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.
​
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.
​
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!

Congrats, you have a Hydro Flask (or are thinking about getting one soon)!  It's hard enough deciding which Hydro Flask bottle to get, but have you also thought about which lid you'll use?

Hydro Flask has four (4) lids available right now on Amazon: Flex Cap, Flex Sip, Flex Straw, and Straw Lid.

In this video, we go over how each one works, what we like and don't like about each design, and how we use them.

If you'd rather read through the review than watch the video, see the written summary below.

​Hydro Flask has four lid options, and you might be asking which lid is best for you. We've reviewed and tested each lid extensively, and here's what we think.  Links are in the description.

Which one is best for you?  Well, it depends on how you want to use it, but we can tell you how we like to use them.

• We like using a Flex Cap with a SplashPro in our largest bottles when we're doing something active. We find it easier to get smooth pours and bigger gulps of water while also keeping water out of your face.
• For sipping at work or in the car, we like using Flex Straw with a FlavorFuze Straw infuser to add some flavor.
• And for coffee and tea in the morning, we prefer to use the Flex Sip lid with a smaller Hydro Flask like a 16oz.
• The only lid we recommend against using is the original straw lid. If you want a straw lid, just get the Flex Straw.

​Also works with a ​FlavorFuze Straw Infuser

I'll be 35 years old tomorrow, and I've had a soda habit since I was a kid.  Growing up, it wasn't uncommon for me to drink 2, 3, or even 4 sodas per day.  As you might guess, I've also been overweight most of my life too, which is certainly not a coincidence.  But at 35, I finally kicked my soda habit.  I'm down almost 10 pounds this year, and best of all, I feel like what I'm doing is sustainable.

​Here's what's working for me, and hopefully it'll help you on your journey too.

Google Trends - Searches for "Low Sugar" for the Previous Five (5) Years

Of all the ways that consumers regularly ingest sugar, sugary beverages are the primary culprits.  These include:

• Sodas 
• Sports drinks
• Fruit juices
• Energy drinks
• Coffee or tea with added sugar

According to the American Heart Association, the maximum recommended sugar intake is 36 grams of sugar per day for men.  For women, it's 25 grams.  Each one of the drink examples above is either right at those limits or way above them, all from one drink.

Seeing how bottle and can sizes vary, it's also interesting to look at the sugar concentration as shown below.

​One of the more surprising realizations for most people is how most fruit juices really aren't good for you.  Sure they provide some benefits like vitamins and other nutrients, so in that way they are better than sodas.  But the sugar content per ounce for Minute Maid orange juice is essentially the same as a Coke!

There are plenty of people smarter than me that study this topic for their day jobs, so I'll leave it to them to provide additional details and research about sugar and health.  Here are some of the more helpful articles we've read.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Guidance on Added Sugars

WebMD: How Sugar Affects Your Body

American Heart Association: How Much Sugar is too Much?

Healthline: 11 Reasons Why Too Much Sugar is Bad for You

And keep in mind that diet sodas aren't free-and-clear of problems either.  There is growing evidence that drinks with artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose are bad for you as well, as discussed here.

After reading articles about how sugar essentially acts like a poison and how sodas in particular are "empty calories" that provide no nutritional benefit, I knew it was in my best interest to quit.

Each time I tried to change, I would start off a few days or weeks without sodas, but then I would slip and start drinking them again.  The most common backfiring strategies I used were:

• Comforting: "I had a rough day.  A soda will make me feel better."
• Celebrating: "I had a good day.  I'll have a soda to celebrate." (ironic, right?).
• Rationalizing Now vs Future: "I'll have one soda today and get back on the soda diet starting tomorrow."  Or, "I have many more years to develop better habits, so one soda today won't kill me."

The reason that these backfiring strategies worked on me was that I hadn't determined what my real motivation was yet.  I said I wanted to lose weight, and that can work for many people.  But the problem, for me, is that I'm fairly comfortable in my own skin already.  Also, I have always been overweight so it's not easy for me to truly realize how much better I might feel to achieve a healthy weight.  It was more abstract.

But as I got older, something happened.  I started thinking more about how little time we truly have, and how chronic diseases that we always read about and learned of back in school are very real.  And then someone very close to me passed away.  He smoked most of his life, and though he was finally able to quit a few years ago, by then the damage was done.  He developed cancer and passed away earlier this year.  He urged me to improve my habits now and to learn from his life experiences.  This changed my motivational focus.

Honestly, I've used all of the strategies listed above to varying degrees.  But the ones that helped me the most are #1 and #4.  By drinking more water, I've been able to feel fuller and am less likely to drive to the store for a soda.  And by using a flavored drink alternative, I can still take a break from "boring" water each day and satisfy my need for flavor.

This is what's working for me.

Need another bottle?  Check out Hydro Flask's Amazon store.

