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I Thought I Loved Stanley, but After Trying Out This New Tumbler, I'm Never Going Back

It's on sale, too.

Elisabeth Sherman is a writer, editor, and fact-checker in the food, culture, and entertainment spaces. She has been working professionally at national magazines since 2015. Glass Water Bottle

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I am a water bottle collector, and recently I’ve noticed that travel tumblers are everywhere. I own a Yeti tumbler, and a TikTok-famous Stanley tumbler, and use them both regularly for all sorts of excursions, from beach days to long walks in the park, to running errands with my family. 

So when I heard that Owala, a brand which is known for its FreeSip water bottle that has a built-in straw, came out with a 40-ounce tumbler, I knew I had to try it out. In just a month, it has become my new favorite water bottle.

The brand sent me an Owala Tumbler to try a month ago, and so far it’s proved just as effective maintaining the temperature of my drinks as more expensive brands. But it still has many similar features.  It has a 40-ounce capacity, a handle on the side which makes it easy to carry, and it's constructed from heavy-duty insulated stainless steel. 

However, there are few things that make the Owala tumbler stand out. First off, the colors. In my opinion, magenta watermelon breeze, lavender bunny hop, and the great blue, are so much more cheerful than what other brands offer and they make the mundane task of staying hydrated seem like more fun.

Plus, it has a 2-in-1 lid that lets you either sip directly from the lid or use the straw — and the straw snaps to the side of the tumbler when you’re not using it, so it’s not easily misplaced or jutting out of the top all the time. 

But what I really love about the Owala tumbler is that it feels more balanced and easier to carry than the very heavy Stanley Quencher, even though both are made out of stainless steel. However, it's true that because both have a large capacity, they can be bulky to carry around for long periods, if you don’t have a cup holder in your car, backpack, or stroller. 

I recently brought my Owala tumbler along with me on vacation, and I can honestly say that the insulation really does live up to the hype. At one point, I accidentally left it in the car on an 80-degree day, and when I came back, the water inside was still ice cold.

But it will still come in handy as temperatures cool down this fall: Because it’s so efficient at maintaining beverage temperatures no matter the weather, your hot coffee will stay hot inside this tumbler all fall and winter. So whether you need plenty of water for a long hike or taking your pour over coffee to work, this Tumbler will become a travel staple. It has for me. 

If you want a travel tumbler that has a little more personality than other brands out there, but will still keep hot and cold beverages the perfect temperature, you need this Owala tumbler — and now that it’s 25% off, today is the perfect time to grab one. 

At the time of publishing, the price was $28.

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