Owala FreeSip Twist Review

Owala has another bottle besides the FreeSip, and it has a twist—literally. Its cap twists open.

Low-hanging puns aside, Owala seems to know they’ve got a hit on their hands with their clever swig-or-sip spout design, so now they’re leaning into different styles to suit everyone’s tastes. We’re already quite pleased with the regular FreeSip‘s spring-loaded cap, so we’re more than happy to test a twist cap version—we’re willing to bet folks already like the looks and are just waiting to see if the functionality is mostly there.

The Rundown

The FreeSip Twist comes in two sizes, 18 oz or 24 oz. Since we test a lot of 20+ ounce insulated bottles, we went for the smaller variant—there’s no functional difference, but it does work better when we test bags with tight water bottle pockets. Arguably more interesting are the colorway options available at the time of writing, which include Sunny Daze, Sleepy Lavender, Rainstorm, Neo Sage, and Rock On. We picked the Rock On option (white body with gray cap) since it’s the most vanilla-looking of the bunch (and there’s no black option). However, we’d recommend looking at the Neo Sage option and its bright pink accents if you’re looking for something that stands out.

Like most insulated bottles, the FreeSip Twist is made of stainless steel. The colorways may be eye-catching, but the materials don’t differ that much, if at all. Still, the build quality is pretty solid, especially since this design uses a twist cap with very few moving parts (if any). Additionally, this bottle is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free, which we think should be a given for all insulated bottles, honestly speaking. For what it’s worth, there’s none of that out-of-the-box strong chemical taste, either, so that’s encouraging evidence beyond a few words.

The “flimsiest” part of the FreeSip Twist is the cap’s paracord ring pull. In lieu of a handle, Owala opted for a classy piece of trim, and we totally understand the aesthetic appeal. On the other hand, we have the handicap of seeing ring pulls like this on Osprey daypacks like the Centauri, somewhat dulling the allure for us. Still, it’s enough for carrying a relatively small 18-ounce bottle like this if you’re just moving from room to room or table to table. In our case, we like using it to anchor the bottle whenever the accompanying bag we’re testing has an attachment point above its water bottle pocket.

The main draw of Owala bottles is their two-in-one spout design, allowing users to either take a swig or take a sip. There are two holes next to each other when you open the cap. The smaller one connects to a straw, while the bigger one is a plain hole where you take a swig. The design is clever, though ultimately simple, the more you think about it. It is worth mentioning that liquids come out of both holes when you take a swig. It takes some getting used to that sensation, but we quickly got over it during our time with the Owala FreeSip.

Going back to the cap for a bit here, its underside has a sort of gasket that seals the spout. That seems like a trivial detail, but the gasket protrudes just enough that it can hit the spout’s lip. In other words, a tiny bit of mindfulness is required when twisting the cap back in place. If you’re wondering, yes, the gasket is removable, so you can clean it easily and thoroughly. Additionally, don’t think you’ll be forced to pour drinks and squeeze ice cubes down the FreeSip Twist’s fairly narrow neck. The entire neck itself can twist off, and there’s also a removable gasket around this area. Despite the multiple openings and joints, we’ve observed no leaks, nor was it easy to cross-thread the neck or the cap.

Maintenance is fairly easy since both of the bottle’s gaskets are removable. The only tedious part is breaking down the entire bottle into its individual components when you want a thorough cleaning. But hey, that’s a price we’re willing to pay for the sake of being hygienic.

Like most insulated bottles, the FreeSip Twist can be filled with hot or cold drinks. How it maintains the coolness or hotness of our drinks is average, though that’s more of a testament to how excellent most of the insulated bottles we test are. A handful of ice cubes is enough to keep water cold throughout an average day, and there are no obvious thermal “leaks” (spots where the bottle is obviously cold or hot).

One small detail that’s easy to miss is the marking along the neck, indicating where the spout is pointing. We don’t know about you, but we find it tricky to take swigs from open-mouthed bottles in the dark. Without a marker like this, you’re left with the horrifying options of either bottoms-upping blind, potentially spilling your drink, or feeling the spout’s orientation with your fingers—neither option is elegant, to say the least.

Packability

It just so happens we were testing the FreeSip Twist alongside the ALPAKA Bravo Tote, which has a notably skinny exterior water bottle pocket. Our takeaway? This bottle is ideal for those already invested in a bag with a small water bottle pocket.

If not, we definitely recommend going up a size. We move from place to place too frequently for 18 ounces to be enough for our needs. 24 ounces is really our sweet spot, balancing overall bulk, drink capacity, and lightness.

Quick Comparison

All of that said, the 18-ounce FreeSip Twist notably falls short of the Hydro Flask Bottle 21 oz Standard Mouth’s capacity. In fact, the Hydro Flask is shorter than the FreeSip Twist. The key difference is the Hydro Flask’s more “conventional” style, with an arching plastic handle and sharper shoulder. The plastic handle is particularly more ergonomic if you carry your bottle by itself frequently, so it’s definitely worth considering.

Of course, we can’t avoid comparing the FreeSip Twist against the established regular version (19 ounces). It’s interesting to observe subtle differences, starting with the basic shape. Whereas the FreeSip Twist is more uniform and bottle-like, the regular version is more like a tumbler/shaker, with partially flattened sides that make it ever-so-slightly easier to grab. Capacity-wise, the regular version is also an ounce bigger, though overall bulk is quite similar. The biggest difference, though, is the regular version’s spring-loaded cap with an integrated handle. All else being equal (including the price, which is around $25 at the time of writing for both), we prefer the regular version since it’s much more convenient to open.