Hydro Flask water bottles are lightweight, nearly indestructible, and just downright fun

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The Hydro Flask Shave Ice edition Standard Mouth Water Bottle, afloat in the waters off Hawaii.

• Thin and lightweight, Hydro Flask's Standard Mouth is the water bottle I take on the go.
• It comes with a smooth but still grippy finish, it's thin so it fits easily in most of my (already jam-packed) bags, and it comes in all the pretty colors.
• Right now, Hydro Flask is selling a limited-edition collection of Hawaiian shave ice-inspired bottles, as seen above, in three different colorways: Blue Hawaii, Hawaiian Rainbow, and Mai Tai.
• You can get the water bottle in three sizes - 18, 21, or 24 ounces. The 18 ounce is $30 and the 24 ounce is $35, while special-edition colors in the 21- and 24-ounce sizes cost $40.

The Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Water Bottle is a simple water bottle. Inherently, there's not much to it, and that's what I like. It's double walled and vacuum sealed but you wouldn't know by looking at - or carrying - it.

Double walled and vacuum sealed, by the way, is a century-old technology, and most modern, steel-walled water bottles employ it. In short, it involves one flask (or bottle) being placed over another, and the gap between the two being vacuumed before its sealed, which stabilizes the inside temperature, keeping cold things cold and hot things hot longer.

I like just about everything else about it, too. The spray-on finish has a luxurious feel, and the new Hawaiian shave ice ombrés are just downright seductive. (Dear Hydro Flask, please do not discontinue this limited-edition run!)

If you want a "Wide Mouth" container, or a larger bottle, Wide Mouth models come in 18-, 32-, 40- and 64-ounce sizes, and, like the Standard Mouth models, are compatible with a few different caps and lids.

The narrow body of my 24-ounce bottle also means it can fit in just about everything, from my laptop case (where I can safely trust it not to open and expel its contents), to my boat bag. It refuses rust even after repeated soaks in the sea (without a wash), and there's a unobtrusive, collapsible silicone handle that you can use to attach it to a bag or railing if need be.

But that "if need be" should not be taken lightly. The strap, being silicone, is not the most durable thing in the world, and it will eventually break, especially if you're clipping it into a carabiner often enough. There are a handful of complaints right on Hydro Flask's website attesting to this where the replacement cap is sold for $7.50. The other side of this issue, while not a perfect solution, and certainly a nuisance, is that this bottle comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which does include things like the Flex Cap's strap breaking. And, again, you could also purchase a different cap or lid altogether.

The rest of the water bottle is nearly indestructible. I've dropped it down flights of stairs, I've kicked it across the deck of my boat, and it's rolled all the way down my gravel-laden driveway with little more than a scratch. There were some smudges after all that, but I was able to buff them out, which I found impressive (not in reference to me, but the bottle, of course).

All in all, this is a functional yet fashionable vessel for hydration, and while it's not the water bottle I'd necessarily choose to take on any long-distance kayaking or hiking sojourn, it'll hold its own just about anywhere to a point, and, in an urban setting, it's a delightfully refreshing splash of color. What more do most of us need in a water bottle this summer?

Pros: Lightweight, streamline, several cap choices available

Cons: Strap with included cap prone to breaking

Buy the 24-oz Hydro Flask Standard Mouth for $34.95

Buy the limited-edition Shave Ice 24 oz Hydro Flask Standard Mouth for $39.95

Shop additional Hydro Flask caps and lids from $7.50 to $9.95

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