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Ulla Review
UPDATED December 2024
Check out our in-depth Ulla review to see how this convenient gadget works and how it can help you drink more water every day.
Total Rating: 4.8
4.8/5
BOTTOM LINE: Ulla is a hydration tool meant to help reduce the risk of becoming dehydrated. Once you set it on a water bottle, it reminds you when you need to take a drink.
PROS
- Ulla doesn’t require charging or any other special steps to use it.
- The internal battery lasts for up to six months.
- You can use it on any water bottle.
CONS
- It does not track the amount of water you drink daily or weekly.
- Other hydration systems come with an app that lets you view your water consumption, which Ulla lacks.
- Advertising Disclosure
The information we provide you is free of charge and a result of extensive research by our product experts. We use affiliate links in our site that provide us with referral commissions. While this fact may not influence the information we provide, it may affect the positioning of this information.
What is Ulla?
Known as both Ulla or Ulla Hydration, this is a tool designed to help you drink more water. Though you might think that dehydration only occurs when you work outside in the heat or forget to drink while playing on the beach, it can happen anytime that you don’t drink enough water.
Though experts recommend that you drink eight glasses of water a day, you get some water from other liquids that you drink. That doesn’t mean you drink enough water every day though, which is when Ulla comes in handy.
This is a simple gadget that you can place on any type of water bottle, including those made from glass and plastic. It serves as a reminder that you need to grab that bottle and take a sip. It alerts you at least once an hour to ensure you get the liquids you need.
Ulla comes with a battery that lasts for up to six months too. Find out even more about this gadget with my Ulla review.
Ulla produces a flashing light to remind you when it's time to drink.
How Does Ulla Work?
When you’re in the middle of a busy day or have a lot on your plate, you probably forget to grab something to eat or drink. While Ulla cannot help you with your diet, it can help you when it comes to hydration. This gadget has a small light powered by an internal battery.
You simply attach it to the top of your water bottle. If you drink out of a cup, you can clip it to the side of the cup instead. The light flashes when you haven’t taken a drink in a while and reminds you that you need to stay hydrated.
One of the best features of Ulla is that it works automatically based on the amount of light nearby. As soon as it detects the light, the device will instantly come on. It turns off just as quickly when there isn’t any light available. If you work the second or third shift, you don’t need to worry that it won’t work.
Ulla can also detect artificial light in a room. Unlike other devices that beep or release annoying sounds, Ulla uses just a flashing light. As soon as you see that light, you’ll know that you need to drink.
Signs of Dehydration
- Feeling thirsty
- Dry mouth
- Chapped lips
- Feeling tired
- Changes in urination including low urine output
- Dry skin
- Lack of tears and/or sweat
- Headaches
- Dark yellow urine
Knowing the signs of dehydration can help you stay safe.
How Can You Use Ulla?
Are you one of the many people who bought a reusable water bottle, took it to work once, and then left it there? While you had good intentions starting, that bottle does you little good if it sits in a cabinet or drawer at work. Ulla is a handy little gadget that can remind you to grab your bottle at the beginning and end of each day.
As you keep sticking it on the side of the bottle in the morning, the action will eventually become second nature. You’ll have a hard time leaving the house without grabbing that bottle and making sure the Ulla is attached. Using Ulla is easy because you can use it anywhere you might take a water bottle, including:
- Gyms
- Amusement parks
- Work
- Grocery and other stores
- Vacation
Many people think of vacations as the time to let loose. You might drink a little too much and wake up feeling groggy rather than well-rested. When you take Ulla with you on vacation, you get a quick reminder to drink water. Whether you’re climbing mountains and biking down dusty trails or lounging on the beach and checking out museums, you’ll drink enough water on your trip.
You can use some tips to drink more water daily.
Ways to Drink More Water
- Set reminders on your phone
- Use a reusable water bottle in a fun color or pattern
- Add fresh fruit to your water
- Use single-serving packets of sugar-free drink mixes
- Drink one glass of water each time you drink a glass of another liquid
- Mix water with some of your favorite carbonated drinks
Where Can You Use it?
You can use Ulla anywhere you would use a water bottle. Many amusement parks let you bring water bottles with you and also offer bottles for sale. Once you finish your bottle, you can remove the Ulla device and attach it to a new bottle that you buy. If you’re the type of person who always has a reusable water bottle by your side, you’ll like that you can use the device on those bottles.
It fits on both glass water bottles as well as plastic models. You just need to remind yourself to take it off before you toss the bottle in the sink because you can damage it.
Ulla is also suitable for use at the gym. Whether you want to lose those last 10 pounds or get in shape for your anniversary, you need to stay hydrated as you exercise. As you run on the treadmill or lift weights, you can keep a bottle equipped with Ulla nearby to drink water as you need it.
I also recommend this hydration gadget for those who work in an office setting. You can refill your bottle from the tap or dispenser and use the Ulla to remind yourself to drink enough water.
What Comes in the Box?
You get more than just the Ulla device when you order today.
- Ulla Hydration tool
- Installed battery
- User manual
- Mounting band
Who's This for?
