Hydro Flask Hydro Flask 24 oz Review

Hydro Flask 24 oz Overview

I put the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle, a flagship model, to the test over months of use. This version has a grippy swinging handle lid, 24 ounces of liquid capacity, and a slim design that fits in cup holders and backpack pockets. The bottle claims 24 hours of icy cold and up to 12 hours of hot, and I know this is the stat everyone cares about. It met the mark for hot, and went well beyond for cold.

When it comes to insulated water bottles there is one company you’ll see just about everywhere: Hydro Flask. The smiling, jumping-jack individual with spiky hair (yes, I just described the logo) has become a commonplace sight at work, on bikes, in the woods, and everywhere in between. This is due to reliable bottles, elegant design, and some stellar marketing.

Due to how well-designed and simple these bottles are, as well as the quality of their insulation, we have awarded the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle our Classic Pick for the Day Hiker and Urban Hiker.

Read the full review of the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle below.

Hydro Flask 24 oz Specifications

Gear Review of the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulate Bottle

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

There were plenty of normal days where I carried the Standard Mouth bottle around, from hikes to working in coffee shops to long car trips. It never leaked, which is really the most one can ask for day-to-day use, and was always a pleasure to use.

The real test, though, was when I took the Standard Mouth to the Yucatan during my honeymoon — it had big, icy shoes to fill in a sticky hot climate. I made it a routine of grabbing an ice-cold bottle of water from a supermarket and immediately emptying it into the Standard Mouth. This assured my water would stay cold — and a cold sip on a hot day of ruin climbing is most excellent.

The Standard Mouth basking in sunshine.

The moment I knew this was the bottle was as I drank that icy cold water on top of the Coba ruins, an hour from the coastal town of Tulum, deep in the jungle. We had been in the park for hours, biking to see remnants of Mayan architecture. Coba (as of 2017) is the last major Mayan ruin with a many-staired structure you can climb on. The 120 stairs are tall, spaced very close together, and provide a sort of vertigo experience as you get above the treeline.

After climbing the stairs.

At the top of this climb, during the heat of the day, I uncapped the Standard Mouth and drank ice-cold water. Can you beat it? No.

Sometimes water bottles like alone time after a stair climb.

Digging Deeper

Lid

The Standard Mouth’s lid comes with the “Standard Mouth Flex Cap”. A good lid can go a long way to make a bottle, and this one is excellent. Hydro Flask uses a rugged yet soft plastic loop for easy carrying, and it’s the right level of bendable yet firm. The handle also rotates completely, allowing for stow-away storage when you’re not carrying it with your fingers.

The lid takes an extra twist to fully seal, but it’s worth it.

The twist part of the lid is easy, but make sure you screw it all the way in. This lid takes that extra crank for a true seal, and while I’ve gotten used to it, I was surprised it took so many twists at first. If you do seal it fully, it won’t leak.

Lastly, despite being a “standard” sized mouth, you can still fit ice cubes in this thing. That is truly the best of both worlds to me, and any insulated bottle that can’t fit ice cubes has a major flaw.

Insulated bottles must fit ice, and the Standard Mouth has no issue.

Durability

Insulated stainless steel water bottles have a historical issue of denting due to a vacuum between the outer and inner walls. Somehow, Hydro Flask has thwarted the majority of this issue. In general I am careful with my gear, but for testing I threw this bottle around. It does not have a dent, scratch, or ding.

Form Factor

The form factor of the 24 oz Standard Mouth is long, tall, and sleek. It’s easy to grip for any size hands, fits anywhere, and is easy to stash away. Yet it’s also substantial enough that I never lost it, or felt like it was hard to find in a bag crammed with gear.

Easy to grip, simple to store.

Insulation

As I said above, the claimed insulation times by Hydro Flask for the 24 oz Standard Mouth are 24 hours for cold, 12 hours for hot. I tested both of these the way any normal person would — a smartphone timer.

Hot: I boiled 24 ounces of water and poured it into the Standard Mouth. Every couple hours I took off the lid, noticed the rising steam, poured a tiny fraction of water into another cup, and took a sip. Yup, still scalding hot. It was slightly cooler by the 12th hour, but not by much. I was seriously impressed.

Note that the water bottle stayed mostly full during this time, which helps it retain heat. If I had filled it halfway with scalding water, it would likely not last the full 12 hours. So if you’re actually drinking your liquid during this time (rather than letting it sit on purpose), don’t expect quite as good results. Tested at about 70 feet elevation in 65 degree weather.

Cold: My second test was done during a road trip from Ventura to Petaluma, California. I filled the 24 oz Standard Mouth to the brim with ice cubes, filled it with water, and set the timer. I threw it in the car and let it sit for 24 hours. Actually, truthfully, I forgot about it because I was road-tripping. At the 30 hour mark on my phone I cried, “Oh, crap!” and ran to the car to check. The cubes were still whole, and the water was way too cold for me to drink (I prefer room temp). So, yes, it more than passed.

Insulation matters a lot to people, and the Standard Mouth performed incredibly well.

Grievances

Ah, grievances. I’m a gear snob, and a water bottle snob, yet if I’m honest I can’t find much wrong with this bottle. It looks good, feels good, has a great lid and no real issues to speak of. Even the brushed coat of paint has a bit of texture for gripping.

The one thing I did notice — 24 ounces isn’t enough water for me. I’m a hardcore hydrator and typically carry a 32-ounce Wide Mouth Nalgene with me at all times. The 24-ounce capacity of this bottle would have only been improved if it was actually a 32-ounce water bottle.

Guess what? Hydro Flask makes one of those! It’s the other most popular bottle by the brand — the Hydro Flask 32 oz Wide Mouth Bottle. Now, a wide mouth means a wide body, which also means it won’t fit in cup holders and is bulkier overall. Most hikers want a slimmer bottle, and will be fine with the 24-ounce capacity of the bottle I tested.

The cream of the crop for me would be a 32-ounce Standard Mouth bottle. Maybe Hydro Flask will make one someday.

Final Word

Cold for days, hot for hours, and easy to handle. You know what you’re getting when you reach for the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Bottle — the best.

Where to Buy Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle

We tested the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle in green with the Standard Flex Cap. This is the size and lid usually available in stores and online. Hydro Flask offers the Standard Mouth form factor in 12 oz, 18 oz, and 21 oz sizes — we like 24 oz the most because we prefer large drinks!

Hydro Flask also has a Wide Mouth series, which is very popular, and which we recommend if you want more water and a wider mouth. The Hydro Flask 32 oz Wide Mouth Insulted Bottle is your best bet for that.

Compare Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle and Hydro Flask 32 oz Wide Mouth prices below.

Editor