Hydro Flask's new $25 Cooler Cup is far and away the best koozie there is — here's why

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Hydro Flask's 12 oz Cooler Cup fits “a wide variety of cans and bottles” (if not most), and serves as a normal beverage cup.

Equipped with a silicone sleeve, it'll keep your canned and bottled beverages colder longer. The silicone sleeve also works as a non-slip coaster when you use it as a beverage cup.

I left a chilled can out on a table for 12 hours and returned to a crisp, cold drink after work. Here's why I'm sold.

Show of hands, who has a ratty old neoprene koozie they've been using for years？

Of those who raised their hands, how much are you willing to bet it's not bacteria and/or fungus-ridden, and better fit for a scientific experiment than a refreshing beverage？

Whatever you answered, is it really worth the risk？

Hydro Flask's new 12 oz Cooler Cup is made with professional-grade steel — like most double-walled, vacuum-insulated cups and water bottles these days — but this is the simplest, most versatile, and best temperature retention I've found in any of them.

What makes Hydro Flask's Cooler Cup stand tall against the others is the silicone sleeve that fits tightly over just about any 12-oz can you might place in it, and while bottles are a little less consistent, it handles most of them, too (do watch out for slimmer bottles, however). In effect, I've found that it helps 12-ounce cans retain temperature best.

During my process of testing the Cooler Cup, I took a beer from my fridge and left it on the coffee table for a full workday, returning home a little over 12 hours later to find it nearly (if not almost exactly) as cold as it was when I left it.

The other thing I made sure to do was to show it a little abuse and kick it around a bit. I also (accidentally) dropped it into a bunch of still-smoldering ashes. I had to scrub a bit, but it came out shining. (Author's note: The photos you see were taken AFTER abuse.)

It's also worth noting (though admittedly not unique) that it's BPA- and phthalate-free, so you don't need to have reservations about putting your mouth on or near it. And while the cup itself might not be dishwasher-safe, the silicone sleeve is, which might not be so convenient if you're using it as a cocktail glass, but it's a great way to keep a clean layer of protection near the lip of your cans. Otherwise, and let's be honest here, who on earth washes their koozies？ Gross indeed. The Cooler Cup gives you a chance to alleviate that little issue, too (even if you've never considered it).

And, I must add, the Cooler Cup does a fine job of substituting for a cocktail glass (or a coffee mug, though you'll have to buy the lid separately).

Hydro Flask offers it in bright, festive colors, too, like Watermelon and Pacific. Don't worry, my drab and clandestine friends, there's Olive, Graphite, and, of course, Black, for you too.

Pros: Versatile, sleek, almost indestructible

Cons: Doesn't fit every bottle on the market (though it's hard to say if any koozie does), doesn't come with a lid (sold separately)

Buy the Hydro Flask 12 oz Cooler Cup from Hydro Flask for $24.95

Buy the (compatible) 10 oz Insulated Wine Tumbler Lid for $7.50