Smart water bottles never seemed like a necessity to me. Instead, I assumed they were overpriced gadgets that didn’t do enough to warrant their price tags. But after checking out the Water.io smart water bottle, I’m starting to change my tune. Let me be clear — I still don’t think everyone needs to rush out and buy a smart water bottle. However, if you’re a fitness enthusiast or trying to cut back on your soft drink consumption, they might be a good fit.
Though they may be called a smart water bottles, most of these products don’t actually sync with smart home platforms like Google Home and Apple Home. Instead, they’re “smart” by way of a mobile app. That holds true for the Water.io water bottle. It’s in the app that you’ll enter information such as your height and weight, allowing the water bottle to set a target hydration goal for you. With that done, setting up the Water.io is largely complete.
The sole purpose of this smart water bottle is to ensure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day. And, much to my surprise, I was impressed at how good it was at tracking my drinking habits. Not only would it illuminate the bottle cap in various colors to remind me to drink, but it would also light up orange if I was behind my goal and green if I was on track. These visual reminders do a great job of reminding me to step away from the keyboard and take a swig of water.
They also make it more fun to drink water than a regular cup, and it’s actually helped me cut down on sugary drinks since I’ve started testing it.
The Water.io bottle does a solid job of tracking water consumption, but my favorite feature is its support for Garmin. This lets it sync with my smartwatch to automatically adjust my hydration goal based on my workout. For example, if I go for a strenuous run, I’ll see my hydration goal bumped up significantly. This is the big draw of the water bottle for me, as it ensures I don’t underhydrate after a long day of trail running — especially when it’s hot outside. And if I decide to have something to drink beyond water, I can manually enter my beverage into the Water.io app to keep it apprised of my hydration status.
It would have been nice if the bottle synced with smart home platforms like Google Home so I could quickly see my hydration stats without having to install yet another app on my phone, but at least the companion app is easy to use and intuitive.
Smart water bottles are much more expensive than your typical HydroFlask, and they’re certainly not a good choice for everyone. The Water.io bottle I tested clocks in at an astronomical $100, but it’s often on sale for $70. That’s a hefty price to pay for a water bottle, though its smart features have definitely helped me drink more water after workouts and cut down on my soda consumption.
Aside from tracking your water intake and adjusting your hydration goal based on your daily activities, this is a pretty standard water bottle. It feels about as premium as “regular” high-end products like HydroFlask and Yeti, featuring double-walled stainless steel construction, a leak-resistant seal, and a BPA-free cap.
Considering you can get a great “non-smart” water bottle for less than $40, I still don’t see smart water bottles as anything other than a niche product. I certainly see their appeal — and I’ll be using one for the foreseeable future — but if you don’t work out consistently or don’t need its fun features to help you cut down on sugary drinks, then consider sticking with something cheaper.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
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