The New Owala Styles Solve My Teen’s Biggest Complaints

It’s been several months since my 14-year-old daughter boxed up all her Stanley tumblers and donated them to make room for her Owala water bottles. My girl swears by them for keeping her water cold for hours and loves that they come in colorful designs. Everyone in my home has now switched to Owala and feels pretty pleased with the brand’s insulated cups, from 40-ounce straw tumblers to 24-ounce screw-top water bottles.

My family has only a couple of critiques about the original tumblers and water bottles. Occasionally, my daughter found the water bottle’s push-button lid open when she carried it to theater rehearsal in her tote bag. She also has an autoimmune disease that causes a great deal of joint pain, so she’d occasionally comment that it was hard for her to hold onto the carrying loop on days when her fingers were swollen. 

Recently, Owala launched two new styles at Target: the FreeSip Tumbler and the FreeSip Sway, and both have solved my kid’s issues with the brand.

Owala FreeSip Tumbler 40-Ounce 

The Owala FreeSip Tumbler features a side handle my daughter can easily grab “because it’s roomy enough that it doesn’t hurt my hands on days when my joints are painful.” The tumbler’s double-threaded lid aligns with the handle to accommodate left—or right-handed drinking, which my lefty teenage son also appreciates. 

Like other Owala cups and bottles, it’s made with insulated stainless steel and keeps drinks cold for hours. But the real MVF (most valuable feature) is the sliding lid lock. Since this new Owala tumbler has a push-button lid to open it, it now comes with a sliding lock that prohibits that push-button lock from being engaged until you’re ready for a sip. 

Owala FreeSip Sway 30-Ounce

The Owala FreeSip Sway has a grab-and-go bucket handle that my daughter also loves using, and has a contoured shape that “makes it easier for my sore hands to hold onto.” Like the original Owala FreeSip Water Bottle, the Sway keeps water icy cold for hours. “I love that I can fill it up in the morning and take it with me to theater rehearsal or babysitting all day long, and every time I drink from it, it’s as cold as when I first filled it up,” she adds.

My daughter appreciates how the FreeSip Sway also features the new handy locking lid like the FreeSip Tumbler. “I’ve had my old Owalas pop open in my bag,” said my daughter, “which is probably my silly fault for throwing them into a tote bag, but it still makes me happy to know these new ones won’t open in my bag and spill.” 

Both of the new Owala styles come in several fun color themes, but we still love our original Owalas, too. “My prettiest one is an old one that’s lots of shades of blue,” my daughter said. “I still love all of them and think they’re the best.” 

Hearth and Hand with Magnolia x Owala FreeSip Water Bottle

Part of Owala’s new Target launch includes some gorgeous new takes on the original FreeSip bottle, designed in partnership with lifestyle brand Hearth and Hand with Magnolia. The FreeSip is available as a Target exclusive in 24—and 32-ounce sizes, in patterns like “picnic perfection” (blue and gray gingham), “coastal cottage” (light blue), and “gone fishing” (dark tan). 

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