Gone are the days when you needed an accountability buddy to keep you motivated on your health and wellness goals.
From fitness trackers to personalized apps, there are countless ways technology keeps you on track. So when we found out that there are a number of smart water bottles on the market which claim to help you drink enough water, we weren’t that surprised.
We found one device that scored higher in terms of customer satisfaction and has more high-tech features than its competitors. Meet H2OPal ($83.28; amazon.com), a bottle that connects to your smart device, allowing you to see how much you drink throughout the day in order to help keep your body hydrated.
The device is fitted with an energy-efficient weight sensor that tracks your water consumption. Based on your exercise routine, weight, age and even the current forecast, the bottle adjusts your daily recommended intake. From there, it will send notifications to your iPhone, Apple Watch or Amazon Alexa to remind you to drink up. Its integrated app also works with Apple Health and Fitbit technologies. (The Android app is still in beta.)
If you’re wondering whether investing in a smart water bottle is worth it, consider just how often you should drink water per day. Conventional wisdom says you need eight glasses of water a day. But this isn’t necessarily true; your recommended water intake can depend on a number of factors, including your gender and lifestyle. The number could go as high as 13 glasses daily.
Getting the right amount of water is crucial, because H2O is essential for many of our day-to-day bodily processes and boasts further potential benefits such as weight loss.
If you can remind yourself throughout the day, sans technology, to drink enough, that’s great. But if you tend to get busy and put drinking water on the back burner (as we do), real-time reminders may be just what you need.
The H2OPal, while receiving an impressive 4-star review on Amazon, isn’t the cheapest smart water bottle out there.
There are more inexpensive picks, like PYRUS’s Smart Cup ($35.79; amazon.com), which has received great customer satisfaction ratings, but tends to not be as “smart” as the H2OPal. For instance, PYRUS’s device doesn’t have an integrated app, and instead features an LED display on the water bottle that will let you know how much you’ve consumed. The gadget will also give you reminders at eight preset times throughout the day.
While there might not be as much personalization, it does do the trick for a fraction of the cost.
But if you’re willing to spend a bit more for greater functionality, the H2OPal is a great option. With it, you’ll likely have more incentive to stay hydrated and healthy.
And that’s something we can drink to.
Note: Prices above reflect the listed retailer’s price at time of publication.