CheckMag’s Long-Term Review of Hidrate Spark Smart Water Bottle

When searching for a reusable water bottle, there are many choices available. You can opt for premium brands like Yeti and Stanley or select a more basic option from a department store. However, if you’re looking for a tech-integrated water bottle, the selection becomes narrower. Your choices will largely depend on how you plan to use the bottle. Do you want a self-cleaning bottle, one that filters or flavors your water, or even heats it? Or perhaps you are among the many who set New Year’s resolutions to drink more water? Hidrate Spark was designed to help people stay hydrated.

This review focuses on the Hidrate Spark 21 oz (620 ml) brushed stainless steel bottle, which was received as a gift. The gift was given because the reviewer uses Ozempic for diabetes and struggled with drinking enough water, which is a significant concern. Various mobile apps were tested, each with different levels of effectiveness; however, after one full year of use, the Hidrate Spark bottle has impressed this reviewer. Here are the specifications and key points.

Specifications and Sizes

Hidrate Spark provides a selection of bottles in sizes of 21, 24, and 32 oz. The largest, at 32 oz, measures 3.82” x 11.3” and weighs 1.63 lbs when dry. It’s made from insulated stainless steel. Interestingly, the 24 oz bottle, measuring 2.76” x 10.92”, is made from plastic and weighs just 0.6 lbs. The lightest model discussed here, the 21 oz bottle, measures 2.76” x 10.63”, is also constructed from insulated stainless steel, has a dry weight of 1.06 lbs, and fits into most cup holders.

Insulation and Features

The insulated stainless steel is vacuum-sealed, keeping your cold drinks chilled for as long as 24 hours. This has been confirmed through practical use and testing. They provide different color choices, along with limited edition series that tend to sell out quickly. You have the option to drink through a dedicated straw or use a chug lid for faster hydration. Both lid types come with a locking mechanism, though it’s somewhat tricky to use and requires some time to get accustomed to. The locking mechanism is counterintuitive, needing to be in the down position to lock and the up position to unlock.

One important factor to consider is the weight of carrying an additional 1 lbs/0.454 kg. This isn’t exactly a lightweight tech item, particularly as it more than doubles in weight when filled, reaching 2.25 lbs/1.021 kg. It is the heaviest of the Smart Bottles discussed below, yet its price point provides an advantage. The benefits don’t stop there.

Gamification and Reminders

The standout feature of this water bottle is its gamification and challenge aspects, which encourage users to drink more water. As previously mentioned, several apps were tried, but they proved to be invasive and didn’t motivate the reviewer to drink in a pleasant way. Those apps were complex and didn’t effectively track the water intake. This is where Hidrate Spark excels. The app connects to the bottle using a rechargeable Bluetooth LED puck that fits into the bottle’s base. Every time you take a sip and set the bottle down, it measures the weight and logs how much you’ve drunk. Even a small sip is detected, and the weight difference adds to your total. The company claims the puck can last up to 14 days between charges, but in real-world use, it typically lasts between 7 and 10 days.

The reviewer has not found any specific patterns for reminders to drink. The base of the bottle will flash in the color you choose, or your phone might emit a subtle sound of a water drop along with an inspirational quote or witty comment about hydration. The reminders are not annoying like the previously mentioned phone-only apps. You can set your hydration goals, which the app calculates based on body type and weight, or you can enter your own targets. Additionally, you can specify the hours for reminders. After several wake-up calls during the night, this reviewer decided to stop drinking before 9 p.m.!

Customization and Compatibility

You can further personalize the app by subscribing to design your own LED light show and add more drinks to your catalog. The app also features a manual input option for adding drinks like your morning coffee or hot chocolate to help meet your hydration goals. A coffee is rated at 90% hydration, while hot chocolate is at 80%. The app has been optimized to integrate with fitness trackers and health apps such as Apple Health, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Google Fit, and Withings Health Mate. It’s free to download and can be used with or without the bottle on both Android and iOS.

The Hidrate Spark Pro bottle provides a unique and effective solution to help you stay hydrated. Its smart features, including drink tracking, reminders, and gamification, differentiate it from other water bottles. Although the weight and somewhat complicated lock may be minor setbacks, the advantages of increased water consumption and the bottle’s overall functionality make it worth considering. If you’re in search of a smart water bottle that can genuinely assist you in achieving your hydration goals, the Hidrate Spark should be on your radar.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *