Klean Kanteen vs Hydro Flask: Which is the best for you?

Like I said, there are A LOT of different options. See the following image for Hydro Flask bottles, as an example:

This can be a little too confusing for most of you. My advice is to forget about all the fancy naming scheme like "flex cap", "standard mouth" or "loop cap". All bottles come down to a combination of 4 things:

• Cap (Sports, Leak-Proof or Straw)
• Insulation (Double vs Single Wall)
• Mouth Width (Wide or Classic)
• Cleaning (Dishwasher safe or not)

Chances are, as long as you pick the right combination of above; durability, grip and taste differences between these products are going to come minor since all bottles in this post are already more than enough for most of us.

And, obviously; picking the right combination comes down to your usage.

Volume

I wasn't even going to place Volume as a heading, but Klean Kanteen Wide mouth insulated bottles comes in either 12, 16 or 20 oz options. This makes me give a little more negative points to KK because they can be small for some of you - especially if you're planning to use the bottle for a wide variety of activities. Traveling, gym and outdoors uses are some examples as to when they can come smaller.

Hydro Flask, on the other hand, offers better options: 18, 32, 40 or 64 oz. This is better because, from my experience; between 30-40 oz would be the sweet spot for most people - it offers serious amount of storage without passing the "too big" line. The closest a non-Growler insulated KK bottle to this region is at 20 oz, as explained above.

That's why, after checking out the different products, we decided that Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Insulated 32 oz (with Flex Cap) and Klean Kanteen Insulated Wide 20oz (with Loop Cap) are the most convenient products of their particular series for most people. Still, all the info in this article applies to all bottles.

Ease of use

This subsection is a result of cleaning methods and mouth sizes. Although a larger mouth does mean easy filling and hand washing, it does NOT mean easy drinking, as you can imagine.

Filling

Unless you're going to use your bottle to drink water only, this is important for you. Water splash to the exterior of the bottle isn't a problem - but when it's milk or beer, for example; it is a problem since they have calories. Chances are, you're like me and you also HATE the "sticky" or "gluey" feeling at your fingertips each time you get a hold of your bottle. Not to even mention that this is even more likely with caloric substances since they're typically poured in a sloppy way due to the impractical shapes of their cans.

Also, unlike Klean Kanteen, exterior of Hydro Flasks shouldn't be in contact with hot water [3]. Another thing you should pay attention to when filling with hot beverages.

Which is why, in terms of filling; wide mouth options of both brands are superior to narrower mouths - unless you're going to drink water only.

Drinking

This is the only thing a wider mouth affects negatively - but it's also the most difficult thing to come to an objective judgement as everyone is different. Some people can like wide mouth while drinking, but regardless, almost in all conditions, it's going to be much worse than narrower mouths with hot drinks.

That said, advantages of wider mouth still outnumber those of narrower ones.

Both brands offer the same wide mouth size for all different volume options. Mouth Diameter of Klean Kanteen Wide Mouth Insulated products is fixed at 2.125", and that of Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Double Wall is fixed at 2.28". The difference is nearly .1", which isn't something noticeable.

Cleaning

None of the Hydro Flask bottles mentioned in this post are dishwasher safe - which is another thing makes wide mouth superior over narrower ones, because with the narrower mouths it's a pain in the butt to try and clean the region around the mouth inside the bottle.

Klean Kanteen bottles mentioned in this post aren't dishwasher safe either - but there are Klean Kanteen bottles which are dishwasher safe. As long as it isn't painted AND not insulated (AT THE SAME TIME), you CAN wash your Klean Kanteen in a dishwasher. However, since most people would prioritize insulation over being dishwasher safe, it's mostly regarded the same way with Hydro Flasks.

To hand wash the bottles, you can try filling the bottle with diluted vinegar or water and baking soda (or whatever you prefer using as a cleaning fluid) and shake it, or bend a brush and use it accordingly to have better access there, but you still fail to apply the necessary pressure to achieve a decent level of cleanliness. 

So this is how you solve the cleaning problem - but since it's an extra effort on the user side, we gave both bottles negative points.

