This smart water bottle turns out to be more useful than I imagined.

Smart water bottles never seemed like an imminent necessity to me. Rather, I considered them expensive gadgets that did not justify their price. However, after trying the Water.io bottle, my perspective has started to change. It’s important to clarify that I don’t think everyone should rush out to buy a smart water bottle, but they could be a good option for fitness enthusiasts or those looking to reduce their soda consumption.

Regarding the functionality of the Water.io, although it is called a smart water bottle, most of these devices do not sync with smart home platforms like Google Home or Apple Home. Its “intelligence” lies in a mobile app. Through this app, you can input data such as your height and weight, which allows the bottle to establish a personalized hydration goal. Once this step is completed, setting up the Water.io is quite straightforward. Its main purpose is to ensure that you consume enough water throughout the day.

I was pleasantly surprised by its ability to track my consumption habits. The bottle's cap lights up in various colors to remind me to drink water, turning orange if I’m falling behind on my goal and green if I'm on track to meet it. These visual signals are effective in pulling me away from work and reminding me to stay hydrated. Moreover, they’ve made drinking water more fun than using a regular glass, and since I started using it, I have managed to reduce my intake of sugary beverages.

The Water.io performs well in tracking water consumption, but my favorite feature is its compatibility with Garmin. This allows the bottle to sync with my smartwatch, which automatically adjusts my hydration goal based on the exercise I do. For example, after a vigorous run, my hydration goal increases significantly. This is the main reason I’m drawn to this bottle, as it helps me avoid dehydration after a long day of hiking, especially on hot days. If I decide to consume something other than water, I can also manually enter my drink in the app to keep track of my hydration status. It would have been ideal for the bottle to sync with smart home platforms, making it easier to check my hydration stats without the need for another app, but the companion app is user-friendly and intuitive.

Smart water bottles are definitely more expensive than traditional high-quality bottles, like HydroFlask. The Water.io I tried is priced at $100, although it often goes on sale for $70. This price is considerable for a bottle, although its smart features have contributed to me drinking more water after workouts and reducing my soda consumption.

Aside from tracking water consumption and adapting the hydration goal based on daily activities, the bottle behaves like a standard bottle. It has a robust design similar to other high-end products like HydroFlask and Yeti, with a double-walled stainless steel finish, a leak-proof seal, and a BPA-free lid. Since it’s possible to purchase an excellent “non-smart” bottle for under $40, I still consider that these smart bottles meet a specific demand. I recognize their appeal and plan to use one in the near future, but if you don’t exercise regularly or don’t need their features to moderate soda consumption, you might want to opt for a more affordable alternative.