HydroJug vs. Stanley Review: Ditch Your Stanley!
It’s no secret that we busy moms need to stay hydrated. If you’re feeling thirsty, then this is the perfect blog post for you! Today, I’m sharing why I switched to the HydroJug, and ditched my Stanley tumbler with ZERO regrets. Keep on reading!
(This post is not sponsored, and contains affiliate links to items I have purchased with my own money. If you click on, and order from these links you will be supporting my blog in a small way that means a lot, at no cost to you! Thank you!)
About a month ago, one of my best friends (being the sweet friend she is) surprised me with a Stanley tumbler as a postpartum gift! (By the way, the HydroJug would be an epic gift idea for any mom, especially a postpartum mama needing to stay hydrated!) I would have never bought the Stanley for myself because quite frankly, I have a hard time treating myself. I used the Stanley for a day, or two, and loved drinking ICE COLD water all day long!
But then…it happened.
I was sitting on my couch all cozy with my Stanley, until I felt the coldest chill of water gliding down my leg and into my beloved couch cushions! NO! I had no idea that the Stanley SPILLS. In my opinion, that alone does not make it ideal for “mom life.”
Then even more bad news came. Apparently, there’s this big controversy with Stanley tumblers using lead…yes, LEAD in their tumblers. After much research, I understood the company (Stanley) admitted that lead is used in the manufacturing process, where the lead pellet is coated and sealed in the bottom of the cup beneath stainless steel. This still made consumers question if the lead could possibly leak through given many people’s positive at-home lead tests? In response, the company shared that those at-home tests may not be reliable, and claimed the only potential for leaking would be if the cup gets damaged.
I considered all the knowns, and unknowns, and I felt that if there's even potential for lead to be in the Stanley, I should ditch and pivot for my own peace of mind. (No judgement if you still love and use your Stanley, of course. I’m happy you are staying hydrated…even if it does SPILL! LOL) In the end, what worked for me felt 10x better.
HydroJug PROS…(There are many!)
I have to give props to my sister in law @cookingwithheartandhome for first telling me about the HydroJug. She’s a hardworking mom so I knew she understood the importance of staying hydrated on the day to day. She raved and raved about the HydroJug. Probably the most amazing feature for moms about the HydroJug alone is…get ready…IT DOES NOT SPILL. I REPEAT, IT IS LEAK PROOF. Did you hear me?! You can literally throw it in your bag, and it will not spill. This alone SOLD ME to leave my Stanley for the HydroJug. Sorry, not sorry, Stanley.
The HydroJug also has a detachable straw inside the tumbler for easy cleaning. It’s smooth spout folds down sleekly, and feels very natural to drink from. (The Stanley has a hard straw that likes to move around, and pricked my lips on multiple occasions as I wrestled to bring it to my mouth for a sip.)
The HydroJug is just as fashionable and sleek as the Stanley, and comes in 20oz, 32oz, and 40oz with a ton of trendy color options. It also just came out with a toddler version, which can include engraving options for identification purposes at school which is genius. Now you and your toddler can match!
It was with great peace of mind I also learned that the HydroJug is NOT made with lead in it’s tumblers, and fits in car cup holders just the same!
The best part is, the largest size (40oz) of the HydroJug is only $39.99!! Affordable indeed, which is the last point that brought me, and my husband to purchasing our own.
Now, let’s talk HydroJug cons…(There are very few!)
One minor con I found between the HydroJug and Stanley is that the Stanley will still have fully formed ice cubes the next morning from the night prior while HydroJug’s cubes may slightly melt overnight, but trust me, your water in the HydroJug will STILL be COLD! (And to be honest, don’t we want to clean our tumbler, and put fresh water in each morning anyway?) This con really didn’t bother me.
The last con to consider only comes when deep cleaning the actual LID of the HydroJug. Cleaning the straw, jug, and general lid area is a breeze, but as a new HydroJug owner, when it came to figuring out how to deep clean the lid, it was a challenge to disassemble. NOTE: If you are reading this prior to buying a HydroJug, then you will not have the headache I did on how to disassemble!
After taking apart the silicone parts of the lid that are so incredibly good at keeping the jug from leaking out, they are a tad difficult to get back in, so you may need an additional tool such as a q-tip, or eyebrow brush to push then back in place. I linked a video below of the easiest way I found to disassemble the HydroJug lid when you need to really deep clean it. The KEY is running HOT water over the lid prior to disassembling which made it much easier. (This con was frustrating at first, but still not enough to get me running back to the Stanley.)
I took a refreshing sip from my HydroJug, sold my barely used Stanley on Facebook marketplace, (which apparently is a thing?). I even replaced my bestie’s Stanley with her very own HydroJug, and the rest is history!
So, between the HydroJug being cute, affordable, lead-free, and leak proof, I think you can see why I ditched the Stanley, (and you should too)! Share this post with a fellow thirsty mama, or even surprise your bestie with one like I did, and enjoy your new HydroJug. Happy Hydrating!
