HydraPak Contour Hydration Bladder Review

Bottom Line

The Hydrapak Contour combines smart features with a lightweight, packable design, making it our top choice among this season’s best hydration bladders. 

The Contour features a bite valve with a shutoff switch, a quick-disconnect hose, a magnet to prevent the hose from flopping around, a wide opening with a slider closure, interior baffles, and a handle for easier filling. Despite all these features, it still weighs just under six ounces. 

For backpackers, hikers, and trail runners looking to reduce weight while enjoying plenty of features, the Hydrapak Contour is an excellent choice. Although it’s not the cheapest bladder in our lineup, its price remains competitive and provides a better user experience, making it a fantastic value. 

Discover more great options in our best hydration bladder gear guide.

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How We Tested

We took the Contour on day hikes in Joshua Tree during the winter, and we even brought it along while snowshoeing in Minnesota during a cold snap. Its hose did freeze at 15-degree weather, but we would expect that with any non-insulated hydration bladder. 

Weight & Packability

Among our complete hydration systems with hoses, the HydraPak Contour was one of the lightest. Weighing under six ounces, it was lighter than all other comparable products except the Platypus Hoser. It offered many more features than the Hoser, which will be worthwhile for many despite the slightly heavier weight. 

We measured its minimum packed size at 8.5 by 3 by 2.25 inches, which is quite compact for a bladder with a hose. The Contour achieves its impressive packability by incorporating fewer bulky plastic components than other bladders.

While the CamelBak Crux features a rigid plastic handle for filling the bladder, HydraPak includes a flexible handle on the Contour, reducing bulkiness. After detaching the hose, the Contour easily rolls up and stores conveniently during travel.

Ease of Use

The HydraPak Contour’s feature-rich design makes it easy and enjoyable to use on the trail. It includes a loop integrated into the plastic slider that can be used to hang it in backpacks with a buckle or Velcro attachment point.

The bite valve features a shutoff switch to prevent leaks, and we observed that the valve offers a particularly high flow compared to other bladders we tested. We also appreciate the interior baffles; while trail running, these help minimize water sloshing around too much. 

It also features a magnet that can attach to a backpack’s sternum strap, preventing the hose from flopping around while hiking or running. The attachment mechanism seems a bit less secure than the one on the Osprey Hydraulics bladder; it hasn’t fallen off yet, but we are concerned about losing it.

Overall, we noticed that the magnets attract a lot of sand, especially when hiking in the desert.One of our testers took the Contour on a snowshoe day hike in fifteen-degree weather in Minnesota. Within an hour of hiking, the hose completely froze, making it difficult for him to get water. We’d expect this from most non-insulated bladders. For a system with a fully insulated hose and bladder, check out the HydraPak Hydrasleeve. 

Ease of Cleaning

The slider closure enables the Contour to be flipped inside out for a thorough scrubbing of the interior. This feature also facilitates quick drying, although the interior baffles can cause it to retain moisture longer than simpler models. 

After being flipped inside out, cleaned, and hung to dry, the Contour was fully dry within an hour and twenty minutes. In comparison, some of the bladders with twist caps took hours to dry.

Taste

The HydraPak Contour had a mild rubbery taste, though it was not as pronounced as some of the other bladders. All of the reservoirs made by HydraPak – the HydraSleeve, Seeker, and Contour – ranked in the middle when it comes to taste. They are not taste-free, but they don’t have the iodine flavor like some of the other bladders.

Durability

During our testing, we did not notice any leaks or failures in the HydraPak Contour. The bladder is somewhat challenging to turn inside out, and we anticipate this could be a potential failure point in the future.

Should You Buy the HydraPak Contour?

For hikers and runners seeking a lightweight hydration bladder that doesn’t compromise on features, the HydraPak Contour is an excellent option. We were impressed by how light the Contour is while still providing features like a sternum strap magnet, an on-off switch on the bite valve, and a handle.

The lightweight design, along with the interior baffles that prevent water from sloshing around, makes this choice particularly appealing for trail runners. 

What Other Hydration Bladders Should You Consider?

If the HydraPak Contour isn’t quite what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find a hydration bladder that fits your needs among the rest of our favorites.

HydraPak Hydrasleeve Review: If you enjoy the features of the Hydrapak Contour but plan to be outdoors in the winter, consider the Hydrapak HydraSleeve. The HydraSleeve is an insulated sleeve that accommodates a 3-liter HydraPak Elite reservoir. The hose is insulated to prevent water from freezing or warming up. Weighing 10.8 ounces, the HydraSleeve is considerably heavier than the Contour, but this extra weight may be necessary to stop the hose from freezing in cold weather. 

Osprey Hydraulics Review: The Osprey Hydraulics is slightly heavier and bulkier than the Contour, but it offers even more useful features at a similar price. The Hydraulics has a rigid back on one side, so it retains its shape better when you slide it into a backpack. This can make it easier to reload into a fully packed overnight bag. It also features a hard plastic ergonomic handle that simplifies filling it with water.

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