Owala Water Bottles Are Coming For Trendy Stanleys - Here's What To Know

With more and more people concerned about being eco-friendly and ditching one-use plastic water bottles, the allure of reusable bottles has been growing. While there's a slew of water bottle companies out there, Stanley cups have remained at the forefront of the reusable container scene. This is, of course, thanks to their popularity on social media, though the country's actually been around for more than a century. "[Stanley] created tumblers in new limited edition colors, creating both scarcity and novelty. It partnered with influencers and leveraged existing online chatter," associate professor of marketing Jenna Drenten shared with USA Today on the topic.

However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows in the water bottle world. Stanley's been under fire for its cups containing lead, and the company's even facing two lawsuits for not telling customers about the lead used in the cups' manufacturing process. Stanley responded by acknowledging that there is, in fact, lead in its tumblers — but it's at the bottom and covered by stainless steel, putting it out of reach of drinkers' mouths. Although it hasn't yet been proven that Stanleys are, themselves, a health risk — and there are undoubtedly many people still using them — another brand is on the rise and may well take over the water bottle world. Enter Owala, the cool new kid in the class.

Like Stanleys, Owala bottles come in a variety of sizes and colors. According to the brand's website, its sizes range from 12 oz. to 40 oz. However, Owala sets itself apart from Stanley in that its FreeSip water bottles have a straw option for sipping and an opening for chugging, giving you the ability to enjoy your water or other beverages in multiple ways. The company even has a 16 oz. option for kids and a specially decorated 24 oz. line for Marvel fans. What's more, Owala has a tumbler line similar to Stanley's, but it comes with the trademark sip-or-swig lid that Stanley's tumblers don't possess. For those who don't like the idea of even being near lead, Owala says its products are lead-free, as well as free of BPAs and phthalates.

CNN gave Owala rave reviews and claimed that it kept drinks super cold despite being left overnight. The sip-and-gulp feature was also a win, as the straw option allows users to drink safely while driving. One con was that the FreeSip bottles only allow cold or room-temperature beverages. Owala does, however, have a FreeSip Twist line that can be used for hot and carbonated drinks, so if you want a two-for-one item, that's a great alternative.

One of the biggest complaints about the Stanley tumblers is that they leak when tipped over, which means you can't carry around your water in your bag or backpack. However, Owala tumblers claim to be "splash resistant," which TikTok user Kristin Parker found to be pretty true. She compared her Stanley tumbler to her new Owala by pouting about a cup of water into each of them. When she tipped the Stanley over her plant, a slew of water poured out of the straw. With the Owala, a few drops of water came out, but it was far less than its counterpart.

YouTube content creator Caleon Twins also converted from Stanley to Owala. "It has different options on how you can drink from it. So, you have the lid that you can pop open, so this big hole you can just sip like a regular water bottle ... but as you can see there's a smaller hole on the bottom right there and you can sip it like a straw," the influencer shared. "And, unlike the Stanley, this is also leak-proof," she stated. If you're looking for a new emotional support water bottle or just looking to replace your Stanley tumbler, it looks like Owala is a clear favorite and will only continue growing its fan base.