My review is quite long, but I think if you're going to spend $60 on something like a water bottle it's best to know what it's all about. I'm also writing this review from the perspective of someone who had the Spark 3 prior to picking up the Steel. This will also help those deciding which to get if you don't have a Hidrate bottle or are upgrading from one of the originals.
What is Hidrate Spark?:
Water bottles designed to track your water drinking automatically with a sensor. It's attached to a bottle and tracked through their app. Set up is easy and bluetooth is required. The app is fairly straightforward. It's not the most visually appealing but it's very functional. For Apple users: the app syncs with Apple Health and will adjust the amount of water you need to drink when you record an exercise which is really awesome. It will also record other drinking data in Health. *Unsure how it functions on Android/other devices.*
How Hidrate Spark Steel is different from the Spark 3:
- Insulated bottle, keeps the water colder for longer. Hidrate highly advises against putting hot liquids in it. I have had very warm liquid in it but would not put something like hot coffee in it.
- You are able to put ice in the bottle.
- Customizable (from the app) LED glow. This has been relocated to the bottom of bottle from the center of the bottle, like the prior Spark models.
- Option for size of bottle. The Spark 3 comes only in the 20oz option. The Spark Steel has 17oz and 22oz (only available off the Hidrate website at the time of purchase).
- Option in the type of lid, with a choice between a pour lid or with a built in straw.
- Rechargeable, unlike the prior models that require a battery.
Comparison Review:
I really think this comes down to a rather niche preference on choosing the Spark 3 over the Steel. If you perfer the more colorful bottles, glowing middle, more stable on a table (more details below), slightly better grip due to rubber mid, rechargeable or quick battery swap, and/or an extra 3oz of liquid space without paying more, then the Spark 3 is for you. One thing I would like to add, that was intentionally not included in the list, is that the Steel feels much more durable. By no means are any of Spark bottles durable enough to be dropped on the regular and be fine, but the Steel seems like it can take a hit much better. My Spark 3 dropped on to a wood floor at home and developed a leak. I replaced the messed up part (the bottom rim) and the bottle still had an inexplicable leak. It was very frustrating.
Review:
The Spark Steel is a good improvement over the prior Spark 3 model. The insulated steel works as well as any steel insulated bottle would, minus putting hot liquids in it due to the sensor. The sensor is located in the bottom of the cup, unlike the Spark 3 where it's a beam going down the center of the bottle. The sensor is a puck shaped device that can be unsecrewed and removed from the bottle of the bottle. This is only done to recharge the puck or when washing the bottle. The puck is responsible for measuring the water in the bottle by weight, and also the contains the LED lights. Every time the puck is removed the bottle it has to be recalibrated (through the app) which can be annoying, coming from the Spark 3 that only had to be recalibrated on rare occasions. The battery life on the puck is very good, even on settings with max energy consumption. It usually lasts about 10 days before recharging is needed. The charger is a USB cable that has 4 pins that seems to have a weak magnetic lock to connect on to the puck. One of the oddities of the new puck sensor is that it always seems to be a tad unbalanced when you put it down. This was intended by Hidrate. The puck has a spot on the bottom of it that is slightly protruding to allow the sensor to measure the water. This takes a little getting use to and as long as you set it down like you would any other bottle/cup it will be fine; it won't require any extra precision.
The glow of the LED lights from the puck is very bright but not obnoxious. If you just wanted to show it off, or just for the fun of it, you can set it off from the app. There are also several other convenient glow settings within the app. There are a handful of preset colors that can be changed around, with my personal favorite being the rainbow color scheme. One of my biggest issues is actually with Hidrate and not the Spark Steel itself, is the choice of LED glow options. While there are several preset options, the lack of user customization options for the glow is a let down. Hidrate actually put out a survey on if you would pay to be able to customize your own glows. This is ridiculous and certainly should already be in the app for free, especially since it is a minimum of $60 to purchase a Spark Steel.
There are multiple options for the lid but I have not used the new straw version so I can't review that. However, the pour lid is very similar to the Spark 3 except with one small complaint. The button to open the lid interferes with mouth piece on the pour opening. This is overall a minor issue. On very rare occasion, when I'm not paying attention, my bottom lip ends up resting on the button and water leaking from the bottom of my mouth when drinking. This is likely not a problem with the straw version and is avoidable. The button to flip open the lid (spring loaded) has a lock on it. I personally don't see the benefit of it but may stop a toddler. My only other minor complaint with the lid is the carrier strap. It works but can get bunched up due to its width. I enjoyed the Sparks 3's strap better, but this is a really very minor complaint.
