Hydro Flask Lightweight Wide Mouth Trail Series Review
Our Verdict
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Hydro Flask Lightweight Wide Mouth Trail Series | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Price | $45 List $44.95 at REI | $45 List $39.95 at REI | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $33 List $31.49 at Amazon | $22 List |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Simple, durable, easy to use | Well-insulated, great carrying handle, easy to clean, stainless-steel straw | Simple design, inexpensive, lightweight | Sleek design, affordable, low-profile for filter bottle | Affordable, insulates well, has interchangeable lids, easily portable |
Cons | Very expensive | Heavy, expensive | Made of plastic, doesn't fit in all cupholders | Limited to water use only, small capacity | Paint chipping after a few months of use, flip cap seemed to lack security |
Bottom Line | A solid and straightforward vacuum insulated bottle that is easy to use and clean and weighs significantly less than similar options | A thoughtfully designed bottle with an impressive feature set that works extremely well | This bottle is recommended because it is simple, lightweight, durable and has a solid feature set | A bottle that is aesthetically appealing and effective at providing filtered water without leaks and other mishaps | This is one of our favorite bottles because it's easy to use, just the right size, lightweight and inexpensive |
Rating Categories | Hydro Flask Lightwe... | Klean Kanteen TKWid... | CamelBak Eddy+ Trit... | Brita Stainless Ste... | Simple Modern Summit |
Ease of Use (40%) | |||||
Durability (25%) | |||||
Weight (20%) | |||||
Taste (15%) | |||||
Specs | Hydro Flask Lightwe... | Klean Kanteen TKWid... | CamelBak Eddy+ Trit... | Brita Stainless Ste... | Simple Modern Summit |
Body Material | 18/8 stainless steel | 90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel | BPA-free plastic | 18/8 stainless steel | 18/8 stainless steel |
Empty Weight | 10.5 oz | 20.1 oz | 7.1 oz | 13.9 oz | 15.7 oz |
Volume | 24 oz | 32 oz | 32 oz | 20 oz | 32 oz |
Bottle Weight per Fluid oz Capacity | 0.44 oz | 0.63 oz | 0.22 oz | 0.7 oz | 0.5 oz |
Mouth Diameter | 3 in | 2.6 in | 2.3 in | 2 in | 2.25 in |
Base Diameter | 3.2 in | 3.6 in | 3.8 in | 2.8 in | 3.5 in |
Height | 10.2 in | 10.36 in | 9.25 in | 10.75 in | 9 in |
Body Type | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional |
Free of Materials | BPA, BPS and Phthalate Free | BPA-free | BPA, BPS, BPF free | BPA-free | BPA-free |
Cap/Lid Type | Screw cap | Screw cap, twist top | Screw cap, flip top | Screw-cap with straw | Screw Cap, flip top |
Volume Options | 24 oz, 32 oz | 12 oz, 16 oz, 20 oz, 32 oz | 14 oz, 25 oz, 32 oz | 20 oz | 14 oz, 18 oz, 22 oz, 32 oz, 40 oz, 64 oz, 84 oz |
Our Analysis and Test Results
This bottle is a solid all-around performer. It is lightweight, portable, and extremely easy to use. We appreciated its slim shape for its overall portability but also found it to be difficult to clean because of this.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Use
In the world of hydration, Hydro Flask has established itself as a quality brand that makes easy-to-use insulated bottles. The Lightweight Trail Series is no exception. This bottle has a straightforward design, much like the other Hydro Flask insulated bottles we've tested in years past. This one has a slightly lighter-weight carrying handle and a slimmer shape overall. With a brush, it's easy to clean the threads and gasket on the lid and lip, though its towering height (over 10 inches) makes it a bit more difficult to get to the bottom of the bottle on a routine clean. This bottle easily fits into a car cupholder, thanks to its slender shape and 2-inch base diameter. It keeps beverages piping hot — almost too hot. We found that we had to let our tea cool for hours before sipping on it from the Hydro Flask Lightweight.
Durability
To test durability, we perform two separate tests on each bottle. The Hydro Flask Lightweight excelled at our first test, which involves dropping the bottle onto a cement surface from the height of 3.5 feet. This Hydro Flask walked away unscathed, not showing a single dent from this drop.
We next assess the durability of the gaskets and the quality of the lid design by performing a leak test. This involves filling the bottle with colored water and laying it on its side for 3 hours. The Hydro Flask showed no signs of leakage after this test. Overall, this bottle ranks high in terms of durability.
Weight
Hydro Flask must have been hearing some complaints about the heftiness of their bottles in the past because this is the first iteration we have tested of their new lightweight model. We were impressed. The Hydro Flask Lightweight retains all the same insulating qualities of previous models we've tested but weighs just 10.5 ounces for a 24-ounce capacity bottle. For comparison, the 24 oz Hydro Flask Standard Mouth bottle weighs 12.9 oz.
Taste
Unfortunately, imparting flavors was an issue with the Hydro Flask Lightweight. Insulated bottles present a Catch-22 when it comes to flavors: we typically use them to store hot tea, coffee, and other powerful flavors and yet also rely on them to keep water cool as well. This means that we expect a lot out of these bottles. The Hydro Flask doesn't respond well to laziness — it requires frequent cleaning in order to avoid lingering flavors.
When we conducted our taste test, we noticed a fair amount of lingering flavor from our drink mix, even after washing. Right out of the box, the Hydro Flask was ready to use. We didn't find any plastic-y or chemical flavors when we unwrapped it from its packaging, which is a big plus.
Should You Buy the Hydro Flask Lightweight Wide Mouth Trail Series?
The Hydro Flask Lightweight Wide Mouth receives impressive scores across the board. This bottle has a super simple design, is lightweight, insulates very well, and fits in a car cupholder. However, it imparts flavors more than other bottles and requires more attention when cleaning in order to avoid an unappealing coffee/Gatorade mash-up. Overall, though, this bottle is a great investment for those looking for a versatile and reliable all-arounder.
What Other Water Bottle Should You Consider?
Though we do like this bottle a lot, it's certainly not cheap. If you are seeking a great insulated bottle on a budget, check out the more affordable Simple Modern Summit. For those interested in a filter bottle for everyday use, check out the Brita Stainless Steel Filter Bottle.
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