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As the oceans fill up with plastic and people begin to learn about the effects of BPA on the human body, more and more of the outdoorsy crowd are looking for an alternative to the usual plastic water bottle.
The search for the perfect travel flask can be daunting, however! The market is saturated with cups of all types.
When it comes to top quality, however, the best travel mugs come from three companies: Hydro Flask, Klean Kanteen, and Zojirushi. You’re probably familiar with the first two.
The Zojirushi is not as well-known as the Hydro Flask or the Klean Kanteen, but it’s definitely a contender for the title of top travel mug!
At a glance, they all seem pretty much the same. So, which mug is the best? Read on to find out which cup is worth your investment.
Quick Comparison: Hydro Flask Vs Klean Kanteen Vs Zojirushi
| Product | Lid | Opening | Use | Cleaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1. Hydro Flask Best Overall  Check Price | Screw cap | Narrow to wide | Biking, hiking; Cold drinks | Easy |
| #2. Zojirushi Durable  Check Price | Screw-on locking lip cap | Medium | Tea, coffee, water | Tough |
| #3. Klean Kanteen Easy to Clean  Check Price | Clip-on latch | Wide or narrow | Protein shake, cold drinks | Easy; dishwasher safe |
Zojirushi, Hydro Flask, Klean Kanteen Video Review
Material
As far as materials go, the Zojirushi, Hydro Flask, and Klean Kanteen are all pretty much the same. Depending on which model you buy, of course, all are essentially identical: every brand makes the main part of the bottle with a double-layer of stainless steel and a middle vacuum-sealed layer.
This keeps liquids either hot or cool for a long time, and it’s what sets good travel flasks apart from the cheaply-made brands.
Zojirushi, Hydro Flask, and Klean Kanteen bottles also all include plastic caps. There are a variety of cap styles, however, and not all of them include plastic. The caps that do include plastic are created with BPA-free materials.
Lid
The Hydro Flask cap choices aren’t particularly varied. All of their caps are plastic, although they are all composed of BPA-free plastic. The Hyrdo Flask cap options are a flex cap with a handle, a straw lid, a flip-cap, and a sport cap.
One perk of these lids, however, is the color choice. If you go for the Hydro Flip lid, you can pick from five different colors! All the lids are extremely leak-proof.
The Klean Kanteen has several cap styles available. Most travel mugs come with a standard screw-on cap made of BPA-free plastic, but many come with latching caps or flip-caps.
If the travel flask you choose comes with a lid you don’t like, you can always purchase an alternative cap from the Klean Kanteen website.
Klean Kanteen cap options include a steel loop cap, a plastic sports cap, a bamboo cap, a metal Swing Loc cap, a café cap, and several others.
The drawback to some of these lids is that they aren’t entirely leak-proof. Some of the older styles have issues with water leaking through the screw threads and onto the outside of the cup.
Opt for a newer style to avoid this. The © Cap 2.0 is a great leak-free option.
Zojirushi is the least creative when it comes to caps. However, their caps boast some of the best designs out there. There are two main styles: © caps and locking push-button lids.
Many people prefer these cups simply because of the one-handed design of the cap. The lids are either the same color as the cup or a silver stainless steel. If you must have a different color, though, you can grab one at the online store.
Use
While all of these mug brands create cups that have a variety of uses, each performs best with a certain type of drink.
The Hydro Flask is great for hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. It’s light and doesn’t dent, scratch, or break, so you can take it on all your adventures. This cup is good for hot drinks, but it performs best with cold drinks.
Although the Klean Kanteen fits nicely in a backpack side pocket, it’s heavy and it dents fairly easily. This, and the way it fits perfectly into your car cup holder, makes it a better urban flask.
Since it keeps things cool for up to 24 hours, this is the ideal protein drink mug!
Zojirushi cups are the best hot drink travel mugs. Some users find that drinks are still hot after sitting in the mug after a day and a half!
This cup is the lightest of the travel mugs listed here, and it’s ergonomic and fits into cup holders. It’s good for anything, but especially cold-weather adventures.
Cleaning
The Hydro Flask and the Klean Kanteen are both easy to wash by hand.
The Klean Kanteen is the only mug on our list that is dishwasher safe, however. The Zojirushi is tough to clean, so you’ll probably have to invest in a bottle cleaner.
Styles and Sizes
All the Hydro Flask mugs have the same basic design, but they do come in a lot of cool colors. There are nine styles from 12 ounces to 64 ounces.
If you’re going to a great look, then the Klean Kanteen is your best bet. These mugs feature cool designs and fun colors. There are 12 different sizes, ranging from 12 to 64 ounces.
Zojirushi has many different styles, but not a very large variety of colors and sizes. Their 11 options range from 10 ounces to 20 ounces.
Verdict – Klean Kanteen Vs Hydro Flask Vs Zojirushi
While all of these companies have great options, I have to say that the Hydro Flask is the best choice. Although it isn’t that easy to clean, the indestructible factor and size puts it at the top of my list.
However, if you want something that is easy to clean, the Klean Kanteen is probably better bet. Don’t write off the Zojirushi either despite its small size, it’s actually the best for durability and leak-proof factor.
While the Hydro Flask is overall the best option, all three of these travel mugs have great qualities.
For comparison between Hydro Flask and Yeti, please visit this article: Yeti vs Hydro Flask- Which One is For You?