking regular water from YETI Ramblers that are 26 ounces or larger.

The next cap we’re reviewing is YETI’s Straw Lid.
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Like with most straw lids, it’s very easy to take sips of water, and there’s no chance of splashing water in your face provided that you keep the bottle upright.

The previous two caps require two hands to unscrew the lid while holding the bottle, but you can take one-handed sips with the Straw Lid.  This makes it a great option for when you’re on the road.

The handle is the same comfortable, three-finger style as the Standard and Chug Lids.  The only difference is that the handle is angled to the side some so you don’t hit your forehead when taking a drink, but we wouldn’t count this as a problem.

In our opinion, this is the best option if you’re planning to use ice or add flavorings like fruit to your bottle.  You’ll keep everything out of your face, and the small straw opening is unlikely to plug up unless you have really small bits of ice or fruit.

If you’d like to flavor your water, consider using our FlavorFuze Straw infuser.  We designed it for Hydro Flasks initially, but it also fits great on YETI’s Straw Lids.

Most of the drawbacks are similar to what you’d find with any straw lid.  The straw grazes the bottom of the bottle, and you’ll need to remove the entire lid if you want to drink 100% of the water.

Also, they’re harder to clean than the previous lids.  Make sure you have a straw cleaner, and even if you’re cleaning the straw regularly, it’s a good idea to replace the whole straw every once and awhile.

In conclusion, this is a good straw lid that can help make your life a little easier.  We like this lid the most for hiking because it’s fairly lightweight compared to the other lids and prevents spills.  We also like using this lid when we want to add ice or flavorings.  In some ways YETI’s Straw Lid feels a little basic when compared to competitors like Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen who have made innovations that make them easier to clean or use less plastic.  But basic isn’t necessarily bad, and this is certainly still a good lid.

Next is YETI’s Hot Shot Lid, which is their sip-style.  It’s intended to be used with smaller bottles for coffee and tea.
It does a good job of limiting how much of your drink comes out at once, which is good when drinking something hot like coffee.
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One cool feature is that you can take a sip from any side of the bottle, which is different than what you find with many competing sip lids that force you to line up your mouth with the opening.  In this way, the Hot Shot is a very good option for drinking coffee while driving because you don’t have to worry about lining up your mouth with the bottle opening.

And YETI’s Hot Shot has fewer parts compared to some competitors like Hydro Flask’s Flex Sip.  This makes it easier to clean and less likely to misplace or drop a piece.

It’s a fairly lightweight option at only 4.7 ounces, though this is technically the 4th heaviest YETI lid.

One obvious drawback is that the lid does not have the carrying handle that’s incorporated into the previous lids.  We know the Hot Shot is intended to be used with smaller bottles that are easier to carrying in general, but having a handle always helps.

But the biggest drawback that some people will find with the Hot Shot lid is that it’s more difficult to use, even compared to some other sip-style lids we’ve tested.  The rim around the top is great to drink from, but it doesn’t give you much room to get your fingers against the opening mechanism.  People with limited finger strength or arthritis will most likely have issues using the Hot Shot lid.

This especially applies to cleaning the lid.  To separate the two pieces, you have to twist even harder counterclockwise until you hear two clicks, and then the middle piece comes out.

To sum it up, this lid is a good option to use with YETI’s 12 or 18 ounce Ramblers when you want to sip on your coffee on the way to or at work, and we really like how you can sip from any angle.  But other than that, this lid is just not as easy to use as some other sip-style lids that we’ve tested.  And definitely don’t get this cap if you have limited hand strength.

Next is the Magdock lid.  This is the lid we have been most excited to get our hands on because it seemed like an improved version of the Chug Cap, and we were not disappointed.

The spout is the same size as the Chug Cap, meaning you can get a good amount of water when you need it while also preventing spills.

The spout cap is textured for better grip, and it adds to the feel of a premium product.

But the most obvious improvement is incorporated into the name.  The spout cap has a built-in magnet that allows it to securely connect to another magnet in the base, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love magnets?  This makes it much easier to prevent accidentally dropping your spout cap, which was one of the main drawbacks with the Chug Cap.

One other cool feature that we hadn’t seen before is that the o-ring that seals the connection between the spout cap and the base is much easier to remove than with most seals we find in other bottles and caps.  It even has a little built-in little handle that lets you pull it out very easily, and this makes cleaning your bottle much simpler.