After debuting just over 10 years ago, Hydro Flasks quickly gained traction as the go-to insulated water bottle.  For many people, the simple benefit of having a bottle that is vacuum-insulated was enough of a selling point.  For others, it's the clean, yet stylish design.  Whatever the reason, Hydro Flask continues to build its following and shows no signs of slowing down.

It's only natural what happened next.  A whole range of accessories have been developed with the goal of making life with these amazing but cumbersome bottles a little easier.

We here at BottlePro got involved in this niche early with our cup holder adapter, so we've seen it grow over the years, including new notable accessories coming available fairly often.  Here are some of our favorites for the best accessories for Hydro Flasks in 2022 (focusing on 32 and 40 ounce bottles).

We reviewed four popular adapters on the market today.  ​This video will help you decide which cup holder adapter to purchase for your bottle.  Clicking the links will take you to Amazon so you can check prices.

If you'd rather read the review, we've included a transcript of this video below for reference.

(And if you purchase something, we get a referral fee as an Amazon Associate! Thanks for your support!)

We reviewed:

• Amazon Basics
• BottlePro
• Swigzy
• Joytutus

And while we focus on a few types of Hydro Flasks, this review is also applicable to other large bottles like Nalgenes, YETIs, Klean Kanteens, Simple Moderns, Takeyas, Thermoflasks, Iron Flasks, Fifty/Fifty, Swig, and many other popular bottles on the market today.

​If you're not sure whether you need an adapter at all, we highly-recommend you visit the blog post referenced at the beginning of the video so you can determine if your car's cup holders will likely work with any of these adapters. Or if you're using a smaller bottle, you may not even need an adapter!  Just click the link below to view that post.

Which Hydro Flasks Fit in Cup Holders? - The Ultimate Guide (Updated for 2022)

Video Transcript:
Hydro Flasks are great bottles, but many of them are so big that they don’t fit in standard cup holders. So we’re going to review four of the most popular cup holders on the market today, and give you our thoughts and recommendations.  Links to purchase are in the description.

This video focuses on comparing cup holder adapters needed to use larger Hydro Flasks, and we assume you already know you need an adapter.  But you may not need one at all if you have a smaller Hydro Flask, like a 21oz.  Check out our blog post for a full step-by-step guide. Link in the description.

Let’s get started.

Amazon Basics
First we have Amazon Basics.  Like many popular categories, Amazon released their own cup holder and have undercut most other adapters on the market.  But it’s still very functional and a good option on a budget

• The twist to expand base is very easy to use and functional.
• And it has rubber tabs to centralize small bottles.  The tabs are not removable.
• 32 and 40oz Hydro Flasks are the same diameter and fit well, and the tabs keep smaller bottles like 32oz Trail Series centralized.

All-in-all the Amazon Basics cup holder is quite functional for the price.  The main drawbacks are the many people prefer to buy from smaller vendors instead of Amazon brands, the base is not extendable, and the mug handle cutout is quite small.  But overall, this cup holder is a very good option.

BottlePro
Next up we have BottlePro, which is our cup holder adapter.

• Each BottlePro comes with two adapter rings and a foam sleeve to help fine-tune the fit.  The adapter rings are locked when the base looks like this.  To unlock, twist the base so the rings are aligned.  Then slide off the rings.  The adapters can be easily added back on by lining up the grooves and sliding them on.
• A cool feature is that you can lock the rings at different heights, which can help with deeper cup holders.
• Add the soft fit sleeve to help with in-between cup holder sizes.
• 32 and 40oz Hydro Flasks fit well, but smaller bottles can be unstable because there are no centralizer tabs.

In summary, BottlePro is a great budget alternative to Amazon Basics for 32 and 40 ounce Hydro Flasks, but for smaller diameter bottles, you might want to look at an adapter with centralizer tabs.  And keep an eye out for our upcoming 3rd version, which will have many improvements.

Swigzy
Next is Swigzy, which is a great premium option.

• It has a twist-to-expand base,
• rubber tabs (though they are not removable),
• and there is also an option to purchase a unit with additional spacers to extend the height of the adapter.
• One of the cooler unique features that Swigzy offers is the ability to offset the base.  Just loosen one screw, adjust the base offset, then re-add the screw.  This can help two of them fit side-by-side in more cup holders.
• 32 and 40oz Hydro Flasks fit well, and the rubber tabs help centralize smaller bottles really well. 

Overall, Swigzy is honestly our favorite cup holder on the market today, and it pains us to say that because we make one.  But Swigzy comes with a significantly higher price tag.  You might be able to save a few bucks with another option.

Joytutus
Last is Joytutus.  This cup holder is a good option overall.

