It’s 2023, and there are literally hundreds if not thousands of water bottle brands to choose from that initially can appear very similar.  With such a saturated market you might be wondering, what is the best water bottle today?  But really, that’s an impossible question to answer since different bottles are better for different situations.

The better question to ask is, which water bottle is best for you based on how you plan to use it?

First, a few things to note.

1. We’re reviewing a fairly arbitrary selection of 13 brands and 15 bottles.  It’s a decent number of options, but there are way more out there that could be compared.  We can only do so much in one video, and this is meant to be a good starting point.
2. We’re primarily focusing more on the more established brands.  And we are exploring a few non-mainstream brands, but for the most part, we’ll stick to the big dogs.
3. We also mostly stick to insulated stainless steel bottles with wide mouth openings, with a few notable exceptions.  Dual-wall vacuum insulated bottles are very popular in today’s market, and we generally like wide mouth bottles more than narrow mouth ones.  See our other video for more about why.
4. Two of the bottles we’ll talk about have triple-layer insulation.  Many people think this means three layers of stainless-steel, but it actually refers to a layer of copper.  We won’t go into much detail about that distinction in this video, but we have another video in the works that focuses entirely on insulation where we’ll test them to see if these triple-layer bottles really hold up.
5. And lastly, our recommendations are mostly based on our own opinions.  Let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree, and especially if you have any other thoughts or considerations that could help other buyers hone in the best bottle for them.

Before you even look at any bottles, ask yourself these questions.

1. WHERE: Where will you primarily use it?  Around the house or at work?  On your commute so you need something that’s easy to use in the car?  On hikes?  There will always be some crossover use, but think about how you’ll use your bottle most of the time.
2. WHAT: What will you be drinking?  Water bottles don’t need to just be used for plain water.  Many people use them for tea, coffee, fruit infusing, or adding ice, and some bottles are better for these than others.
3. BRANDING: How important is branding to you?  This is directly related to cost, since most of the prominent brands like Hydro Flask and YETI come with higher price points than brands like Nalgene and Iron Flask.
4. LID: What type of lid do you prefer?  Most lids fall into four basic categories: standard, straw, spout, and sip.  Standard lids that you screw on and off completely are a good starting option that comes with most bottles, but they don’t offer many additional advantages.  Straw lids are the easiest to drink from but are typically harder to clean.  Spout lids are pretty good all-around options and are generally an improvement over standard lids.  And sip lids are best when used for coffee, tea, or other hot drinks.
5. VOLUME: And finally, think about how much volume you will need.  According to the University of Missouri, a good rule of thumb is to take your weight in pounds, divide it in half, and the result is how many ounces of water you should drink per day.  Use this to calculate how many ounces you should drink per hour, and then consider how easily you can refill your bottle.  When taking all of these factors into account, you should be able to get a good idea of which volume water bottle makes sense for you.

And if your main use will be hiking or some other physical activity, there are some other factors to consider, like heat and elevation gain.  Check out our video where we do a deeper dive into this topic.

​Now let’s look at some of the more popular bottles and brands.  We'll cover:

• Nalgene
• Klean Kanteen Classic
• Klean Kanteen TKWide
• Hydro Flask
• Hydro Flask Trail Series
• YETI Rambler
• Takeya
• Iron Flask
• ThermoFlask
• Stanley
• Camelbak
• S'well
• FJbottle
• Steepware
• EcoVessel

Nalgenes are lightweight, inexpensive, dishwasher safe, and they come in many color options.  And while all of the bottles in this review are pretty durable overall since most are made of stainless-steel, Nalgenes are also much more dent resistant because of the plastic construction compared to stainless-steel bottles which can dent more easily.  Nalgene is also the only bottle brand we looked at that is made in the USA.

​​Some drawbacks are that they only come in plastic, they don’t have a built-in handle if you don’t count the tether for the lid, they don’t have an insulated version, and there aren’t many options to choose from for lids.  It doesn’t feel like the brand has innovated like others have, which has left Nalgene struggling behind other bottles in many aspects. But they still make a great, dependable bottle at an affordable price point, which makes it a good option for many people.