At 4.6 ounces, this is the 3rd lightest YETI option.

The most glaring drawback is a biggie.  The Magdock Lid doesn’t have a built-in handle.  If you have smaller hands, then gripping YETI Ramblers that are 26 ounces and larger can be a challenge and not having a handle on the lid is a clear drawback.

But other than that, there’s not much we don’t like about the Magdock cap.
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In conclusion, we really did like this lid.  This is our favorite lid hydrating while at work or hanging around the house because it’s easier to keep the spout cap nearby and clean.  It improves on most of the drawbacks with the Chug Lid, it’s easier to clean than the Straw Lid, and it’s easier to open and close than the Hot Shot Lid.  But the fact that it doesn’t have a handle is a major drawback for larger bottles, especially for people with smaller hands.  Consider getting a carrying pouch for your bottle, which then solves the problem of not having a handle.

The last lid option that we’re reviewing has the most focused purpose.  The Bottle Cup Cap essentially turns your YETI Rambler into a Stanley Classic Thermos.  There are three pieces, the base, the spout cap, and the cup.  Just unscrew the spout cap a little, and then you can pour your drink into the detachable cup.

The cap looks amazing.  The stainless-steel cup has a heft and feel to it that definitely feels premium. 

We haven’t officially tested this yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this cap has the best insulation properties compared to other YETI lids.

Because the insulation is probably so good, this is a great option if you’re sitting in the stands watching a sporting event on a chilly day, sitting around the firepit, or relaxing at a campsite.

But there are some key drawbacks to consider.  First off, the lid is huge and bulky.  At 12.7 ounces, it’s almost twice as heavy as the next heaviest cap.

In addition, this cap doesn’t have a handle to help manage all that extra weight and bulk.

And with a price tag of $30 today, it’s also the most expensive lid option by far.  As of today, you can actually spend $5 less and get a 34-ounce Stanley Classic Thermos that serves the same purpose and has a handle built into the bottle.
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Overall, while this is a really cool add-on for very specific scenarios, we think the Bottle Cup Cap is too situational and expensive for most people except the most die-hard YETI fans and collectors.

To bring it all together, here is our summary for each lid, including recommended best-uses.

The Standard Lid is a decent lid in general, particularly for hiking, but we think there are better options for most situations.

The Chug Lid has some good improvements over the Standard Lid and is our recommended option to use when you’re actively participating in a sporting event.  It’s a little heavier, so it’s not as good for longer walks or hikes.

The Straw Lid is our recommended option for hiking or when you want to add ice or flavorings to your bottle.

The Hot Shot Lid is ideally used to drink coffee with smaller Ramblers, but it’s not a good option if you have limited hand strength or if you want to drink from a larger bottle.

The Magdock lid is our favorite all-around lid for every-day hydration, especially when pairing it with a carrying pouch so not having a handle isn’t as big of an issue.

And the Bottle Cup Cap is a good option when you’re lounging game-side or around the fire and want to sip at a warm drink, but other than that it’s not very practical.

Regardless of which cap you get, consider getting a cup holder adapter for your YETI Rambler to keep it securely by your side when you’re on the road.  We just came out with our new-and-improved BottlePro Max adapter that fits all YETI Ramblers.

And that’s it!  We hope this post has helped you decide which lid or lids you should get.  Keep BottlePro in mind for accessories for your large bottles.

Insulated water bottles have been around for a long time, but in the last decade or so their popularity skyrocketed with brands like Hydro Flask and YETI.  There’s no doubt that the dual-wall insulation technology in these bottles is a wonderful quality of life improvement compared to non-insulated bottles, especially if you live in a hot region.
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But if you look on Amazon today, you can find dozens if not hundreds of brands selling similar insulated bottles.  So many people ask, which water bottle has the best insulation?

We tested 10 popular water bottles to see how well they hold ice.

(click an image below to see the bottle on Amazon)

Because the main purpose of an insulated water bottle is to maintain a temperature for longer periods throughout the day, we measured the weight of ice before and after the test as our main metric.  We purchased an ice mold that creates larger sticks to limit the effect that surface area variations in different pieces of ice might have on the melting rate.  Then we added one ice stick to each bottle and no water.  After four hours, we poured the contents of each bottle into a strainer, then the remaining ice was dumped onto a scale.  By comparing the weights of each ice stick before and after, we were able to get an idea of which bottle keeps ice the best.  We then repeated this test three times and calculated the cumulative results.

