Feb 9, 2024 8:00 AM

The Best Reusable Water Bottles

Stay hydrated in style and cut down on single-use plastic with our favorite bottles—now updated with information on lead.

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Featured in this article

Yeti Yonder Water Bottle on yellow backdrop

4 / 10

Owning a reusable water bottle is a great way to cut out single-use plastic and stay hydrated. Most people have specific preferences for their drinking vessels—nearly every WIRED staffer has their own favorite—so the best water bottle is the one you'll use. If you're unsure where to start, we've rounded up our favorites after years of trial and error and a lot of water.

Whichever bottle or brand you go with, remember that you don't need to own a collection of any bottle—that defeats the environmental purpose of purchasing a reusable bottle in the first place.

Be sure to check out our other buying guides, like the Best Travel Mugs, Best Reusable Products, and the Best Recycled Products. We also have an ongoing report about the use of lead in reusable water bottles.

Updated February 2024: We've added Hydro Flask as a top pick and added more information about the many brands currently using lead in manufacturing.

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How Much Water Do You Really Need?

Drinking water is extremely important, but there's not a one-size-fits-all answer to just how much we need. The old eight-glasses-a-day rule isn't for everyone, but it's a fine place to start. Talk to your doctor, who can assess your needs given your health and lifestyle. If you're an active person, working out and sweating a lot, you should drink more, as you should if you're in a hot and humid area. If you're thirsty, drink.

The Mayo Clinic states that about 20 percent of your daily fluid intake should come from food and that—counting both from drinking and eating—adult men should get around 3.7 liters a day and women 2.7 liters a day. Drinking too much water can cause your sodium levels to drop to dangerous levels in a condition called hyponatremia, but that's, uh, quite a bit of water. Sipping your water bottle all day shouldn't be an issue.

Photograph: Owala
Best for Most People
Owala FreeSip Water Bottle
I've liked a lot of water bottles, but the Owala FreeSip (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the only one I've ever truly loved. No, really! I've bought myself two and gifted two more to other people. The beauty is in the top, which has both a straw—my favorite means of drinking—and a chug spout. Sip however you like and then cover both with the cap and lock it when you're done. It's a simple yet genius design. Owala's color options are also just plain cute.
The FreeSip is insulated, so water stays cold all day, even when left in the car during a Texas summer. I like the 40-ounce version so I don't have to refill it as often, but it's also available in 32-, 24-, and 19-ounce sizes, as well as a 25-ounce plastic version and a kids' 16-ounce. The brand just released a slimmer, twist-cap version of the FreeSip in 18- and 24-ounce sizes that reviews editor Adrienne So absolutely loves. You'll find the most sizes and color options directly from Owala, but they're basically everywhere, including sporting goods stores and grocery stores.
$38 at Amazon (40 oz)
$28 at Target (24 oz)
$38 at Owala (40 oz)
Photograph: Amazon
A Tumbler
Owala 40-Ounce Tumbler
Did I mention that I was obsessed with Owala? If you like the idea of getting a viral Stanley tumbler but don't want to risk lead contamination (more on that below), Owala also makes a 40-ounce tumbler. It's functionally the same as Stanley's, keeping your water cold all day, and it fits into most cup holders.
Most people will likely drink from the straw, but the lid also includes a chug spout that can be covered when you aren't drinking. (We also like straw covers.) The brand has a 24-ounce tumbler ($28), but it lacks a handle.
$38 at Amazon
$38 at Target
$38 at Owala

Photograph: Dick's Sporting Goods
Another Great Bottle
Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Water Bottle
Before Stanley took over the internet, Hydro Flask was the choice of VSCO girls everywhere. It's also a favorite of outdoorsy folks or anyone else who wants a bottle that is not easily damaged. Hydro Flask has several types of bottles and caps for your liking, and there's even a tumbler if you were hoping for a 40-ounce Stanley (though we haven't tried this one yet). There are a bunch of fun color options, and if you buy from Hydro Flask many are customizable and engravable. You can choose one color for the bottle, another for the lid, and depending on which one you're getting, yet another for the strap or straw.
$36 at Amazon
$40 at REI
$40 at Hydro Flask
Photograph: Yeti
Best Plastic Bottle
Yeti Yonder
Stainless steel bottles keep your drinks cold longer, and they're usually heavier-duty. But that means they're also heavy. Plastic, on the other hand, is light. WIRED editor Adrienne So loves the Yeti Yonder (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's BPA-free and made from 50 percent recycled plastic.
It has a nice cap that should save your shirt from spills if you're really chugging. It's also easy to wash, whether you're doing that by hand or in the dishwasher. So has dropped it and tossed it around and says it hardly has a scratch.
$25 at Yeti

