Hydro Flask 18 oz Wide Mouth

HYDRO FLASK Wide Mouth Water Bottle, 18 oz.

I really like this water bottle. It is doubled walled stainless steel with a vacuum between the two walls so it insulates really well. It has the standard wide mouth and cap. Water and ice in it will last all day, no matter how hot it is. I find that if I put too much ice in it, that becomes a problem because when I open it hours later, it will still be full of ice.

It is really nice after being out on a hot day to be able to have ice water when I get back to the car. It will hold more than a single adult beverage, keep it cold for hours, and raise no suspicions. It is small enough to fit in some jacket pockets.

The double wall construction does add some weight, but it is worth it. It also fits well in cupholders.

To test the insulating abilities, I filled it with ice and water and left in on the kitchen counter before I went to bed and there was still ice in it when I woke up the next morning, so I left in on the counter and there was still even a little ice left when I came home from work in the evening. 

The cap did leak initially. I saw the other comments about the gasket, so looked at my gasket inside the cap with a strong light. Sure enough, my gasket was not laying flat. I used a non-sharp object to manipulate the gasket so it lays flat, and no leaks since.

Resting at home:

With the 21 oz narrow mouth and the 40 oz wide mouth, plus the obligatory Nalgene for comparison:

Works well, but only when it works...

I bought a Hydro Flask for the purpose of having a hot beverage with me on winter hikes. Initially, it worked well. My drinks were often so hot I could barely drink them.

Less than one year after purchasing the Hydro Flask, I was up on Mt Jackson in 0 degree temps and the lid wouldn't open. I finally got it open and my drink seemed okay. I went to use it the next day on a long snowshoeing hike and when I tried to open it, it refused to open. My husband finally forced it open and my drink was cold. Not just lukewarm but cold. I gave it a third try and that time the lid opened fine, but the drink was cold in less than 2 hours.

I contacted customer service two times and also left both a tweet and a Facebook message and got no reply. The bottles supposedly have a lifetime warranty, but that is dependent upon reaching someone in customer service.

I would not buy another Hydro Flask again. I am sure there are other insulated bottles available that are longer lasting and have better customer service. Don't waste your money on this product.