The cumulative results are summarized in the table below.  You can see the percentage of ice that melted in the fourth column.  A few things jumped out at us.

​When we take a step back to think about these results overall, we can reach a few conclusions.

1. Triple-Wall - This was our first test of a triple-wall insulated bottle, but these might be the real deal and are worth testing more.
2. The "OG" Thermos - While this type of Stanley bottle is not as convenient to drink from for every-day hydration, the Stanley Original is great at what it was primarily designed for.  This is the best option to keep your drink hot while you’re camping or watching a sporting event.  Just pour the drink from the Stanley into the cap or another container to drink from.
3. Dual-Walls - For most people, any of the dual-wall insulated bottles from this test will be good enough to get them through the day, particularly when considering that you’ll probably use more ice than we did.  Our results showed some brands are slightly better than others, and in particular the ThermoFlask seemed to be the worst of the group.  But in our opinion there’s not enough of a difference to base a buying decision entirely on the insulation.  Instead, take other factors like the price, color options, and lid types into account to get a bottle that’s best for you.

​Klean Kanteen quickly became one of the leading bottle brands when it burst onto the scene with its stainless-steel bottles in 2004.  But more recently, other brands have caught up with, and in some cases overtaken, Klean Kanteen’s market share by introducing stylish bottles with dual wall insulation.  In late 2020, Klean Kanteen finally released an insulated bottle called the TKWide series.

So was the TKWide bottle worth the wait?  We purchased a 32-ounce TKWide with a chug cap to find out.  We’ll let you know our thoughts and what you can expect if you buy one for yourself.

​We’re fans of insulated bottles in general, so that’s a big plus.  We’ll be testing the TKWide’s insulation in a future video to compare it against bottles like Hydro Flasks and YETIs, but we expect the insulation is good for most daily activities.

​The other thing we noticed right away is the size.  This bottle is huge for a 32-ounce.  It’s because of the Impact Base Cap adding another inch or so to the height.  The bottle is also heavier than other 32-ounce bottles.  A 32-ounce TKWide is a full 5 ounces heavier than a 32-ounce Hydro Flask, or about 32%.  This isn’t a big deal most of the time, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re going hiking or on a long walk with your bottle.

​When you take off the cap and look inside, you’ll find the comically large instruction booklet translated into 8 languages.  There’s also a thank you note that reviews all the social programs and environmental commitments that Klean Kanteen is involved with, so if you’re into supporting environmentally-focused causes and companies then you’ll probably feel pretty good about your purchase.

​Hydro Flask just released a brand new cap in late 2022.  It’s called the Flex Chug, and it’s Hydro Flask’s first true spout-style chug lid.  We ordered one, and we have been testing it for a few days, and we’ll let you know our initial impressions as well as what to expect if you’re thinking about buying one for yourself.

Hydro Flask certainly needed a chug-style lid to compete with ones that many of their competitors already have, including ThermoFlask and Takeya.  But while we’re fans of most Hydro Flask products and have built our company around making complementary products for Hydro Flasks, we have to admit that we think they missed the mark on the Flex Chug cap.

When you’re buying a reusable bottle, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to get a narrow mouth or wide mouth bottle.  Virtually all bottle brands have narrow mouth and wide mouth options, so this is something you’ll need to think about whether you’re looking to buy a Hydro Flask, Nalgene, or any of the countless other bottle brands on the market today.  We’re going to review the main factors you should be thinking about when making your decision.  And spoiler alert, we have a pretty strong opinion on this one.

Please note that some bottle brands have different terminologies.  For example, Hydro Flask has a “standard mouth,” and that’s what we would classify as a narrow mouth design. 
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Links are given to the Amazon listings for each product.  Thanks for your support!

One of the most common reasons that someone might prefer a narrow mouth is that it’s easier to take sips of your drink, and this is certainly true with the base bottle.  With wide mouth bottles it’s not uncommon to take a sip of water and accidentally splash yourself in the face.  Then don’t be surprised when your friends and family make an Airplane reference about having a drinking problem.  Narrow mouth bottles help prevent this issue.

