Healthy Human vs Hydro Flask: Which Bottle is Better?

A simple solution to the problem of not drinking enough water on a daily basis is buying a reusable stainless steel water bottle that you’ll be able to refill throughout the day.

What is more, this kind of bottle can also keep a cold drink cold or a hot drink hot for hours on end. It goes without saying, but that turns it into a great accessory for backcountry explorers and all those in love with the outdoors.

Two of the biggest rivals on the reusable water bottle market are Healthy Human vs Hydro Flask. Both brands design, manufacture, and sell bottles that are extremely popular and trendy, as is evidenced by a massive number of counterfeit “Healthy Human” and “Hydro Flask” bottles sold by disreputable vendors.

But which one of these two brands is actually better? Let’s find an answer to that question by comparing two popular reusable bottles made by each company: 

Healthy Human vs Hydro Flask – A Product Overview

Healthy Human Sports Travel Water Bottle

Healthy Human Insulated Water bottle

Specifications: 

  • Weight: 12.2 oz 
  • Material: Stainless steel 
  • Insulation: Temp-Max insulation 
  • Sizes Available: 3
  • Colors Available: 35

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Pros:

  • Well-insulated & durable 
  • Ergonomic handle & free carabiner 
  • Available in 35 colors 

Cons:

  • Flimsy rubber seal 

This particular Human Health bottle is one of the brand’s most popular for a good reason. Available in a variety of colors, it is one of the sleekest-looking products of this type on the market.

However, its looks aren’t the only good thing about it – the bottle’s Temp-Max insulation does a great job at maintaining the temperature of cold and hot drinks, and its stainless steel construction gives it durability and stops the bottle from retaining tastes or smells.


Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Water Bottle

Mint Hydro Flask Insulated Bottle

Specifications: 

  • Weight: 11.3 oz  
  • Material: Stainless steel 
  • Insulation: TempShield insulation 
  • Sizes Available: 3
  • Colors Available: 14

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Pros:

  • Keeps hot drinks hot for 8 hours 
  • Sleek & simple design 
  • Dishwasher-safe 

Cons:

  • The lid can be difficult to screw in 

Probably the most popular reusable water bottle in the world, Hydro Flask Standard Mouth excels in every department. Its TempShield double-walled vacuum insulation keeps drinks ice-cold or piping hot, while its slip-free powder coating provides the user with a good grip.

The model’s exceptionally simple but practical design just works – it’s one of those hassle-free pieces of drinkware that you can use anytime and anywhere without having to deal with complicated parts or mechanisms.


Healthy Human vs Hydro Flask – The Comparison

The Insulation

Hydro Flask bottle leans against a tree

The most important feature of insulated water bottles is, obviously, their insulation. Both of the models I’m comparing here use double-walled vacuum insulation, but each brand has a different name for it. Healthy Human calls it “Temp-Max insulation”, and Hydro Flask’s name for it is “TempShield insulation”. 

Just like most other products of this type, the Healthy Human Sports Travel Water Bottle is advertised as a piece of drinkware that can keep one’s hot beverage hot for 12 hours and a cold drink cold for about 24 hours.

In reality, the bottle keeps coffee and tea piping hot for about 6 hours, which is, in my opinion, still pretty good. The bottle is much better at maintaining the temperature of cold drinks and can really do so for the duration of one whole day. 

The Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Water Bottle, on the other hand, provides a similar performance when it comes to cold drinks but fares a bit better when it comes to hot beverages.

The model can and will keep your coffee or tea hot for about 8 hours – fill the bottle with your favorite warm beverage in the morning, and it will still be warm for your lunch break. Hydro Flask’s TempShield technology is, without a doubt, one of the best on the market. 

The Durability

Black Hydro Flask sits on bench

It goes without saying, but stainless steel is a very durable material – the bottles made out of it are far more long-lasting than their plastic counterparts. However, not all stainless steel bottles are equally durable. The ones made by Yeti, for example, are far less likely to suffer dents and scratches than the cheap bottles made by no-name brands. 

The Healthy Human Sports Travel Water Bottle is a very durable piece of drinkware – there’s no doubt about that. The model feels thick and rugged in hands and it suffered no serious dents or scratches during my drop test.

One very important thing to mention here is that Healthy Human’s customer service is among the best ones out there, so if you end up with a flawed bottle, you’ll be able to have it replaced without much hassle. 

The Hydro Flask’s model is just as durable and rugged. For a bottle that weighs just a bit over 11 ounces, the Hydro Flask Standard Mouth looks and feels very sturdy and like it can handle inevitable daily wear and tear with ease. Just like its rival, the model suffered no severe dents or major scratches during my drop test, but that’s something I expected – after all, Hydro Flask bottles are well-known for their longevity.

In the realm of water bottle comparisons, another matchup that often sparks interest is the Hydro Flask vs Hydra Peak. Each brand brings its unique features to the table, further expanding the choices for consumers.

The Ease of Use 

There’s nothing complicated about reusable stainless steel bottles – you just take one into your hand and take a few sips of your favorite drink whenever you want to. However, all of the renowned manufacturers of these products, including Healthy Human and Hydro Flask, try to make their bottles as user-friendly as possible. 

For example, both the Healthy Human and the Hydro Flask bottles have a powder-coated design, i.e. they’re coated with special finishes that make them extra durable, sweat-free, and also easier to grip. Another similarity is the carrying handle – both bottles have one.

In my opinion, the handle found on the Human Health bottle is a bit better, as it sports a more ergonomic, 3-finger shape and isn’t as basic as that on the Hydro Flask bottle. Also, the Human Health bottle comes accompanied by a free carabiner. 

The Weight 

Both of these bottles are quite lightweight and portable. The Healthy Human Sports Travel Water Bottle weighs 12.2 ounces, while the weight of its rival stands at 11.3 ounces. The difference of only 0.9 ounces is insignificant and should not be the deciding factor if you’re having a dilemma of which of these two bottles to go with. 

One advantage that the Human Health bottle has over its rival in this department is the fact that it’s available in 16 oz, 21 oz, and 32 oz variants. The Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Water Bottle, on the other hand, is also available in three sizes but the size variety isn’t as wide as in the case of the Human Health bottle – the available variants are 18 oz, 21 oz, and 24 oz. 

The Taste 

A lot of people still refuse to replace their plastic bottles with stainless steel ones because of a certain stigma that surrounds these products – that they give all drinks (especially water) a metallic taste.

Fortunately, that is not true in the case of the two bottles I’m comparing in this article. Neither Human Health nor Hydro Flask bottle imparts or retains flavors. 

An important thing to mention here is that the Hydro Flask bottle is completely dishwasher-safe, while the manufacturer of its rival recommends only hand washing. Furthermore, both bottles are entirely BPA-free and contain no phthalates or other dangerous substances. Finally, both models fit inside average-sized car cup holders. 

Healthy Human vs Hydro Flask – The Verdict

Black Hydro Flask in the woods

So, which one of these two bottles is actually a better choice? As far as I’m concerned, they’re both great and you can’t really go wrong by choosing either one of them.

If you want your hot beverages to stay hot a bit longer, the Hydro Flask bottle will be more up your alley. If you want a truly unique-looking stainless steel bottle, the Hydro Human one may be a better choice – it can be obtained in over 30 different color combinations.

If you don’t think that Hydro Human is the best Hydro Flask alternative, I suggest checking out my Hydro Flask vs Contigo comparison or my Hydro Flask vs Zojirushi comparison. And if you have come to the conclusion that stainless steel bottles are not your thing after all, read my post on the best collapsible water bottles.

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