Klean Kanteen has a mix of insulated and non-insulated bottles.  Non-insulated Klean Kanteens are lighter than dual-wall bottles, and they have a simple design that is very easy to clean. They’re also notable for how the standard cap has steel on the bottom, so your water never touches plastic. Most other stainless-steel bottles on the market, including Klean Kanteen’s own TKWide Series, have plastic under the lid.

​Some drawbacks are that we don’t like the standard loop caps very much, and they aren’t insulated.

Klean Kanteen recently came out with their TKWide insulated bottles.  They have a range of well-engineered lid options that feel unique compared to other brands.  The rigid handle feels very sturdy, and one unique benefit is the Impact Base Cap on the bottom.  This is a hollow cap that absorbs an impact if you drop your bottle, which lessens the chance that a dent could affect the vacuum insulation.  This is one of the easier bottles to clean because the threads on the bottle are made of small bumps in the stainless-steel instead of traditional thread grooves.

​Some downsides are the overall bulk, both in terms of weight and size for a 32-ounce bottle.  We also wish the spout cap was a little easier to keep out of the way.  You have to snap it onto the metal handle, which isn’t as easy as some other bottles like Takeya, Camelbak, and FJbottle.  There aren’t too many color options for Klean Kanteens, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for your own style.

​YETI is in the top-tier for brand prestige, and therefore cost.  They are notoriously expensive, but their products are generally very high-quality, which has led to a devoted following of fans and supporters.  There are six lid options for their Rambler series wide mouth bottles, so you can pick what’s best for you.
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​Downsides are definitely the cost, but also that these bottles are heavier than some comparable ones on the market.

Hydro Flask is the brand that really catapulted dual-wall insulation into the mainstream, and they’re also a top-tier brand on par with YETI.  Their bottles come in a wide range of colors, and they have a good range of well-engineered caps and accessories to choose from, though some are better than others.  We love the Flex Straw, but we’re not huge fans of the Flex Chug.

​You can expect to pay a premium for any Hydro Flask, but the customer service is very good and the company stands behind their products.

​Another Hydro Flask bottle that’s good to know about is their Trail Series lineup.  These bottles have the same great insulation, branding, and look, but Hydro Flask really focused on reducing the weight of the bottle so it’s easier to hike and get around with.  This makes it one of the best insulated bottles for hiking compared to really heavy options like Klean Kanteen’s TKWide and YETI’s Rambler.

Takeya is a good mid-range alternative to Hydro Flask, and their Takeya Actives bottles in particular are a great all-around option.  The spout lid is a really good design with a wide handle, a spout cap that locks out of the way for when you need to take a drink, and a nice textured grip.  It also comes with a matching bottle boot to protect your bottle from dents and scratches.

​There aren’t many downsides and this is a jack-of-all-trades kind of bottle, but some people do prefer rigid handles instead of the hinged Takeya design.

​Iron Flask is an Amazon-focused knock-off of Hydro Flask, but they’re notable for a few reasons.  They come with three cap options, so that helps you figure out which style you like without having to buy more lids.  Iron Flask is definitely a good brand to consider if you’re looking for unique color options, including gradients.

One downside is that the caps are good, basic options, but they do feel more standard and less engineered than Hydro Flask’s lids.  

ThermoFlask is a bottle brand that we’ve always thought was a ripoff of Takeya, but while editing this video we found out that’s because ThermoFlask is a brand registered by Takeya.  So if you notice a lot of similarities between the two, that’s why.  But one difference we’ve noticed is that ThermoFlask seems to have more 2-pack options available on Amazon, which means you can get an even better value.

One downside is that there don’t seem to be as many color options.

Stanley has been around a long time, but in recent years it has had a major resurgence thanks to their Quencher Series insulated tumblers.  The main difference between this bottle and every other bottle on this list is the built-in handle on the side.  Most of the other bottles have handles on the lid, but Stanley’s side-mounted handle, while not our personal favorite, is a big hit with many people.  It’s also more tapered at the bottom like a classic tumbler-style, so it fits in more cup holders without needing an adapter.

​The biggest downside is the overall bulky design.  Yes, this is easier to manage because of the handle and the tapered base, but it’s still a very bulky bottle. 

Camelbak is a well-known brand that really made a name for themselves with hydration bladder packs for biking and on longer hikes, but they have also released some solid bottle options as well.  They are more reasonably priced than the other well-known brands like Hydro Flask and YETI, and the Chute Mag bottles in particular are very popular because of the magnets that lock the spout cap back when you go to take a sip.