• The rubber tabs feel great and are removable, which can help make it easier to get larger bottles in-and-out.
• The coaster is also removable for easier cleaning, though this does make it fall out easily if you’re moving your adapter.
• But we’re not huge fans of the base design.  The rubber flap concept looks interesting and is easy for installation because you just push it down into the cup holder, but we found it very difficult to remove when we wanted to switch cars.
• You have to remove the rubber tabs for 32 and 40oz Hydro Flasks to fit, but smaller bottles fit just fine with the tabs in.

While Joytutus has some options like the removable tabs that help it stand apart, for the most part we do not think this outweighs the downsides of the base design.  But it’s certainly an option to keep in mind.

So that’s it!  We hope this review has been helpful.  Don’t forget to check out our website at bottlepro.net, where we have other products like infusers and splash guards for Hydro Flasks.  And subscribe to our blog for more content like this, hydration news, and updates on product deals.  Thanks for watching.

With the every-growing popularity of reusable water bottles like Hydro Flasks, more and more people are wondering what is the best way to keep their bottle close at hand on the road? 

But which Hydro Flasks fit in cup holders, and do you need a cup holder adapter for your car?  This can be a tougher question to answer than you might initially think because of the sheer number of cup holder designs and water bottle sizes.

​And while this post is primarily focused on Hydro Flasks, it also applies to similar reusable bottles like Nalgenes, YETIs, Klean Kanteens, Iron Flasks, Thermoflasks, Takeyas, Simple Moderns, Fifty/Fifty, and many others that are on the market today.

​Before thinking about which Hydro Flask will work for you, we recommend taking a closer look at your car

First, measure your cup holder's diameter and save it for later.

​Then, determine if you have a "standard" or "non-standard" cup holder according to the descriptions below.  This can have a major impact on whether cup holder adapters would fit securely in your vehicle, which opens the possibility of using larger bottles.

Now that you know whether you have a "standard" or "non-standard" cup holder, it's time to think about what size bottle you'd like to have.  Keep in mind that the "narrow", "wide", or "oversized" designations below refer to the bottle diameter, not the mouth diameter.  For example, you can have a 20oz Wide Mouth bottle that is categorized under "Narrow" because it is only 2.91" diameter.

The lists below are based on specifications listed on Hydro Flasks website and some that we independently verified.  If you already have a bottle, we recommend measuring its base yourself to make 100% sure that you have the correct measurement.  If your bottle has a protective boot, then you should also include this in the width measurement (they generally add around 0.25" to the diameter, but it varies based on the boot manufacturer).

The mug measurements are for the diameter of the body, not including the handle.

The links in the lists of bottles go to the product pages on Amazon.

There's a lot of information here, so to make it easier, we've developed this flowchart to help you sort through it all.  You just need to know (1) whether you have a "standard" or "non-standard" cup holder and (2) the diameter of your cup holder compared the diameter of your desired bottle.

Disclaimer: The information provided above has been fact-checked against Hydro Flask and Amazon websites (and with some in-person measurements).  The flowchart below is based on our experience and observations.  However, please note that we cannot 100% guarantee compatibility of any resulting purchases you make because there are literally hundreds of thousands of different bottle/cup holder/adapter combinations once you add them all up.  But hey, that's what return policies are for!

With that said, let's dive right in!

​If you determined that you need an adapter, then check out the adapters listed below.  Unlike back in 2015 when BottlePro launched, there are plenty of cup holder adapter options on the market nowadays.  Here are some of our favorites.

Proper hydration is a key and highly-effective way to help with losing weight.  Benefits of drinking enough water each day include:

1. Keeps you feeling fuller;
2. Helps with recovery after workouts, and even;
3. Increases your body's shorter term burned calories.

But a common complaint that people have (including myself) ​is that plain water is boring.  If you're like me, after awhile, it's good to drink something with a little flavor.  For the longest time, I was satisfying these flavor cravings with soda, Gatorade, and other sugary drinks.

That's where fruit infusing comes in.  Fruit infusing is the healthiest way to add flavor to your water and can be a game-changer in the quest to drinking more water each day.

With all of that in mind, many people ask what is the best type of fruit infuser for losing weight?  

(As an Amazon Associate, BottlePro earns from qualifying purchases.)

Have you ever been driving along on a hot summer day and need a sip of water, and when you go to take a drink from your wide mouth bottle, all of a sudden you hit a bump in the road?  Or maybe you're the passenger and the driver brakes or accelerates unexpectedly?  More often than not, you may end up with water in your face.  And if anyone else in the car has seen Airplane!, odds are you might hear a snarky comment like "do you have a drinking problem?"

While most major bottle manufacturers do not tend to sell splash guards within their own brands, a number of 3rd party companies have filled the gap (pun intended).  Not only are these great little products for limiting splashes, they can also be used as ice-stoppers.

​The problem is that some splash guards work better with certain bottles.  We're here to help clear up any confusion.