Stanley v Owala: The Big Bottle Debate

Reusable water bottles have become increasingly popular, gracing the desks of many students and office employees, soccer moms and more. Whether you’re still attached to your 5 dollar Nalgene from middle school, or you’re still stocking up on every new color drop from Hydroflask, there’s no doubt that two brands have recently topped popularity in the reusable water bottle world: Stanley and Owala. But which brand is truly better in design? For the sake of making a comparison between the most popular bottles, I will examine the ‘Quencher H2.O Flowstate 40 oz Tumbler’ from Stanley and the ‘FreeSip 24 oz’ from Owala. I use both of these bottles, so I’m able to add my own thoughts to their design.

Figure 1: Owala (left) and Stanley (right) water bottles

Design Differences

While their appearance may be different, both of these water bottles are cut from a similar cloth. Both these bottles are made of stainless steel, though Stanley specifically states that their stainless steel is recycled. Both bottles are also BPA free. However, the build of their bottles seems to be one of the many differences between these bottles. Stanley uses a “double-wall vacuum insulation” [1] whereas the Owala is built “triple layer insulated” [2]. Janae Mckenzie, a writer for House Beautiful, conducted a small experiment on both the Owala “FreeSip” and the Stanley “Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler” to determine which one was better at maintaining their temperature overnight. She found that, “The triple insulation on the Owala kept it notably colder than the double-walled Stanley, but [she] was pleased with the results from both” [3]. However, her experiment was qualitative in nature, so I decided to conduct a more official, quantitative temperature test:

1. Test the temperature of the air in each water bottle with a temperature sensor, and record each initial temperature.

2. Pour 13 oz of water into each water bottle, recording the initial temperature of the water once it’s in the bottle.

3. Measure and pour .63 ounces of ice into each bottle. Put the lids on each bottle and make sure they’re on tight.

4. Place the bottles in an area where they have the same amount of sunlight and let them rest for 4 hours. 

5. After 4 hours, test the temperature of the water in each water bottle. Record the final temperature.

Table 1

Bottle Type	Initial Temp of Bottle (°F)	Initial Temp of Water (°F)	Final Temp of Water (°F)
Stanley	93	87	83
Owala	95	98	89

Discussion of test results

There are noticeably some errors in this experiment. When I poured the water into each bottle, I used two different containers to pour the water into the bottles. For the Stanley, I used a metal Hydroflask water bottle, and for the Owala, I used a glass cup. This could’ve caused the difference in water temperatures. However, my experiment results turned out similar to Mckenzie’s and justified her qualitative data. The Owala was able to cool and maintain a temperature drop of 9 degrees whereas the Stanley only dropped 4 degrees. Both water bottles did a sufficient job of keeping their water cool. If I were to conduct this experiment again, I would use a better thermometer to ensure the temperatures of each bottle were correct, and I would ensure both bottles started at the same temperature. I would also leave the bottles around for closer to 12 hours instead of just 4. 

Figure 2: The tops of the water bottles

One glaring difference between the two bottles is the build. The Stanley features a tapered base in order to fit into a standard cup holder no matter the ounce size. The Owala does not. Generally, only the 24 oz can fit into a cup holder. The Stanley has 48 different colors for purchase on their website. The Owala only has 24. Both brands do have limited edition drops where bottles can be purchased with special patterns—sometimes collaborating with popular brands to bring users a reusable water bottle that fits both brand aesthetics. Stanley has an exposed straw. The Owala has a concealed straw, contained underneath the resealable lid. One thing I love about my Owala is the ability to choose to sip out of the straw or chug the contents of my bottle at the drop of a hat. Stanley still has the option to choose either. However, in order to take a swig out of the Stanley, I would have to remove the straw and move the middle section. After owning my Owala for two years and my Stanley for one, these are the pros and cons I could come up with for both (again, my Owala is only a 24 oz and my Stanley is a 40 oz):

Owala 

Figure 3: An Owala water bottle

Pros: 

• doesn’t leak if tipped over 

• includes a carry loop 

• easy to open

• slim fit to fit into my car cup and backpack bottle slot 

• can be thrown into a bag without worrying about spillage

Cons: 

• the mouthpiece easily builds up mold 

• the straw dislodges from the lid a lot easier now than it used to 

• easily builds up pressure and will explode in huge air pressure changes (trust me, it’s happened before on my last couple of flights)

• can only hold cool liquids 

• not dishwasher safe

Stanley 

Figure 4: A Stanley water bottle

Pros: 

• can contain both hot and cold liquids 

• dishwasher safe 

• easy to drink out of hands-free 

• helpful handle

Cons: 

• will leak if tipped over 

• doesn’t have a lid for the top of the straw 

• Stanley lid is almost impossible to remove (probably user error) 

• won’t fit entirely into my backpack bottle slot 

• more bulky

Conclusion

I love both of my water bottles. I love my Stanley because it holds more water and the straw encourages me to drink more water. I love my Owala because I don’t have to worry about it spilling everywhere. They have their respective pros and cons, but if I had to purchase another one, I would purchase another Owala. I prefer its convenience and resealable lid over the color choice and cleanliness of the Stanley. Overall, both products are outstanding examples of everyday innovation.  

REFERENCES

[1] “The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler | 30 OZ.” Stanley, https://www.stanley1913.com/products/adventure-quencher-travel-tumbler-30-oz?variant=53972748730728. Accessed June 16, 2025.

{2] “Free Sip.” Owala, https://owalalife.com/products/freesip?Color=Spring+Revival&Material=Stainless+Steel&Size=24oz&selectionType=local. Accessed June 16, 2025.

[3] Mckenzie, Janae. “Owala vs. Stanley: I Tested Both Water Bottles for a Week and There's One Clear Winner.” House Beautiful, 17 April 2025, https://www.housebeautiful.com/shopping/home-accessories/a64503993/owala-vs-stanley-bottle-review-guide/. Accessed June 16, 2025.

To cite this article:
Sunday, Emelia. “Stanley v Owala: The Big Bottle Debate.” The BYU Design Review, 21 July 2025, https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/stanley-v-owala-the-big-bottle-debate.