Is a Hydro Flask Water Bottle Worth the Price?

Is a hydro flask water bottle worth it? Is it worth the price when there are cheaper alternatives such as plastic bottles? According to Cindy Weber and then-boyfriend, Travis Rosbach, yes it is. When the two founded what was then known as Steel Technologies LLC. out of Bend, Oregon in 2009, the inspiration was due to the fact both were fed up with the fragility and unreliability of plastic bottles, as well as whatever commercialized alternatives came up with. Since then, the rising popularity of Hydro Flask’s double vacuum-insulated, thermos-inspired has resulted. Rosbach and Weber, taking the example of the always practical and versatile thermos and found a formula that would do the opposite of what thermos bottles have been designed to do. Instead of keeping the liquid inside hot, it’s now a matter of keeping the liquid inside cold and refreshing. How this was accomplished for the hydro flask is due to the spacing between the inner steel container and the powder-coated steel exterior. Within that space is double-wall vacuum insulation.

Marketing and Trends

After the production of the first lineup of hydro flask water bottles, this was sold at local farmers’ markets within the Bend, Oregon region. Success was easily enough realized among outdoor enthusiasts who frequented the market who saw the genius behind the purpose and design of these hydro flask water bottles. The popularity of the Hydro Flask brand of these water bottles grew even further in popularity when they began to appear on the store shelves. In the meantime, however, the relationship between Weber and Rosbach resulted in a breakup where each sold off their shares of their mutually created company to an investor. As of 2012, tech executive Scott Allan had become president and chief executive officer of the company. Upon doing so, he expanded the market of the now branded Hydro Flask Water Bottles into Europe, as well as on social media. Come 2016, the American corporation was known as Helen of Troy Limited made a public announcement and purchase Hydro Flask for approximately $210 million. Because of the level of influence, Helen of Troy Limited has as a leading developer and marketing conglomerate, the growth of Hydro Flask spawned into customizable water bottles as of 2019, as well as different cap/lid sizes, and limited edition design options. Among the population of millennials, Generation Z, and other trendsetters, the popularity of the Hydro Flask has risen where it does play a contributing factor toward the price tag of its lineup of hydro flask water bottles.

Are the Hydro Flask Water Bottles Worth It?

The Hydro Flask brand of water bottles is made from durable stainless steel, which is the same material used in products such as diver’s watches, cooking equipment, and anything that requires a practical object to withstand the daily demand of wear, tear, and abuse. When factoring in how important it is to stay hydrated, especially when engaging in physically demanding activities such as cycling, hiking, and jogging, it’s not the price tag that’s an issue, but the reliability of an object that’s been assigned the task to contain needed liquids. Among environmentalists, the alternative to using the durable and reusable stainless steel bottles designed by Hydro Flask as opposed to disposable plastics at the average price of $40 each is considered a bargain. With less plastic filling up the landfills, forking out the money for one bottle that can stand the test of time and abuse is better than spending that same amount for a few cases of bottled water. Because of the superior, stainless steel design that features the vacuum insulation technology for optimal temperature control of liquids, a hydro flask water bottle is far better able to prevent the quality of liquid stored inside from being compromised. Plastic bottles merely contain liquid, but cannot effectively control the temperature of whatever’s inside of them. The elements of heat from the sun will cause the temperature of the water inside to rise, therefore compromising the liquid’s ability to properly refresh someone who needs to take that sip. At least with Hydro Flask’s water bottles, the insulation within the stainless steel design ensures the liquid is protected, so when it’s time to take that needed sip, the refreshment quality is there.

It’s Not a Thermos

Although the Hydro Flask water bottles are thermo-inspired, it’s not a thermos. What Hydro Flask did was revolutionize the vacuum insulation technology with something called TempShield. It’s this same technology that can have Hydro Flask’s water bottle filled with ice, sealed, and kept overnight on a kitchen counter and still have plenty of ice inside when it’s opened in the morning. A regular water bottle, made from plastic or material that doesn’t have the TempShield can’t do this. Granted, even within the Hydro Flask water bottles, should it be filled with ice cubes, sealed, and left on the counter for nearly 24 hours, the ice will eventually melt itself down, but even after all that time the water will still be ice cold. If the water seems too cold to drink at that time, give it another handful of hours and it will still be cold enough to pass as a true refreshment without going stale. There will also be no evidence of condensation where the water stored inside the bottle has made its way to the exterior.

The Hydro Flask water bottles have also been in the hot sun for hours, but when it came time to open the cap for a drink, the water inside was still refreshingly cold. Not even the highest quality plastic bottles are able to do this, nor are any other knock-off products that attempt to mimic what Hydro Flask has perfected. Another advantage the Hydro Flask water bottles have over plastics is there are no molecular breakdowns that compromise the quality of the water. Many people have been known to take an original plastic bottle, whether it be a previously used water bottle or other beverage product, and continue using it until it has completely worn out. As environmentally respectful as this may seem to be, doing so is also a potentially toxic mistake a person can do to their own body. Even upon the first use of this type of plastic bottle, the chemicals involved to make such bottles in the first place have been connected to health concerns such as cancer, diabetes, digestive complications, and hormonal issues. According to Health Fitness Revolution, there are at least five known dangers of reusing plastic bottles.

Hydro Flask vs. Knock-offs

Like all trendy new products that come to market, competitors will rise in the attempt to cash in on the action with their own lineup as a means to compete. In many cases, many will bring forth cheaper versions of the original brand that got the ball rolling in hopes to sway frugal customers their way. Usually, it works, but among the population that prefers uncompromised quality, they will remain loyal to a company that did the job right for the first time. In this case, it’s Hydro Flask. The least impressive attempts have resulted in leaky lids, as well as designs that lacked the quality level needed in order to measure up to what Hydro Flask has been able to do since 2009. Not only have they perfected the art of quality hydro flask water bottles, but have applied this same TempShield technology towards its growing list of different products.