Twenty-one brand guides to drinkware — the insulated bottles, tumblers and water bottles, and who owns them.
Water bottles became status objects, and many of the brands now belong to larger groups. These guides set out who owns each.
Owners
Stanley, whose all-steel vacuum bottle dates to 1913, is owned by PMI rather than Stanley Black & Decker; Hydro Flask belongs to Helen of Troy; Nalgene to Thermo Fisher; Contigo to Newell; and Owala to Trove Brands, the BlenderBottle company. Klean Kanteen, Chilly’s and Ocean Bottle are B Corps.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers who owns the name today, where the products are made — by the maker’s own account and, where it differs, by other sources — and the brand’s visual identity. A company’s description of itself is attributed to the company, and where a business has closed we say so plainly. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Insulated bottles
Stanley, Yeti, Hydro Flask, Owala, Nalgene, Klean Kanteen and Corkcicle.
- Stanley — The 1913 all-steel vacuum bottle, the hammertone green heritage, the viral Quencher, and PMI ownership (not Stanley Black & Decker).
- Yeti — The 2006 Seiders-brothers origin, rotomolded Tundra coolers, the Rambler drinkware, the navy-and-tan palette, and “Built for the Wild.”
- Hydro Flask — The 2009 Bend, Oregon origin, the grippy powder-coat colour revolution, the ~2019 VSCO-girl moment, and Helen of Troy ownership.
- Owala — The 2020 launch under Trove Brands (from BlenderBottle), the patented FreeSip lid, playful named colourways, and “Where Boring Ends.”
- Nalgene — The 1949 Rochester lab origin, the wide-mouth 1L icon, the 2008 BPA-free switch, Made in USA, and Thermo Fisher ownership.
- Klean Kanteen — The 2004 Chico origin (founder Robert Seals), the BPA-free stainless bottle, B Corp and 1% for the Planet, and Bring Your Own.
- Corkcicle — The early-2010s wine-chiller origin (cork + icicle), the design-led colour story, licensed collabs, and “Distinct By Design.”
Bottles and mugs
S’well, CamelBak, Contigo, BrüMate, Zojirushi, Ember and Simple Modern.
- S’well — The 2010 Sarah Kauss origin, the teardrop bottle sold as a fashion accessory, the Oprah-driven breakout, and Lifetime Brands ownership.
- CamelBak — The 1989 IV-bag-in-a-tube-sock origin, hands-free hydration packs, the bite valve, huge military adoption, and current ownership.
- Contigo — The Ignite USA origin, the AUTOSEAL spill-proof lid, the 2014 Newell acquisition, the 2019–20 kids-bottle recall, and honest caveats.
- BrüMate — The 2016 Dylan Jacob origin, insulated drinkware built for adult drinks, the Hopsulator, the playful voice, and honest caveats.
- Zojirushi — The 1918 Osaka origin, the elephant mark that predates the name, premium vacuum flasks and rice cookers, and honest caveats.
- Ember — Ember Technologies and inventor Clay Alexander, the temperature-control smart mug, minimal black-and-white design, and honest caveats.
- Simple Modern — The 2015 Oklahoma origin, value insulated drinkware sold at scale online, the ‘give generously’ mission, and honest caveats.
Smart and design-led bottles
LARQ, air up, Chilly’s, frank green, Cirkul, bkr and Ocean Bottle.
- LARQ — The 2017 Justin Wang origin, the self-cleaning PureVis UV-C bottle, the Shark Tank appearance, and clean, colourful minimal design.
- air up — The German design-school origin, scent-based flavour via retronasal smell, the TikTok virality, and a playful, modern brand.
- Chilly’s — The 2010 London origin, design-led insulated bottles, heavy pattern collaborations, B Corp status, and honest founder-owned caveats.
- frank green — The Melbourne origin, the name that’s a philosophy not a person, mass customisation, the SmartCup history, and premium design.
- Cirkul — The Dartmouth-football origin, the Sip flavour cartridge and dial, the TikTok virality, and a bright, playful modern brand.
- bkr — The 2011 Winter-and-Cutler origin, the glass bottle sold as a beauty accessory, the ‘beaker’ name, and a chic minimal aesthetic.
- Ocean Bottle — The 2018 London founding, the bottle that funds ocean-bound plastic collection, B Corp status, and honest impact-claim caveats.
At a glance: founding, base and signature
Taken from each guide’s fact panel. Follow the link for detail and caveats.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| air up | Design school (Germany) | See guide | See guide |
| bkr | 2011 (California) | See guide | See guide |
| BrüMate | 2016 (Colorado) | See guide | Hopsulator |
| CamelBak | 1989 (Texas) | See guide | Hydration pack |
| Chilly’s | 2010 (London) | See guide | See guide |
| Cirkul | ~2015 (Tampa) | See guide | See guide |
| Contigo | Ignite USA (Chicago) | See guide | See guide |
| Corkcicle | early 2010s (Orlando) | See guide | See guide |
| Ember | See guide | See guide | Minimal, premium |
| frank green | 2013 (Melbourne) | See guide | See guide |
| Hydro Flask | 2009 (Bend, OR) | See guide | Powder-coat finish |
| Klean Kanteen | 2004 (Chico, CA) | See guide | See guide |
| LARQ | 2017 (San Francisco) | See guide | See guide |
| Nalgene | 1949 (Rochester) | See guide | Wide-mouth 1L |
| Ocean Bottle | 2018 (London) | See guide | See guide |
| Owala | 2020 (Trove Brands) | See guide | See guide |
| Simple Modern | 2015 (Oklahoma) | See guide | See guide |
| Stanley | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| S’well | 2010 (NYC) | See guide | See guide |
| Yeti | 2006 (Austin) | See guide | Rotomolded cooler |
| Zojirushi | 1918 (Osaka) | See guide | Elephant (1923) |
Frequently asked questions
Is Stanley the same company as Stanley Black & Decker?
No; our guide explains that the Stanley drinkware brand is owned by PMI, not Stanley Black & Decker.
Who owns Hydro Flask?
Helen of Troy, according to our guide.
Part of our Home & Kitchen brand guidelines. See also all collections.