Do I really need an app-enabled water bottle? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since Judie and I each received a Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid at CES. This looks like a regular water bottle, but it’s Bluetooth-enabled and monitors your water intake over the course of a day. Is this something worth purchasing? You decide.
As noted, the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid looks like any other 24-ounce water bottle you might use. Hidden in the cap is, however, a micro USB charging port.
That is the only obvious indication that this water bottle is something more than a mere water bottle. If, however, you look closely at the straw that goes to the bottom of the bottle you will also see that it has a slightly different shape and design than normal. The straw and cap are the monitoring device and have Bluetooth built into them so the cap can communicate with the free downloadable iOS app and track how much you drink throughout the day.
With the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid you can:
- Calculate your suggested hydration goal based on your personal data
- Measure the intake of liquids while providing real-time temperature readings
- Chart and graph daily, weekly, and monthly hydration progress
- Connect from up to 75 feet via Bluetooth Smart Wireless Technology
- The smart cap requires the free Thermos Smart Lid app which is available on the App Store. In addition, it works with Fitbit so that your water intake is automatically synced from the Thermos Smart Lid app to a connected Fitbit account each time a bottle of water is finished.
Setting up the Smart Water bottle was a simple process. I downloaded the app and followed the step-by-step pumps it offered. Once my iPhone 6S was connected to the water bottle I rinsed it out and filled the bottle with ice and water. Over the next few minutes, I watched as the temperature gauge showed the temperature of the water inside the bottle dropping precipitously.
I then began to slowly sip from the water bottle. One sip and a few seconds later the app showed that I had taken a sip and consumed a few ounces of water. Another few sips and the numbers jumped higher. Over the next hour, the process continued and it told me that I had consumed 15% of my daily water intake. (There is a water-consumption threshold that can be manually set within the app itself.)
Another feature offered by the system is a series of reminders. This can help ensure that you are drinking throughout the day and get enough fluid intake over the course of your day.
Features:
- Capacity: 24 oz; Dimensions: 3.1″ W x 3.1″ D x 10.6″ H
- Not for use with hot liquids
- Works with the following devices: iPhone® 4s or later, iPad® 3rd generation and later, iPad mini™ and later,
- iPod touch® 5th generation and later
- Requires iOS7 +
Since the water bottle looks like any other water bottle works like any water bottle you might purchase at Target or Amazon. It does cost significantly more than one of those water bottle but obviously, add significantly to the cost.
So I return to my initial question. Does someone need a Bluetooth-enabled water bottle? No. Quite simply I don’t think anyone needs something like this. In fact, when Raina saw it she rolled her eyes. “Who in the world needs that? Isn’t this simply a case of trying to add and smart features?” Yes! Yes, perhaps it is but for some reason I kinda like it. So, since I have it I am going to use it and we will see if having more awareness of how much I hydrate during the day makes a difference to me. In the meantime, you can learn more here.
You can order one here for $59.99. [Affiliate link]
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Works like any water bottle; Easy to set up and use; Let’s you set your hydration goal
What Needs Improvement: Not something anybody “needs”; Significantly more expensive than a standard water bottle