Outdoors head-to-head
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 ozvsNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz vs Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz, scored side by side on all 4 Outdoors axes. Overall 8.3 to 8.0.
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz
Hydro Flask
8.3
Insulation at the top of the mainstream bracket, in a finish that survives being dropped.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz
Nalgene
8.0
No insulation, no pretence, and effectively unbreakable — the durability floor for everything else.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Where they diverge
Two products can average the same and still feel different, because the shape of the scores differs. Left of center is Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz, right is Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz.
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz
Axis
Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz
- 8.8Performance6.4
- 7.4Value9.6
- 8.6Durability9.6
- 8.4Design6.4
Which one to pick
Take the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz
Leads on Performance and Design.
- Ice that has to survive a full working day
- The bottle gets dropped on hard surfaces regularly
- You want interchangeable lids from a large ecosystem
Take the Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz
Leads on Value and Durability.
- Weight and cost matter more than temperature
- Measuring water for cooking or for filter systems
- Backcountry use where a dented vacuum bottle is a dead bottle
What each one gets wrong
Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz
- You want a lid included that you can drink from one-handed
- The premium over equivalent-performing bottles is hard to justify
Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz
- You want a cold drink to still be cold in four hours
- Condensation on the outside will be a problem
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz | Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz |
|---|---|---|
| Insulation | Double-wall vacuum, TempShield | — |
| Opening | Wide mouth, standard thread | — |
| Finish | Powder coat | — |
| Material | — | Single-wall Tritan (BPA-free revision) |
| Markings | — | Volume graduations on the side |
| Weight | — | Under 180 grams |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz or Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — which should I buy?
- Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz takes Performance and Design; Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz takes Value and Durability. Neither leads on more axes than the other, so it comes down to which of those you care about.
- How far apart are they overall?
- Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 32 oz scores 8.3 and Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz scores 8.0, a gap of 0.3. The total is the plain average of the 4 axes used in Outdoors.