With 2024 coming to a close, even if you don’t own a trendy water bottle, I’m sure you’ve heard all about them. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest are filled with influencers promoting products like expensive water bottles. And from there, people either start buying the products themselves or they’ll receive them as gifts. And honestly, a nice water bottle is a great gift.
A few years ago, you probably noticed the Hydroflask brand water bottle all over the halls of Brentwood. And while that brand is still popular, there are two big names that have replaced it as the trendiest: Stanley and Owala. Both are giant; both are made of stainless steel; and both will cost you more than $35, but which is actually better?
Yet before we dive into that investigation, let me provide some backstory. For starters, the Stanley isn’t technically new — the brand has actually been around for more than 100 years. They were created by inventor William Stanley Jr. He built on the brand having invention, innovation, and inspiration with a timeless spirit that complements your wild imagination in mind. A Steady stream of products continues to honor the Stanley legacy, as, according to the Stanley website, its motto is “Keeping your warms, warm and your colds cold.”
As for the Owala, it is a much newer brand. This water bottle was invented in 2020 by CEO Steve Sorensen, who thought that society’s water bottles were oversized and not practical for everyday life.
Despite Owala being a relatively new brand and the Stanley being more than a century old, the two water bottles have both skyrocketed in popularity within the past 18 months or so. So what are the similarities between the two? We know that they both are stainless steel, come in 32-ounce and 40-ounce sizes and have many colors to choose from, but what’s different about them?
For starters, Stanleys weigh 0.21 pounds more than Owalas. Stanleys also costs 45 dollars for a 40-ounce bottle and Owalas only cost 38 dollars for the same size. Stanleys colors are more simple and solid colors. For example, the Stanley has a simple all-mint color or a pale pink color. While Owalas are more multi-colored, like a pink lid with a yellow bottle or a green lid with a brown bottle. In total, Stanleys come in more than 30 colors while Owalas have around 15 color options to choose from.
The biggest difference between the two is that the Stanley has a straw that comes out and a handle, as for an Owala, the straw is built inside, so there is no handle.
I personally have a Stanley and think they are superior to Owalas. I also feel like the colors are so much prettier. I also like how the Stanley has a handle so I can carry it around without feeling like I’m going to drop it, but I also don’t have an Owala so I’m probably biased. I spoke with Sophomore Dani Taylor, and she mentioned that she “likes Stanleys better overall because my water stays colder longer, and I feel like the colors are prettier.” Taylor also doesn’t have an Owala, so, like me, I’m not surprised that she prefers the water bottle she has.
With that in mind, I wanted to speak to some people who have both kinds of water bottles in order to get their take on which they prefer. Sophomore Ashlyn Wildgrube owns both a Stanley and Owala. “I like Stanleys more for the color and the water tastes better,” she said. “But Owalas are more convenient for sports.”
Brentwood FACS teacher Ms. Biever also owns both kinds of water bottles. Yet, she doesn’t have a clear favorite, instead liking each for different reasons. “I use my Stanley for school and errands and I use my Owala for hiking and outdoor purposes,” she said.
We at The Nest decided that we wanted to go beyond personal preference and do some tests. We decided to test the inside differences between the water bottles. We put eight ice cubes into both 32-ounce bottles and filled them with water. We were gonna see which one kept the ice longer. By 11:00 they were both melted, so we tested to see which was colder and which tasted better. Without knowing which water I was drinking, I said that I thought the Stanley tasted better and was colder. But we need more than one opinion so we asked freshman Shaun R Hudson. He had the same answer as me that the Stanley was colder, but he felt like the Owala tasted better.
We decided to test on a different day, to see which water bottle would keep ice water for long enough. I filled up both bottles with ice and water and checked on them throughout the day. By the end of the day, both bottles seem to look the same. So the good news is that both water bottles are perfect for keeping your drink cold throughout the day. If you know anyone who would love a water bottle that is resourceful these bottles would be great gift ideas.
As you can see there’s no true decision of which one is better. They both have their pros and cons which make them both strong candidates. If you’re looking for an outdoor companion with a vintage feel, Owala might be the right choice; if you prioritize convenience, modern aesthetics, and portability for daily life, Stanley could be the better option. Both brands excel in their own way, but this still brings us to the question: Stanleys or Owalas? Or maybe there’s going to be a new water bottle coming out this holiday season that will make both brands reach unc status.
