Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness
  3. Features

I used the Owala water bottle before it was trendy — and it still beats the rest

Owala water bottles deserve the hype they're getting

Owala water bottles
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

In my household, we ditched plastic water bottles a long time ago. With all of the recent news surrounding microplastics in plastic water bottles, it simply doesn’t make sense not to use a reusable water bottle anymore. Throughout my years of using reusable water bottles, I’ve tried dozens of brands with innovative designs, colors, and sizes. Yet, I continue to return to the Owala water bottle.

The Owala FreeSip bottle was first launched in March 2020. Nearly five years after the launch of this brand, everyone seems to have an Owala water bottle. I’ve spotted people using Owala water bottles at the gym and the park, and they have even been casually roaming around local stores. But I’ve been using this water bottle long before it became trendy.

Recommended Videos

While many water bottle trends come and go (think Stanley tumbler collection era), the Owala is here to stay. At minimum, one thing is for sure: The Owala will remain a staple in my house. I’ve tried to love other brands as much, but nothing beats my Owala FreeSip water bottle.

Innovative design

Owala water bottle
Owala

I’ve never been one to drink enough water. Somehow, I always need extra motivation (like adding Ultima electrolytes) or convenience to ensure I’m getting enough fluids in. For this reason, the design of the Owala FreeSip works great in motivating me to drink water. Unlike traditional water bottles with a straw or a sip lid, the Owala allows you to drink via either method.

The FreeSip spout has a hidden, built-in straw that lets you sip or swig. While I typically gravitate towards using the straw, I use both methods depending on my mood. Explaining why it is tough is helpful for me to drink more water by providing my options. There’s just something unique about the design that makes this my favorite water bottle (and my husband’s too).

Easy-carry design

Another thing I love about the Owala’s design is the little handle, which makes it convenient to carry throughout the gym. I’ve always found tumblers to be too clunky. The cap that covers the straw is also more sanitary for taking in public places such as the gym. Owala’s FreeSip water bottles (the smaller 24 oz and the larger 32 or 40 oz options) have this same handle design. You can even buy a special plastic bottle boot to protect the bottom of the water bottle. For those concerned about mold growth in reusable water bottles, the pop-out lid design makes it easy to keep this water bottle clean.

Insultation

A lot of stainless steel water bottles offer excellent insulation, but the Owala FreeSip seems to deliver. I often leave my Owala in the car on a hot summer day while taking long walks at the park. When I come back, it’s just as cold and refreshing as when I first poured it in. For this reason, the Owala water bottle remains my go-to water bottle for nearly any event. Whether going to the gym, the trail, or the airport, I’m probably bringing one of my many Owalas (yes, those frequent Owala color drops get me extra excited).

BUY OWALA FREESIP BOTTLE

BUY BOTTLE BOOT/ANTI SLIP PROTECTIVE SLEEVE

Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving… Read Full Bio
The Manual’s Health & Wellness Awards Are Open for Submissions
Clothing, Footwear, Shoe

For years, The Manual has told readers which products actually work. Not which ones arrived in the nicest box, and not which brand bought the most media. Which ones held up after weeks of real use, and were still worth reaching for at the end.

Now we’re bringing that same approach to health. Introducing The Manual Health & Wellness Awards 2026, our first awards program dedicated to the products that help men sleep, train, recover, and feel better. And it’s open to submissions.

Read more
Ditching the boring golf gear: Travis Mathew and Liberty London collaborate to bring personality to the course
Chair, Furniture, Person

I remember watching golf when I was a kid; everyone, and I mean everyone, looked the same. There are rules on a golf course. A collared shirt, no denim, a very specific look is what they go for. It is tradition, and tradition is hard to argue with. Then came Tiger Woods and John Daly. Tiger found a way to make this boring tradition a uniform. You could see the red Nike polo and black pants and knew exactly who it was. Daly? Well, he went the other way and patterns became a wild calling card. Travis Mathew and Liberty London found a way to mix both of these concepts to bring a bold new look to the game of golf.

What makes this collaboration particularly exciting is seeing Liberty’s heritage designs and colour language brought into the world of golf in such a fresh way. The striking print combinations, considered handfeel, and balance of high-performance golfwear with relaxed lifestyle pieces create a collaboration that feels both unexpected and distinctly Liberty. – Pere Bruach, Design Manager at Liberty London

Read more
After 19 Years Away From Basketball, Armando Rodriguez Found His Way Back With Grit, AI, and a Passion That Never Left
Armando Rodriguez basketball player

For basketball enthusiasts, there’s something uniquely inviting and invigorating about the sport. The squeaks as the players move around the shiny court, the whoosh of the spinning ball through the air, and the rush of victory when the basketball glides smoothly through the hoop or bounces off the backboard before the descent. The fast thinking, maneuvers, strategy, and thrill of the game draw people who play for decades.

Sometimes, people are suddenly facing life-changing circumstances that cause them to turn away from the game they love. For skilled basketball player Armando Rodriguez, he stopped playing after a complete T9 spinal cord injury at the young age of 25.

Read more