Maintaining proper hydration by drinking more water is key to good physical and mental health. However, you might miss out on your daily water intake goals more often than not. That is where a water-tracking solution like smart water bottles can help.

Everyday distractions such as long work hours or social media can disrupt your natural drinking cycle and override your natural thirst instinct. Smart water bottles can help refocus your attention on drinking more water while actively tracking your fluid intake.

The Importance of Hydration and Water-Tracking

Drinking at least eight glasses of water per day is important for several body functions, from regulating body temperature to nutrient absorption. Water plays a vital part in keeping you healthy. But it can be difficult to adhere to the eight glasses per day guideline. According to Medical Daily, over 75 percent of Americans do not drink enough water.

Drinking less water over the long term can affect your physical health and drain you mentally. Therefore, tracking how much water you consume daily is a great start. The idea is to avoid sugary and carbonated drinks while tracking plain water consumption.

If you have an iPhone, you can use one of several hydration apps to track your water intake. But when constant in-app notifications still aren't effective, smart water bottles can fill that gap.

How Do Smart Water Bottles Work?

A smart water bottle connects to your phone and many have features that include water tracking, visual reminders, and app notifications. In addition, many smart bottles are well insulated, which helps maintain the water temperature. Depending on the design, the bottle may have a couple of sensors placed in the cap, at the bottom, or on a bottle cover. These sensors can track the water level and water temperature and can schedule reminders. This information is wirelessly relayed to your phone.

The battery life varies based on the features and battery type. Most replaceable lithium coin batteries can last upwards of six months. However, bottles that feature LED strips, vibration motors, and lithium-ion batteries may require more frequent charging. Some of the most popular smart bottles on the market today include the following options.

HidrateSpark Pro

HidrateSpark was one of the first companies to bring smart water bottles to the market. The HidrateSpark Pro is a stainless steel vacuum-insulated bottle that has a LED sensor puck attached to the bottom. The LED sensor glows to remind you to drink water and tracks the water level in the bottle. The bottle syncs this data to the free HidrateSpark app via Bluetooth. Additionally, if you lose your bottle, you can track it through the app.

Download: HidrateSpark for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

REBO Bottle

REBO is an advanced water bottle with several benefits beyond just water reminders. It tracks your daily water intake and suggests a customized hydration plan based on your activity. The REBO app also shows over 230,000 water fountains where you can refill your bottle. Most importantly, for every 16oz of water consumed from REBO, the company funds the clean-up of one plastic bottle.

Download: REBO for Android | iOS (Free)

LifeFuels

If you’ve wanted to try out flavored water and get your daily dose of micronutrients, the LifeFuels water bottle can help you with that. It tracks your water intake and infuses the water with nutritional flavor pods with a touch of a button.

Download: LifeFules for Android | iOS (Free)

Tips for Choosing a Smart Bottle

Several smart bottles are on the market, but they work on the same principles. One thing to look out for when choosing a smart bottle is the type of liquid it can handle. For example, the HidrateSpark Pro is not suitable for hot liquids. So, if you want to store hot and cool liquids, make sure the bottle is thermally insulated.

Benefits of Smart Water Bottles

Creating new habits can be a challenging task, but apps can help. For example, you can track new habits with Habitify. Smart water bottles work similarly to fitness trackers. They help you take deliberate action through reminders. Additionally, smart water bottles add an element of gamification in their reminders, making them fun and easy to follow through. For example, the HidrateSpark Pro glows when it’s time to drink.

The app tracking that comes along with these bottles is another reason to consider them. Water tracking apps can give you detailed stats on your hydration activity, so you can see how you’ve progressed over time. Some apps will also create a personalized hydration plan for you based on your activity level.

Apart from the modern features of a smart bottle, you may benefit from increasing your water intake. According to a study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, even as little as 2% water loss can noticeably affect your physical performance. Hence, drinking more water may help you feel more energized, reduce headaches, and benefit your weight loss journey.

Smart Water Bottles Are Backed by Science

Some clinical studies have validated how effective smart water bottles are. Apart from being a habit-building tool, smart bottles have high utility in healthcare. Especially in patients with kidney stones. A 2017 study published in Urolithiasis found that people who drank water from a HidrateSpark bottle had a 0.5 liter higher fluid intake than others.

Difficulty remembering to drink more water was the primary barrier to proper hydration. Around 60 percent of the participants did not drink enough water for this reason. The use of a smart water bottle significantly impacted the fluid intake of the participants, making it much easier to remember to drink more water.

Should You Switch to a Smart Water Bottle?

For most of us, a smart water bottle may feel like an extra piece of tech that you have to charge and maintain. Despite that, an integrated feedback loop such as a smart water bottle could help you feel the benefits of proper hydration.

Coupled with proprietary apps, LED notifications, and water level tracking, it uses every possible data to remind you to drink more water throughout the day. After all, it's more difficult to forget when you have a flashing bottle on your desk to remind you. Smart water bottles are undoubtedly more expensive than regular ones, but their usefulness, design, and sturdy build quality may make them a worthy investment.