Photo: The Strategist; Photos: Courtesy of retailers
My water bottle is attached to my hip. I carry it around the house all day, leave it by my bedside at night, and take it with me pretty much whenever I go on errands, walks, and trips. Before I found my ideal water bottle, though, I cycled through quite a few that ended up unused (too big to be practical for my lifestyle, didn’t keep water cold enough when I was out all day, or made me worried about spilling in my tote). What elevates a water bottle from just an okay water bottle to an excellent one is, first and foremost, whether it does a good job keeping your water cold. Then, I think it’s important that a water bottle be adaptable — that it can conform to your needs throughout the day, or week, whether you want to bring it to work, take it on a hike, or just casually tote it around the house with you.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of options for every type of water drinker: vacuum-sealed mugs for summertime road-trippers, squeezable bottles for runners training for a marathon, and gallon-size vessels for those who hate to refill. To figure out the best water bottles out there, I spoke to more than 20 people across the food, fitness, and sustainability spaces about the bottle they feel most passionate about, from the dentproof Yeti that’s ideal for children to the plastic cycling bottle that tastes “like you’re drinking right out of a glass.” Then, over the course of several months, I got to testing: on sweltering days, long car rides, and commuting around the city, swapping out my Hydro Flask (my personal favorite and our best overall pick) for hours or days at a time to see how they stacked up. And if you’re looking for the best reusable travel mugs to take hot beverages on the go, we’ve got you covered there, too.
Update on September 10, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
Most of the bottles on this list come in multiple sizes that hold varying amounts of water. If that’s the case, I’ve given details accordingly. Logically, if you’re going to be toting your water bottle around all day with nowhere to refill it, you’ll want something bigger. If you only plan on using it for a few hours, you should be fine with something smaller.
The type of lid on your reusable water bottle will make a difference in how you experience drinking from it. Some have bigger mouths, some smaller. Some lids fully detach, while others twist off but stay attached. Some flip open and lock shut; others have a “sport” cap from which you can suck out the water. What you choose will depend on what you find comfortable to drink from, as well as what you’ll be doing as you sip, swig, or chug (sitting at a desk, exercising, running errands, driving or whatever else). It’s also worth noting that many of the brands below sell various types of compatible lids beyond what the listed bottle comes with. Again, if that’s the case, I’ve noted so in the description.
Some bottles on this list are insulated stainless steel that keeps your water very cold for long periods of time. But others are plastic, glass, or non-insulated steel, as several of the people I spoke with prefer room-temperature water (or at least don’t mind when the liquid doesn’t stay cold all day).
Volume: Multiple sizes, 18 ounces to 40 ounces | Lid type: Detached screw top | Material: Insulated stainless steel
I’m a Hydro Flask devotee. I’ve owned my 24-ounce bottle for fouryears now and it’s in as-good shape as when I bought it. The stainless steel insulated interior keeps water cold for hours at a time (though I usually go through it faster than that, I’ve savored it over long car rides and afternoons walking around in the hot sun with no perceptible temperature drop). Mine has a straw lid (which you can purchase from the get-go, or separately if you want both options). It’s a feature that has made me drink far more water than I did before. Because there’s nothing to unscrew unless it needs a refill, I tote it around the house all day and night long, constantly sipping with ease. And the straw clicks securely down so there’s no leaking when I throw it in a tote bag. As for maintenance, I throw both pieces in the dishwasher every couple of weeks and give the straw an extra scrub with a long and narrow brush like this one. Basically, it hits the mark in every way: great temperature retention, a leak-proof cap, a durable body, and sleek form.
Several folks I talked to — not to mention many members of Strategist’s own team — love their Hydro Flasks, too. LaToya Tucciarone, founder of SustainAble Home Goods in Atlanta, and her family have been using various models for many years — “five years, maybe ten, I can’t even remember,” she says, “but they’re not degraded at all.”
Bettina Stern and Juan Dromogoole, respectively founder of and director of operations at Chaia in Washington D.C., are most hyped on Hydro Flask’s insulation ability. “If I’m going on a run, or a bike ride, I will take my Hydro Flask, which fits into my cup holder in my car, and I’ll fill it with cold water,” says Stern. “ And then when I finish, I have something to come back to. It’s just as cold as when I left it.” Journalist and cookbook author Lesley Téllez also swears by the brand, noting that it’s not too heavy to carry around all day.
While we’ve listed our favorite bottles for outdoor activities like hiking and backpacking below, Strategist writer Jeremy Rellosa has used this lightweight Hydro Flask on the trail before and says it’s a good option for someone who prioritizes cold water on the go. “I value weight and volume more, but for those who want the insulation, I’d point them to this,” he says.