Photograph: HydroJug
For Maximum Hydration
HydroJug Pro
If you want a bottle to hold a ton of water, get the 73-ounce HydroJug Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends). WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe loves it for getting her hydration in, and she doesn't have to run to the kitchen for water more than once a day. Make no mistake, this thing is big. You won't be throwing it in your purse, but it does double as a 4-pound weight for bicep curls when full. HydroJug has nice neoprene sleeves with pockets and a carrying strap, which you can get with a straw in the starter kit.
$22 at Amazon
$50 at HydroJug (Getting Started Kit)
Photograph: Stanley
We Like These Bottles, but …
A Note on Lead Soldering
Recently, it's come to light that some water bottle companies use lead soldering in the manufacturing of their vacuum-sealed bottles. It started with news of the viral Stanley tumbler, and the company confirmed that a pellet of lead is used in the manufacturing process to seal the bottom of the cup. We reached out to the other brands we like to find out whether they also use lead, and the following brands confirmed they do.
The lead is enclosed in stainless steel on the bottom of the cup, and if your bottle isn't dropped or otherwise damaged, it should not come in contact with your drink or skin. However, enough brands have moved toward other methods that we don't think it's necessary. The risk of exposure might be very low, but it should be zero.
The Stanley Quencher H2.0 needs no introduction, taking the internet's popularity award. They're big, cute, and available in every color. The 2.0 version has a spill-resistant lid that allows you to drink from the straw or use the wide-mouth opening instead.
The Miir Narrow Mouth Bottle was our top pick for hiking and rock climbing. It's durable enough to last should it fall off a cliff, and the cap has a large enough loop to comfortably carry using three fingers.
The LifeStraw Go Series Filtered Water Bottle was a new addition to this guide. The microfilter removes microplastics, bacteria, and parasites, and the carbon filter removes chlorine and odor. We were surprised that the brand uses lead soldering, given its ethos on health and environmental responsibility.

Photograph: Amazon
Honorable Mentions
Other Good Bottles
Not every bottle is great, but most are still pretty good. These ones will hold your water just as well.
Klean Kanteen Classic for $35: Klean Kateen makes a fantastic bottle. The Classic is relatively light and holds up well, and there are a ton of other sizes that work just was well. The company also sells a ton of cap options if you realize you want a straw or a stainless steel top.
CamelBak Eddy+ Renew for $16: Despite not being a hefty chunk of metal, the Eddy+ is thick and well-built and the flip-up straw is a nice touch. It's BPA-free and made with 50 percent recycled material.
Nalgene Ultralite Wide-Mouth Bottle for $12 and Sustain Tritan for $14: Nalgene's are the complete opposite of fancy, but they're classic and so, so cheap. You won't get a built-in straw or a fancy powder-coated finish, but you will get a no-nonsense, tough bottle that'll last for years.
Sigg Water Bottle Original for $18: Sigg's bottle is uninsulated, but made of stainless steel in Switzerland. The build quality is obvious in the details. The cap looks and feels like something Porsche would design. Without the powder coating, though, the finish just isn't very durable.
Greens Steel Insulated Bottle for $16: This bottle is nearly identical to the once-popular S'well bottles, but it's a bit tougher and has a removable clip so you can attach it to a backpack. They're perfectly fine bottles. We just found them underwhelming and heavy.
Photograph: Amazon
Avoid These Bottles
They Didn't Make the Cut
As simple as bottles are, there are a few we just didn't like.
Air Up Water Bottle for $40: This bottle uses scented rings to try to trick your brain into thinking it isn't drinking plain water. WIRED writer Boone Ashworth was unimpressed. It didn't actually smell great, and you can't use the bottle without one of those rings. The beauty of a reusable bottle is that you spend money once and get free water for years. Here, you have to keep buying refills.
Zojirushi Flip-and-Go for $30: The flattened handle is slightly concave on one side to fit against the side of the bottle, which makes it dig into your fingers when you carry it. WIRED writer Matt Jancer said he had to crush two of his fingers together to hook them through the loop in the handle. Even if you have small fingers, the shape is uncomfortable.
Liberty Bottleworks Uninsulated Bottle for $23: The cap of this aluminum bottle is weird, flimsy, and confusing shaped. Jancer got his fingers stuck in it a few times and said it's uncomfortable to twist. The bottle's outer coating isn't as tough as the matte powder coating on others, and the aluminum felt weak. (He could slightly flex it with his fingers.) Also, unlike with a stainless steel bottle, the interior is covered in a food-grade coating. It's BPA-free, according to Liberty, but people who want to avoid industrial coatings should steer toward stainless steel.

Photograph: Amazon
Insulated vs. Uninsulated Bottles
Understanding the Terms
Insulated bottles are heavier and can typically hold less water compared to their uninsulated counterparts, given similar exterior dimensions. But the advantage is that they are typically vacuum-sealed to better maintain the temperature of the liquid inside for far longer periods of time.
For hiking and outdoor climbing trips, you may prefer uninsulated bottles because it means slightly less weight to lug around. His concern is to have enough water rather than cold water. For everything else, insulated work just fine.
Photograph: Getty Images
How to Clean Your Bottle
Cleaning Your Bottle
Even if they never hold anything but water, bottles get gross. Mold can grow quickly, especially if you leave the cap on. Straws and mouthpieces accumulate bacteria, oils, and grime from your mouth, and any dirt and dust they pick up in your backpack.
Some bottles can go right in the dishwasher, but be sure to take everything fully apart first, like any silicone pieces that can trap bacteria. For lids that have more nooks and crannies, we recommend hand-washing by soaking it in soapy water and then scrubbing.
Get yourself a bottle brush and straw brush—many kits are available that include both. Even if you don't use straws, the smaller brush can be used to get into any crevices. There are special bottle-cleaning tablets around, but cleaning with regular dish soap works perfectly fine.
Plastic bottles have a tendency to trap odors over time. You can fix this by putting a teaspoon of bleach and a teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle, filling it up with water, and letting it sit overnight. Rinse it out well the next day.

Medea Giordano turned her shopping problem into a career as a product writer for WIRED. She covers a little bit of everything but loves health, beauty, and pet tech. Prior to WIRED, she was an assistant editor at Wirecutter and an assistant in the newsroom of The New York Times.... Read more

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