My Owala bottle is more than just a cute emotional support water bottle – it’s a daily essential I don't leave the house without, whether I’m heading out for a hot girl walk, a day trip, a commute to work, or anything in between. She’s cute, she’s trendy, she’s insulated, and she comes with both a straw and a spill-proof lid. In short, she’s that girl. Stanley? Never heard of her.
My first introduction to the universe of the status water bottle was the Stanley – the first ‘cute’ water bottle I ever owned, which I got as a gift from my sister. I liked my Stanley, especially its cute design and the super large capacity, but I was soon reading about a litany of other water bottles that were better: the Air Up, Chilly's, Owala.
It wasn’t until 2019 that the water bottle you carried became a personality trait. The first iteration of this was the HydroFlask, the beloved hydrator of what came to be known as VSCO girls (named for the photo app). The HydroFlask was such a core part of the VSCO girl identity that it instantly telegraphed the type of girl you were (chill, sweet, liberal).
Personally, making the switch from Stanley to Owala was a total game-changer – and honestly, I haven’t looked back since. While I loved the hype around my Stanley, the Owala just works better for my everyday life. It’s lighter, easier to carry, and the built-in straw with a secure lid means no spills, ever. Plus, it keeps my drinks ice-cold for hours and fits in a car cupholder without a fight.
The best part? Many of the best Owala bottles are on sale for Prime Day, so you can grab one at a fraction of the usual price. Looking for something else? Check out Amazon’s best-selling products, now heavily discounted for Prime Day. Or dive into our editor-approved picks for the best beauty deals, clothing deals, and perfume deals.
The best Owala water bottles products I'd recommend buying on Prime Day:
- Best Overall: Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, WAS £27.99 NOW £22.39
- Best For Travel: Owala Stainless Steel Triple Layer Insulated Travel Tumbler, WAS £36.99 NOW £22.19
- Best Stainless Steel: Owala FreeSip Twist Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, WAS £27.99 NOW £22.39
- Best Clear: Owala FreeSip Tritan Popper Bottle, WAS £27 NOW £25
Stanley vs Owala
There’s been a lot said in the media and online over the past few years about the mania surrounding the Stanley Cup, a water tumbler that was first popularised by Utah-based influencer trio The Buy Guide during COVID-19 and now has made the jump from a favourite of suburban moms to becoming an ‘It’ item for teenage girls.
The Stanley Cup craze was not an industry plant, but a completely organic word-of-mouth trend that relied on a few simple facts. First, the cup (real name the Adventure Quencher) seems to be genuinely a good product that people like. Second, the brand, Stanley, was willing to pivot from marketing the cup primarily toward men seeking something utilitarian to women seeking something cute. They worked with the three influencers behind The Buy Guide to design Quenchers in pastel colours, started doing limited edition drops of different designs on their website, and soon were selling more to women than men.
Nearly three years after The Buy Guide started working directly with Stanley to “influencer-ify” the Quencher, we now have women fighting each other in suburban Targets to get the limited edition Valentine’s Day colours and teenagers doing unboxing videos where they excitedly reveal their new Stanley like it’s a Cartier Love bracelet.
So, where does Owala come in? Stanley and Owala both offer stylish, functional drinkware, but they cater to slightly different preferences. Stanley’s Quencher tumbler has become a social media icon, known for its large size, sturdy handle, and aesthetic appeal – especially among those who love a trendy, reusable option for hydration. Owala, on the other hand, focuses more on innovative design, with features like a built-in straw and a spill-resistant lid that make it a favourite for people constantly on the go. While Stanley leans into the “it-girl” vibe with its viral popularity, Owala offers a more understated, practical alternative that’s just as sleek – without feeling overdone.
Owala water bottles: The verdict:
The Owala is the ideal alternative for Stanley fans who are starting to feel their cup choice might be a bit too cliché. While Owala isn’t new — it’s been around for a while — TikTok has been full of comparison videos between the two ever since their initial launches.
The greater the Stanley hype becomes, the more attractive an alternative is seeming. (The company, of course, is thrilled, with spokesperson Chad Sorensen telling me, “Simply put, Owala makes hydration fun. We pair world-class technology with personal style — because who wants one without the other?”)
All this to say, don’t be surprised if you see the Owala slowly slipping into the hands and Instagram feeds or former Stanley devotees this year. Or, if you are one yourself, you may slowly start feeling the pull of, “Do I need this other cup?” After all, these bottles aren’t just about staying hydrated anymore. It’s a way to telegraph who we are to the outside world, and no one wants to be caught dead in the water.
This article originally appeared on GLAMOUR US.