My well-loved Hydro Flask travels with me from room to room. Photo: Emma Wartzman
Volume: 17 ounces each | Lid type: Fliplock lid | Material: Insulated stainless steel
For the same price of the smallest 18-ounce Hydro Flask, ThermoFlask sells this set of two 17-ounce bottles with the same double-wall insulating technology (as well as a notably similar design and name). I put my own Hydro Flask to the side to test it. The flip-up mechanism is similar to my Hydro Flask, but instead of a straw, it reveals a wider opening. Not only do I generally prefer that to the caps you have to fully unscrew to drink from, but I found that sipping was easy and tidy thanks to a U-shaped enclosure around the hole that guided a steady stream of water out of the bottle and into my mouth. I also appreciate the handle, which made the bottle comfortable to carry around on walks when I didn’t bring a bag with me. The size is smaller than my Hydro Flask, which means I didn’t take it with me when I was planning to be out for more than an hour or so, but it’s a bit lighter-weight.
The set was recommended by cookbook author and recipe developer Lukas Volger, who appreciates that they “don’t have tons of tiny crevices in the cap that make them impossible to ever get properly clean,” he says. He also likes that the lid can be opened and closed with one hand, which helps while exercising and in the car. I found the lid convenient, too, even while doing nothing but sitting around.
Volume: Multiple sizes, 16 ounces to 48 ounces | Lid type: Attached screw top | Material: Plastic
First popularized by hikers during the environmental movement of the 1970s, Nalgene’s plastic bottles enjoy cult status today among mountain climbers and podcast merch designers alike. This bottle, made from HDPE plastic, is even lighter than the brand’s regular bottles. It weighs a mere 3.75 ounces when empty, whereas classic Tritan plastic Nalgenes come in at 6.25 ounces, which can make a difference when you’re toting a full bottle around all day or going hiking. Recipe developer and cookbook author Jessie Sheehan loves that its massive 32-ounce size “holds a lot of water, which is helpful for those of us obsessed with drinking eight glasses a day,” but that the HDPE construction means it’s “still so lightweight.” And Emily Fiffer, co-owner of Botanica in Los Angeles — who refills hers multiple times a day — says the water never tastes plasticky, the lid doesn’t leak, and “it literally just can’t break” no matter how many times you drop it.
Volume: Multiple sizes, 12 ounces to 20 ounces | Lid type: Fliplock lid | Material: Insulated stainless steel
Zojirushi’s insulated bottle has the build locked in. To start, water stays cold all day long thanks to an insulated steel layer between the inside and outside of the bottle. I took mine on a recent cross-country trip, filled it with ice and water at the airport, and found it in the exact same state by the time I landed and got where I was going. Cookbook author and recipe developer Carla Lalli Music, who swears by hers, had a similar experience on a blazing hot day at the beach. “It was literally anchored in the sand, in full sunlight,” she says. “At the end, there were still cubes inside,” she says. “You don’t have to keep it in a cooler. It is a cooler.” New York deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff also loves it, calling its stay-cold capabilities “mind-boggling.” (For comparison sake, my Hydro Flask will certainly keep water cold for hours on end, but won’t retain solid cubes.)
Music also praises Zojirushi’s vacuum-sealing lid, calling it “the most bust-proof cap in the biz.” In my own testing, I found this to be true as well. I even purposely held it fully upside down and jostled it all around with no spilling. The cap clicks closed and you have to press in to release it, so it never accidentally flips open and leaks. And while I overall prefer drinking from a straw, the flow of water out of the open mouth piece is quite comfortable and controlled.
Volume: 12 ounces | Lid type: Straw cap | Material: Insulated stainless steel
The best water bottle for kids needs to be able to withstand some rough and tumble. Cookbook author Erin Gleeson says that while her three kids have been especially “hard on water bottles” in the past, none of them have yet been able to make a dent in these “tough” bottles from Yeti. Not only is the brand’s thick, steel construction incredibly drop-resistant, but this design also has a handle for little ones to grip, and, at 12 ounces, is slightly smaller and more manageable than your typical adult-sized bottle, which come in five sizes from 18 to 64 ounces. (Gleeson also says the smooth, stainless-steel interior keeps them “not grimy,” and appreciates that both the lid and bottle are dishwasher-safe.)
Volume: 12 ounces | Lid type: Straw cap | Material: Insulated stainless steel
Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio used the 12-ounce Funtainer for both her kids for over a year (the older one, now 9, has since graduated to a Hydro Flask, and the younger one uses a larger 16-ounce Funtainer at school).“They aren’t going to hold ice for 24 hours or anything, but they are insulated, non-sweating, and very solid on keeping water cold for at least a few hours,” she says. She also appreciates that they fit securely in backpack side pockets andhave a silicone handle for comfortable carrying and a ring around the bottom in the same material to help prevent scratches and nicks. “I’m shocked that they [didn’t get] way more dented given how [the kids] threw the things around,” she says. And then, there’s the fact that they come in a myriad of fun colors and prints (both licensed, like Pokémon, and generic, like a rainbow design).
