I was extremely excited and intrigued by Owala bottles, but couldn’t justify shelling out $30 for a small water bottle when there wasn’t a colorway I loved. Then after months of debating, the DICK’s special colors came out and I loved the Spring Fling color, so I immediately hopped on it! I also bought my husband one in another color.

In comparison, my cap was significantly more difficult to close- it’s like the spring in the cap was stiff and fought against the push of the cap. But it was still functional and I didn’t think it was so bad… until one day after only a month, when I pressed the button to open the lid, the spring somehow jumped ejected and the open button also flew off.

When I tried to utilize the limited warranty, my claim was estimated to be replied to in 1-3 weeks. My claim wasn’t reviewed until I checked in myself 4 weeks later, only to be given a gift card to purchase a new lid from the website. All of the lids were sold out except the completely white and completely black color. I joined the restock waitlist for a few different colors, but there wasn’t even an option to get a replacement for my specific colorway, which completely defeats the purpose of me getting a bottle in the first place.

TLDR; getting the bottle was a disappointment from start to finish. Lid came slightly dysfunctional and broke within a month or so of use, had to wait another month for claim to be acknowledged, and had to wait even longer just to get a cap that had some kind of color that doesn’t even match my originally desired color way.

A solution for the warranty process would be to send the exact replacement of the broken item instead of making us purchase a replacement of the broken part.

I would not recommend this product to anyone and am disappointed in the warranty process.

I bought this bottle twice. The first was very disappointing. It definitely did not live up to expectations. Even if I filled it with ice in the morning, it was melted by the end of my workday (6 hours). The push-button cap started to stick within the first two days of use. Owala customer service wanted me to do a test to check the vacuum seal of the bottle, but I never got to it - I accidentally dropped it from table height onto my kitchen floor (wood laminate) and the cap components basically self-destructed. It all popped apart, could not be reassembled, which made the bottle useless. Be aware that if the 'carry loop' breaks, the rest of the lid cannot be salvaged.

That said, Walmart refunded it (despite my fault in dropping it a bit more than a month into owning it), and I bought another to give it a fair shake. The second bottle is much better at keeping ice, though I still don't think it's as good as my Contigo. I can still hear ice rattling around after work, so I'm assuming the first bottle was, in fact, flawed. I do doubt the 24 hour insulation claim for practical use - maybe if you pack the bottle with ice and water that's been chilled in the fridge and then don't open it for 24 hours. The push-button cap is already less responsive within a few days, which is disappointing but not a deal-breaker - so far. I'm hoping that in a few months, I don't have to pry it open because that defeats the push-button convenience.

This is what I love about this bottle: The option to sip or chug is perfect. I wish every water bottle I have had this feature. I'm not sure why I hate a flip up straw, but I do, so this bottle is ideal. I take a water bottle with me everywhere and this is my favorite in the car since I don't have to tip it to drink. It does seem to be leak-proof, and I definitely put that to the test daily. The rubber seal comes out for good cleaning (a feature lacking in many bottles). I Iike the size, though it's weird that it's 19 oz. versus a standard 20. It's not absurdly tall to be knocked over easily. It fits perfectly in my car's cup holder, even with the silicone insert in place. The bottle is lightly textured and tapers slightly top to bottom so it's less droppable (tell that to the one I dropped). I also like the shape of the bottle with two flat sides - just seems to give an easy grip. The flat sides are also offset from the spout, which turns out to be quite natural and ergonomic, despite my OCD need to make them line up. Finally, the color is a superficial factor, but that was what made me get this bottle - it's a beautiful color, and I like how the cap coordinates.

The bottom line is, while this bottle isn't perfect, it's got plenty of features that make it my go-to bottle (now that I have one that actually keeps water cold for more than a few hours). I think I would buy another for the just-shy-of-$20 price tag, but I'll wait and see how long the push-button lid actually stays functional.

I ordered this product brand new. I washed it thoroughly when I received it and was excited to give it a try, and I noticed that it had a bad smell, and the water had a bad taste. I was able to identify the source of the smell, it was the gasket. As it was a brand new product, I contacted Owala customer service to ask if they would replace the gasket. They gave me the absolute runaround for weeks. They made me explain my situation and send pictures in five separate emails. The same exact thing I had been explaining from the very first email. As for a gasket replacement, they told me to just use the cup for a while and see if it goes away. And even though I I had already explained in the emails that I tried thoroughly cleaning every inch of the cup, but the smell was still there. Or I can purchase a new gasket at their website and they’ll waive the shipping. So they want me to purchase things for the cup that is brand new that I shouldn’t need to purchase anything for.

This was their response
“Thank you for sharing your experience. Identifying the root cause of a bad smell can be difficult as we have to account for individual sensitivities along with smells we'd expect to be present in a bottle. I apologize if our cleaning instructions failed to provide the desired resolution and I would be happy to offer additional guidance. Our bottles are made of 18/8 grade stainless steel and BPA-free plastics and we do not coat any of our materials in any way. The smell of metal or plastic may be present in your bottle or even amplified based on its use. We do not offer replacements for these issues; however, we have thoroughly tested our cleaning instructions and, when applied regularly, found that they will help diminish bad smells.

Please try the following:
- Scrub and rinse off all components with warm, soapy water.
- Submerged the smelly components in a white distilled vinegar bath for up to 24 hrs.
- After the vinegar bath, scrub and rinse thoroughly with clean water and set aside to dry completely.

Repeat these steps as needed for the next few weeks or until you notice the smell diminish. If the smell continues to present issues, I would be happy to provide a free shipping code you may use toward the purchase of a replacement gasket or new product. Please stay in touch and let me know if you need additional assistance.”

Needless to say, I returned the cup. I won’t be trying anymore of their products. I will instead try another brand.

I love the Owala Free Sip stainless steel bottle. I own 4 of them (they have so many colorful combinations), my son has 2, my daughter has one as well. I’m a nurse and have recommended it to all of my coworkers and new moms. Most of my coworkers have bought one because of how highly I speak of this water bottle. I also gift it to all my expecting mom friends. My #1 most favorite thing about it is that you can carry it, open, drink and close it with one hand. Just flip the handle lock, press the button to open the top, sip, and close all with one hand. Definitely useful when you’re breastfeeding, holding a baby, or busy at work. You don’t even have to lift the bottle, you can set it on the table and sip it while you’re typing away since there is a straw. You’re choice lift it up and tilt or set it down and sip, your choice. The last thing I love is that the drink spout is not exposed, you don’t need an additional straw top to cover the straw/spout it’s protected and safe when you close it. It’s also super easy to clean, my whole hand fits in the tumbler so I don’t need a bottle brush (but I do have one for when I want a real super soapy clean. You have to try this bottle, I have a 24oz, 32oz, and 40oz bottle. The 40oz is my favorite since it really helps me stick to my water goal of 80oz per day.