By Zoe Robinson
I became the owner of a Stanley Cup a bit late, getting my first ever this past Christmas. I definitely understand the hype now: it can hold a ton of water, it’s customizable, and I lucked out by getting a limited-edition holiday color. Despite its spillability, I had no complaints.
However, after I returned to school and checked back-to-school TikToks, I began to detect a noticeable change. The once must-have Stanley Cup seemed to have fallen out of favor, as I noticed more and more posts on my feed talking about how annoying the once-dominant drinking vessel was to have around. I wondered, “If the Stanley goes, what will replace it?” Hydroflasks? Yetis? Maybe even the Tronco?
The answer now is clearly the Owala. I couldn’t figure out how the Owala had become so popular, but, according to The Wirecutter, “It was clear why people loved the bottle so much. It was inexpensive, easy to use with one hand while you’re driving, and adaptable.”
And of course, there are all those color combos.
I’m not super passionate about my Stanley, and I don’t even own an Owala, so I realized I needed to find people who could make strong cases for both sides.
My first conversation was with Stanley supporter Carter Rumph, who has developed her own mini collection of Stanleys in her home. “Let’s think here,” she said as she counted in her head, “I might have four or five.” Not all of these Stanleys are hers; in fact, she shares a few with her mother, who introduced her to the Stanley craze a few years ago. After buying one, she encouraged Carter to incorporate it into her daily routine.
As someone who’s always on the go, Carter loves the Stanley, mostly because it encourages her to drink more water. Not only does it have massive storage capacity, but its straw feature makes it easily accessible. “Not having to open a container or unscrew a top or something to drink water makes me drink more of it,” she explained.
This statistic is actually backed up, with a 2016 article on preventing Chronic Disease in the CDC showing that 20% of kids drank more water when given a more accessible medium (cups over screwed open caps).
While she loves her collection, she admits that the Stanley is a tad impractical, especially during travel. “You can’t travel with them, especially through TSA,” she told me, “which can get really annoying.” They’re also impossible to lay down or turn sideways, which can become a problem for her if she wants to bring them to school in her backpack.
Despite all this, Carter will continue to love her Stanleys simply for the love of the game. She especially enjoys decorating them herself, with name stickers, vinyl sticker decor, and more. “Stanleys are less convenient, but you use them because you love them,” she told me. And she really does love them.
Olivia Cassinelli, however, does not feel the love for the Stanleys. “I’ve never understood the Stanley hype,” she told me as she pulled her Owala out of her bag. They’re super inconvenient for her, especially during her varsity swim practices, where she’d rather not add to the amount of water in the pool if her Stanley spills.
Much like Carter, after falling out of love with her Stanley, Olivia received not one, but three Owalas as gifts. After weighing the pros and cons of each choice, she was able to decide that the Owala was the better choice. “I’m team Owala, 100%,” she proclaimed.
While its size is great for long practices where she wants a good amount of water, Olivia admits that the Stanley is the better option. At the same time, its size is also inconvenient because it can be in the way while she’s there. As far as the Owala goes, it’s not only small enough to not cause any problems, but its simple and comfortable design makes it a soothing emotional touchstone for her to have while she’s there. This sentiment is shared by many people on TikTok, with one user saying, “@Owala will forever be my fave emotional support bottle”.
Another interesting observation that Olivia’s made is the difference in what the two cups say about their owners. While neither one is bad, the Owala feels a bit more modest than the Stanley. “With the Stanley, you have to carry it in your hand,” she explained, “It calls attention.” For someone a bit more lowkey, like Olivia, this makes the Stanley a bit less desirable than the Owala.
Fittingly enough, it’s also much harder for her to decorate, giving it a much sleeker and inconspicuous look: exactly the vibe she wants to give off with her water bottle. It also makes it easier to transport, slipping into pockets and through TSA pretty easily.
At the end of the day, both Carter and Olivia can see the appeal of both brands, even if they have their preferences (given I don’t have an Owala, I’m by default team Stanley). While they may stand on opposite sides of the Stanley v. Owala war, they’ll stay close friends. Unless they have to share each other’s water bottle collections.
