By Lena Perrone
As you may know, there has been a Stanley Cup and Owala water bottle outbreak. This trend is ongoing and though you may have personal opinions about each, there might be facts that change your ideals. Stanley and Owala are both similar and different in many ways.
To start comparing and contrasting, we look at the prices of each bottle/cup. A 40oz Stanley Tumbler (40oz is most popular according to CNN) costs $45.00, compared to the 40oz Owala Tumbler which is $37.99.
A Google form was sent to the student body with many questions about each water bottle. The most important question was, “Which is better?”. People with both Stanley and Owala (⅞) preferred the Owala. Another data point is that 83.3% of responders’ Owala haven't grown mold and 58.8% knew that Stanley bottles contain lead. Most responses to the question, “Would you buy this product again?” were yes for each water bottle.
A myth/question that has gone around about the Stanley Cup is its lead usage. A quote about the lead usage in the bottle from BBC states, “The company wrote on its website, acknowledging that lead is used in the manufacturing process. The statement continues, "Once sealed, this area is covered with a durable stainless steel layer, making it inaccessible to consumers. Rest assured that no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product.”’ This question is answered by Today and informs us that yes, there is lead in the bottle itself but it is rare to come in contact with it because of its barrier.
As we are on the path of facts vs. myths, a question might also be asked about Owalas's safety: Can the Owala water bottle grow mold? The answer to that question is also yes. You might be wondering “how”? Well, it’s “Because the small parts can trap moisture, leading to mold in your metal water bottle.” However, handwashing your Owala could remove or prevent this mold because you can clean the bottle more intensely.
Research has shown that Owalas and Stanley Cups both have flaws as well as upsides. In comparing the differences and details about each bottle, you can make your conclusion about which is better. Or you might like or even dislike both! Either way, you can look around at school and see the popularity of both Owala and Stanley!
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