Hydro Flasks are known as extremely durable stainless steel water bottles that can also keep water cold for a really long period of time.
But how strong are Hydro Flasks and are Hydro Flasks bulletproof?
If you were to actually shoot a Hydro Flask would the bullet bounce off it or go right through it? Luckily someone has done this test and here are the results:
Hydro Flask bottles are NOT bulletproof. A .22 LR shot straight through the bottle and out the other side. The stainless steel is too thin to stop a bullet. A shotgun did not pierce through the Hydro Flask but just damaged the outside of it.
This isn't something that I would recommend trying on your Hydro Flask as it's likely going to pierce a hole right through it, damaging your Hydro Flask beyond repair.
Below you can see what happened when these guys actually tested shooting their Hydro Flask as well as some other stainless steel insulated bottles.
Watch The Video:
Hydro Flasks are Not Bulletproof
In the video above they started out on a generic stainless steel bottle with a 9mm and it shot right through to the other side.
So on the Hydro Flask they tested a .22 LR which isn't quite as strong to see if it would also go through. It did in fact go through the Hydro Flask and out the other side as you can see in the image below.
Given that the Hydro Flask has double walled stainless steel insulation this means the bullet actually went through 4 walls of stainless steel in order for it to come out the other side.
So clearly it doesn't stop a bullet.
Hydro Flask Bottles Did Stop Shotgun Bullets
Later in the video they fire a shotgun at the water bottles and you can see that the shotgun pellets were not able to penetrate even a single layer of the Hydro Flask.
They made dents in the outside and scratched off the paint but none actually broke through the outside layer of the metal, let alone got through to break multiple layers of the bottle like the .22 LR did.
While this may count a Hydro Flask as shotgun proof obviously it depends on the type of shotgun used and from how far away it is used. So some shotguns may pierce through.
A Hydro Flask as also pretty small in size and unlikely to cover the full range of the shotgun spray. But it's still an interesting result.
Why Isn't a Hydro Flask Bullet Proof?
Stainless steel isn't the best and strongest metal for ballistic protection.
According to USCCA it takes about 1/4-1/2 inch of solid steel to stop a bullet.
The walls of Hydro Flask bottles are super thin, maybe 1mm or less in thickness. This equates to maybe a max thickness of 1/8 of an inch when combined, likely even less.
But because the walls of the Hydro Flask aren't touching and are separated by air and vacuum this makes it easier for the bullets to pierce through.
See the latest prices for Hydro Flasks at HydroFlask.com
(or compare to prices at Amazon)
It's also interesting to note that Yeti coolers aren't bulletproof either. They are super tough and durable, but not that tough. Just like Hydro Flasks.
The below video shows someone shooting a 3/4 inch thick stainless steel plate with a variety of different weapons.
9mm didn't pierce through and hardly made an impact at all but more powerful rounds did dent the stainless steel and a 50 calibre went straight through.
You can see the thickness required to stop a bullet and Hydro Flask bottles are nowhere near this thickness.
