The Ultimate Insulated Growler Comparison

Fast forward to 2018 and the market is exploding, with new insulated growlers popping up in stores every time I turn around. I decided it was time to revisit our original comparison. Taking note of feedback we received, I decided to make some tweaks to our testing procedure to ensure a repeatable process so that we could continually test and rank new growlers as they came onto the market.
Updated Testing Procedure

In addition to creating repeatable conditions for testing, we are also beefing up our testing by running each growler through three separate tests and utilizing the average temperature for the comparison. Our 2017 analysis revealed some incredible insights thanks to the use of FLIR thermal imaging, so we are employing the same technology in our ongoing evaluations. We hope to utilize this updated testing procedure to evaluate new growlers as they come to market, so be sure to check back often and see if the performance rankings have changed!
Testing Results
To start things off, we decided our updated tests needed to have a baseline to compare against. We wanted to see how well the insulation of these new growlers worked. After deciding on our testing procedure, we ran our firsts tests using Klean Kanteen's Classic 64floz bottle. As you will see in the data, below, our uninsulated bottle dropped an average temperature of 101.9°F. In one test, our final internal temperature was 32.7°F and ice had begun to form on the bottle wall.![]() |
Table 1: Performance Ranking |
I believe OtterBox and KeanKanteen scored so well by tackling the same problem through similar designs. Both chose to minimize the opening size to maximize the surface area of water in contact with the insulated wall. OtterBox excelled in their design by choosing to reduce the neck and having the lid screw down into the body of the bottle to create a consistent insulative effect.
In this comparison, we are choosing to rank the growlers using two factors: average change in temperature and value. Our value ranking is really designed to "even the playing field" by factoring the growler's MSRP by multiplying it by the average change in temperature. This allows less-expensive growlers that may not perform as well be ranked higher than those that may be more expensive yet do not perform that much better.
![]() |
Table 2: Value Ranking |
Digging Deep
The key takeaway from our 2017 comparison was the efficiency of a vacuum-insulated bottle is only as good as how/where the insulation is applied. I never expected there to be such a wide range of results from our 'test subjects.' Seeing the results got me thinking about what makes a top-performing insulated beer growler, or water bottle for that matter.

Conclusion
So what does all of this mean for the average consumer? Well, unlike our 2017 comparison, I truly believe this year's takeaway should be that you do not always get what you pay for. Like 2017, our worst-performing growler was the most expensive, but the least costly growler actually scored in the top three. I believe if you are looking for the 64floz insulated growler with the best thermal efficiency, the OtterBox Elevation should be your choice. If you have budget constraints, then the Ozark Trail 64floz Vacuum-Insulated Bottle, winner of our Value Ranking, would be the best option.
Beau Johnston is an engineer, writer, and photographer who is dedicated to proving you can find a balance between work and life. He is the Co-Founder and Publisher of Living Overland, and when he isn't working, you can find him exploring National Parks, fly fishing, and camping with his wife (Krista) and their two dogs.
___________________________
If you found this article helpful, please consider using one of the affiliate links below. The price is the same for you, but a small percentage of the purchase price goes to us, which helps keep this site going. Thank you!