While water bottles seem like just a commonplace household item, they have grown to become expensive accessories and representative of aesthetics.  As what is “in” shifts, so does the brand of what is in everyone’s hands. But the question is: are these simple oversized utensils overhyped? It seems to have all started in 2019 with Hydroflasks.

“I love my Hydroflask because it’s cute and keeps my water cold,” sophomore Ashley Brown said. “They come with different attachments and accessories, and are made very well.”

Junior Elaina Stuppler loves hers for similar reasons, but especially appreciates the convenience.

“I feel like water bottles have gotten bigger over the years, which makes it less easier to put in your backpack,” Stuppler said. 

The water bottles she refers to are Stanley cups, which gained popularity over the last couple of years. While they’re sometimes teased for being absurdly large, many people love them, including junior Bina Swanson Blaker. Aside from storing a lot of water and being of good quality material, she recognizes the role trendiness plays in their abundance. While many trendy items reach prices of heights up to $1000, water bottles can be obtained at a much more realistic price.

“I think people like to have something with them that is relatively inexpensive and easy to get their hands on that shows you’re trendy and with the times,” said Swanson Blaker. “Water bottles have been an easy way to do that.”

However, she doesn’t believe their hype is problematic. In fact, she thinks their popularity is good for people’s health.

“I think it’s the easiest thing that people can do to help the environment and drinking a lot of water is the most amazing thing you could do for your health,” Swanson Blaker said.

While both the Stanley Quenchers and Stanley Iceflows have been very popular, a new brand has recently emerged. The wide variety of color combos and unique designs it has to offer has caused the brand Owala to gain lots of attraction. 

“The color combination that I found matched my backpack and looked really cute,” Freshman Evelyn Keatley said. “I liked the size and how you could either chug the water or sip it.”

It seems that in the end, water bottles really are beneficial to consumers as they not only are easy on the eyes, but also benefit their health and the environment. While these brands will continue to be customer favorites, who can know which brand will take over next?