Last month, Hidrate launched HidrateSpark PRO STEEL with 32 ounces (about 900 ml). This water bottle has an excellent look and Apple Health integration and I have to admit, I was pretty excited about a water bottle that reminded me to drink water.
With this in mind, I decided to purchase a 21 ounce (620 ml) HidrateSpark Steel water bottle a few weeks ago to see if it would improve my daily water drinking routine for a bottle that was too nice to carry around. Find out how it goes below.
Disclaimer: HidrateSpark Steel and HidrateSpark PRO are the same water bottles, and the company has rebranded the former to the latter.
HidrateSpark Steel is an amazing water bottle for itself…
Before talking about the technical part of this product, the HidrateSpark Steel water bottle itself is great. You can choose between the black or silver model, but I’m sure the black version is the go-to option.
The product is made of stainless steel (the first customers were complaining that other models available looked cheap because they were made of plastic). With a vacuum not covered in a vacuum, it keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours, and believe me, I left HidrateSpark Steel in the hot California sun for about three hours in the car, and while the bottle itself was ridiculously hot, the water was as cold as I remember . 10/10.
Apart from the stainless steel finish, its bottom is made of plastic with a smart LED sensor inside. Apart from the chug cap, you can open the bottle from the bottom to remove the smart LED sensor and charge the water bottle with a special charger.
I also want to say that this model is more resistant than I expected. In the past weeks I’ve been able to drop the HidrateSpark Steel three times to the ground, and to my surprise, it has no visible scratches or marks. Phew.
… HidrateSpark, on the other hand, is not very good
While the HidrateSpark Steel water bottle hardware shines through, its application is rather poor. Many developers rely on Apple’s approach when creating a new app, but Hidrate Inc. Prefer to use its own solution.
Every time I think of a nice third party app, CARROT and Gentler Streak come to mind. Maybe it’s just me, but apart from the ugly interface, the app itself is convenient to use.
The homepage shows your hydration loop and how much water you should be drinking at the moment. It estimates the amount based on Apple Health + daily exercise data.
The homepage is like a Fitness app with your hydration loop, your goal percentage, the bottles to go for, and the ability to manually add the water you drank if it’s not with the Hidrate Spark Steel water bottle.
You can also compete with friends “in fun hydration challenges and earn prizes for your group.” One thing I found a little bit about is that while you can choose different colors for the bottle to glow when you need to drink water if you want to customize the colors, you do need to pay extra, which is… wrong? I mean, what a weird in-app purchase of a bottle I actually paid $70, which is literally one of the main functions.
You can choose when the bottle glows – for me, only when I’m behind – and the app also sends you motivational notifications on your iPhone/Apple Watch.
Last but not least, HidrateSpark offers an Apple Watch app that shows off your water ring and also has widgets for your iPhone. The UI could be nicer, but it works.
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The Apple Health integration is one of the reasons I gave it a try
I really enjoy getting a lot of data about myself thanks to my Apple Watch. I love the trends tab, finding out how cardio fitness works, running speed, and more. Adding information about how many bottles of water I drink per day is also nice.
Well, I know. I didn’t need a smart water bottle, I could only use an app with a nicer interface, but it’s nice that the water bottle does everything for me.
All I have to do is fill it up, wait a few seconds for it to sync with the app, then I can drink water and watch the app add up to the number of milliliters I’ve drank.
Battery, Pricing and Final Thoughts on the HidrateSpark Steel Water Bottle
Before I finish this review, you should ask: How is the HidrateSpark Steel water bottle battery? Well, I charged it on May 11th, and so far it has up to 80% of its battery left. The company is boosting battery life from 10 to 14 days, but I think I can make it last longer. Charging time 2.5 hours.
The model I reviewed is the HidrateSpark Steel bottle with 21 oz (620 ml). I think it’s the perfect size to carry in a backpack or carry around the house without having to fill it up a lot throughout the day. The version they just released holds 32 ounces (910 ml), but I thought it was a lot.
Two weeks later, I have to say I love having this water bottle. When I go out and don’t take my water bottle with me, I can always add the number of glasses of water I drank later – or even the next day.
For $69.95, the HidrateSpark Steel water bottle is a little pricey, but I also don’t think it’s beyond a really well-stocked water bottle. The stainless steel finish is totally worth it—and if you get some smarts out of this product, I guess I’m in luck.
It provides two chug lids and one extra straw lid. You can buy it from Apple or the Amazon store here, which can usually offer you better deals.
Thinking of buying a smart water bottle? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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