Preface: This is not about VSCO girls. VSCO girls are beautiful and wonderful. I bought a HydroFlask before that trend started.
Last semester, I threw out my old CamelBak water bottle. I bought it in high school, so the loyal thing had been with me for almost five years.
With that being said, I found myself in search of a new water bottle. I didn’t really want a new CamelBak because I’m not a huge fan of the new design. I never considered a Nalgene because I don’t love the wide mouth.
So I turned to the other famous water bottle brand for people our age: HydroFlask. I’d seen them all over the internet, and they looked pretty cute and practical to me.
Naturally, my next step was to online shop on HydroFlask’s website. The color I wanted was on sale, so I figured it was destiny! I purchased the “Flamingo Pink” for $30, which was $5 off the original price. Considering the “boot” and “sling,” which are protectors for your HydroFlask, are each nearly another $10 and $35 purchase respectively, I opted out of them.
Once I got my HydroFlask in the mail, I immediately was disenchanted with it. Although it did keep my water cold, it just didn’t seem worth it. To me, the quality felt much cheaper than what I paid for.
However, I used it. I used it for six months. During those six months, it got countless dents, scratches, and other scuffs all over it. For the record, my old CamelBak endured the same trials the HydroFlask did. By the time the summer was over, I was left with a $30 P.O.S.
For paying (hypothetically, without a sale going on) almost $40 for a water bottle, I expected much better quality and longevity. However, I suppose it may be possible that HydroFlask realizes the necessity of the boot and sling “accessories” to protect your water bottle (so that it won’t turn out like mine) and revel in the fact that customers will probably spend upwards of $45 on add-ons when they purchase from this brand.
Honestly, I feel that HydroFlask water bottles are too expensive and high-maintenance. It seems to me that the brand knows what they’re doing when it comes to extracting money from customers. A water bottle should be able to endure drops and spills without costly protective gear.
With that being said, I bought another CamelBak.