Which Hydro Flask Should You Get? These Are the 13 We Swear by and Why

Aug 27, 2023

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It's easy to think the products you see posted everywhere are overrated — but we're here to tell you Hydro Flask lives up to the hype. Vacuum-insulted, cold-retaining water bottles are a dime a dozen but Hydro Flask was one of the first companies to introduce the tech, and it's still one of the brands doing it best.

Hydro Flask offers far more than just water bottles now, too, selling wine glasses, soft coolers, backpack coolers, and stainless steel food storage. All of it excels at the same thing: keeping hot contents hot and cold contents cold.

Almost everything in the brand's lineup comes in an array of appealing colorways and features both a thoughtful and ergonomic design. These are, arguably, the two most important things that set Hydro Flask apart from its competition. The company also offers a lifetime warranty on most of its products.

If you need help deciding which Hydro Flask bottle is the best for you, allow us to lend a hand. We're all too familiar with its drinkware line, including the classic 21-ounce Standard Mouth bottle and the 12-ounce Cooler Cup that doubles as a beer koozie. You can find our favorite Hydro Flask products below.

I have multiple of these bottles that I use for everything from hiking and camping to staying hydrated at home (or the office). It's just large enough that I don't feel like I'm getting up multiple times a day to add more water, and is sufficient for short hikes. The fact it's able to keep water ice-cold for hours (and coffee piping hot) means whenever I take a drink, it's as if I just filled it up. — Rick Stella, Health & Fitness Editor

The 16-ounce True Pint was designed for beer, but it's been my go-to office cup for nearly two years. Every day, I fill it with ice water and it stays cold for as long as I need it to be. It's so well insulated that the ice is usually still there in full form when I'm finished with the cup. I end up refilling it multiple times a day since I always drink a lot of water, but never because my drink turned lukewarm after a few minutes of sitting. —Amir Ismael, Insider Reviews senior reporter

I gave my niece one of these fancy sippy cups when she was 2 and it proved to be so invaluable that she still carries this around everywhere three years later. (For the record, Hydro Flask doesn't recommend these for kids under 3 years old.)

I recognize that kids don't much care if their water stays cold for 24 hours (although it will in this vacuum-insulated cup), but the real sell of the Kids Wide Mouth comes from the fact that it's stainless steel so you don't have to worry about any BPA or phthalate, it's incredibly durable to withstand knocks and drops, and has a silicone boot on the bottom for more stability when a kid precariously sets it down. The Kids Wide Mouth comes with a straw lid for easy sipping, and the mouthpiece flips in when not in use to avoid spilling. The bottle, lid, and straw are all dishwasher safe. —Rachael Schultz, Insider Reviews editor

I love a well-designed cooler (embarrassingly, that's not sarcastic) and have tried all sorts of Yetis, Hydro Flasks, Igloos, and other brand offerings. But this newly-released backpack cooler from Hydro Flask has become my Spring go-to for park picnics, afternoons at the river, and, most of all, as a car cooler for road trips.

Its shoulder straps are comfortable, its zipper is very easy to pull and seal, and it rocks small features like stretchy-yet-secure side pockets and front daisy chains to hook other items onto for easy carrying. Although the single compartment is a bit of a mess once the ice melts (about 1.5 days in my experience), it can hold about 20 cans with ice (36 without), so it's been ideal for tailgating after mountain bike rides.

I also love that it sits upright on the ground or on the backseat floorboard, and has small handles at the top for resistance to more easily get the watertight zipper open. —Rachael Schultz, Insider Reviews editor

I had always heard how great Hydro Flask's water bottles were, and I never paid much attention because I already have about half a dozen water bottles. Hydro Flask recently sent over its 24-ounce wide-mouth bottle, so I finally got to try one out, and it's great.

It really does keep drinks cold for 24 hours or more as advertised. I popped some ice and water into mine, screwed the lid tight, and left it alone for an entire day. When I opened it again, the ice was still partially there and the water was cold. Beyond the great insulation, I also like that the bottle's mouth is wide enough to accommodate ice cubes and that the lid has a cute little handle for portability. —Malarie Gokey, Insider's Lead Training Coordinator

If you're lucky to live near a bar that offers fill-ups, bring home a tasty brew with the Insulated Beer Growler. The stainless steel container does a terrific job at keeping beer cold and carbonated before you're ready to drink, which helps retain that crisp, fresh taste that draft-beer drinkers enjoy. When a local Whole Foods used to offer beer on draft, the Hydro Flask Growler was how I transported hard-to-find craft brews home. Hydro Flask also recommends the Growler for kombucha. —Les Shu, Insider Reviews deputy editor

My two 10-ounce rocks glasses have been my go-to camping mugs for about 5 years. For starters, the double-walled insulation means they'll keep coffee hot in the morning and whiskey or G+Ts cold at night, all without transferring the heat/cold to your hands (a big problem with the cute enamel camp mugs).

They're the perfect circumference to wrap your hand around, even as a woman, and the lack of a mug handle means they fit in cup holders. My two (teal and hunter green) have been with me on river trips, camping trips, and hikes, while living #vanlife for four months — countless dirty, sandy, abrasive environments — and neither have a single paint chip or ding in the steel.

Sometimes I do wish they were a little bigger, mostly for coffee in the morning, but their small, compact size is more often a blessing since they easily stash in my camp kitchen carryall or any bag I'm traveling with. I value their versatility so much that I even brought them in my duffel for a month-long road trip around New Zealand (more proof of how ideal their small size is). —Rachael Schultz, Insider Reviews editor

My positive experience with the True Pint at work motivated me to buy something I could use when I was out of the office. I decided on the 40-ounce Wide-Mouth because of its large size and easy-to-carry handle. Out of the handful of thermoses and water bottles I own, this is now the only bottle I want to bring with me to the gym or when I know I'll be out and about in warm weather.

The TempShield insulation is designed to keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours — and it works so well that placing this bottle in the freezer or even in a scorching hot car that's sitting in the sun will do absolutely nothing to the temperature of your drink inside. If you fill it with really cold water and a few ice cubes, you'll have a refreshing drink throughout the entire day and part of the next. —Amir Ismael, Insider Reviews senior reporter

The Cooler Cup checks all my boxes: It's a koozie for both bottles and cans, a sleek little substitute for a cocktail glass, and, conveniently, Hydro Flask's wine tumbler lid fits it, so it's great for coffee and tea, too.

The silicone sleeve is another selling point for me. It's mostly meant to seal the edge around bottles and cans and help keep them cool and snugly in place, but it also doubles as a non-slip coaster if you're using it as a coffee mug or beverage glass. I'll grab a few more of these and keep them in my camping and boating kits. I don't need wine glasses, cocktail glasses, or coffee mugs; this thing does it all, and it feels great in the hand. —Owen Burke, Insider Reviews reporter

Read the full review of the Cooler Cup here.

I have the older version of this insulated food, previously called the Food Flask, but when I bring soup to work, this insulated jar is always up for the job, for three reasons. First, the cap tightens securely, so I never worry about finding a hot mess in my bag. Second, the vacuum insulation is effective at keeping the liquid hot for hours — nearly as hot as when it left the stovetop, no joke — even if I'm having a late lunch.

Third, it doesn't retain the smell of whatever I poured into it, which is important because I don't want hints of yesterday's clam chowder in today's butternut squash soup. I've tried many vacuum-insulated containers and I always go back to my Hydro Flask. —Les Shu, Insider Reviews deputy editor

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