Many high schoolers have come to define water bottles as an accessory, given the brand trends that have surrounded them for the past decade.
Every few years, a new water bottle company starts dominating shelves and appearing in classrooms. The timeline can be plotted as follows: first was the Hydroflask boom in 2019-2020, then it was the Stanley Cup craze during 2020-2022, and now it’s the Owalas, social media’s and Foran’s new must-have.
Junior Emily Moore states, “I don’t have one, but I think they’re really cute! I think that people grab onto these things once one friend in a friend group has them.”
Now, when someone walks into a classroom, seeing an Owala on various students’ desks isn’t surprising; in fact, it’s now become a guarantee.
In 2020, the Owala brand was launched by its Utah founders, Steve and Kim Sorensen. Its namesake comes from the fact that when someone takes a sip from the bottle, it’s meant to resemble a koala.
However, despite the brand launching in 2020, it would get its breakthrough in mid-2023 through social media.
Junior Natalia Vitiello states, “I got my Owala summer of freshman going into sophomore year [2023], and I like it because I like that I can sip from it or chug it.”
Some of the current designs the company has for sale are the Freesip, Freesip Tumbler, SmoothieSlip Slider, and FreeSip Sway. From this selection, the most popular with both teens and young adults is the Freesip.
The water bottles come in a variety of different color schemes, three complementary colors that are meant to grab the eye’s attention, which is the reason behind why people have taken such an immense liking to the brand.
As stated previously, this trend in water bottles has been seen before. Before Owalas, the hottest brand was the Stanley Cup. However, the Stanley wasn’t without its criticism, mostly in regard to how easily it spilled.
Due to this design flaw, many people started looking elsewhere for a new water bottle brand, one that didn’t spill easily, and with Owala’s lock-in feature, people found what they were looking for.
Health teacher, Miss Megan Hosking states, “I got the Owala because I love having the straw option for a water bottle, but when I had water bottles like the Stanley tumbler, I couldn’t put it in my bag without it spilling everywhere. The Owala allows me to lock it so I don’t have to worry about it spilling!”
Hosking goes on to elaborate that the color scheme of the bottles also managed to win her over.
The Owalas rise in popularity can also be attributed to the numerous famous influencers who’ve used their platforms to showcase the product.
Influencers such as Binoy Zachariah, Hanna Noellee, and Giulia Andrade have all been showcasing and tagging the Owala brand in their videos and stories.
The brand has managed to remain popular over the last three years, and its sales don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
Regarding when the trend inevitably slows down, Senior Aralynne Woods states, “I feel they will still be around because Owalas are very useful and nice water bottles that can be used for many things.”
