The Best Bottle Calculator by BottlePro

Drag and drop each criterion, with the most important criteria at the top (Rank 9) and least important at the bottom (Rank 1).

Top 10 Best Matches

Total Score	Bottle	BottlePro	Amazon

Tips & Tricks

• ​Click on any of the bottles in the Top 10 to show that bottle's Summary at the bottom.
• This is confirmed to work on Windows PC (Chrome) and an Android phone.  It does not work on an iPhone (Safari).  We would welcome any feedback on whether it works on other platforms and browsers!

How It Works

How the Best Bottle Calculator Works

First we gave each bottle a Criteria Score for each criteria and ranked it from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best.  Each bottle has its own set of Criteria Scores.  ​​For more info about how this is set up and how we arrived at scores for many of these bottles, check out this post.

The Criteria Score is multiplied by your Criteria Weight/Ranking.  Then all the weighted scores are added to get a Total Weighted Score.  The higher the score, the more likely that bottle is a good fit for your lifestyle and preferences.

Best Bottle Rankings by Criteria

See this post for more information about how we arrived at these tiered rankings for each bottle and criteria.

Check each bottle's full breakdown page on our website for even more information (work-in-progress).

Leak-Free

Metrics

• ​Press-fit lids are slightly penalized
• Flip-up straw lids without a lock are slightly penalized

Filled the bottle full of water, then pushed it over on its side to simulate knocking it over on a table.  Tilted the bottle in all directions to simulate it being in unpredictable positions if in a bag.  Finally, we re-ran the tests after drop tests in case damage led to leaking.

Score: Guideline
5: Doesn't leak
4: Straw lids with flip-up spouts that do not have a lock
3: n/a
2: Leak-resistant, but still can leak
1: Leaks a lot

Good Insulation

Metrics

• How well does the bottle retain its temperature​?

​​Filled each bottle with ice-cold water, but importantly strained the ice because it's difficult to get exact same volumes of ice.  Measured the starting temperature of each bottle, waited 24 hours, then measured the temperature drop.

Score: Guideline
5: Excellent
4: Above average
3: Average for dual-wall stainless steel
2: Below average
1: Poor or not insulated

Durable

Metrics

• Dents - How easily does the bottle dent?
• Scratches - How easily does the bottle scratch? (4x light passes on 100 grit sandpaper)
• Lid design - Often this is where bottles break, so does it consist of small plastic parts and springs that may be more likely to break?
• Bottle boot - Is one included?  Or is there a grip pad built into the base?

Score: Guideline
​5: Very durable without notable weakpoints
4: Good overall, but at least one potential weakpoint
3: Average durability
2: Poor test results and/or a feature that is a major weakpoint
1: Very poor test results and easy to break or mark

Easy to Clean

Metrics

• Lid design - Is it easy to fully disassemble the lid to completely clean all surfaces?
• Seals - Are they all easy to remove?  Favors bottles with external lid threads or pull tabs.
• Dishwasher safe - Is the bottle confirmed dishwasher safe, handwash recommended, or handwash required?

First we looked specifically at how easy the bottle is to deep clean.
​
Deep Cleaning Score: Guideline
5: Easy to reach all surfaces
4: May take more effort or brushes, but still straightforward
3: Multiple brushes needed and may require more disassembly that's not necessarily intuitive
2: A lot of disassembling may be needed that's not necessarily intuitive, or there are hard-to-reach spots
1: Many hard or impossible-to-reach spots

Then we applied an adjustment based on whether the bottle is dishwasher safe.

• Stated as dishwasher safe = +1
• Handwash recommended but technically dishwasher safe like Owala = No Change
• Stated as handwash only = -1

Good Handle

Metrics

• How many fingers fit?
• Is the handle comfortable?

Does not distinguish between side or top-mounted designs.
​​
Score: Guideline
5: Full-hand grip
4: 3-finger grip
3: 2-finger grip
2: 1-finger grip
1: No handle

Less Cumbersome

Metrics

• How heavy is the bottle?​
• How bulky is the bottle?

If you do not like large side-mounted handles, I recommend ranking this criteria as a high-priority.

​Score: Guideline
5: The lightest, narrowest options
4: Lighter and sleeker than average
3: Your average 32oz dual wall stainless steel bottle
2: Heavier and bulkier than average
1: Big, bulky, and with a large side-mounted handle

Affordable

What is the Cheapest Bottle? (Ranking)

Metrics

• What is the normal retail price?

Based on the retail price, not sales or promotions.  The size of the bottle influences the price, so check the notation by each bottle for the fluid ounces.

Keep in mind that many of these brands run sales all the time, so it doesn't hurt to check back and wait for a better price.

Score: Guideline
5: Below $20
4: $20-$30
3: $30-$40
2: $40-$45
1: Over $45

Which Bottles are Car-Friendly?

Which Bottles are Car-Friendly? (Ranking)

Metrics

• Base diameter - Favors narrow or tapered bases.
• Lid design - Favors straw lids that don't obstruct your view as much.  Chug lids are in the middle.  Wide mouth lids are the worst due to easy spilling.
• Loose Pieces? - Favors lids with pieces that are all connected.  Less handling required, so you're less likely to accidentally drop it and cause a distraction.

Score: Guideline
5: Straw lid and cup-friendly base
4: Straw lid but cup adapter likely needed
3: Mostly bottles you have to tilt up to sip, and an adapter is likely needed
2: Wide-mouth bottles, so spills are more likely
1: Combination of all the negative factors, and is not great for driving at all

What is the Most Popular Water Bottle?

What is the Most Popular Bottle? (Ranking)

Metrics

• How powerful is the brand, and do people buy the bottle specifically for it?
• How well-known is that specific bottle?
• Has the average consumer heard of the brand?

Focused on the US market and primarily based on the brand's popularity at this point in time, not historical.

Score: Guideline
5: Viral, top sellers, and leading innovation that other brands copy
4: Very well-known and popular, but not at the top
3: Recognizable and well-regarded, but not as well-known to the average consumer
2: Good brands, but many of which were much more popular in the past
1: Most average consumers either have not heard of this brand, or the brand is not a major selling point

Clean Your Bottle!

Regardless of which bottle you go with, remember that any bottle should be cleaned regularly.  We highly recommend deep cleaning at least once per month, including using cleaning tablets and removing and cleaning all of the seals.

​See our bottle cleaning guide for more details.

If This Helps...

​If you find this information helpful and are purchasing a bottle anyways, I hope you'll consider using a link to buy.  It doesn't cost you any extra, and we earn a small commission.  These indirect links are how we stay truly unbiased and free from direct sponsorships.

​Thank you!

Personal Use & Copyright

This calculator is copyright of BottlePro and is for personal use only.  For business inquiries or licensing this format, reach out to us and let's chat!