Hydro Flask Reusable Coffee Cup Review – Honest & Unbiased

Looking for an honest and unbiased review of the Hydro Flask? I’ve been using mine regularly for over six years now, so here’s exactly how I’ve got on with my bottle over the years – warts and all.

I’ve been using my Hydro Flask reusable coffee cup for six years now. Back then I had been on the hunt for the very best reusable coffee cup, and I had tried a few different options. None of them were working for me – I seemed to run into the same two problems.

Firstly, six years ago, my youngest daughter was in a buggy, which meant I couldn’t carry a reusable coffee cup. I tried once to balance it in the buggy basket but that only resulted in spilled tea. And while you shouldn’t cry over spilt milk, you should definitely cry over spilt tea.

At the time I was also commuting to work on the bus. I used my commute to drink tea and read the news on my phone. The problem was that I’d normally be fumbling in my purse to find change for the bus, or trying to find my ticket. Having one hand out of action whilst holding an unsealed coffee cup wasn’t ideal. Nor was trying to pour tea from a flask into a small cup in a moving vehicle.

What I wanted was something like a flask, that could be sealed up and chucked in my bag without fear of spillage, but was easy to drink on the bus. 

I didn’t think such an invention existed. Then, one day, I came across the Hydro Flask – a reusable coffee cup that promised not to leak. After reading a little about it I bought one a medium sized one as a treat to myself in the hope that it would solve all of my tea-based problems.

The Hydro Flask In Detail

I was soon smitten. After a month, I could confidently say, hand on heart, that it was the best reusable coffee cup out there, by a mile.

I had tossed it around my bag on all kinds of adventures and had zero leaks! On my commute to work I could pop it in my bag and have two hands free to get on the bus with ease. Off to the park with my little ones? I could pop it in my bag and off we would go. Car journey to make? I could pop it in the car and not have to worry about it spilling when we hit a bumpy road.

I found it kept my drinks piping hot for hours. So hot, in fact, that I had to make my tea or coffee and leave it to cool for 5 minutes or so before decanting it into the Hydro Flask. Otherwise, it’s scalding hot and undrinkable for a good couple of hours, which, yes, I did learn the hard way.

Likewise, I found it was also great at keeping cold drinks cold. This meant I didn’t have to carry a separate reusable coffee cup and water bottle. This freed up precious space in my already bulging mum bag.

What I loved most about the Hydro Flask is that when you screw the cap back on it doesn’t cause the liquid to displace if you’ve been a bit overzealous and happened to fill it up a bit too much.

I also loved that the bottle was easier to clean than a traditional flask. There were no fiddly components. Just a solid lid. This means it’s not prone to fusty odours that flasks can be prone to. I honestly couldn’t find any downsides – apart from the fact it’s not dishwasher safe!

Six Years On

Six years on, and I am still loving the Hydro Flask. I sadly misplaced my original bright blue bottle, so four years ago I replaced it with the olive green bottle. And then I bought the navy blue bottle for my partner for his birthday around about the same time.

Despite years of use, the bottles still look good. The paint work stands up to every day wear and tear. They have been robust enough to withstand the occassional drop – with no dents or scratches. I think the only issue is that the logo has started to wear off on my bottle – which is no big deal.

The bottle crucially also still keeps my hot drinks hot, and my cool drinks cool. Reassuringly, I’ve found that it they ever do develop insulation problems, it’s covered by Hydro Flask’s lifetime warranty.

I’ve never had any problems with leakage. And coffee shops generally are happy to fill it, meaning I get the reusable cup discount that many coffee shops offer.

Where To Buy

I’ve found the Hydro Flask online at several retailers in the UK:

• John Lewis
• Wildbounds
• Amazon
• Ellis Brigham

Looking for more zero-waste on-the-go ideas? Try my guide to the best kids’ water bottles.