An extremely peculiar cultural phenomenon is the growing hyper-fixation the internet has with water bottles. In 2019, the Hydroflask instantly became one of the first major online obsessions with water bottles. The internet has not in years seen such a feral love for water bottles to the scale that was the Hydroflask— until we approached the end of 2023.
The brand Stanley as a whole is a popular one, however, those who refer to a Stanley water bottle are usually referring to the beloved Thirst Quencher. While the stainless steel tumbler is loved because of its structure, the tumbler gained notoriety after a video was posted of the still-cold cup surviving a car fire in November 2023. The viral video transformed into a tumbler-driven consumerist craze led by the love for its insulation, sturdy handle, and visual appeal. According to Rania Abdullahi ‘25, the bottle is not only visually pleasing but also “keeps [her] water cold all day.”
Countless videos have been documented of these tumblers, seemingly bordering on the brink of obsession. On the day of a Starbucks-Stanley tumbler drop, users recorded lines forming outside Target before opening. The obsession with these tumblers is ultimately harmless, however, the insane popularity leads many to wonder if they’re worth the purchase.
With the growing love for the cups, there is also an increasing dissatisfaction with them. Students remark that the bottle is leaky, and Abdullahi further expresses the awkward nature of the large size of the bottle, “sometimes the bigger Stanleys don’t fit in certain cars… you just can’t put it in your backpack.” Abdullahi further states that she wouldn’t “buy it without a sale.”
Unlike Abdullahi, Kai Capistrant ‘25 doesn’t own a Stanley and prefers to keep it that way. “I think they’re kind of pointless, it’s just very trendy. They’re kind of just a gentrified version of an actual Stanley cup—the giant ones… so [the tumblers] just kind of seem pointless.” He further explains that “regular water bottles do the same job, they look better, and they’re easier to carry around.”
The consensus of the general community remains murky, as many still use these tumblers. Despite differences in overall opinion, Capistrant and Abdullahi both question the public need for the tumblers. The extreme trendiness of the tumbler may begin to fade, raising the new question: what water bottle will the internet thirst for next?
