How To Get a Dent Out of a Hydro Flask (Or Any Other Vacuum Insulated Bottle)

It happens, you drop your Hydro Flask or it somehow accidentally gets a big dent in it. What can you do? Can you fix a dent in a Hydro Flask or do you need to throw it out and start all over again?

Luckily there is one way that has been shown to fix dents in Hydro Flask bottles:

To fix a dent in a Hydro Flask bottle take a hair dryer and heat the dented spot. Then take dry ice and rub it over the spot to make it cold. Repeat the process until the dent is out. You may also need to encourage it out with some minor force.

In this article we'll talk in more detail about this strategy for fixing a dent in your Hydro Flask and how you can do it.

NOTE: You do need to be careful with dry ice as it can burn you. If you're young get the help of an adult and make sure you stay safe.

How Do Hydro Flask Advise You Get Your Dent Out?

It's always good to go to the manufacturer to see what they say about caring for the product and how to fix common issues.

Unfortunately Hydro Flask does not state anywhere on their website how to fix dents in a Hydro Flask.

The below twitter user asked them for tips but there was sadly no response:

It seems the only solution they have is to see if the issue is covered by warranty which in most cases it isn't. See more on dents and warranty.

What Not To Do To Fix a Dent in a Hydro Flask

Before we get into the method for fixing a dent in a Hydro Flask let's talk about some things you SHOULDN'T do.

Don't Try To Push It Out From The Inside

A lot of people think that the best way to fix a dent in a Hydro Flask is to push out the dent from the inside.

The problem with this is that Hydro Flask bottles have two walls, an inner and an outer wall, with a vacuum in between.

So applying pressure to the inner wall doesn't necessarily affect the outer wall and you may just ruin your bottle.

Don't Try To Use Immense Pressure To Push It Out (Dangerous)

One thing I've seen suggested across the internet is to put some dry ice inside your Hydro Flask and then add water to make it change to gas faster.

They suggest you put the lid on and allow pressure to build up and theoretically this pressure will push out the dent.

There are two problems with this.

Firstly, the inner wall and outer wall aren't connected, they are separated by a vacuum. So fixing an inner wall dent doesn't guarantee the outside dent will be fixed too.

Secondly, this can be extremely dangerous! As pressure builds up there is a risk of your bottle completely exploding. You don't want shards of metal flying at you.

Best case it will break your lid, worst case you'll end up in hospital and still need to buy a new Hydro Flask.

Below you can see a slow motion video of what happens to plastic bottles when the pressure from dry ice builds up inside them:

How To Fix a Dent in a Hydro Flask With a Hair Dryer and Dry Ice

Before seeing the below video I didn't think it was possible to fix a dent in a Hydro Flask.

Sure I've written about what to do if your Hydro Flask gets a paint chip, but I thought dents were irreparable.

Below is a video showing exactly how to fix a dent on the outside of your Hydro Flask:

Step 1: Heat Dent With Hair Dryer

To begin heat up the dented spot using a regular hair dryer until it's warm to touch

Step 2: Rub Dry Ice On The Dent

Then take a small amount of dry ice and rub down the dent with the dry ice.

Make sure you use something to protect yourself from the dry ice as it is so cold that it can burn your skin

Step 3: Repeat Multiple Times

The bigger the dent the more times you will need to repeat this process.

Step 4: Help The Dent Out With Some Force

The dent may require some pushing and some force in order to get it to pop out.

Does This Technique Always Work?

Below you can see another video of a different person trying to fix the dent in their Hydro Flask using the same method. Unfortunately they are unable to get this strategy to work at all.

I'm unsure if this is because of where the dent is located (right near the top as the flask bends) or why it doesn't work for them.

I also found this post on Reddit where someone tried the trick and while it didn't work perfectly it did help a bit:

How Easily Do Hydro Flask Bottles Dent?

Do Hydro Flasks dent easily or are they impenetrable to blemishes?

It turns out that Hydro Flasks are actually pretty easy to dent through every day use.

