The tried and true Hydroflask. The colorful Owala. The coveted Stanley. These are three of the hottest water bottles on the market.
The hype surrounding these popular water bottles is hard to ignore, as they have taken the internet by storm. But the question is: are they better than any other water bottle?
RAHS students shared their opinions on the battle of the bottles.
Senior Sophia Inks loves her Owala. Inks’s Owala is strides above her previous water bottle, a Nalgene, and “it really keeps my water cold,” she said. Owalas seem to have a large fan base, and Junior Norah Caflisch is also a proud Owala owner. Caflisch said she “usually takes [the Owala] to swim practice,” as its leakproof cap ensures no chlorinated pool water gets into her water bottle. “And it’s cute,” Caflisch said about her Owala.
Aesthetics play a big role in the great water bottle debate. The Stanley offers a clean and trendy look, and the Hydroflask is simple and classic, while the Owala is playfully color-blocked. Junior Tori Schmidt likes the “simple” look of her Stanley and said it’s “cuter than other water bottles.” Schmidt is not a die-hard fan, though, and said she “would never camp out outside of a store to get a Stanley.” Schmidt frowns upon the over-consumption of Stanleys brought on by the social media trend. She said, “you only need one Stanley… maybe two.”
These water bottles became popular through social media marketing and trends, leading people to wonder: are they just a fleeting fad? Senior Annika Culver observed that “trends change so fast,” and people feel the need to keep up. “These water bottles last a long time but people change their minds so quickly,” Culver said. The fast-paced nature of online trends leads to the mass consumption of new water bottles, even despite customers already owning a perfectly usable water bottle.
The steep cost of these water bottles is another factor. Junior Robert Mechura, owner of a Hydro Flask, said, “honestly it’s [the Hydro Flask] too expensive, just like Stanleys are too expensive. It’s just a thing that’s ‘in.’” It’s true that people will buy products to represent the brand and as a status symbol. But are these brands better than the rest? Mechura doesn’t believe so and said, “it doesn’t matter what the brand is… I think it’s dumb.”
The consensus among RAHS students is that one water bottle doesn’t triumph over the rest. Follow Sophia Inks’ advice and “just pick a water bottle you like.”
