Hydro Flask vs. Stanley: The Tumbler I Reach for Every Day

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Now I understand the huge cup hype.

Food & Wine / Hydro Flask

The first time I saw a Stanley Quencher (aka a Stanley Cup) a few years ago, I wanted it: the handle, the straw, the fresh, muted colors! What’s not to want? I decided to hold off on buying one because of the cost; I already had insulated water bottles, too. Maybe on sale, I told myself.

Fast-forward to now, and I can’t go a day without encountering a Stanley Quencher. I see them at the Pilates studio and coffee shops, for sale at Whole Foods, and pretty much every store I shop online. But I never bought one. I hate to admit that the cup becoming wildly popular made me not want it.

Still, I was curious if the design would actually get me to drink more water, as I’ve heard people with Quenchers and Yeti Ramblers claim. I was slacking on my hydration goals, and with summer about to start, I figured it was time to try something new. While the slight nonconformist in me could agree to an oversized cup, I couldn’t go as far as a Stanley. Being a fan of Hydro Flask bottles (I have three), I decided to test the waters with the Hydro Flask All Around Travel Tumbler.

The All Around Travel Tumbler resembles the competition with its eye-catching color options, cup holder-friendly design, handle, and straw. Unlike others, the top of this straw is flexible, so you sip from any angle. I’m not a fan of stiff reusable straws, and this one’s comfortable feel reminds me of a disposable plastic straw in the best way. The straw has also been the one hiccup I’ve had with the cup. All parts of the tumbler are dishwasher-safe, but the plastic part of the straw fell to the bottom of the dishwasher and partially melted. Luckily, a pack of three replacements costs just $5.

The tumbler uses Hydro Flask’s signature double-wall vacuum insulation to keep drinks cold, but because the straw lets air in, I wondered if it would work as well with this design. While I haven’t measured temperatures, I can say it keeps drinks refreshingly cold for hours. The stainless steel interior doesn’t add a taste, and I haven’t noticed flavor transfer from different drinks, either. The lid and straw are also impressively leakproof. I often carry the tumbler at an angle, and even when full, it hasn’t spilled.

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It comes in 32- and 40-ounce sizes, and I bought the larger option. It’s not heavy at 1.27 pounds, and I’m so used to seeing 40-ounce Stanley cups that the size seems less ridiculously big than it is. At $35, the Hydro Flask costs $10 less than both a Stanley of the same size and Yeti’s 42-ounce Rambler.

I even prefer the All Around Travel Tumbler to my Hydro Flask 40-Ounce Wide-Mouth Water Bottles. While the capacity is the same, the bottle feels bulkier, and it’s too wide to fit in a cup holder. Also, I can’t count the times I’ve spilled on myself trying to drink from the wide-mouth bottle while walking. The tumbler prevents this. And drinking from a straw is quicker and easier than screwing a cap on and off. It turns out the Stanley and Yeti fans were right: Not only does the capacity make me drink more water but the straw, as I suspected, keeps me hydrating throughout the day.

After resisting the cup trend for so long, I’m surprised how much I appreciate the All Around Travel Tumbler — so much that I’ve bought a second one. I didn’t want to choose just one color, anyway. I bring this tumbler almost everywhere I go and, yes, it’s right at home among all the Stanleys.

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