​We’re not huge fans of the hinge design though, as it doesn’t flip open as smoothly as other spout caps like Takeya and FJbottle.

Many bottles on this list can be difficult to distinguish at first glance, like Hydro Flasks, Iron Flasks, Takeyas, and ThermoFlasks.  On the other end of the spectrum, you have S'well, which is another high-end brand on par with Hydro Flask and YETI.  The aesthetic design and sleek look are the main selling points, and they’ve also come out with many narrow mouth lids, including a filter cap that’s unique to this list.  They are also the first brand we’ve talked about that has triple-wall insulation.

​However, they are pretty expensive, and there aren’t many lid options for their wide-mouth Traveler series bottles.

The next brand is FJbottle.  Quick disclosure, they reached out to us and sent us a bottle to test.  We told them we would only cover the bottle if we liked it, but after using it for a few weeks, we can honestly say that we like this bottle way more than we thought we would.  It’s right up there with Takeya for our favorite spout-style lid.

Like Camelbak’s Chute Mag, it uses magnets to keep the spout cap out of the way when you’re taking a drink, but the hinge design is much better and is easier to open, especially if you’re just using one hand like when you’re driving.  The spout cap also takes the least amount of turning to unlock compared to any of the other spout lids, which is also helpful when driving.  There’s a silicone grip pad on the bottom that keeps your bottle from sliding around and protects against some scratches, though not on the outside edges.  There’s also a strap on the side, and we’ve ended up using this strap all the time.  They also include a brush with each bottle to help with cleaning right out of the gate.

​One downside is that the spout cap doesn’t flip out of the way as much as Takeya’s version, but you can either tilt your head more or angle the bottle to get around this issue.  Also, the rigid handle on top is a little small, but in our opinion the strap on the side more than makes up for this.

​Overall, we honestly do like this design, and it might become our go-to bottle for a while.

​Steepware’s Everest tumbler was made primarily for one thing, and that’s brewing tea.  And they really do have a good product for this purpose.  There’s a built-in tea strainer that you can use for loose-leaf tea, or you can use it as an ice strainer if you’re looking for a cooler drink.  The strainer is pretty big too, so there’s quite a bit of surface area for your loose-leaf tea to steep.  You could always take out the strainer and use it like a regular bottle, but the larger strainer is really the feature that sets this bottle apart.

The last brand we’re discussing is EcoVessel.  Their Boulder series bottles might have the most features and accessories packed into one bottle that we’ve seen yet.  It has a strainer for ice and fruit, comes with a silicone bottle boot to protect the base of the bottle, and has triple-layer insulation.

​Some drawbacks are that the strainer is smaller compared to Steepware’s version, so it’s not as good for loose leaf tea, especially in larger 32-ounce bottles.  We’re also not a huge fans of lid tethers that double as handles in general, but that’s more of our personal preference and at least EcoVessel has a wider tether compared to Nalgene.  It’s hard to put our finger on it, but the construction feels cheaper in a way compared to some other bottles we’ve reviewed.  But with so many extra features and a reasonable price, this bottle has a lot going for it.

Now let’s move on to our recommendations by category.  We’ll give you a few of our favorites, and we encourage you to check out each one to decide which is the best fit for you.

​For hiking, we like Nalgenes because they are lightweight, but we highly recommend getting a carrying pouch like this one because the lid tether isn’t much of a handle.  For insulated bottles, FJbottle is a great choice because it has both a rigid handle and a strap, and the lid is the spout style that we prefer when hiking.  Hydro Flask's Trail Series bottles are also worth a look because they are the lightest insulated design.

​When it comes to sporting events, there are some different considerations compared to hiking.  You don’t have to worry as much about the weight of the bottle, and you don’t have to carry it around for long distances.  Because of these reasons, it really opens the door on the number of bottles that we recommend, and we really think you should just get a bottle with a spout cap.  This cap style lets you get a good amount of water quickly without it all splashing in your face.  Our favorite spout cap bottles are Takeya and FJbottle, and keep in mind that ThermoFlask has a 2-pack option with a lid that’s nearly identical to Takeya’s.


