Throughout the school day at Barbers Point Elementary, teacher Lorna Duldulao often finds herself reaching for a swig of ice-cold water from her Hydro Flask. She’s not the only one.
Duldulao says many students and staff at the school own one of the brightly colored drink cylinders.
"Our school’s in Kapolei, and with hot temperatures teachers and parents feel the need for water," Duldulao said, adding "that it keeps the water cold is a bonus."
Despite a price tag at $36.99 for the top-selling 40-ounce bottle, Hydro Flasks have become a must-have accessory for campus, the office and gym.
Duldulao, for one, believes the investment is worth it, especially when her classroom temperatures exceed 80 degrees. The stainless-steel, vacuum-insulated bottles promise to keep drinks cold for the entire day and hot for up to 12 hours.
"They are expensive but worth having because we use it all the time," she said.
Her white 40-ounce bottle, with green letters spelling out "aloha," sits on her desk all day.
Bonnie Agnes says each person in her family of five has a Hydro Flask. Her daughters, ages 3 and 4, use the 12-ounce size that fits perfectly in their lunchboxes. For her 2-year-old son, Agnes uses a Hydro Flask as a thermos to keep his milk cold when on the go.
"When we go out now I don’t have to go into a store to buy him milk — it’s just there whenever he wants," Agnes said.
Similar brands to the Hydro Flask include Fifty/Fifty and the new locally owned HI-DR8.
As the bottles have grown in popularity, so has the desire to personalize them to stand out in the crowd.
Agnes’ white Hydro Flask is covered with large pink hibiscus flowers and messy scribbles of green marker, courtesy of her son.
"People like to show off their personality, even if it’s something small like a water bottle," she said.
To avoid being caught with a naked Hydro Flask, customize yours with an engraving, decals or a stylish holder.
Decals
Decals are one of the most common and affordable ways to add a personal touch to your Hydro Flask. Casey Leth of Kailua, who started making decals four months ago, says there was a big spike in demand for water bottle decals during the holidays.
"It became a huge hit … since people would get Hydro Flasks as gifts and wanted to personalize it with the person’s name or favorite character," Leth said.
She says most of her customers tend to be parents buying decals for their kids. The most-requested designs are cute Disney characters.
Prices range from $2 to $10 depending on size. Leth promises to cut custom decals in three to five business days. View samples on Instagram: @vinylit_up. Or place an order at simpledesigns808 @gmail.com.
Engraving
Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd says Hydro Flasks are one of the most common items people bring in to his laser-engraving company, Etched Aloha. Boyd said that after purchasing a laser machine in September, he experimented on his own Hydro Flask.
"I etched my own and it worked and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is it, this is the thing,’" said Boyd, who also cuts designs in key chains, smartphone cases, glassware, wooden boxes and other items.
Before leaving the country on a two-week trip, he posted a photo of the design on his bottle online.
"By the time I got back, everybody was like, ‘Hey, can you etch my Hydro Flask?’"
The cost is $20 plus an additional fee for file conversions. See etchedaloha.com for more information or visit the store at 419 South St. in Kakaako.
Holders
Carry your Hydro Flask in style with a one-of-a-kind parachute cord holder that wraps around the bottle to protect it from dents. It takes Chris Roache of Ewa Beach at least eight hours to meticulously complete each holder.
"It’s relaxing, actually. Sometimes I watch football and make them," Roache said about his new hobby turned into custom creations.
His favorite holder is blue and gray with a Dallas Cowboys team logo on the front.
Roache isn’t taking new customers until he completes his backlogged orders, but you can view his creations on Instagram: @flaskcovershawaii.
Straps
Tammy Halemano of Wahiawa came up with the idea for HYDROstraps Hawaii’s universal, one-size-fits-all strap as a way to make some extra money for her mother. After weaving 300 on her own, she decided to have the straps manufactured to keep up with the rising demand.
"I think people like it because it can fit anything" Halemano said.
The design — two loops with an adjustable cord connected to a sturdy, parachute cord handle — attaches not only to Hydro Flasks but also plastic water bottles, protein shakers and Mason jars.
The straps come in multiple colors. The straps can be purchased for $12 to $15 through the HYDROstraps Hawaii Facebook, Sam’s Club and Don Quijote.
