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Outdoors head-to-head

Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 ozvsOwala FreeSip 32 oz

12 years between them: the 2020 Owala FreeSip 32 oz at 8.4, the 2008 Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz at 8.0. The older one still holds Value and Durability.

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.

Owala FreeSip 32 oz

Owala

8.4

The lid solves the actual problem: drink without unscrewing anything, still fit ice.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Design, Owala FreeSip 32 oz ahead 8.8 to 6.4. They come closest on Value, 9.6 to 8.8. Left of center is Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz, right is Owala FreeSip 32 oz.

Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz versus Owala FreeSip 32 oz — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz run left from the axis labels, bars for Owala FreeSip 32 oz run right. Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz: Performance 6.4, Value 9.6, Durability 9.6, Design 6.4. Owala FreeSip 32 oz: Performance 8.2, Value 8.8, Durability 7.8, Design 8.8.Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz (left)Owala FreeSip 32 oz (right)PerformanceNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Performance 6.4 out of 106.4Owala FreeSip 32 oz — Performance 8.2 out of 108.2ValueNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Value 9.6 out of 109.6Owala FreeSip 32 oz — Value 8.8 out of 108.8DurabilityNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Durability 9.6 out of 109.6Owala FreeSip 32 oz — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8DesignNalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz — Design 6.4 out of 106.4Owala FreeSip 32 oz — Design 8.8 out of 108.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

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

Take the Owala FreeSip 32 oz

Leads on Performance and Design.

  • You drink at a desk, one-handed, all day
  • Ice cubes need to fit through the opening
  • A lid that locks shut inside a bag

What each one gets wrong

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

Owala FreeSip 32 oz

  • Fewer moving parts is your definition of reliable
  • You want a lid you can fully dismantle to clean

Specs, side by side

SpecNalgene Wide Mouth 32 ozOwala FreeSip 32 oz
MaterialSingle-wall Tritan (BPA-free revision)—
MarkingsVolume graduations on the side—
WeightUnder 180 grams—
Lid—Sip spout plus wide chug opening
Insulation—Double-wall vacuum
Lock—Push-button lid with lock

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2020 Owala FreeSip 32 oz the safer pick over the 2008 Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz?
Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz takes Value and Durability; Owala FreeSip 32 oz takes Performance and Design. Neither leads on more axes than the other, so it comes down to which of those you care about. The 12-year gap shows in the totals as 8.4 against 8.0.
What does the 2008 model still win?
On Value and Durability, yes. Those axes still go to the 2008 model. The 2020 one answers with Performance and Design.
Which one ranks higher in "Water bottles leak at the lid, never at the wall"?
Owala FreeSip 32 oz sits at #1 in "Water bottles leak at the lid, never at the wall", Nalgene Wide Mouth 32 oz at #4.