There are a lot of websites and companies out there selling fake Hydro Flasks that aren't authentic but pretending to be. One of the biggest give aways for a Hydro Flask being fake is the wording printed on the bottom.
The bottoms of Fake Hydro Flasks have their text all in CAPITALS and the text is etched into the paint. Real Hydro Flask bottoms have text printed (not etched) in both upper and lower case letter.
Fake Hydro Flask bottoms also having missing text. The “Made in China”, “TempShield Insulation” as well as a product code (eg. “F153525”) are all missing from the fake Hydro Flask bottles but are printed on the real bottles.
In this article I am going to show you the difference between a fake Hydro Flask bottom and a real Hydro Flask bottom and go into details so you can tell whether or not your Hydro Flask is real or fake.
To ensure your Hydro Flask is real I always recommend buying directly from HydroFlask.com or from Amazon.com (affiliate links)
How Do I Know Which Hydro Flask Is Real or Fake?
I own 5 Hydro Flasks, 3 are real and 2 are fake.
The 3 real ones I purchased directly from Hydro Flask's website on 2 different occasions. Given I purchased directly from the brand I am highly confident these are authentic.
The 2 fake ones I purchased from buyers on Ebay. There were much cheaper than real Hydro Flasks.
The reason I KNOW without a doubt they are fake is the ombre (2-tone) colors I bought were only ever made in a 40 oz size by Hydro Flask. However, I received those colors in a 32 oz size which the company has never actually made.
Also when I contacted the Ebay sellers about my Hydro Flasks being fake I received a near-instant FULL REFUND for these bottles with zero comment from the seller.
So you can rest assured that the photos I share in this article are as accurate as I can be.
Real Hydro Flask Bottom
Let's start by looking at the bottom of a real Hydro Flask so we can see what it is meant to look like and then we can look at the bottom of the fake Hydro Flasks.
The bottom of Hydro Flasks have printed writing on them. Depending on the color of your Hydro Flask the writing will either be in black or white.
My white and yellow Hydro Flasks have black writing while my darker spearmint green Hydro Flask has white writing printed on the bottom.
The bottom of a Hydro Flask has the following words:
- HydroFlask.com
- TempShield Insulation
- Made in China
- Size in oz and mL eg. “12 oz (354 mL)”
- Product Number eg. “F148281”
Fake Hydro Flask Bottom
The bottom of fake Hydro Flasks look very similar to the bottom of real Hydro Flasks, but not quite the same.
The bottom of fake Hydro Flasks have etched/engraved writing on them.
The writing is not printed but rather the powder coat paint has been removed and you can see the bare stainless steel under the lettering.
The bottom of fake Hydro Flasks say:
- DESIGNED IN BEND, OR
- 18/8 STAINLESS STEEL
- SIZE IN OZ AND ML eg. “32 oz (946 mL)”
The Difference Between Real and Fake Hydro Flask Bottoms
Look at the bottom of your Hydro Flask is one of the easiest ways to tell whether or not your Hydro Flask is real or fake.
The biggest differences are that real Hydro Flasks have the text printed while fake ones have the text etched.
Real Hydro Flasks have “HydroFlask.com” “Made in China” “TempShield Insulation” plus a product code and size. Whereas fake Hydro Flasks just have a size plus “18/8 STAINLESS STEEL” and “DESIGNED IN BEND, OR” on the bottom.
There are also subtle differences in the design on the bottom that are hard to show in photos.
The biggest difference that I noticed was the length of the first bezels coming from the outside in.
On the fake Hydro Flask they are longer than on the real one.
My Video on Real vs Fake Hydro Flask Bottoms
What To Do If You Think Your Hydro Flask Is Fake
If you suspect that your Hydro Flask is fake because of the way the bottom looks then there are a couple of things you can do.
First read this article on exactly how to spot a fake Hydro Flask and look at all the different ways you can tell if your Hydro Flask is real or fake.
Secondly, if you think your Hydro Flask is fake then tell the seller and ask for a refund.
I said something along the lines of this to the seller and got a full refund without any issue or request to return the bottle.
THIS HYDRO FLASK IS FAKE!
I was really excited to receive this color Hydro Flask, but not a fake one! I own a couple of Hydro Flasks already and the logo looks different and the writing on the bottom is clearly different. Plus the barcode sticker says ‘Lava' when that is clearly not the color I ordered.
I did some research and discovered Hydro Flask never even made this color in this size.
Please provide a full refund immediately
Thirdly, if you need further confirmation you can email Hydro Flask.
They have an email [email protected] that is specifically designed to report fake sellers, fake websites and counterfeit products. I emailed them the pictures of my fake Hydro Flask but I haven't got a response back just yet.
How To Make Sure You Buy a Real Hydro Flask
If you want to make sure your Hydro Flask product is 100% real then you'll want to buy from one of three places.
HydroFlask.com – Buying directly from the brand ensures you're getting an authentic product. They also provide free shipping if you spend over a certain amount and even have a sale page where you can get discounts.
Amazon.com – Tall Ridge are the exclusive seller of Hydro Flasks on Amazon so almost all Hydro Flask listings on Amazon are authentic.
Reputable Retailer – If you go to a reputable retailer like REI or some other local store they are almost certainly going to be selling authentic Hydro Flasks and not fakes.
If you want to get Hydro Flasks on sale then click here to learn how to buy Hydro Flasks on sale.