Icing

Ease of putting ices inside is an overlooked aspect of mouth sizes, yet it's an important one because you want your beverage stay cold as long as possible. With narrower mouths, it's going to be a battle trying to fit them inside. As you'll see in below section, putting these bottles inside a freezer WON'T MAKE THE LIQUID INSIDE ANY COLDER because of their double-walled insulation. So you'll need ices for keeping them cold longer.

If you're absolutely sure that you'll never have to use big blocks of ices, then you don't have to pay attention to this sub-heading.

Insulation

Klean Kanteen offers both single and double wall bottles, whereas Hydro Flask offers bottles only with double wall.

Double wall models of Klean Kanteen and Hydro Flask aren't really any different, and they both keep the drinks inside insulated without a hitch.

Single wall model of Klean Kanteen, on the other hand, is another story. As the name implies, isn't nearly as good. But there is an advantage that comes with it: It's dishwasher safe!

If you want more detailed information about cleaning, check previous sub-section; but in summary if your Klean Kanteen isn't vacuum insulated AND isn't painted (AT THE SAME TIME), you CAN wash it in the dishwasher.

So, this single wall (not insulated) and not painted bottle I'd recommend it to those who are going to drink water only and being able to clean in a dishwasher is very important to them!

Cold beverages are kept cold up to nearly 24, and hot beverages are kept hot up to nearly 12 hours. Obviously, until this cut off point, they do get closer and closer to room temperature slowly. I mean this is a no-brainer (sorry) but I still want to make it clear for some of you: Don't think of it like the liquid inside returns to the room temperature suddenly after 12/24 hours.

Yeah, I too think it's silly to provide "hours" in terms of insulation, and I don't like it either. My humble advice is to forget about them. Just know that for most of us, all the insulated Klean Kanteen and Hydro Flask bottles in this review do a great job in keeping your beverages hot/cold in most conditions. I'd doubt 90% of you will need more than what they offer.

Durability

Hydro Flask offers a lifetime warranty for both bottles & tumblers [7] and Klean Kanteen too offers a lifetime warranty for both bottles & tumblers [8].

On the other hand, both products use a 18/8 stainless steel (so-called "food grade") construction. The first number refers to the chromium percentage inside the material and second number to that of nickel. Along with 18/10, 18/8 is the most commonly used ratio in dining and food preparation materials [9].

Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen products in this review are covered with a powder coat around the exterior for improved grip and durability. Normal wear & tear (including scratches and dents) aren't covered under the warranties, though.

One more important thing to mention is that Brushed Stainless versions of these Klean Kanteen bottles aren't covered in coating and hence less durable & more prone to dents. I also asked this to the customer service:

Also, 18/8 isn't only to provide more durability - but more to ensure no flavor transfer (hence the "food" modifier in the name), which brings me to my next point...

Taste

This is going to be pretty short - none of these bottles transfer flavor and affect the taste. As weird as it sounds, this feature is lacking in some bottles out there.

Caps, Lids and Leaking

The most important thing about caps is that some are leak proof and some aren't. 

Flex Cap of Hydro Flask and Loop Cap of Klean Kanteen are leak proof, whereas Sport Caps of both brands ARE NOT.

This isn't to say that leak proof are "superior", because not everyone needs leak proofing. The advantage of Sports Caps is that they allow one handed drinking:

This can be important for you if you'll use the bottle while driving, cycling, on the go, etc.

Another important difference worth mentioning is that with the below exceptions:

• Klean Kanteen: All Classic caps (except the Stainless Unibody Bamboo Caps), all Wide caps, Cafe Cap and all Kid Kanteen Caps are dishwasher safe [6].
• Hydro Flask: Hydro Flip Lid and Wide Straw Lid are dishwasher safe [10].

No cap of both brands are dishwasher safe. I also want to point out to the fact that above caps are quite specific and most commonly used caps (Loop, Flex and Sports) ARE NOT dishwasher safe.

Now another subtle difference which can be important for some of more "active" users.

If you already bought your bottle and realized you'd do better with another one, don't worry. Klean Kanteen and Hydro Flask caps are interchangeable. You can purchase another one that is compatible with the mouth size of your existing bottle and change it easily.

