The double-walled vacuum insulation keeps cold drinks cold for 24 hours or hot liquids hot for 12 hours, which is perfect for taking this with you on long trips. The powder-coated exterior makes this water bottle dishwasher safe yet sits on the top shelf. It is recommended to wash your hands to preserve the life of the bottle. The coating also gives you a grip without the risk of the bottle slipping out of your hand. If you want, you can swap out the regular cap for different styles of cap and lidbut for everyday use, the standard mouth is the way to go.
Best budget water bottle: Camelbak Eddy +
At $16 the Eddy+ is hard to beat. It’s made of plastic, but half of that plastic is made from recycled materials and is BPA, BPS, and BPF free. This lightweight and durable jug won’t keep water cold for as long as a double-walled vacuum flask, but it’s still a great low-cost solution to ensure you have your water ready every day. Even better, the Eddy+ comes with a limited lifetime warranty so you don’t have to take it too seriously (not that it’s unbeatable). We know some people like to drink from a straw, so if that applies to you, you’ll be a big fan. We don’t like how dirty the straw lid can get, especially if you don’t wash it often.
Best water bottles for the outdoors: Hydro Flask Trail Series Water Bottles
If you’re going to be hiking, use the Hydro Flask’s Trail Series stainless steel water bottle. Each bottle retains the brand’s special double-walled vacuum insulation for temperature control, but these bottles are significantly lighter than the brand’s other options — each Trail Series bottle is 25% lighter than with non-Trail Series bottles of the same size. Even on the go, this bottle won’t add any extra weight to your already heavy work bag.
The best cap design on a water bottle: Purist Mover
The mouth design of a water bottle can make or break it for a particular user. Mouth too big will splash water in your face if you’re trying to drink on the go; A mouth that’s too small will make you feel like a hamster drinking from its tiny water dispenser. With the Purist, you get a cap that adjusts its flow and allows you to drink from anywhere along the circumference. The interior of the Mover is lined with unbreakable glass, which places a barrier between the water and the steel so that no odors are transmitted through the unwanted metallic taste. The bottle is beautifully designed and double-walled vacuum sealed like a Hydro Flask bottle.
Best glass water bottle: W&P Design Porter
Water bottles are made of very complicated glass. They’re nice and don’t impart a metallic taste to your water. But they are also worrisome to take outside because if you drop it, it’s glass and it will break. But if you really want a glass bottle, then Porter from W&P Design is the best one. It’s made from borosilicate glass, so although it’s indestructible it maybe survived a short pullback. It’s encased in a non-slip soft silicone sleeve, because you really don’t want to drop this bottle.
Best water bottle for exercise: Takeya Originals bottle
The ideal water bottle for workouts is one you can drink on the go. We like the Takeya Originals water bottles best because of their narrow opening and easy access — just screw the included cap and put it away. Its double-walled vacuum is insulated, and at this point you already know what that means. That screw cap also has a hinge lock so it doesn’t hit your face when you’re trying to drink, and it’s this tiny ingenious feature that really sets this water bottle on top.
7 other water bottles we like
Nalgene basically popularized the reusable water bottle. You’ll find Nalgenes sold as branded merchandise for almost any brand, and people love to customize them with stickers to make them unique. The bottle is made of Tritan, a BPA-free plastic, and it has a screw cap included so you never lose it. Keeping your cold drink at the right temperature isn’t great, so luckily it has a wide mouth for you to easily throw a few ice cubes in. We still have to credit Nalgene for helping so many people get rid of disposable bottles.
Miir uses Thermo 3D Vacuum Insulation Technology, which claims to keep drinks cold for longer than 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours. The Miir’s bottle has a striking design because of the angled cap, which can clip onto the carabiner, and we think it’s a great alternative to the Hydro Flask’s bottle.
Yeti is all about insulation from high-quality coolers to beer cans. Its Rambler line of water bottles is just as good, featuring 18/8 stainless steel, won’t pass on any unpleasant tastes in your water, and it won’t retain any of its previous odors or flavors. It also has a fun Chug Cap where you just need to get as much water in your body as quickly as possible.
Zojirushi is known for rice cookers more than anything else, but we wouldn’t hesitate to say that this brand makes a great water pitcher. It has a snap-on lid that, for ease of use, is fully removable for thorough cleaning. The mouthpiece has a cool design where the air vent allows liquid to flow out smoothly instead of spraying on you. The safety lock is a nice touch to ensure the lid doesn’t accidentally open on its own like it does when it hits your back.
Klean Kanteen’s original stainless steel water bottle wasn’t great. First, it’s not insulated so your drinks are never at the temperature you want them to be, and they also get trapped outside by condensation. Its insulated water bottle is much better with double-walled vacuum insulation and the interior is electro-painted to reduce flavor transmission.
Swell’s water bottles were jarring when they first came out because of their design, but people clearly love it because its look has been adopted and copied by various brands. Its slim profile fits well in a car cup holder, but its mouth is a bit confusingly sized and not all ice cubes will fit. It has three layers and is vacuum insulated, and has a copper layer to prevent external condensation.
This Contigo water bottle keeps liquids cold for up to 28 hours, which is a bolder claim than brands that say their bottles only chill for up to 24 hours. While it’s an impressive feat, it won’t take you a day to finish a bottle. Besides, this automatic bottle does exactly that — automatic sealing. Press the button to sip, then release to seal, while the spout cap prevents anything from entering your bottle.
