Owala FreeSip
24, 32 or 40 oz; the same spout is on the Sport and Elevation lines
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- Lid
- Push-button straw or chug
- Dishwasher
- No, lid is hand-wash
Why it ranks here. The FreeSip is the bottle everyone is talking about: one push-button spout you can sip through a straw or tip and chug, refilled under the tap without removing the lid, in every colour, holding ice as long as the dearer names. It ranks first for that. Its straw falls off inside, its gasket moulds, and it is hand-wash only.
'My owala keeps ice better than Stanley, Yeti, Hydroflask, and any other number of cheaper cups I've tried'↗, says one owner. Another has used hers 'almost every day since'↗ Christmas 2022, and loves 'the second latch'↗ for carrying. 'the free sip opening also makes filling the bottle incredibly easy'↗, says a third, though 'the removable rubber gasket that seals the bottle is really prone to getting mold'↗. The straw is the running complaint: 'The most annoying part is the fact that the straw comes off every time I go to take a sip'↗, and for one owner it 'fell out on the ground at the airport'↗. The bottle 'dents too easily'↗. One lid 'started to degrade and produce plastic shreds'↗ at six weeks, and Owala called it 'normal wear and tear'↗. A Yeti loyalist returned his: 'Too many components'↗.
What owners like
“I recently (within the last year). Purchased an owala. I love the mouthpiece design and how effortless it is to get water, but hate everything else about the bottle. It dents too easily and is overall flimsy. It is also difficult to prevent molding. The most annoying part is the fact that the straw comes off every time I go to take a sip.” — Reddit post · u/jamiejamiejamiee · r/HydroHomies · 2026-04-19
5 positive · 5 mixed · 2 negative · 12 voices · ✓ all 12 linked to source
Read all 12 quotes (12 voices)
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ngl i love mine, keeps water cold forever.
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My owala keeps ice better than Stanley, Yeti, Hydroflask, and any other number of cheaper cups I’ve tried.
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Love my Free sip, I have a 24oz that I use for work/travel. Still use my 40oz Stanley at home but a bigger Owala is tempting. Their Smooth sip is nice too if you drink tea/coffee
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I returned mine after a couple days. I hate bottles with straws and funky tops. Too many components and my ice stayed solid for ~12 hours. My yeti can easily go 1-2 full days with ice completely solid. I like being able to just refill the water & keeping the ice in there.
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I prefer room temp water because of how sensitive my teeth are but I love the design of the owala mouthpiece and going between the straw and chugging. I will say it is definitely a pain to clean though, if you order one make sure to also grab a straw brush for the little crevices and stuff
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The cup does not leak which seemed good. However, after normal use of just 1.5 months, the cup cover started to degrade and produce plastic shreds, as pictured. This could be a health hazard as the plastic shreds would be ingested. Contacted Owala warranty service, but they denied the claim stating that this was "normal wear and tear". I have never seen a cup cover degrading so fast.
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I recently (within the last year). Purchased an owala. I love the mouthpiece design and how effortless it is to get water, but hate everything else about the bottle. It dents too easily and is overall flimsy. It is also difficult to prevent molding. The most annoying part is the fact that the straw comes off every time I go to take a sip.
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I really love Owala! I have several of their products. I have one of their 40oz tumblers with a straw, and the same style in a HydroFlask. The Owala one regularly holds ice far longer
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I got my Owala bottle Christmas 2022 and I've used it almost every day since. I love the sipping straw and I also love the second latch, makes it really easy to carry when my hands are full of stuff. I never thought I'd have so much to say about a water bottle, but I love my Owala :)
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The two other major pros and cons: pro - the free sip opening also makes filling the bottle incredibly easy. You no longer need to twist to open the cap! con - the removable rubber gasket that seals the bottle is really prone to getting mold on it and it's very difficult to clean the rubber material.
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Love my Owala but like you said it has its faults but i prefer it over my other bottles, along with the issues you mentioned i have also noticed: --The lid often doesn't open when you press the button --The straw also does sometimes fall off inside the bottle and is not easy to put back on --The button on one of mine fell out and i had to heat and reshape it a little to get it to stay (QA Problem) --new--bring the new silicone design from the free sip sway to the older bottle (prevent straw geyser for sparkling water and flights) Definitely my favorite straw lid though by a mile. they could make some improvements like getting rid of the rubber coating, making the lid open more readily, swapping for a metal straw, and tweaking the release button or just better QA.
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I will say the Owala straws design does make it fall out pretty often for me which is very annoying because I dont want to open the bottle while im out and about without washing my hands first. Its happened several times to me where I was reduced for chug only for awhile. Also one time, the straw fell out on the ground at the airport right before I was about to board my fllight and that was so frustrating I just couldnt use the straw for hours. Other than that I do love my owala