Hydro Flask Caps

Below, I'm going to provide the mouth compatible cap options for both mouth sizes: 

For wide mouth, in particular order:

Wide Mouth Flex Cap - Wide Mouth Straw Lid - Wide Mouth Hydro Flip

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Flex Cap is the only leak proof cap among them. As you see, wide mouth Hydro Flask doesn't have a compatible sports cap - only Straw Lid.

For standard mouth, in particular order:

Standard Mouth Flex Cap - Standard Mouth Sports Cap.

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Again, Flex Cap is the only leak proof cap among them. 

Klean Kanteen Caps

For classic (narrow) mouth size, in particular order:

Sports Cap (Leak resistant - NOT LEAK PROOF) - Bamboo Cap (Leak proof) - Loop Cap (Leak proof)

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As you see, Sport Cap is available in narrow mouth only.

Bamboo Cap cannot be used with hot beverages. 

For wide mouth size, in particular order:

Loop Cap (Leak proof) - Cafe Cap (NOT LEAK PROOF)

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Versatility

You should consider 4 things here.

Compatibility with car cup holders & water bottle holders of backpacks

Good fit in car cup holders can be less likely than you think. 

If this is important for you, measure the diameter of your car's cup holder, compare it to the bottle dimensions I've laid out in the introduction table, and choose the volume & type of your bottle accordingly.

If it turns out incompatible, you can think of purchasing a Car Cup Holder Adapter (still, do check the compatibility for your selected Klean Kanteen or Hydro Flask bottle):

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For backpacks, you should do the same (measure it in advance), however it's more difficult to do so since unlike car cup holders, those of backpacks are made of fabric and hence are pliable. So instead of measuring the diameter, you can check the fit using a plastic water bottle with the dimensions equivalent to your preferred bottle size to get a feel beforehand.

But in most conditions, as long as your backpacks has side and mesh water bottle holders (like these hiking backpacks [11]), you're fine even with the fattier volumes (like 40 oz) of these bottles.

One handed drinking

One handed drinking is only available in models with Sports Cap - for both brands. If you're driving, for example, this can be important for you. You can easily flip it open with your thumb and start drinking without the need for suing both of your hands. See the Cap Heading above for animated demonstration.

Coating powder for easier grip

This applies to both brands. Powder coats around the exterior offer not only higher durability, but also an easier grip. If you're planning to walk with the bottle a lot, this can be important for you.

Another thing to mention here is sweating. If your hands sweat and you're either self conscious about it or just simply don't like it, coating helps with reducing the sweat as well since it works the same way the cardboard does around Starbucks cups.

Volume

There are a lot of volume options for all these bottles. If you'll be traveling with them mostly, you'd better opt for larger bottles especially if you'll rarely have access to drinking water. Same reasons also go for outdoors use.

I'd recommend Yeti Rambler Bottle 36 oz and Hydro Flask 40 oz if you're this guy. If you're more serious about outdoors and wouldn't mind hauling a HUGE bottle with you everywhere, 64 oz versions can be even more convenient for you.

On the other hand, if you'll use them at work, school, during commute, in cafes etc, I'd doubt you'll need anything more than 32 oz (equals 1 liter). You have access to drinking water more often, and these volumes are more than enough for drinking beverages. 

It really doesn't worth the extra 8-10 oz you get when you look at the sacrifices you make in terms of volume and weight. No one wants to haul a HUGE bottle with them during daily use. I'd recommend Hydro Flask 32 oz and Yeti Rambler Bottle 26 oz if you're this guy.

Conclusion

Once again, make sure you go for the best product for your needs.

Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Insulated (with Flex Cap) is recommended for daily (school/work, coffee/tea, commuting, "cafe") use as well as hiking/camping. 

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Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Insulated (with Flex Cap) is recommended for ultralight hiking. 

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Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Insulated (with Sports Cap) is recommended for outdoors activities require you to drink using one hand. 

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Klean Kanteen Wide Mouth Single Wall (NOT INSULATED) is recommended only if you're going to drink water only AND being able to clean in a dishwasher is very important to you. I wouldn't recommend any Klean Kanteen product for ANY other person. 

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If you'll be using a thermos only for drinking coffee and not anything else, KayakNV reviewed some good ones here.