The various Owala water bottles of first period Newspaper. Photo courtesy of senior Roslyn Risner.
Ranging from the infamous Labubus and Dubai chocolate to Stanley cups and the hanging dice adorning car rearview mirrors everywhere, students at San Luis Obispo High School are not strangers to trends
What’s more interesting are trends quietly taking over, only really prevalent if looked for, or in specific internet circles. One of these is, evidently, the Owala water bottle’s explosive popularity.
At SLOHS, 32 percent of students own an Owala water bottle.
What’s so great about these bottles, and why do so many people own them, yet nobody talks about them?
“I bought [my Owala] initially because I loved how it looked, with all the fun color options. It was also trendy, which definitely drew me to it,” said freshman Jolene Snyder.
Unlike the ‘Stanley’ boom of years past, the Owala’s are popular, yet not particularly mocked or associated with specific groups. In 2023, Time magazine named the water bottle on its list of best inventions, yet to many, it wasn’t yet noticeable.
“A variety of color palettes with fun names like Shy Marshmallow have helped the bottles go viral,” wrote Time reporter Jessica Klein.
In addition to their advertised variety, the Owala water bottles are leakproof, which is often an issue people face with their water bottle choice.
“I got my Owala a year ago, and I bought it because I heard that it doesn’t leak, and my previous water bottles were leaking,” said sophomore Lexi Kirscher.
While the trend may not be as big a deal as Stanleys were a few years ago, or previously with Yetis or Hydroflasks, it’s still a trend at its core.
“The [trend] is going to go away, eventually. I think it really is the same thing as the Stanleys,” said freshman Brynn Hoffman.
Whether or not this is the case, Owalas certainly have many benefits that are lacking from their predecessors, including their customizability, dual method use, and leakproof nature.
Though their popularity is likely based primarily on their status, they are undoubtedly a good water bottle brand beyond the typical selling points, and could be worth the investment.
Source: owalalife.com
