Jillian Dobbins

St. Mary’s students carry water bottles such as Hydro Flasks and Stanleys around at school to keep themselves hydrated.

 Reusable or plastic? Big or small? Trendy or not? 

When buying a new water bottle, all of these questions play a part. 

Tatler surveyed the Upper School about their water bottle choices, and 110 students responded.

The biggest takeaway: St. Mary’s loves water bottles.

All but two of the respondents said they own one or more bottles.

More than 79% said they own more than three.

A few people even claimed to have more than 20 water bottles!

How do St. Mary’s students pick all of their water bottles?

Ninety-one of the respondents said they prefer something useful over something cute.

The students who picked functionality value their water bottle’s ability to keep water cold, to have zero spillage and to be easy to carry.

Freshman Zofia Ross responded in the survey that the temperature of her water is important to her.

“Even if a water bottle is the prettiest in the world, it’s useless if it can’t hold cold water,” Ross wrote.

Senior Evie Bartlett agreed.

“If I’m going to pay $40 for something to keep my water cold, it better last me at least 15 years and not spill… I can’t afford to buy and test each new water bottle of the month,” she wrote.

Other students like senior Eliza Lawhead, however, appreciate aesthetics, though the functionality is still a priority.

“I do buy my water bottles based on how much I like the colors/trendiness, but what determines my favorite/how much I use the water bottle is based on functionality,” Lawhead wrote. “I never drank water with my Hydro Flask because it wasn’t functional enough for me, but now I drink a lot of water because my Owala is super functional. I originally bought both of these water bottles due to color/trendiness, but I stuck with the Owala due to functionality.” 

Students who picked appearance in the survey had different thoughts. While some acknowledged the importance of a well-functioning water bottle, these students value appearance and trendiness.

Freshman Stella Hamilton acknowledged that functionality is still essential, but wrote that she believes that the majority of water bottles all function similarly.

“Most water bottles are pretty similar quality, so it’s better to choose a brand that has cute ones if all of them are going to be basically the same anyway,” she wrote.

For the most part, the answers looked similar to sophomore Addison Cannon’s response, who wants to be a part of the water bottle trend.

“It makes me feel included and like everyone else,” she wrote.

So, what’s the most popular water bottle at St. Mary’s? Drumroll please…

The Hydro Flask!!

The survey results revealed that the most popular water bottle brand used around the Upper School is the Hydro Flask, with Owala and Stanley close behind. Nalgene might have come in last but is still holding strong with 17 users around the school.

So, the next time you grab your water bottle, ask yourself: does it keep water cool, or does it keep you cool?