15 of the Very Best Water Bottles

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 four years 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.

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: 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 and have 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: 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.

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.”