Hydro Flask Lightweight Wide Mouth Trail Series Review

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.