At Hamburg Area High School, most students carry around some form of water bottle. The most common ones though are Stanley cups and Owala water bottles. Over the past three years, the likings have changed rapidly. At first, it was Stanleys, but as of late last school year and this school year, Owalas have been more frequently found. In comparison, Stanleys are wider and most of the time, have a handle which makes it resemble a coffee cup. Owalas on the other hand are taller and skinnier, having a handle at the top.
One student, Alexis Freeland who is a sophomore, owns a Stanley cup. She loves it, using it almost everywhere she is. At school, it is constantly sitting on her desk or is in her hands. She says she likes it for a multitude of reasons, her main reason being that it keeps her water cold all day. “I never have to worry about my drinks getting warm because the metal keeps it cold all day long for me,” said Alexis. She also likes it because of the handle as she can carry it around easier.
Another sophomore, Kaylum Riegel, has owned both a Stanley and an Owala but says she prefers his Owala a lot more. In his opinion, the Owala keeps drinks colder. He also said that it is easier to clean because of its skinnier shape. “The handle made cleaning it difficult because it didn’t fit into my dishwasher easy or it took up a lot of space,” said Kaylum. He also said that having the collapse straw piece is nice because he can pour the liquid into other cups that way.
While both brands of water bottle are great and good purchases, Owalas have a higher approval rating at HAHS. While the Stanley is a trend in its own standards, Owalas are just more practical for on the go use and cleaning purposes. Many who owned both said that the decision was difficult, but the shape of the Owala is the game changer for all of them. Either way, having something to keep a student hydrated is great and no matter which water bottle is chosen, Stanley or Owala, a student cannot say that they are thirsty.