But if you have a wide mouth bottle, you can easily avoid this problem by purchasing a different style lid, like a straw, sip, or chug style.  For Hydro Flasks, see our videos reviewing their Flex Straw and Flex Sip lids to take a closer look.  Or get a splash guard, like a SplashPro for Hydro Flasks, or Guyot or Watergate for Nalgenes.
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So all-in-all, there’s not much of a difference here between narrow and wide mouth bottles, other than the small cost you might run into if you’re buying a different lid or splash guard.

First off, regardless of which bottle you use, we highly recommend getting a bottle brush to help make cleaning your big bottle more easy.  But in general, you’ll find narrow mouth bottles more difficult to clean than wide mouth bottles.

Narrow mouth bottles limit the size of a bottle brush you can fit, and with smaller brushes, the bristles usually aren’t long enough to easily reach the spot where the bottle widens just under the neck.  Wide mouth bottles can fit bigger brushes with longer bristles, so it’s easier to clean this area.
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So when it comes to ease of cleaning, wide mouth bottles are the clear winners.

Many people like to add ice or flavorings to their water to change things up, but if you get a narrow mouth bottle, you’re really limiting what you can do.  Adding ice is more tedious, and that’s if your ice cubes even fit.  Some bottles, like narrow mouth Nalgenes, have really small openings that don’t even fit most standard ice cubes.  And odds are you won’t have an easy time adding fruit or tea leaves since most infusers won’t fit.  You can add liquid flavorings and flexible tea bags to narrow mouth bottles, but that’s about it.

Wide mouth bottles are much more versatile than narrow mouth bottles.  Its easier to add ice, fruit and tea infusers, and other natural flavorings.  Our FlavorFuze Pod fruit infuser fits great in most wide mouth bottles, and you can fit many common tea infusers as well.  So when it comes to adding ice or other flavorings, wide mouth bottles are better than narrow mouth bottles.

Be sure to check your bottle's mouth diameter before buying an infuser.  But in general, most popular wide mouth bottles tend to have mouth openings that are at least 2.0 inches diameter.  So get infusers that are less than 2" around and you should be good.

​You might be asking if narrow mouth or wide mouth bottles are more expensive, but the opening style really is not much of a factor.  The variables that make the most impact on the bottle cost are the brand and bottle size, not the opening style.

So when it comes to deciding whether narrow or wide mouth bottles are better, our opinion is that wide mouths are the clear winners.  They’re easier to clean, they’re more versatile when it comes to adding ice and flavorings, and you can make it just as easy to take sips as a narrow mouth bottle by getting the right lid or splash guard.

Do you agree with our recommendation?  Let us know!

Today we’re answering the question, why are Hydro Flasks so popular and expensive, and are they still worth it in 2022 and 2023?  Are Hydro Flasks good, and are they worth the price?

At BottlePro, we’ve been involved in the niche world of large water bottles since we released our first cup holder adapter in 2015, so we’ve seen and tested our fair share of bottles.  Here we’ll give you a quick history of Hydro Flask, and by the end of it you’ll know more than you thought you ever needed to know about water bottles.  Then we’ll give our thoughts and recommendations about Hydro Flasks in particular, and we’ll also let you know some good alternatives to Hydro Flasks in 2022 and 2023, especially if you’re looking for a gift for the Holidays.

If you'd rather watch a video than read a post, you're in luck!  In this video, we review the history of Hydro Flasks and give our recommendations on whether it's still worth buying one in 2022 or 2023.  We'll also let you know some good alternatives.  The video mostly reviews the same info as the blog post below.

Before Hydro Flask, the most common reusable water bottles that focused on the outdoor recreation industry were plastic bottles, like Nalgenes, or single-wall stainless steel bottles like Klean Kanteens.  Both bottle types have their own benefits and drawbacks, which we go into more detail in our previous post.  There were also some insulated bottles like Stanleys, but they had a mostly rugged design that focused on utility.  Each bottle brand had a loyal following in the outdoor recreation community, and to many outsiders it seemed like the market was saturated.
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But then came along Hydro Flask, and everything changed.  The company was founded in 2009 and quickly began building a cult-like following of devoted users in the outdoor recreation community, particularly in Hawaii and on the western US coastal states.  The company moved to Bend, Oregon, which is where Hydro Flask is still headquartered today.

By 2012 as Hydro Flask really started gaining popularity, you may have started noticing people, usually Gen Z’s or Young Millennials, carrying these bottles.  Popularity continued to steadily increase until it peaked in 2019, when the Gen Z the subculture known as “VSCO girls” received a lot of press and attention.