Hydro Flask and YETI have pretty good spout cap design options that many people love, but they’re not our favorites for varying reasons.  Honorable mention in this category goes to EcoVessel’s Boulder series bottles because they have spout caps and you can use the strainer for ice.

​For road trips and driving in general, we like straw lids because you don’t need to tilt your head back and potentially take your eyes off the road.  Stanley’s Quencher is a good choice because it has a large volume but still has a better chance of fitting in your car’s cup holder.  We also like Hydro Flask’s Flex Straw more than most other straw lids because it’s easier to clean thoroughly without popping off the spout.  We don’t recommend using standard lids when driving because it’s so easy to splash water all over your face.

Spout or sip caps are OK if you’re not into straw lids, but we recommend getting one that’s easier to use one-handed.  For example, FJbottle and Takeya’s spout lids are a lot easier to open one-handed than Camelbak’s design, and the spout caps are attached so you can’t accidentally drop it like you could with YETI or Hydro Flask.

​For shorter commutes to and from work, we’d wager you’re probably drinking coffee or tea.  Any sip-style lid is pretty good for this, but we really like Hydro Flask’s Flex Sip Lid in particular because, like with their straw lid, their sip lid is easy to disassemble for cleaning.  YETI’s Hot Shot Lid is another good option too because you can take a sip from any angle.  And you’re probably OK with a smaller bottle like a 16 or 20 ounce, which means you’re less likely to need a cup holder adapter.

​For general use around the house or office, it’s really up to you.  Any of these bottles can be a good option since you probably can refill it easily, and the lid style doesn’t need to factor as much in your decision compared to other situations like driving.  The Stanley Quencher is a good one to consider though because of the big handle.

​The best bottle for loose-leaf tea or coffee infusing is without a doubt Steepware’s design, with EcoVessel coming in second because the strainer is much smaller and is really better for blocking ice or fruit instead of brewing tea or coffee.  For wide mouth Hydro Flasks and similar bottles like Iron Flasks and ThermoFlasks, you can also look at our FlavorFuze Steel infusers.  They come with a small and large size infuser, and they are specifically designed to fit wide mouth Hydro Flasks.

​For ice, EcoVessel is a good option because of the built-in strainer.  Other spout lids can have ice cubes sneak out once they melt down some.  Straw lids are also a good option, and as mentioned before, we really like Hydro Flask’s Flex Straw.  If you have a Hydro Flask with a standard Flex Lid, you can also use our SplashPro splash guard.  We designed it specifically for Hydro Flask lids so it fits around the insulation.

​For fruit infusing, you can also go with Steepware or EcoVessel and add the fruit so it’s loose behind the strainer.  Alternatively, try our FlavorFuze Pod fruit infuser.  Just add your fruit into it, pop on the lid, then drop it into any wide mouth bottle.  Our FlavorFuze Straw infuser is a really good option too for Hydro Flask straw lids.  Just slide and snap it onto the straw.

We also wanted to highlight which bottles do the best job limiting how much plastic touches your water.  Nalgenes are the only all-plastic bottles in our video, but most of the other bottles also have exposed plastic under the lid that can touch your water.  The only bottles that have all-stainless-steel interiors, including under the lid, are Klean Kanteen’s non-insulated classic bottle and EcoVessel’s Boulder series.

​For spout lids, we love Takeya and FJbottle.  They’re a little different from each other, but they both do several things well.  The spout cap is easy to open, stays attached so you can’t drop it, and locks into the open position easier than some other designs.  They are also easier to carry around because of Takeya’s good handle and FJbottle’s strap. 

ThermoFlask has a spout cap that is essentially the same as Takeya, and you can get them in 2-packs for a better deal.

Klean Kanteen's TKWide has a few novel features as well.  The threads on the bottle are rounded metal bumps that are much easier to clean thoroughly than traditional threads, and impact base cap can absorb dents that may otherwise have affected the dual wall insulation.

​For straw lids, we really like Hydro Flask’s Flex Straw because it’s the easiest straw lid to clean more thoroughly without having to pop off the spout.

Easier to clean thoroughly than other straw lids

​For sip lids, we also like Hydro Flask’s version, the Flex Sip, because it’s easy to disassemble for cleaning.  YETI’s Hot Shot is a good one to consider too because you can sip from any angle.