Volume: Multiple sizes, 12 ounces to 27 ounces | Lid type: Sport cap | Material: Stainless steel
Klean Kanteen makes bottles in three different sizes — the 18 ounces listed above, a bigger 27 ounces, and a child’s-size 12 ounces — with universal-size lids that can easily be mixed and matched. “My family has about a dozen of them,” says Mei Li, co-owner of Mei Mei in Boston and writer of Food Waste Feast. “They come in lots of colors (important when you have opinionated children) and are super easy to clean. I appreciate that they don’t have tons of fussy little bits that are easy to lose and that the same tops fit all of them so I don’t have to keep track. It allows you to switch in between super easily.” There are also several different styles of lids, so you can buy a handful of them and pick out whichever one you need for whichever bottle you or any other member of your family might want at any given time — say, a sippy cap for a younger child and a loop cap for an older one.Li also notes that the bottles keep water fairly cold for a while, but not all-day ice cold.
Volume: One gallon | Lid type: Attached screw top | Material: Plastic
This gallon-size motivational water bottle first came across my radar in 2019. It was recommended by Caroline Goldfarb in a review for the Strategist, who says it became her emotional-support water bottle before that was a thing: “The jug is my best friend, my personal trainer, my mean Persian mom, my fears, my desires, all melted into one BPA-free bottle.”
It was a “day-five pandemic purchase” for content creator and recipe developer Dan Pelosi, who was looking for an easier way to drink a lot of water every day. (The vessel has personal-trainer-style phrases down on the side that encourage you to drink to the next line down every two hours, which Pelosi says kept him “laughing, and peeing, too.”) Years later, he’s as much a fan of the bottle’s design quality as he is of its sense of humor: “It’s so thick and wide that you can’t knock it over,” he says, adding that the spout closes with an “audible click that really works.” Indeed, while you can find variations of this design online, this one has a convenient straw spout that makes it extra easy to drink from. The lid also has a very tight seal. “I would turn it sideways and do dumbbell curls and it was fine — no spilling,” Pelosi says. And Goldfarb thinks there are other benefits to drinking that much water: “When I consistently drink a gallon a day, I find my skin is clearer, my bloat is down, and (perhaps best of all) I don’t feel as gross after a night of drinking booze.”
Volume: 22 ounces | Lid type: Straw cap | Material: Plastic
Rellosa has backpacked everywhere from Patagonia to Nepal and swears by his LifeStraw to keep him hydrated. He can fill it up from any stream or pond and the filter inside cleans out pollutants. He says it’s also more efficient than gravity filters that are better suited for camping, and lighter weight than large filtration apparatuses. “And though you can pop iodine tablets in your bottle to purify the water, they won’t filter out debris like this will,” he says.
Volume: 12 ounces and 18 ounces | Lid type: Push/pull lid | Material: Insulated plastic
A water bottle for running needs to be comfortable to hold and not too heavy when full. Philip Speer, co-owner and chef of Comedor in Austin, (an avid runner, he’s participated in ultramarathons, and even started a run club with his restaurant colleagues that meets multiple times a week), turns to the ingeniously-designed, insulated Nathan QuickSqueeze to stay hydrated on any runs longer than a 5k. It comes with a “super comfortable” attached strap that secures around your hand — to use it, Speer says you just “lift your hand up to your face, bite down around the top, squeeze it, then put your hand back down.” Helpfully, the strap includes a zip pocket for keys and credit cards, and even an elastic pocket for a smartphone – though you’ll want to size up to the $40 18-ounce edition for any larger devices.
Volume: 22 ounces | Lid type: Watergate cap | Material: Insulated plastic
If you’re serious about cycling, consider this bottle from Specialized. With lightweight, simple cap options that are all catered toward easy maneuvering, and the right silhouette to click into bicycle cages, they’re specifically designed for drinking while riding. “The Purist bottle, made from insulated plastic like the Nathan above, is widely regarded as the default cycling bottle by most shops,” says Eighth Hour Bike Studio owner Ronnie Garcia, adding that you’ll find customized versions at almost every bike retailer. But Garcia also appreciates the quality of the insulated plastic: “Cheaper bottles will start to deform and end up not fitting so well,” he says. Brooklyn Bicycle Co. president Ryan Zagata notes that the material doesn’t leach out any unpleasant taste, another issue with cheaper plastic models. “It tastes like you’re drinking right out of a glass,” he says.
Volume: Multiple sizes, 14 ounces to 40 ounces | Lid type: Straw cap | Material: Insulated stainless steel
The Stanley has been something of a social-media phenomenon for a while now. It went viral last year and is still hanging on some corners of Instagram and TikTok. (It also spawned many imitations from other water-bottle brands.)But it’s not just a trend.