The option for choosing the size of the bottle was a nice addition but I am disappointed that the base size doesn't match the size of the one-size Spark 3 for the same price. The 22oz is only $5 more at the time of purchase off the Hidrate website only.
Their are not many color options compared to the Spark 3 for the bottle, and quite frankly I only found two colors remotely attractive. This is just a personal opinion. I did really enjoy the bold colors of the Spark 3.
Durability is a concern of mine with all the Spark bottles. The Spark 3 had unexplainable leak issues with not only me, but other reviewers had similar issues. As far as the Steel goes, it does seem more durable but the shiny enclosure for the LED puck looks fragile and may easily crack. The remainder of the bottle looked like it could take a beating, but I would HIGHLY advise to keep the bottle out of rough conditions (outdoor sports, hiking, etc). Really I would say only use at home or in an office.
Overall, it's the best smart water bottle you could buy but also the most expensive. It works incredibly well and I've found it to be very accurate. It won't be perfect but it's close. To those who have not used a Spark water bottle before: each time you drink or fill it up the bottle needs to be put down on a flat surface for a few seconds to measure the water in the bottle to record. If it appears to be inaccurate, recalibrate the sensor. I haven't had any real issues with adding ice to mine as far as the accuracy of it recording my water intake.
For me my water drinking has significantly improved since purchasing the Spark 3 nearly a year ago. I use to drink more coffee in a day than water. If drinking enough water in a day is an issue for you I would highly recommend this product.
Edit: Spacing, titles, and ordering
Edit 2: Spelling and clarity
Edit 3 (3/16/2021): Well Hidrate finally did, they added microtransactions to water bottles. For $4.99 you can customize the LED glow to two colors blends. I truly think this should be free and this feels like a money grab. It also doesn't let you customize the whole spectrum of the glow but only the combination of two colors. I hold to my opinion that this should be built in for free.
Additionally, they have released powdered supplements that can be added in the bottle which goes against their own directions of use. I have not tried them and don't plan to. I get my supplements in other ways and don't plan on changing that up. I also think they have a steep price tag of $27-$38 for 16-32 servings. This may interest others but for now I personally won't be buying into it.
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Product Description
The World's Smartest Water Bottle
Stay healthy and hydrated with the new HidrateSpark PRO!
Meet HidrateSpark PRO, the world's smartest water bottle ever created. With a new stainless steel insulated construction, customizable glow colors and patterns, rechargeable battery and assorted size and lid options, the HidrateSpark PRO makes drinking more water as easy as blink, drink, sync. The LED smart sensor “puck” glows to remind you when it’s time to drink and tracks your water intake by syncing via bluetooth to the HidrateSpark App, keeping your daily goal updated as you go.
HidrateSpark STEEL Highlights
Customizable Glows & Patterns
The bottle glows throughout the day to remind you to drink. Customize your glow type, color, and frequency within the free HidrateSpark App.
Accurate Sensor Technology
Your water intake is seamlessly synced via bluetooth and available for access at any time so you can track your progress over days, weeks and months.
Free Hydration App
The HidrateSpark App calculates a hydration goal with your activity, location and personal details in mind, and tracks your water intake on-the-go.
Location Tracking
The app syncs with most fitness apps to adjust your hydration goal accordingly and helps you locate your bottle from where it was last synced.
Choose Your Perfect Match!
 Brushed |  Brushed |  Brushed |  Brushed | |
|
Capacity
| 21 oz / 620 ml | 21 oz / 620 ml | 17 oz / 500 ml | 17 oz / 500 ml |
|
Lid Type
| Straw | Chug | Straw | Chug |
|
Rechargeable Battery
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
BPA Free
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Customizable Reminders
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Fitness Apps Integration
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Find My Bottle
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Other Colors Available
| ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Compatibility
| iOS, most Android devices | iOS, most Android devices | iOS, most Android devices | iOS, most Android devices |
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Not worth the price or hype. For the price you'd think you could choose the time and Intervals. Only gives up to 12 reminders per day. But doesn't let you choose how many minutes between each reminder. Reminder doesn't work. It disconnects from app. Does keep your drink cold for a few hours. The app has a few flaws. It cuts off some of the words. The tab to open the lid gets in the way when drinking so I have to drink it side ways
Images in this review
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ssmb212
Great water bottle keeps water cool has rgb to fit cool gamer setup.
Reviewed in Sweden on August 25, 2022AP
When working it’s great - it’s a great gadget
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2021
