Stanley cups are most popular in these states, survey finds

Water bottles, especially the Stanley brand, have become a coveted accessory that denotes a certain sense of style.

But, with so many water bottle brands, the company Custom Ink surveyed 3,000 Americans to find out which brands people search for most in the US.

Data was collected using Google Trends on January 5, 2024, and spanned the entire year of 2023. Data was also collected from Social Searcher on January 5, 2024, sourcing from the web, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram and Reddit. 

It should be no surprise that Stanley cups came out on top by a wide margin. 

Stanley cups are most popular water bottle brand

The survey found that residents of 19 states (38%) searched for Stanley Tumblers more than other brands. Stanley appeared to have a stronghold over most of the South and Midwest, with New Mexico being the only state outside either of those regions to search for the Stanley brand as much.

The next most searched-for brand, Brita, captured the attention of eight states, having a significant presence in the Northeast region of the US.

Yeti came in third, with states dispersed in the West, South, and Northeast. 

CamelBak favored the coastal weather and has five states in the West and Northeast. 

Meanwhile, Owala, Klean Kanteen, and Nalgene were favored in a few states. Outliers included Hydro Flask in California and Takeya in Illinois. 

Stanley cups shine on social media

Just like the most Googled brand, Stanley is the social media darling of water bottle bunch. 

Stanley has benefited from garnering the attention of influencers on Instagram and TikTok, many of whom are Gen Z and Millennial moms, who praise the tumblers for their durability, many color options, and tapered design that allows them to fit into cupholders. If that weren’t enough, the tumbler also went viral for surviving a car fire and keeping the contents cold. 

RELATED: Stanley cups 411: Why are they so popular? The rise of the viral tumbler

Stanley pulled ahead once again with a 51% positive sentiment, but Hydro Flask was very close behind with 48%.

How did Stanley cups get so popular? 

Dating back to November 2017, The Buy Guide, a popular blog that recommends or suggests various consumer products, posted about the tumbler.

"Of all the insulated cups… this is the one. Just trust," the post says. 

Stanley Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler. (Credit: Stanley via PR Newswire)

The relationship between the women at The Buy Guide and Stanley grew over the years, as detailed in this New York Times article, – so much so, that when the women learned Stanley was going to stop stocking the cup, they bought 10,000 of them at wholesale cost to try selling on their own to a different market - women. 

It was a gamble, but they had no problem selling every last cup. 

In 2021, Stanley announced it was bringing back the Adventure Quencher to a waitlist that had grown to more than 30,000. 

Stanley Adventure Quencher Travel Tumbler. (Credit: Stanley via PR Newswire)

"The 'Quencher,' as our fans call it, has gained tremendous word-of-mouth support over the past few years, selling out every time we re-stock. We're excited to bring it back in brand new colors this summer," Terence Reilly, global president of Stanley brand, said at the time in a press release.

The new colors signaled a big brand identity shift for the company. 

"We just sat down with the executive team and were like, ‘You’re marketing this cup to the wrong people,’" Linley Hutchinson, one of the founders of The Buy Guide, told RetailDive when recalling their experience of working with the company.