The Ulla Hydration is for anyone who wants or needs to drink more water. With the Ulla tool, you can keep yourself hydrated, which will reduce your thirsty feelings. You might use this device because your doctor recommended that you drink more water too. Water can make your stomach feel full and reduce the amount of food that you need to eat.
Others who found the device helpful include people who like exercising. A good workout will get your heart rate up and cause you to sweat. As you sweat, you lose the precious moisture that your body needs. While you can drink liquids that contain electrolytes, it’s also helpful to drink more water as it helps your body recover from an intense workout.
As long as you want to drink water and stay hydrated, you can use this handy device. It fits on your favorite reusable water bottles and those you buy from stores.
Benefits of Using a Ulla Hydration Gadget
- Lacks any type of battery that you need to try
- Easy to use
- Works automatically
- Doesn't produce loud or annoying noises
- Keeps you hydrated
Where to Buy?
As Ulla is a newer product, you won’t find it for sale in a lot of places. We highly recommend buying the hydration tool through this link to make sure that you get the best price. This link will also let you take advantage of the product’s good warranty. Prices start at $29.99 for one Ulla gadget plus shipping and handling. When you buy more than one unit though, you can save quite a bit of money. Prices for multiple units include:
- Get one unit for half price when you buy two for a total of $69.98
- Get two units for free when you buy three for a total of $83.97
- Buy five units and get five units for free for a total of $139.95
As an added bonus, the site offers free shipping and handling in the United States when you buy one of the larger sets. If you have friends and family members who love working out and others who always drink from water bottles, you can hand out the extra units as gifts. Though Ulla products are also available from Amazon, that site charges the same price per unit when you buy more than one. Our link lets you save on all the Ulla units you need.
How to Get a Ulla Refund
- Use the contact form on the website to request a refund
- Gather the Ulla device and the original packaging in a small box
- Address the box to the address the company gives you
- Return the package
- Wait for your refund, which can take four weeks or longer
You can return or exchange your Ulla device if you kept the original packaging.
Should You Buy it?
No matter how much you learn about the Ulla Hydration device, you might still have some questions. I want to make sure that you love this handy tool as much as other customers do, which is why I included a detailed section that goes over both the pros and the cons.
You must consider all these factors before you buy a hydration tool such as this one. Taking a look at these pros and cons can help you understand why you should buy the Ulla product and some reasons you may want to skip the purchase.
Pros
When you look at Ulla reviews because you want to get hydrated and drink more water every day, you should focus on the positive aspects of the product. To give you some clear reasons why you should invest in a Ulla water reminder, we’ll go over the pros below.
Convenient Reminder
One clear problem I found with other water reminders is that you need to do multiple steps just to use them. Not only do you need to download an app, but you need to make sure that you charge the battery and enter information about your bottle size and hydration goals. Ulla is much easier to use.
You just attach the device to the silicone band and place the band on your bottle. When you tilt the bottle to take a drink, Ulla detects that action and will not remind you to drink again unless you do not lift the bottle for another hour.
Smart Design
A feature that I love about this water reminder is its smart design. Not only does it issue reminders at least once an hour, but it can determine when you’re hydrated based on how often you drink. If you drink more frequently, it will only remind you to drink every 45 to 60 minutes. Those who drink less frequently will get reminders every 30 minutes.
As you drink more, the device will stop alerting you in those increments. You don’t need to drink a quarter of the bottle either. As long as you take a small sip of water, Ulla will recognize your drinking.
Ulla Designs and Colors
- Cactus
- No Probllama
- Woof
- Be-You-Tiful
- You Got This
- Honey Bee
Compatible with All Containers
A big complaint that I saw on reviews of other water reminders was that they didn’t fit all containers. Let’s face it: you won’t always sit down and drink from a standard water bottle. Voss is a popular company that makes upscale water, which comes in glass bottles.
You’ll also find cheaper and more affordable bottles made from plastic that come in different sizes. Ulla is one of the only water reminders that will fit any bottle or container. Not only can you use it when you drink from a straw inserted in the bottle, but you can attach it to cups and glasses too. It fits most sizes of containers.
Environmentally Friendly
If you want to do your part to reduce, reuse, and recycle, investing in the Ulla water reminder makes sense. The amount of water wasted each year in the United States alone would shock you. When you buy plastic water bottles, take a few drinks, and then leave the bottle sitting out, you’ll notice a chemical taste when you drink the water later.
This might result in you tossing out several bottles every week because you forgot about them. Ulla can remind you that you need to drink from those bottles and help you empty them. The device also works with reusable water bottles that you can use daily.
How to Reduce Water Waste
- Use a low-flow showerhead in your bathroom
- Turn the water off when you brush your teeth
- Repair leaks as soon as you find them
- Only use appliances when you have a full load
- Invest in outdoor plants that need less water such as succulents
- Use timers to reduce the time your family spends in the shower
You can pick up some simple tips to reduce the water that your family usually wastes.