Common occurrences like dropping your Hydro Flask, sitting on it or bumping it hard into something will likely be enough to dent it.

There have been reports of people sitting on their Hydro Flask and it denting, or them dropping it and it denting, or friends denting it on purpose.

So while it takes a bit of force and they are strong enough that you can't really dent them through regular use, Hydro Flasks will get dented with strong forces like being dropped or hit.

How To Stop Your Hydro Flask Getting Dented

If you want to stop your Hydro Flask from getting dented in the first place then taking good care of it is a must.

But here are some ways to add extra protection to your Hydro Flask bottle so it doesn't get dented:

Hydro Flask Boot

You can get a Flexible boot that slips onto the bottom of your Hydro Flask and helps protect it from dings and dents.

The boot is made from a durable silicone and can be purchased in a variety of different colors allowing you to customize your bottle even more.

See the latest price of Hydro Flask Boots at Amazon

Hydro Flask Cover/Sling

Hydro Flask sell a bottle sling that both protects your Hydro Flask from getting dented but also makes it easy to carry.

The sling has a protective pouch to put your bottle in plus an adjustable shoulder strap for easy hands free carrying

See the latest price of Hydro Flask Slings at Amazon

Other Brand Hydro Flask Slings

I recently saw the below Twitter post where someone shows off their JugLug sling and I absolutely love this one. It completely covers the bottle so it won't get scratched and is less likely to get dented. Plus it may even help to keep drinks colder longer in your Hydro Flask.

There are a whole bunch of other brands out there that make cooler and protective Hydro Flask slings:

See the variety of Hydro Flask Slings at Amazon

Other Tips To Keep Your Hydro Flask From Getting Dented

  • Keep it on the inside of your bag, not hanging out the outside where it can more easily bash against things
  • Put your Hydro Flask up against soft items in your bag like clothing rather than hard items that may press on it.
  • Put your Hydro Flask at the top of your bag not the bottom so less things press on it
  • Don't throw your Hydro Flask around
  • Place it down gently on the ground

Does Hydro Flask Warranty Cover Dents?

The Hydro Flask lifetime warranty does NOT cover dents that occur from wear and tear. It does however cover dents that occur through manufacturing defects or dents that occur during the shipping process.

On their UK warranty page they state:

“Although our lifetime warranty does not cover ordinary wear and tear, including dents, scratches, powder coat chips from the flask being dropped, damaged, etc., it does cover manufacturing defects.”

So if you happen to dent your Hydro Flask yourself through dropping it, hitting it or some other means and it isn't the fault of the manufacturer then you are liable for it and Hydro Flask won't replace that bottle free of charge. Which I personally think is fair.

Their warranty does cover:

  • Broken or leaking caps
  • Flasks that seem to have lost their insulating properties
  • Flasks that are damaged during the shipping process
  • Rattling flasks

Do Dents Affect Hydro Flask's Ability to Keep Drinks Cold or Hot?

Dents can potentially affect your Hydro Flask bottle's ability to keep drinks hot and cold, however this depends on whether or not the vacuum seal has been compromised.

Hydro Flask bottles keep drinks cold or hot because they have a double wall with a vacuum inbetween. It is the vacuum that does the majority of the insulating.

It is very possible for you to dent your Hydro Flask, sometimes even significantly, and for this to no compromise the vacuum seal. If this happens your Hydro Flask bottle should still insulate just as well.

However, if the dent compromises the vacuum seal and the area between the inner and outer wall fills up with air then your Hydro Flask WILL lose it's insulating ability.

Also, if the dent causes the outer and inner wall to now touch (even if the vacuum seal is still in place) at this point where the two walls touch your insulation will be compromised as heat can freely move through the metal.

Does A Dent Make Your Hydro Flask Stop Working?

No, a dent does not make your Hydro Flask stop working unless the vacuum seal is compromised and the compartment between the inner and outer wall fills up with air, or if the inner and outer walls are touching.

If either of those things haven't happened then your bottle will continue to work and will continue to keep drinks cold for 24+ hours and hot for 12+ hours.