Hydro Flask

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Hydro Flask

Overview

Hydro Flask was founded in 2009 by Travis Rosbach and Cindy Morse with the company based in Bend, Oregon. They provided the first all-insulate bottle into the market of water bottles and took off from there. Though the company has grown since its founding it still currently resides in Bend as of 2018. This company created the first all insulated bottle which highlights their patented thermashield technology. This technology helps keep cold items cold for approximately 24 hours and hot items hot for approximately 6 hours. It is similar to thermal insulation and vacuum seal technology which both help to keep items at their desired temperatures. Hydro Flask makes their thermashield technology stand out due to not only that but using double walled bottles to help insulate and keep the bottles from “sweating” as well as create lids to work with the bottles in their fight to keep drinks at their desired temperatures. The thermashield is used in two different categories on their website, “Lightweight”, and “Slim Profile”. Lightweight mentions how the bottom seal of the bottle creates a secure vacuum for the products, helps eliminate the need for a, “heavy bottom cap to seal the flask,” leading to Hydro Flasks being the lightest weight bottles in their insulated hydration category. Slim Profile talks about their small,streamlined design, and the thinner walls that are able to be used because of the small metal disk between the two walls, a getter, that aids in moisture and gas absorption when things are being vacuum sealed. The thermashield is also used in a special way with their Flex Cap design which was innovated to be an easy-carry design that continues the work of the bottle through a honeycomb design that keeps drinks hot or cold.

History

Hydro Flask was founded in 2009 by Travis Rosbach and Cindy Morse after they saw the need for an insulated water bottle. They started this business in Bend, Oregon where they still have their headquarters today. They were a couple at the time and were upset that their drinks were getting lukewarm at the beach lending to their catchphrase now of, “Join us on our mission to save the world from lukewarm.” Their relationship didn’t last but their company did. By 2011 they had reached the 1 million mark for bottles sold, 2015 they had expanded to sell Hydro Flasks in Europe, and as of 2016 they are sold worldwide. This company not only sells unique products, but also sells them in unique colors. They recently (2018) created 3 new colors for their bottles: flamingo, blueberry, and olive. The company as a whole enjoys all that Bend has to give them. Their value of the outdoors has not wavered over the years and is still being shown today. They value fun and outdoor adventure which typically looks like a hike in the morning and lunch breaks in the sun. While they are able to accomplish a lot with their employees, which is shown by Hydro Flask being awarded Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work two years in a row, the company has been a pioneer in the insulated product world. They also made the Inc 500’s fastest growing company list, Gear of the Year by Men’s Journal, The Best Tumbler by The Wirecutter, Best Water Bottles of 2017 by Outdoor Gear Lab and so on. Their extensive list of awards lends hand to their impressive number of products showing their versatility and adaptability to the times.

Products Available

Hydro Flask has grown in the 9 years it has been a company. They started with selling basic water bottles and are now up to 5 different types of bottles with various styles as well as merchandise such as t-shirts and hats. If you look at all the varying sizes of the items you can see that there are over 100 products in just hydration, coffee, beer and food alone showing the dedication of Hydro Flask to provide as many options to their consumers as possible. Their bottles are: Hydration which includes bottles and tumblers Coffee flasks Beer bottles which includes pint size and growler size Wine bottles including tumblers and bottles Varying sizes of food containers Insulated food packs Their other products are: Accessories which includes caps and lids, brushes, slings, and boots Gear which is shirts, hoodies, and hats. Products range in cost from the most inexpensive being their hydro flip lid for $4.95 and the most expensive being their new soft coolers which are $274.95. All products are make with 18/8 prograde stainless steel which is globally known for its strength and ability to not hold flavors after washing along with their unique powder coating that helps aid in a slip-free grip along with enhanced durability against the world and people who use the bottles.

Sustainability

Hydro Flask’s users contribute to sustainability by cutting down on plastic waste produced by disposable plastic water bottles. Disposable bottles lead to an increase in plastic pollution. Americans dispose an estimated 1,500 disposable plastic bottles every second. Reusable water bottles can effectively cut down on this waste.

BPA

Hydro Flask does not contain Bisphenal A (BPA) a man-made chemical found in many plastic water bottles. Most people are exposed to harmless amounts of this chemical, however, when at higher rates exposure to BPA can cause including reproductive and developmental effects as well as metabolic disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed that frequent exposure can have negative “effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate glands in fetuses, infants, and young children.”

Hydro Flask Today

Today Hydro Flask still has their main facilities in Bend, OR, but sell their products worldwide. One of Hydro Flasks main competitors is Yeti which is a product similar in style and function. . Hydro Flasks come with a lifetime warranty as opposed to their competitor, Yeti, who has a, “limited warranty” that has four different sections you have to have done to be eligible which even then only gives the buyer a three to five year warranty on the product . Looking further other competitors of Hydro Flask include the Quench Bottle, Fluid, Klear, FNova, and 45 Degree Latitude. All bottles are insulated stainless steel products that come at a lesser cost, but don’t have all the qualities that make a hydro flask so exceptional.

Beyond comparison to other companies Hydro Flask also utilizes their website website well making it easy to find what you’re looking for whether it is for shopping, customizing, learning or living they have drop down bars that help you find what you need. Some stores have started branding Hydro Flasks with their logos like Columbia Sportswear and Blackrock Coffee Bar making them even more marketable for people who want branded items. Hydro Flask keeps their “Live” section of the website as current as possible by posting new videos showing their products out in the world. Their headlining story, Pioneering Smith Rock, shows a hiker in the Central Oregon region climbing in the Smith Rock State Park. Hydro Flask presented this film by Matt Kreiner to show someone born and raised in the region getting out in nature, using their products, and seeming to be living a bold life that the company seems to encourage through their social media presence.

Hydro flask also participates in several different non-profit organizations including the World Surf League and the Parks for All initiative. These partnerships have been strong for years and are seemingly making an impact for both of the organizations. With the WSL they are the official waterbottle of the Championship Tour as well as the Hawaiian Pro and Vans World Cup of Surfing competitions. With the “Parks for All” campaign they are encouraging people around the world to use #WeLoveOurParks and #ParksForAll to get the message out across social media that parks matter. Using this platform has been integral in some of the grant funding that has been allotted and Hydro Flask themselves recently donated $25,000 to Pacific Crest Trail Skills College (PCTA’s Trail Skill College) to help repair trails.

All in all, Hydro Flask is a company for anyone who enjoys staying hydrated at a temperature that they prefer. Whether that be keeping their coffee warm in the morning while they run to work, or keeping their ice water cold while they summit South Sister in Bend. Hydro Flask is a revolutionary product that has changed the water bottle industry for the better through their commitment to the best hydration experience for the consumers.

Awards

2015 Community Applause Awards: creators of one of the great beer drinking innovations

Red Dot Award: 64 oz Wide Mouth Growler and Flex Cap products Product Design 2016

iF Design Award: 64 oz Growler

Mens Journal Gear of the Year 2015: 64 oz growler

Wirecutter Best Tumbler: 22 oz tumbler

Outsideonline Top 100 places to work

References

This article "Hydro Flask" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Hydro Flask. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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