The Polar water bottles were a popular choice for cyclists looking for insulated or non-insulated BPA free bottles for hydration on the go and were one of our personal favorites. That’s why many people were saddened to hear the brand would be going away in 2024. However, the brand was simply merged into their parent company HydraPak with some bottle renaming and updates. HydraPak has renamed the bottles and updated them with a new cap and various graphic designs. Retail price ranges from $13 to $16 depending on the size of the bottle and whether you choose the non-insulated Breakaway or the insulated Polar bottles. The insulated bottles retain the tri-layer insulation design with the distinctive reflective exterior shield. All the bottles are offered with either the Surge jet valve or the simpler Sport push-pull nozzle caps.
The HydraPak Polar and Breakaway bottles retain the unique designs and squeezability of the original Polar bottles while improving them.
| Rating | 9.8 / 10 |
| Retail Price | $13-$16 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 76 (25oz Breakaway), 114 (20oz Polar), 125 (24 oz Polar) |
| Likes | + Unique graphics with a variety of color schemes + Sleek and simple two piece Surge cap + Insulated bottles keep water cold for longer |
| Dislikes | – Inner valve on Surge cap can’t be removed |
| Where to Buy (US) | HydraPak |
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Polar and Breakaway bottles retain the same unique visual graphics and simple cap design that made the bottles so popular. There are essentially two versions of the bottle, the insulated Polar and the non-insulated Breakaway bottles. That’s not to be confused with the Breakaway+ bottles which have built-in filters on the caps. For those familiar with the original Polar Breakaway bottles, the new naming is pretty confusing as the full name for the insulated bottles is now HydraPak Polar which combines both brand names into one. There are also two cap options for both bottles, the familiar jet-valve style Surge or Sport which is a push-pull nozzle. Both caps have the same thread pitch as the previous Polar bottles which means you can mix and match the caps across the Sport and Surge bottles or put them on an older bottle.
The insulated bottles have a transparent outer plastic and the insulating foil-like material visible behind it. HydraPak offers an impressive range of graphic and color options with the insulated Polar bottles which all have a unique metallic like appearance thanks to the reflective heat shields. Currently, you can get the insulated Polar bottles in fourteen color variations from their standard wave-like designs, contender, pulse and splash series. All of the colors look great and have a metallic finish and graphics that help them stand out and the HydraPak water-droplet logo printed on them prominently. The standard wave bottles have multi-colored topographical overlays that look like waves or a mountain range along with metallic solid colors behind it.
With the Contender bottles the design has a camo style that almost looks like a water droplet. The Pulse has a static nose style horizontal line overlay on top of the metallic base color while the Splash looks like an abstract water color painting. HydraPak has only four non-insulated Breakaway colors white, gray and white with solid color schemes and branding on top of it. Obviously, the insulated bottles have a lot more design options and are what I’d recommend as it keeps liquid cold for longer compared to the standard non-insulated bottles. Depending on the color, the caps have a black or off-white finish with red Surge nozzles or black Sport nozzles.
As far as the caps, again, you have the jet valve style Surge and a more standard push-pull Sport. The Surge is the same as the previous design with a wide and soft nozzle that has a valve inside it. When you apply pressure the valve opens for fast hydration and has the added benefit of not leaking if the bottle tips over. You can also fully lock the Surge nozzle by pushing down on it which is convenient for traveling as the bottle could get compressed and cause the valve to open. The main difference with these new caps is that the design is more streamlined with a flatter top and more modern appearance. A slight inward curvature replaces the previous ridged design which is both easier to clean and more ergonomic to grip.
The entire cap is still only two pieces with the nozzle and the cap that simplifies cleaning. To remove the Surge nozzle you rotate it counter clockwise until the two outer grooves line up and then lift up. Note, the inside of the nozzles have little cutouts only in the counter clockwise direction which means it’s a lot harder to remove them if you rotate it in the clockwise direction by accident. You can also lock the cap by pushing down which blocks any water flow through the cap. The Sport cap is nearly identical but has a simple push-pull design that is also a bit more affordable. You have the same rotate-to-remove design with outer indicators to help line everything up. The caps are also interchangeable with the previous Polar bottles which gives you more options to mix-and-match.
RIDING IMPRESSIONS
We’ve long been fans of Polar bottles since our first review and have primarily used the insulated bottles over the years. Despite the rebranding, the bottles have retained everything we liked about them. The updated cap is just as easy to clean with the two-piece design eliminates the previous rides which would collect dirt. Even with our metal Portland Design Works bottle cages, which tend to scratch any bottle, the exteriors still look good and have the reflective metallic finish that makes them stand out. We found the bottles easy to use and squeeze with the Surge valves being our favorite. With the jet valve design you can drink quickly while not worrying about leaking compared to the Sport’s push-pull valve.
As far as the insulation, the tri-layer construction of the Polar bottles help keep the fluid cool for a few hours. It’s on par or better than the CamelBak Chill bottles with a claimed ability to maintain a 20 degree Fahrenheit difference for up to 2 hours. It’s not as effective as insulated steel bottles like the CamelBak Podium steel / titanium bottles though, so even with an ice filled bottle you’ll end up with warm water on multi-hour rides. It’s a downside of all the plastic bottles, but helps keep the bottle weight down and allow them to stay squeezable. With so many size and graphic options, it’s easy to find the bottle that matches your bike or kit as well.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the updated HydraPak Polar and Breakaway bottles to be a nice incremental improvement over the previous Polar branded bottles. Aside from the confusing naming convention, the bottles have the same great features like simple cap designs and unique graphic finishes that made the bottles so popular. We like the more modern cap design which is easier to clean and looks a bit sleeker. The insulated bottles also have a multi-layer insulated design which helps keep liquid cooler on warm days. Our only minor complaint is that you cannot remove the inner valve on the Surge nozzle which would allow for a more thorough cleaning. That said, the HydraPak Polar and Breakaway water bottle retained the same qualities of the Polar bottles with some welcome updates.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by HydraPak. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.
There are a lot of concerns about microplastics with this sort of bottle.