The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth with Straw won an Editor's Choice award because it earned top-tier scores across the board. It is easy to carry, the insulation is superb, and it seamlessly integrated into our daily routines from commute, to office, to gym.
While it wasn't the most insulated, it was a close second. The easy-to-use straw cap made it our favorite bottle to carry around, and the high-quality materials ensured a clean taste. It's virtually leak-proof and fits in our cup holders. If you're looking for a bottle to go between the house, office, and gym that will also do well in your pack on a day hike, then read on to learn more.
The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth offers several cap options. We chose the straw lid with finger carry ring (vs. a flex strap). The pop-up straw features a catch that allows it to flip up with the slightest touch, and it has a small vent in the center, enabling uninterrupted flow. The lid twists off with one full rotation, making it relatively easy to open and fill. It's quick and effortless to hydrate with the straw lid.
This bottle passed all of our leakage tests with flying colors — we never experienced any leakage from this well-sealed container. The only minor issue that we found was when you close the lid while sipping, some water gets caught in the cap portion of the straw and dribbles out. With some adjustments and a pause before closing, we were able to easily remedy this. Additionally, it will leak if the straw is flipped up, so be sure to close it before tossing it into your bag.
The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth is well-insulated. The vacuum-sealed walls are thin, but that doesn't discount their efficacy. We filled this bottle with ice water in the morning and still had ice floating around in the afternoon even though the bottle was sitting in the sun. There were times when the exterior was hot to the touch, and we were certain we'd be sipping hot water. Yet there wasn't a single time during testing where the water had warmed too much within the Hydro Flask.
You'll need to use a thermometer to really tell the difference between this bottle and the top scorers on the insulation test. After six hours of sitting under the California sun, the top five bottles were all within four degrees of each other, and among them was our all-around champ. If you're curious about the stats, the water within the Hydro Flask started at 65°F and reached 77°F after six hours on an 80°F day. While that may seem fairly warm, some of the uninsulated bottles in our lineup reached 120°F!
The water from this vessel was almost always clean-tasting. The only time we noticed a faint plastic taste was following the hot water test, and even for our testers who are sensitive to such flavors, this was barely discernible.
Generally, glass is the most inert material in terms of taste. The plastic elements of this bottle holds on to flavors and smells from drink mixes and coffee, even after washing, so we recommend sticking with water in this container. With the lower-quality plastic straw, it's best to avoid hot liquids anyhow. If you're planning to use it for anything other than water, expect some lingering flavors.
In terms of ease of use, it doesn't get much better than this. This Hydro Flask bottle is slender and easy to grip. The carry handle makes it easy to carry with one finger. It also fits in every water bottle holder that we tried. As we mentioned, the straw flips up with the flick of a finger and has a good flow rate. The inner plastic straw detaches if you prefer, but then you have to tip up to sip, and the vent doesn't function quite as well (there's more resistance).
This bottle only holds 24 ounces, so we had to fill it more frequently than some of the larger bottles. The twist-off lid required a bit more wrist twisting than some of the other bottles, but it was not bad. At the end of the day, it was one of the easiest bottles to use.
The container is made from high-quality 18/8 stainless steel, and the outside is powder coated, which gives it a clean and attractive finish. We tossed this bottle around and didn't get any scuffing on the container. We did scuff up the rim of the lid a bit, but it didn't affect performance. The lid is hard, BPA-free plastic, and has a rubber gasket that ensures a good seal. The hinge on the flip straw seems solid, and we saw no wear during our testing. It even has a little plastic finger that keeps the vent plugged when the straw is flipped down. The whole thing is dishwasher-safe.
We think the plastic straw could use some improvement. It's thin and has questionable durability, and is undoubtedly where the plastic taste stemmed during the hot water test. To be fair, Hydro Flask does not recommend this lid for hot liquids. If you really want to push that boundary, we recommend removing the straw. This is a solid bottle backed by a lifetime warranty in case anything does happen.
This bottle is a great all-around choice for daily use. It's a near-perfect companion for keeping hydrated in the home, office, or gym. It's even suitable for day hikes, but not our first choice for backcountry travel. With the lower volume, it requires more frequent fill-ups. It's also not a great choice if you want to use hot liquids or drink mixes. If water is your liquid of choice and you want it to stay cool throughout the day, then this bottle is your best bud.
