Is the most backed bottle in crowdfunding history worth the hype?
Article highlights
- The 2-in-1 feature is not a gimmick, it can be quite useful in some circumstances
- The Hitch bottle is heavy
- The Hitch bottle started to leak after a year’s use, but could be due to an early production unit (which Hitch replaced)
- There aren’t a lot of 2-in-1 bottles on the market. The only other Hitch alternatives are the slightly cheaper Cupple and Camelbak Multibev
- Hitch are a sustainable, climate positive brand
- For the same price, I would consider buying a self cleaning smart water bottle instead
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I’ve been using a Chilly water bottle and a KeepCup for a few years now. Can Hitch’s 2-in-1 coffee and water bottle replace them? And what are the alternatives?
I backed the Hitch bottle and cup over two years ago on Kickstarter. I won’t go into detail about the campaign here… But I’m excited to finally use it – here’s what I think.
Hitch Bottle Review
First, as other Kickstarter receivers have noted, the Hitch Bottle is heavy. With and without liquid.
Product | Weight in Grams |
Bottle and Cup without liquid | 778 grams |
Bottle with liquid and Cup without liquid | 1,013 grams |
Bottle and cup with liquid | 1,054 grams |
Bottle without liquid | 564 grams |
Cup without liquid | 215 grams |
Of course, the Hitch bottle and cup is going to be a lot heavier than a Chilly’s bottle and Keep Cup. Both the Hitch bottle and cup are made from metal (the Keep Cup is made from plastic). Hitch are planning to release a lighter version next year.
The Hitch bottle has to be larger too in order to contain the cup. Although they could have made it shorter in that case? The circumference of the bottle means it’s too large to fit in the average car drinks holder unfortunately.
The bottom of both of the bottle and cup are rubberised, so no more clanging noises on the desk.
The bottle already had a scuff mark on it when taking it out of the box (another Kickstarter backer also noted this too). It’s since gained a couple more scuffs over the course of a year which isn’t too bad considering.
To begin with, the bottle and cup seemed pretty leak proof even when I turned them upside. This is great for people like me who accidentally knock their cup over on the desk multiple times.
In fact, the seal is so tight, when I put Coke in it, the lid popped and hit me in the head! So I recommend not putting anything fizzy in it! But, I think this has caused the lid to lose some of it’s tightness. The bottle leaks when turned on it’s side or upside down (as I found out at the airport and had a massive wet patch on my trousers after placing my bag on my lap!).
Hitch suggested the leak could be due to a early production unit and have replaced the bottle. I’ll update should the bottle leak again.
Hitch Coffee Cup Review
The cup doesn’t burn my hand when I hold it like the Keep cup. In fact, I can’t feel any heat even after pouring freshly boiled water. The cup kept my tea hot (note not just warm, but hot) for three hours. Great for those who make tea and forget about it.
The new lid design is still a little stiff after a year of use, you need both hands (and a little effort) to open. One slight annoyance with the cup lid is it doesn’t sit flat, so my nose touches the lid when drinking sometimes.
Be careful not to twist and lock the cup too tightly. I made the mistake and almost couldn’t get it back out! It doesn’t need to be tightened too much to lock safely anyway. I think this caused a small chip of paint on the cup too which you can see below.
The bottle also cleverly dismantles in a way you can clean the inside where cup meets bottle (in case you were worried about old coffee residue building up).
Final Thoughts & Alternative
Looking at the competition, Hitch’s water bottle with cup hidden in the bottom design remains fairly unique for a travel bottle.
The Hitch alternatives are the Cupple and the Camelbak Multibev which have similar features and is cheaper too at £39.50 compared to Hitch’s price of £58. For the price of a Hitch, I would consider buying a self cleaning smart water bottle instead.
To my surprise, I have found a handful of times where I need to stack the cup on top of the bottle, so it is a useful feature and not a novelty. For example, filling up my cup with coffee, bottle with water and carrying my cereal.
I definitely have more use for hiding the cup within the bottle which saves a little space in my bag though. Although it’s too large for my Grams(28) 154 City Pack bag.
Also the larger bottle is welcome for me as I do drink a lot of water. You’ll have to consider whether you will make use of the larger capacity.
I think the design is clever to house everything in an attractive package. I think it’s unfortunate the bottle now leaks so I’m a little worried about carrying it in my bag when it’s weight tends to knock it sideways.
Hitch are also a sustainable, climate positive brand.
Last update on 2023-09-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API