By Molly Gold ’21

Looking around Staples, it seems that Hydro Flask water bottles have replaced S’well bottles as the popular choice among students. Both bottles are artfully designed, insulated and claim to keep water cold longer than other brands. However, the bottles have differences, ranging from their shape, size, color and cap. As someone who never used a Hydro Flask, I was wondering what I was missing, so I decided to try both out for myself.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that the Hydro Flask is superior in many ways. I was immediately drawn in by the sport cap. Having only used a S’well, I was used to the standard screw-off cap, but the Hydro Flask has three different types, standard, along with sport and straw. Due to these alternate caps, spills are less frequent which makes the drinking experience more enjoyable. Personally, I think that this makes the Hydro Flask more universal, as the caps can be interchanged for the same bottle.

Although the S’well bottle boasts a larger array of colors and patterns, they are known to fade or peel off. Many of my formerly vibrant bottles are now silver, defeating one of the best qualities of the S’well. As the color from the outside chips off, it lands everywhere, including inside the bottle. This takes away from the function because it leaves the consumer spitting out paint chips, along with an unsettling metallic taste. Contrastingly, the Hydro Flask does not fade, chip or scratch. The considerable color range is constantly expanding, with many unique and clean-looking hues.

While Hydro Flask exceeds S’well, both are decidedly well equipped to keep drinks at a certain temperature for an extended amount of time. Having experienced a full day of school with each brand, there seemed to be minimal difference in the temperature of my water.

However, due to ThermaS’well technology, the S’well is able to keep warm beverages hot for 12 hours, compared to eight in the Hydro Flask. While I’ve never used either bottle for hot drinks, both were able to keep my water cold for the entire school day. This makes having one of these insulated brands a must for the large number of students with after school commitments.

Along with costing less than $30 to S’well’s $45, the Hydro Flask surpasses in almost every criteria. Because of this, there is no doubt why Hydro Flasks are my new favorite.

Tags: Hydro Flask, S’well bottle, hydration, water, water bottle