8 Best Hydro Flasks for Everything You Drink

The benefits of drinking lots of water throughout the day have been emphasized time and again. Thankfully, more and more people seem to be acknowledging the importance of hydration. This, along with the uprising trend of environmental consciousness, has given birth to the popularity of reusable water bottles.

And when it comes to reusable water bottles, Hydro Flask is undeniably one of the most popular brands—at least in the US. To the delight of many, they have expanded their lineup to include other products, such as wine tumblers and beer growlers. While having a wider variety of options is always a great thing, it could make selecting that one perfect product even more challenging.

This guide aims to solve just that. We’re here to bring you comprehensive information and no-nonsense advice to help you pinpoint the exact Hydro Flask model that will quench your thirst all day long.

How to choose a Hydro Flask

The Hydro Flask brand has gotten very popular simply because their products work. The combination of top-notch insulation, thoughtful design, and durability propelled these bottles to success. And while we’re firm believers that Hydro Flask products are of good quality, that doesn’t mean that picking any design will satisify your hydration needs.

As with all purchases, you have to consider several key aspects when choosing which Hydro Flask to buy. There are a bunch of varieties, styles, and designs being offered by the company, so taking some time to pinpoint what you really need and want will ensure that you won’t end up with buyer’s remorse.

Here are some factors you need to consider when shopping for a Hydro Flask:

Size

One of the best things about Hydro Flask is that they offer beverage bottles and food canisters in a bunch of different sizes. Their water bottles alone have nine volume variations—namely, 12 oz, 16 oz, 18 oz, 20 oz, 21 oz, 24 oz, 32 oz, 40 oz, and 64 oz.

You can get smaller sizes for your kids and mid-sized ones for a normal workday or a session at the gym. The 40oz and 60oz bottles, meanwhile, are great for long day trips and overnight excursions.

When choosing your first bottle, think about how you plan to use your Hydro Flask the most. Of course, you can also buy multiple different sizes for different situations.

Use and Form

Hydro Flask offers a wide variety of options. As of this article’s writing, the company sells water bottles, tumblers, coffee mugs and flasks, beer growlers, wine tumblers and bottles, food flasks, and many more. Plus, as mentioned above, each type of flask is further sub-divided into various holding capacities.

Choosing the right Hydro Flask in this regard has very little to do with quality. Hydro Flask products in all shapes and sizes are known for their superb construction and performance. It simply boils down to how you intend to use your flask and what you’re planning to put in it.

The tumblers and water bottles are the most versatile because they can easily carry and insulate both cold and hot liquids. Other types of flasks are for more specific applications like spirits, beer, and coffee. As such, if all you’re looking for is an all-rounder for everyday use, we suggest that you choose between a tumbler and a water bottle.

Furthermore, if you happen to go for a water bottle, note that it comes in two forms: wide-mouth and standard-mouth.

Cap or Lid

Variety isn’t only a strong suit of the flasks themselves. Hydro Flask also offers various options in the lids and caps department. There’s the classic Flex Cap, a convenient Wide Mouth Straw Lid, Tumbler Lids in various sizes, and the Hydro Flip, among others.

If you want a more in-depth guide to the caps and lids that you can purchase with your Hydro Flask, check out the next section.

Insulation

While all Hydro Flask products are well-known for their ability to maintain impressive insulation, different varieties offer slightly different levels of insulation depending on the design and its intended use.

For example, the 32 oz Wide Mouth bottle keeps hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours. A 32 oz Tumbler, on the other hand, will only keep hot drinks hot for up to 6 hours. So make sure to double-check the insulation timespan on each Hydro Flask product you’re planning to buy.

Weight

Different Hydro Flask types will vary in weight. Obviously, bigger bottles will weigh more than their smaller siblings. Remember that filling your Hydro Flask with food or liquid will significantly add more weight to it, as well.

If having a lightweight bottle is extremely important to you, you may want to go for a smaller volume. However, this can also be potentially annoying since you’ll have to go for refills more frequently. A bigger Hydro Flask, on the other hand, may be heavy, but you’ll be able to get hydration throughout the day without having to refill frequently.

So, weigh your options. Is having a lightweight, easy-to-carry flask more important to you? Or would you rather have a big flask that can deliver all-day hydration without requiring frequent refills?

Color

No matter what your personality and aesthetic may be, you’ll likely find a Hydro Flask colorway that will tickle your design taste buds. These bottles come in a wide variety of colors (There were 14+ color options last time we checked), and in addition, special limited-edition designs are released every now and then.