Strategist writer Arielle Avila has owned the 40-ounce for many months now and swears she drinks more water than when she used a Nalgene. This is, she says, thanks to the straw. Because there’s nothing to unscrew, she sips from it even when she’s not actively thinking about how she should be hydrating. She also appreciates how the large handle makes it easier to carry around, especially for such a large vessel, and the fact that it keeps water cold all day long. She does warn that it’s big and fairly heavy when full, so she drinks from it mostly at home and at the gym in her building. (The Stanley does have an option to sip from a slightly larger open hole, but Avila rarely uses it because the bottle is a bit heavy to tilt back comfortably, she says.)
And even Nicola Peltz Beckham — who claims she was “never a person who brought water bottles around with me” — told us the Stanley has converted her. “My mom sent me one, and I absolutely made fun of her. I was like, ‘I’m never going to bring that thing anywhere with me. That’s so embarrassing.’ Now, I’m that person who can’t go anywhere without it.” Hannah Brown, another celebrity who included the bottle on their list of favorite things, admits, “it’s such a basic-girl thing, but they’re great and fit in the cup holder. I love being able to hold the handle. What’s not to love? There’s a reason everybody’s obsessed with them.”
Volume: Multiple sizes, 24 ounces to 40 ounces | Lid type: Straw and sip lid | Material: Insulated stainless steel
The Owala also had a big moment. Although it was perhaps a bit less online than the Stanley, I wrote about how it was the status water bottle last year — and I think it’s here to stay. Anecdotally, I see it out in the world frequently (at the grocery store, at the gym, on the street). But it’s not just that: Eleven Strategist staffers (as well as Lance Bass and Samantha Irby) are enthusiastic owners.
After testing it myself, I get the hype:There are two options for sipping. One opening allows you to suck water through a straw, while the other reveals a wide-mouth hole with a protruding angled border to help guide a stream of water for gulps. (This is unlike my Hydro Flask, which has a straw lid you have to unscrew completely if you want to reveal the wider opening, and the Stanley, which has a separate straw you have to put in and take out of a designated hole, and is a bit more cumbersome overall.) Its cold retention is great. I took it to the park for several hours filled with ice on a recent hot afternoon, and the cubes stayed solid the whole time. I carried it there in a tote bag, too, with no leaking.
Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen bought an Owala last summer and, after using around ten other models in the years before, has become a total convert. She uses the straw most of the time because it allows her to sip thoughtlessly — so much so that she says she’s more than tripled her daily fluid intake. But she says she likes the big opening for really chugging after running without having to worry about “accidentally pouring water down my shirt, which happened all the time with my Hydro,” she says. (I’ll concede that this is fair: The Owala’s bigger opening is smoother than the Hydro Flask’s.) Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang also points out that the sip hole allows her to get the last bit of water out once she reaches the bottom and the straw isn’t able to draw any more out. And Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio says she finds the straw mechanism itself is much more pleasant to drink from than ones that stick out.
One note: Trolio also mentioned that the lid lock on her bottle has now broken twice, and she had a not-great customer-service experience when it came to replacing the part (which is often sold out online). No other Strategist staffers have experienced this, but it feels worth a warning.
The Owala in the wild. Photo: Emma Wartzman
Volume: 17 ounces | Lid type: Detached screw top | Material: Stainless steel
Lund’s water bottles are distinctive: I love their playful frames and pretty colors. But according to Strategist writer and self-proclaimed “hydrating freak” Ambar Pardilla, the charming look of this bottle doesn’t mean it lacks in practicality: The lid screws on tight and the water stays cold, she assures. She points out the aesthetic is, in a certain way, the opposite of the bulkier Nalgenes and Hydro Flasks. “I loved the design immediately when I saw it,” she says. “It looks like one of those silly little sculptures you’d use to beef up a toddler’s bookcase. And the color combinations are so wacky — they shouldn’t work together, but they somehow do. It makes me happy whenever I drink from it.”
Volume: 17 ounces | Lid type: Detached screw top | Material: Glass
On the other end of the spectrum, I find this Japanese-designed Kinto bottle to be satisfyingly understated. It comes recommended by Downtime founder Alishia Ramos, who bought it because of “the design, first and foremost,” she says. “It’s eye-catching even though it’s minimalist.” It’s made from copolyester, a thermoplastic resin that has the appearance of glass, but is much more durable and lightweight. “I really like the way my hands can fit around the profile of the bottle,” says Ramos. “It’s a little skinnier than a lot of others, and I never have to worry about it fitting in a cup holder or my purse.” One more plus? “There’s no obvious branding. It says ‘Kinto’ on the bottom, but you can’t really see it.”
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