​Since peaking in 2019, Hydro Flask’s search popularity based on Google Trends has fallen significantly.  But the trend curve has mostly leveled off and continues to be significant, vastly out-performing previous market leaders like Nalgene and Klean Kanteen.

Even when you know that Hydro Flasks are popular, that still doesn’t answer the question of why they became popular.  So how did Hydro Flask become such a staggering success as a brand and company?  There are a few reasons, including having a high-quality product, marketing very effectively, and honestly, having some lucky timing.

Hydro Flask had a great product, but so did many other similar bottle brands at the time.  Nalgenes had color options and are very durable.  Klean Kanteens had the easy-to-clean, plastic and BPA-free stainless steel option covered.  Stanleys and other thermos-style mugs had insulation.  But Hydro Flask was the first company to effectively combine all those benefits into one bottle.  ​

Even still, the rise of Hydro Flask cannot be fully explained without also considering the rise of social media, particularly Instagram.  Instagram was launched in 2010, and it quickly became the must-have app for younger generations.  With Hydro Flask starting around the same timeframe and targeting similar customers, they were a natural fit.  Hydro Flask began gaining traction from influencers, followers, and fans posting pictures of their colorful bottles, and with a healthy dose of FOMO, Hydro Flasks quickly became the go-to water bottles for eco-conscious Gen Z’s and Millennials.

​There is no doubt that Hydro Flask would not have become as widespread and popular without Instagram.

​Of course, all those factors don’t matter without execution, and you really have to hand it to Hydro Flask with what they accomplished.  The company is a great example of what effective planning and execution can accomplish with a little bit of luck and timing. 

So now you know more than you ever thought you needed to know about the history of Hydro Flask.  The original question remains: is a Hydro Flask still worth buying in 2023?  With a price tag of roughly $50 for their 40oz, it’s a sizeable purchase for most people and families.
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The answer is a little subjective and depends on your situation.

If you’re doing OK financially and you want to buy a great product that will last for many years, it’s hard to go wrong with a Hydro Flask.  They make great products, and we’ve been using Hydro Flasks for over a decade.  Invest in a 32oz or 40oz bottle and you’ll find it much easier to stay hydrated wherever you go, and you’ll look great doing it.  Or if you really want a well-known bottle brand but aren’t into Hydro Flasks, consider YETI, which also makes a great range of bottles that are at similar price points.

But it’s almost 2023, not 2012.  Back in 2012, there weren’t many other alternatives for insulated, colorful water bottles.  Nowadays, we see new bottle brands pop up every month.  And honestly, many of them are just as good as Hydro Flasks and come with more accessories, all for a lower price.

​Based on what we’ve seen, you can just think of Hydro Flask’s logo as $10-$20 of your purchase. For many people, why spend that extra cost when you can get a great bottle from a company like Iron Flask, ThermoFlask, Takeya, Simple Modern, COLDEST, RTIC, or Hydro Cell (and on and on and on).

With the ever-expanding list of companies selling Hydro Flask ripoffs, we recommend sticking to the established competitors to make sure quality is up to par.  Here are a few of our favorite alternatives to Hydro Flask in 2022 and looking ahead to 2023.  We stuck to 40oz bottles for consistent comparisons.

There are a lot of water bottle options in 2022, with more certainly coming onto the market in 2023.  Many of these are great alternatives to expensive Hydro Flasks.  But while each person may have their own reasons to buy from one brand or another, we believe the best water bottle is the one you’re using (as long as it’s reusable).  Get a bottle for yourself, a friend, or a family member, and it’ll help improve hydration habits while also minimizing plastic waste from single-use bottles.  And those are both wonderful reasons to invest $20-$50 in a new bottle that you can reuse for years to come.

With so many water bottle options available, you might be asking which one is the best for hiking.  Here, we’ll review our favorites and let you know our recommendations.

In this video, we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of some of the most popular and iconic water bottles, including Nalgenes, Klean Kanteens, and Hydro Flasks.  If you'd rather read through our recommendations, keep scrolling down for the full post (the video and written post cover the same info).

​Today we’re focusing on short hikes between 1-3 hours in length.  For these length hikes, a large water bottle is usually enough to keep you hydrated.

If you’re looking for full-day or multi-day hydration solutions, that’s when you start getting into bladder packs and filtration systems.  We’ll cover those in a future post.