Low Price
As I mentioned in the section on where to buy a Ulla device, I discussed the low price. When you visit the official site through other links or a Google search, you’ll find that the price rises dramatically. Some of the smart water bottles I found cost nearly double this price and aren’t very durable.
Grabs Your Attention
When you’re in the middle of a busy day and need to remain focused on clients or your computer, taking a few seconds to grab a drink of water can seem impossible. That is why I like the flashing lights on the Ulla water reminder.
While loud beeps and alarms are common on similar devices, those noises can affect your concentration and prevent you from focusing on your work. With a Ulla device, you simply see a bright and flashing light. That light won’t interfere with your work but will grab your attention and tell you to grab a drink. The light acts the same way on all types of containers too.
Benefits of Drinking More Water
- Drinking water before a meal can help you feel full faster
- When you drink water between meals, you can curb your snacking
- Water can improve some of your body's functions
- Absorption of water can help your muscles recover after a workout
- It can help you lose fat and weight around your midsection
- You can maintain healthy blood pressure levels through water
- It hydrates your skin and makes it look better and healthier
Cons
No matter how many positive Ulla reviews you find and read, you’ll still come across some customers who are unhappy with their purchases. One issue is that it may not monitor any drinking that you do through a straw.
To get the device to pick up on your movements, you need to tilt the bottle to the side as if you were taking a drink. Even then, it may not register the drink. This will cause the light to flash more often, even if you take several drinks every hour.
Another issue is with the design of the silicone band. One Ulla review claimed that the band fell off when she carried the bottle. The maker then told her that she should take the device off each time she picked up and moved or carried her bottle.
If you do a lot of walking or engage in daily activities, you may find that the band keeps sliding off the bottle. Damage done to the device during those falls is not covered by your warranty. Though the band expands to fit around larger glasses and containers, it can also lose some of its elasticity.
Other Cons of Ulla
- The battery may last less than the six months specified, especially if you drink a lot
- You need to pay extra for one of the fun designs, which are not always available
- It doesn't always detect all the drinking that you do because of how you hold the container
- Some customers found that it didn't regularly issue reminders and that it occasionally flashed in 30 or 45-minute increments
- It doesn't work as well as night as it does during the day and doesn't always respond to artificial or fluorescent lights
- The flashing lights can be distracting
- Using the device on some water bottles may keep them from fitting in your cupholders
The Competition
Ulla is one of the only water reminder devices that works with all types of water bottles. The ICEWATER 3-in-1 Smart Water Bottle is a little different because it comes with a water bottle. The bottle changes colors and begins glowing every hour to remind you that you need to drink.
It does not use any toxic materials and is free of BPA materials. The bottle also acts as a wireless speaker and connects to devices via Bluetooth. It lets you listen to music and podcasts as you drink and charges quickly for daily use.
Similar to the ICEWATER product, the Hidrate Spark 3 is also a smart water bottle. It requires that you connect the bottle to an app that you download to a smartphone or another device. The app lets you set a goal for the day regarding how much water you want to drink.
It will then send you reminders to help you reach those goals. You can integrate the app to work with other fitness apps too, which helps you stay on top of all your fitness goals. The bottle is sleek and thin to fit in the cupholders in your car and has a silicone sleeve to keep your hands dry.
If you have a Google Fit that is always by your side, consider adding this app. Aqualert Water Tracker is a free app that is compatible with those devices. It requires that you permit it to access some of your settings and other information. The app monitors the amount of water that you drink every day and lets you know when you need to drink more.
It also shows you how much liquids different containers can hold and lets you set up hydration goals for the day. The downside is that the app only works with Google Fit devices and not all fitness trackers.
Though more expensive than other water reminders, the HydraCoach 2.0 is worth the high price. This water bottle has a built-in monitor that shows the amount of water or other liquids that you pour inside. It counts down as you drink and automatically updates the information on the screen.
You do not need to download an app or use a fitness tracker because it shows you all the important info on that screen. As the bottle is clear, you can easily see when you need to add more water too.
Reasons to Buy the Ulla Over Other Water Reminders
- Doesn't require any other gadgets or apps
- You don't need to recharge it
- It costs less
- You can use the Ulla with any water bottle
- It is easier to use
Final Verdict
I looked at dozens of water reminders and trackers as I worked on this review. One thing I noticed is that many trackers only work with an app. With Ulla, you can get the reminders that you need without keeping your smartphone or another gadget nearby.
It is so easy to use that anyone who needs to drink more water can use it. I like that it works on all common types of water bottles and that you can use it with a reusable water bottle too.
The included silicone band makes mounting and using the tool a snap. You just attach it to the band and then slip the band around the neck or base of the bottle. The silicone expands to make sure that it won’t slide or fall off.
Nearly everyone could benefit from drinking more water. Though the human body needs eight eight-ounce glasses daily, the average person drinks 20 ounces or less on a normal day. With Ulla, you get convenient reminders every hour that you need a drink.
It monitors the light nearby to turn on and off, which makes it work for users on all types of schedules too. My Ulla review offers the ultimate look at this water reminder.
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