CheckMag | Hidrate Spark smart water bottle long-term review
When looking for a reusable water bottle, one has a lot of options. One can choose from high-end brands like Yeti and Stanley or from a more mundane department store brand. However, when searching for a water bottle that includes tech, one’s options are more limited. Those can be narrowed down by how you intend to use your water bottle. Looking for a self cleaning bottle, one that filters your water, flavours it or heats it? Or are you like a vast number of people who have made New Year’s resolutions to drink more water? Hidrate Spark was created out of the need for staying hydrated.
Having received the Hidrate Spark 21 oz (620 ml) brushed stainless steel bottle as a gift, this review will focus on that particular product. The gift was given due to this reviewer's use of Ozempic for diabetes and not drinking enough water, which is a particular concern. Several phone apps were tried, all with varying degrees of success; however, after a full year of use, the Hidrate Spark bottle has won this reviewer over. With that being said, here are the specs and key takeaways.
Design and Build Quality
Hidrate Spark offers a wide range of bottles in 21, 24 and 32 oz sizes. The largest at 32 oz comes in at 3.82” x 11.3” and has a dry weight of 1.63 lbs. It is made out of insulated stainless steel. Interestingly, the 24 oz bottle, coming in at 2.76” x 10.92” is made out of plastic and has a dry weight of .6 lbs. The lightest of their bottles and the one we will be discussing in this review, the 21 oz one comes in at 2.76” x 10.63”, is made up of insulated stainless steel, has a dry weight of 1.06 lbs, and fits in most cup holders.
- Pro tip: Choose an insulated, vacuum sealed bottle to avoid sweating which can ruin furniture or have an embarrassing drip on your lap.
The insulated stainless steel is vacuum sealed and can keep your cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours. This has been tested and holds up in real world testing and experience. The company offers a variety of colours along with limited edition series that sell out fast. You can choose to sip your water through a dedicated straw or use a chug lid in order to quench your thirst more quickly. Both lid styles offer a lock, however, it is not the most user friendly of locks and takes a bit of time getting used to. It is counter intuitive when locking (in the down position) and unlocking (in the raised position).
One other consideration is the weight of hefting around an extra 1 lbs/0.454 kg. This is no lightweight piece of tech, especially considering it more than doubles its weight when filled to 2.25 lbs/1.021 kg. It is clearly the heaviest of the Smart Bottles surveyed below yet has a price point that gives it an advantage. (The advantages do not stop there.)
Comparison of popular smart bottles
| Model | Brief description | Size | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HidrateSpark Pro | The product reminds you to drink water with its glowing reminders, app notifications, and tracks your progress. Tracking, Reminder | 21 oz | 1 lbs (454 g) | $69.99 |
| Larq PureVis 2 | The all-in-one self-cleaning and water filtering bottle with hydration tracking. Tracking, Reminder, Filter | 23 oz | 13.3 oz (377 g) | $119 |
| Evolv Hydrogen Water Bottle | Hydrogen Water offers you the full advantages of antioxidants, including increased energy, enhanced focus, and decreased inflammation. Hydrogenation | 8 oz | NA | $199 |
| Grayl UltraPress Ti Purifier | Filter and purify by the water’s edge and bring it back to camp to boil alongside hot coals, or place it right on a backpacking stove. Filter, Heating | 16.9 oz | 14.1 oz (400 g) | $179.95 |
| Air Up Gen 2 Flair | Pop on a flavor pod for water that tastes like berries, citrus, soda, you name it. Flavour via scent | 21 oz | 13 oz (368.5 g) | $39.99 |
The most significant thing about this water bottle is its gamification and challenge features, which urge the user to drink more water. As stated above, a few apps were tried, yet they were invasive and did not nudge the reviewer to drink in a pleasant manner. The apps were hard to use and did not calculate the amount of water consumed. This is where Hidrate Spark shines. The app connects to your bottle via a rechargeable Bluetooth LED puck that twists into the base of the bottle. Every time you take a sip and place the bottle down, it measures the weight and records how much you drank. It might only be a sip, but it senses the weight differential and correctly adds that to your overall total. The company states the puck can last 14 days between charges. Real world experience places it between 7 and 10 days.
The reviewer has not discovered a pattern of reminders to drink. The base of the bottle will flash with your chosen color, or your phone might emit a quiet sound of a drop of water and extend an inspirational quote or pithy comment about water. The reminders are not intrusive like the aforementioned phone-only apps. You can input your hydration goals, which allows body type and weight to be calculated automatically, or you can enter your own hydration goals. Additionally, you can set the hours for reminders. After several wake-up calls in the middle of the night, this reviewer stopped drinking before 9 p.m.!
Additional customisation can be made within the app by joining a subscription based model to design your own LED light show and to include additional drinks in your catalogue. The app also includes a manual feature for you to add in your morning coffee or hot chocolate to get to your hydration goal. A coffee is only at 90 percent hydration, while hot chocolate is at 80 percent. The app has been optimised to work with fitness trackers and health apps as well (Apple Health, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Google Fit, Withings Health Mate). It is a free download and can be used with or without the bottle on both Android and iOS.
Verdict
The Hidrate Spark Pro bottle offers a unique and effective way to stay hydrated. Its smart features, including drink tracking, reminders, and gamification, make it stand out from other water bottles. While the weight and counterintuitive lock may be minor drawbacks, the benefits of increased water intake and the bottle’s overall functionality outweigh them. If you’re looking for a smart water bottle that will actually help you reach your hydration goals, the Hidrate Spark is worth a serious look.
