I take my Stanley IceFlow Flip Straw everywhere, it's easily the best water bottle I've ever used

I don't need to tell you the benefits of staying hydrated. It's one of the easiest (and cheapest) forms of self-care. But actually making sure you drink enough can often be harder than it sounds. The solution? Investing in a reusable water bottle. And for me, you can't beat Stanley cups, which come in a variety of sizes, designs and colours.

Since first discovering Stanley's Quencher H2.0 Flowstate bottle last year, I've never been so hydrated. However, at 1.2L, it's a huge bottle that's not leak-proof and hard to carry around outside the house (you can read my full review here). So as soon as the brand launched a smaller, more portable design – the Stanley Classic Iceflow Flip Straw Tumbler, I was quick to get my hands on it to see how it would compare.

As someone who takes their water bottle everywhere, from the office to the gym, in the car, and even on holiday, I had a long checklist of must-haves. I was looking at everything: Is it easy to carry? Does it fit in cup holders? Is it truly leak-proof? And how easy is it to clean? After just over 10 months of daily use, here’s my honest verdict.

🛍️ Product reviewed: Stanley Classic Iceflow Flip Straw Tumbler⏰ Tested for: 10 months⭐ Rating: 5/5💸 Reasons to buy: It's leak-proof, easy to clean, has a handle for portability and keeps ice cold for up to 12 hours ✋ Reasons to avoid: It’s very expensive for a water bottle and holds less water (0.89L) than the much larger Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate™ Tumbler (1.2L) which costs just £2 more

This slightly smaller bottle has a flip straw which can be neatly folded down so it doesn't spill when on the go.

The Iceflow Flip Straw is like the refined, perfected, on-the-go version of the much larger Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler, that I also own.

Thanks to the flip-up straw that has a soft closure, it never spills when lying on its side, and the top handle is ideal for carrying it around with you.

It does a stellar job at keeping ice cubes solid, thanks to its double-walled insulation, without ever changing the temperature of the exterior bottle. As someone who gets motion sickness, ice cold water on hand is key to making me feel better, so this bottle comes in super handy, especially while travelling or commuting.

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The straw itself is comfortable, the flow of water is consistent and I think this suits an active lifestyle best. When running I can still comfortably sip from it, without needing to tip the bottle or unscrew a lid.

It's compatible with most standard cup holders, including the built-in holders on treadmills at the gym and in the car, and even tucks neatly into the pouches in airplane seats. It's easy to clean, too, thanks to being dishwasher safe.

I've taken it with me on long haul and short haul holidays, even when hiking all day in the mountains in France. It's never too heavy and the handle means you can carry it comfortably, full or empty, plus, it can easily fit in standard sized rucksacks and handbags, so you never need to compromise on staying hydrated.

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It comes in nine colours (mine is an off-white called frost) including coral orange, hydrangea purple, twilight black, rose quartz, ash grey and pomelo pink. You can also shop it in a smaller 0.6-litre size for £3 less, costing £40.

If you love the Quencher but are on the move a lot and don't have the time to be worrying about spillages, this is the Stanley bottle for you.

I'm a big fan of investing in this water bottle, especially if you have a busy lifestyle and the budget to match – let's face it, it's hardly a bargain at £43.

My only other gripe is that it doesn't come with any sort of cleaning kit. I bought this set of straw cleaning brushes from Amazon for a small cost so I could properly clean the Stanley straw in between uses, but for the price tag, I was expecting it to come with one.

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This giant tumbler is great fo staying hydrated at home, in the gym or in the car.

This screw top bottle keeps water ice cold for hours without leaking in your bag when not upright.