School water bottle trends fade in and out, and right now we’re in the process of ditching the Stanley tumblers and bringing in the Owala bottles, where the Stanleys seem almost completely fazed out. It’s as if Stanleys lost all the useful attributes about them that everyone loved when they were first put on the shelves. What did Stanleys ever do wrong? They only do everything the Owala does and more. Most people would automatically doubt it, but Stanleys have more to them than people realize.

First off, Stanleys are way more practical to carry than Owalas. They’re the ones with the built-in handle, practically calling you to pick it up. If you’re going to the grocery store or some kind of party, Stanleys fit the part and are very comfortable to carry around with you. On the flip side, Owalas have this pop-up hanger sort of contraption at the top of the bottle on the cap that I suppose may be used as a handle, but that’s not even what it was made for, it was made to be a lock feature on the bottle. Besides, the bottle will be knocking against your leg when you hold it with your arm down, and how else can it be held? Hold it by the bottle part and let it slip from your hand and dent it? I wouldn’t.

Another key feature is that Stanley tumblers are guaranteed to fit in your cup holder. Because the bottom part of the cup is smaller than the top, it also holds as much water as possible. On the other hand, Owalas will not fit in the cup holder depending on the size you purchase, and adding on a boot to protect the bottom of the bottle won’t protect Owalas in this debate. My Owala never fits in the cup holder, so whenever I’m riding somewhere I need to hold it and it doesn’t fit in most water bottle pockets of bags I have- it barely fits in my backpack pocket.

Let’s not forget the big thing that sets these bottles apart: the sip and straw. With Owala, you have the option to either use the straw or chug away, but something that many don’t pay attention to is that Stanleys have the same feature. If you take out the straw, and twist the straw holder built into the lid, then there is a gap to sip instead of using the straw. The straw built into the Owala though isn’t even a real straw, it’s not circular and you can’t put the whole straw into your mouth a comfortable amount because it is connected to the lid.

To add to that, Stanleys were made before Owalas were even a consideration. The Stanley company has been making cups since 1913 while Owala has since 2020. Stanley’s tumbler was made before Owala’s bottle, meaning Stanley was the original dual-sip; something they do not seem to get much credit for.

Stanleys tumblers are an underrated trend that shouldn’t be left in the dust quite yet, they still have so much to offer.