When it comes to the bottle brand, we love the classics: Nalgenes, Klean Kanteens, and Hydro Flasks.  These happen to be three of the more popular water bottle brands for outdoor enthusiasts, and for good reason.

There are TONS of other great brands and bottles out there, including YETIs, Takeyas (we LOVE Takeyas), and Camelbaks to name a few, but for the sake of time, we’re limiting our review to Nalgenes, Klean Kanteens, and Hydro Flasks because each one marked a new milestone in hydration bottles for hiking.

Nalgenes are the original reusable water bottles that focused on outdoor recreation, and they're still a great option today.

Pros:

• They are inexpensive, usually costing between $10 and $20.
• They are lightweight.
• And they are extremely durable and dent-resistant, even more-so than the next bottles we’ll talk about.
• There are also plenty of color options to choose from, so you can surely find something that matches your style.

Cons:

• The main downside is that they are not insulated.
• There’s also no carrying handle built into standard Nalgene wide mouth bottles.  You can use the lid tether, but it’s not exactly comfortable and isn’t centered.

BPAs, or bisphenal A, are chemicals that have been linked to certain health issues.  We're not medical experts, so we'll refer to the Mayo Clinic on this one.
There was a lot of press about BPAs in Nalgene bottles in the early 2000s, but they changed their manufacturing formulas in 2008 to make sure their bottles are all BPA-free.

Klean Kanteens started around 2004 and were the first stainless steel bottles focused on hiking and outdoor recreation.  They really started taking off when Nalgenes were in the news for BPAs.  At first they had non-insulated bottles, but more recently they’ve expanded their line to include dual-wall vacuum sealed options.

Pros

• These tend to be in the middle ground on prices.  The non-insulated bottles are generally between $18 and $35.
• All of their bottles are plastic free (other than the lid), so if that’s a priority for you, then Klean Kanteens are a great option.
• The classic stainless steel is very durable.  (But if you drop your bottle, don’t be surprised if you get a ding or dent in the metal that you won’t be able to fix.)
• It also has a built-in handle.

Cons

• One downside of any stainless steel bottle vs plastic is that these bottles are heavier.  But for shorter hikes, this isn’t as big of an issue.
• The classic design is not insulated.
• Some people, including us, say the classic cap/handle in the image above isn't great because it can be a little more difficult to unscrew and isn’t a great carrying handle.  However, the newer loop cap with a metal handle seems to be the new standard that most of their bottles are shifting towards, and that handle is great (see below)!
• There are not many color options, so if you’re looking to get a unique color to help your bottle stand out, you might want to consider a different brand.
• As mentioned above, these bottles dent fairly easily if dropped.  It'll still work, it just won't look as good as it did.

​Hydro Flask is arguably the most popular water bottle on the planet in 2022.  These bottles burst onto the scene in 2009 as one of the first major bottles with dual wall vacuum insulation.  With a great product and a healthy dose of FOMO through social media, they became staples of certain subcultures.

Pros

• But the best thing is that all Hydro Flasks are insulated.  Just add ice before your hike, and that should keep your drink cool throughout your short hike.
• They’re plastic free, other than the lid.
• Because they’re stainless steel, they’re very durable bottles.  (But if you drop your bottle, don’t be surprised if you get a ding or dent in the metal that you won’t be able to fix.)
• We like the handle more than the classic Klean Kanteen style.
• Like with Nalgenes, there are plenty of color options to choose from, so you should be able to find something that fits your style.  The powder coat paint feels and looks great, and it holds up really well over time as long as you don’t get a severe dent or scrape.

Cons

• The main downside to Hydro Flasks are that they are the most expensive of the three bottle brands mentioned so far.  The cheapest options generally start around $25, and 40oz bottles are currently around $50. 
• Hydro Flasks are heavier than either Nalgenes or non-insulated Klean Kanteens, so if carrying as little weight as possible is your priority, then you may want to look elsewhere.  Or consider looking at Hydro Flask’s more recent Trail Series bottles that are lighter than their classic design.
• As mentioned, your bottle can dent easily if you drop it.

With any of these three bottle brands, we recommend also buying a carrying sling for hands-free hiking with your big bottle.  At BottlePro, we have a couple options available, but there are plenty of other options to choose from in today’s market.  Here are a few to consider, and look at the listings to be sure to make sure you're getting the right size for your bottle!