If you want to take it a notch higher, you can even go all out and customize your own water bottle design from scratch. Aside from choosing the bottle’s form, size, and lid, you get to decide what colors you want the bottle, boot, cap, and strap to be. How’s that for personalization?

Different Hydro Flask Caps and Lids

Hydro Flask doesn’t only offer bottles and containers in different shapes and sizes. The company also has an array of different caps and lids to suit every need. These are:

• Wide mouth flex cap – Compatible with all wide mouth water bottles, it features a flexible strap and Honeycomb Insulation. This cap is also spill-proof and leak-proof.
• Standard mouth flex cap – Exactly like the wide mouth flex cap, but for standard mouth bottles.
• Hydro flip cap – Another one that is compatible with all Wide Mouth bottles, this cap makes sipping easier because you simply have to flip the top off to access your drink. No twisting needed! The downside? It’s not leak-proof.
• Wide mouth straw lid – If you’re a straw kind of a person, you can buy the wide mouth straw lid along with your Hydro Flask. Note that while this lid boasts a convenient finger loop and a durable rubber material, it is not leak-proof and is not meant for use with hot liquids.
• Tumbler lid – This lid, as the name suggests, is perfect for tumblers as it provides an easy way for you to sip your drink. It has a press-in mechanism which makes it even more convenient. Tumbler lids for their 22 oz and 32 oz regular tumblers and 10 oz wine tumbler are available.
• Tumbler straw lid – The tumbler straw lid fits the Hydro Flask 32 oz regular tumbler. Like the regular tumbler lid, this has a press-in mechanism.

How often do you have to clean a Hydro Flask?

All of us will agree that Hydro Flasks that are used for food, coffee, and other flavored liquids should regularly be cleaned. However, some of us think that they don’t have to clean their Hydro Flasks as much if they’re only being used for water.

However, this can’t be farther from the truth. Whether you’re using them for water or other liquids, all Hydro Flasks must be cleaned after each use. Every time you sip from the bottle, you are transferring germs from your mouth. What’s more, our Hydro Flasks go with us everywhere—from normal days at work to hiking and camping trips. That said, they’re bound to accumulate germs over time.

Failing to regularly clean your Hydro Flask can lead to discoloration on your bottle. And, of course, you’re more prone to getting nasty infections that way.

Come on, fellas. Stainless steel bottles are already so much easier to clean than plastic ones. Don’t be too lazy to tidy them up!

Hydro Flask Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Clean your Hydro Flask bottle regularly. Keep bacteria, stains, and odors away by adopting good cleaning habits.
• Use a bottle brush to clean the insides of the bottle. You can get a bottle brush from any home store or grocery. Hydro Flask sells their own brushes, too.
• Use a straw cleaner if you have a straw lid. You’ll be able to get into the nooks and crannies of the lid this way.
• Air-dry the Hydro Flask. Air-drying your Hydro Flask in an upside-down position is the best way to prevent it from accumulating bacteria.
• Use white vinegar to deep clean your Hydro Flask. Pour half a cup of vinegar inside your Hydro Flask, swirl it around, and leave it sitting inside the bottle for at least five minutes. Rinse with warm water afterward. This will disinfect your bottle and help remove discoloration.

Don’t:

• Put your Hydro Flask in the dishwasher. Hydro Flasks, in general, are not dishwasher-safe. High temperatures can affect the insulation and color quality on these bottles, so dishwashers are a no-go.
• Soak a Hydro Flask in hot water. It’s an amazing bottle for keeping hot liquids warm, but that doesn’t mean you can carelessly submerge the entire thing in hot water. Again, we’re trying to avoid heat damage and discoloration on the exterior of the bottle.
• Freeze it. If you want to cool the drink inside your Hydro Flask, add ice cubes instead of freezing the entire bottle.
• Put your Hydro Flask on the stove. You’ll end up damaging the exterior of the bottle if you do this.
• Use chlorine or bleach to clean your Hydro Flask. These substances do not react well with stainless steel, so stick to good ole dish soap when cleaning your bottles.

How to remove stubborn stains on your Hydro Flask

If the white vinegar trick doesn’t work, you can use either lemon or baking soda to remove stubborn spots and stains on your Hydro Flask.

To use a lemon:

1. Slice a lemon into halves.
2. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into your Hydro Flask.
3. Add warm water until the bottle is filled and allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes.
4. Rinse the bottle with warm water and air dry.

To use baking soda:

1. Mix three tablespoons of baking soda with a small amount of warm water until a paste is formed.
2. Pick up some of the paste using your bottle brush and rub it onto the spot where the stain is located.
3. Keep on rubbing the paste until the stain disappears.
4. Rinse with warm water and allow the bottle to air dry.