I’ve been using the Hidrate Spark PRO for the past 3 months after realizing I wasn’t drinking nearly enough water. Gamifying drinking water works for me. So, when they recently announced PRO 2 I immediately ordered. So how much better is Hidrate Spark PRO 2 than the original PRO 1?

Here are my quick thoughts on the new version. This isn’t a full review but if there’s enough feedback, I shall dig into these “smart water bottles” a bit more.

1. The V2 is 30oz vs the V1’s 32oz. I don’t care about the -2oz oz. It isn’t noticeable.
2. I love the more narrow bottom. It’s very similar to my old 32oz “dumb” Hydroflask’s design. I can now shove this thing (since it has a smaller butt) into drink holders like on my exercise bike, car, etc. where I couldn’t with the previous version.
3. The texture isn’t smooth… it’s got a slight texture to it (which I like).
4. Charging doesn’t seem any faster, although USB-C is appreciated. I wish they improved the charging speed.
5. Didn’t have any issues setting up FindMy. I tested the ‘play sound’ feature and the first time it didn’t work. I tried it a second time and it did.
6. When I open the iOS app, it more frequently says it’s disconnected, even though it’s sitting right next to my phone. I only saw the disconnected message when I was legit in another room. It reconnects after 5-10 seconds or so. Seems like the bluetooth module is not as robust. I consider this a downgrade and it’s annoying because it was always connected when I opened the app with my PRO 1. Perhaps they did this to conserve battery life?
7. I don’t use the straw at all… I haven’t bothered to put it in. I tried sipping right from the top and decided this was the way to go. I always hated straw tops but that’s just me. It feels like drinking from a glass of water. No restriction, nice flow.
8. The LED lights seem weaker and more subdued than the PRO 1 version. The blue color (which I like) doesn’t seem as blue. Also a downgrade but not a big deal.
9. I tested the various sounds that it can play for drink notifications and they aren’t that loud even on the loudest setting (which is good). They are all kinda dumb… I wouldn’t choose any of them if I’m being honest, but I have drink reminders turned off because I’m annoyed by them. I just rely on my Apple Watch complication to show me how far behind I am on drinking.
10. The handle! Oh yes let’s not forget the V2 has a handle on the side. This is great because quite often I found picking up the V1 (even with my big man hands) was cumbersome.
11. The top! I used the V1’s chug lid and it had a lousy design where every time I drank from it, my nose met with the parts of the top. My biggest complaint about the chug lid was that it didn’t ever want to open with one hand. I often had to press the latch and open the top with my other hand. Very annoying. Thankfully there is no flip-up lid madness with the V2. There’s a slider lock (when you want to use it), but every time now when I pick it up to drink — it’s zero hassle. Not only that, but you can jam a straw through this top if that’s your jam.
12. Visibility. The nice big top is clear and you can quickly and easily see how much water you have left inside. I appreciate this water window!

I haven’t had it long enough to say whether or not it keeps my iced water cooler longer than V1. I’ll update this with more thoughts as I live with it longer!

Overall, this is a great improvement in design with the Hidrate Spark PRO 2 and I’m quite pleased with this version. I like the “normal” top that it has — much better than the previous tops offered by the PRO 1. I nit-picked above, but very happy with this version.