Perhaps you’ve hopped on the Stanley Cup trend or stuck with the good ol’ Hydro Flask. Either way, you’ve certainly noticed that people have been switching their water bottle very often. In recent years, reusable water bottle has transcended its practical purposes and transformed into a cultural barometer, reflecting not just the speed of change of our dynamic pop culture, but even glimpses into patterns of various socioeconomic groups. Let’s analyze the Google Search Trends over the years 2015 to present and delve into the evolution of water bottle trends of, specifically, the brands YETI, Hydro Flask, Cirkul, Owala, and Stanley.
The Timeline
Winter 2015: YETI’s Reign
Our story begins in the winter of 2015, before the Hydro Flask craze. YETI beats out other reusable water bottle brands and stood at the top in the water bottle market with its durable, stainless-steel design. During this period before a core factor influencing the pop-culture, the general public was interested in various different brands. However, YETI shined just a little brighter than all other options and maintained its dominance until the emergence of new challenger a few years later.
August 2019: Hydro Flask’s Take Over
During 2019, Hydro Flask, with its sleek design and the trending metal-insulated traits, quickly rose to prominence. It captured the hearts — and Instagram feeds — of Generation Z. It also helped that the iconic symbol of the trending “VSCO girl” persona is a Hydro Flask water bottle, heavily decorated with assorted stickers. Hydro Flask’s reign, however, was disrupted by an unforeseen force: the global COVID pandemic.
March – May 2020: COVID’s Disruption to the Market
The outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020 drastically impacted consumer behavior, the water bottle market included. Online searches for water bottles plummeted. With lockdowns and social distancing becoming the norm, the focus shifted away from the portable water bottles to bring along with you as you hustle around all day.
End of 2021: Post-Pandemic Hydro Flask Resurgence and the Rise of the Straw
As the world resumed to a semi-normal in-person order in late 2021, Hydro Flask experienced a resurgence of its former glory. Interestingly, this period saw a subtle shift towards water bottles with integrated straw designs, offering a more convenient and, arguably, more hygienic option. This micro-shift begs the question of whether the general public was trying to separate from the outdated VSCO girl era. During this time, Hydro Flask notably began experimenting with different color palettes (gradient, pastel, etc.) to keep their customers interested.
May 2022: Cirkul’s Brief Moment in the Spotlight 
May of 2022 saw the rise of Cirkul, a water bottle filtration system that promised a convenient way to enjoy fresh, filtered water on the go. Cirkul briefly surpassed Hydro Flask in popularity, showcasing the fluid nature of the market. After a year of tug-of-war, Hydro Flask was able to regain its top place in the market.
End of 2023: Owala: The Straw Style Takes Center Stage
By April 2023, Owala, an innate straw-style water bottle, had taken the top spot. Owala’s popularity skyrocketed, reaching its peak at the end of 2023. This trend towards straw styles further solidified the design’s growing influence in the market. However, as with previous trends, Owala’s dominance began to wane at the beginning of 2024.
Up until now, we have been analyzing the water bottle market excluding the Stanley brand. Visually on the graph below, we can tell that as soon as we add Stanley back into the equation, the interest and its popularity completely diminishes the other water bottle trends. With that being said, let’s examine the famous Stanley cup.
November 2023: Stanley’s Stardom and the Rise of the “Mormon Mom Theory”
To analyze Stanley and its influence, let’s backtrack to November 2023. During this time, we saw its unexpected rise since it was a brand that was previously branded as “the great outdoors.” It is evident that the rebrand into “everyday lifestyle” worked. Stanley’s climb was swift, reaching its peak around the New Year’s of 2024. However, it has been experiencing a rapid decline as we move deeper into the year 2024. This quick rise and fall is not so foreign for the water bottle market, especially after the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal even commented on these quick and short term trends, as they theorize that water bottles have become a form of status symbol.
The Geographic Pattern
A glance at the geographical data reveals a noteworthy trend: Owala and Stanley, two of the latest online movements, are heavily concentrated in the state of Utah. Matching with the graph, we can also see that the interests from Utah peaked earlier than other states. With this information, it is reasonable to consider Utah as the trend setter. This observation has fueled the “Mormon mom” theory and sparked many conversations on social media platforms.
“Mormon moms” are largely concentrated in Utah, a place known to be highly dense with the population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), commonly referred to as Mormons. Their way of life has been a topic of discussion on platforms like blogs and YouTube for years, influencing a number of trends in popular culture. Now, it appears they have embraced the Stanley trend as a mass, propelling its rise to prominence.
“Mormon moms’” roles as trendsetters during the Stanley and Owala eras is actually a pattern across all the different trends of water bottle brands. For example, Hydro Flask peaked earliest in popularity and interest in the state of Arizona, while the other states’ search interest rose a month later, on average.
The Future of Water Bottles: A Landscape in Constant Change
As we move forward, it’s hard to predict the next big water bottle trend with certainty. As we have learned, the market’s ever changing, with brands quickly rising to dominance and then falling out just as fast. One thing is certain: the water bottle market is a cultural microcosm, reflecting not just our individual hydration needs but also the evolving social and cultural landscape. So, the next time you reach for your favorite water bottle, remember, its trendiness might be gone as fast as the water it holds.