​The best value bottles in our opinion are Nalgene, Iron Flask, ThermoFlask, and FJbottle because they’re more affordable but they are still great at what they do.

​The best aesthetic design goes to S’well, and brands like Iron Flask and Hydro Flask are great options too with so many color choices.

​The best brands in terms of brand power in today’s market are YETI and Hydro Flask, with an honorable mention to Stanley and S’well because of their unique designs really being core to their brand.

​We thought about giving our recommendation for best all-around bottle, but we decided against it because of the countless variations for each person, like budget, preferences, lifestyle, and plenty of other factors.  For us, we will probably use the FJbottle because it impressed us so much, but we encourage you to make your own decision.  If you’ve made it to this point in the video, you’ve already heard more than you ever thought you ever needed to know about water bottles so hopefully you have a better idea of which bottle will work best for you.

​And that’s it!  Hopefully this helps you figure out which bottle works best for you.  Again, we'd love it if you could use our links to purchase since we get a small referral fee, but either way we hope this information helps you on your path towards better hydration habits.  Thanks again!

Insulated water bottles have been around for a long time, but in the last decade or so their popularity skyrocketed with brands like Hydro Flask and YETI.  There’s no doubt that the dual-wall insulation technology in these bottles is a wonderful quality of life improvement compared to non-insulated bottles, especially if you live in a hot region.
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But if you look on Amazon today, you can find dozens if not hundreds of brands selling similar insulated bottles.  So many people ask, which water bottle has the best insulation?

We tested 10 popular water bottles to see how well they hold ice.

(click an image below to see the bottle on Amazon)

Because the main purpose of an insulated water bottle is to maintain a temperature for longer periods throughout the day, we measured the weight of ice before and after the test as our main metric.  We purchased an ice mold that creates larger sticks to limit the effect that surface area variations in different pieces of ice might have on the melting rate.  Then we added one ice stick to each bottle and no water.  After four hours, we poured the contents of each bottle into a strainer, then the remaining ice was dumped onto a scale.  By comparing the weights of each ice stick before and after, we were able to get an idea of which bottle keeps ice the best.  We then repeated this test three times and calculated the cumulative results.

The cumulative results are summarized in the table below.  You can see the percentage of ice that melted in the fourth column.  A few things jumped out at us.

​When we take a step back to think about these results overall, we can reach a few conclusions.

1. Triple-Wall - This was our first test of a triple-wall insulated bottle, but these might be the real deal and are worth testing more.
2. The "OG" Thermos - While this type of Stanley bottle is not as convenient to drink from for every-day hydration, the Stanley Original is great at what it was primarily designed for.  This is the best option to keep your drink hot while you’re camping or watching a sporting event.  Just pour the drink from the Stanley into the cap or another container to drink from.
3. Dual-Walls - For most people, any of the dual-wall insulated bottles from this test will be good enough to get them through the day, particularly when considering that you’ll probably use more ice than we did.  Our results showed some brands are slightly better than others, and in particular the ThermoFlask seemed to be the worst of the group.  But in our opinion there’s not enough of a difference to base a buying decision entirely on the insulation.  Instead, take other factors like the price, color options, and lid types into account to get a bottle that’s best for you.

​Klean Kanteen quickly became one of the leading bottle brands when it burst onto the scene with its stainless-steel bottles in 2004.  But more recently, other brands have caught up with, and in some cases overtaken, Klean Kanteen’s market share by introducing stylish bottles with dual wall insulation.  In late 2020, Klean Kanteen finally released an insulated bottle called the TKWide series.

So was the TKWide bottle worth the wait?  We purchased a 32-ounce TKWide with a chug cap to find out.  We’ll let you know our thoughts and what you can expect if you buy one for yourself.

​We’re fans of insulated bottles in general, so that’s a big plus.  We’ll be testing the TKWide’s insulation in a future video to compare it against bottles like Hydro Flasks and YETIs, but we expect the insulation is good for most daily activities.

​The other thing we noticed right away is the size.  This bottle is huge for a 32-ounce.  It’s because of the Impact Base Cap adding another inch or so to the height.  The bottle is also heavier than other 32-ounce bottles.  A 32-ounce TKWide is a full 5 ounces heavier than a 32-ounce Hydro Flask, or about 32%.  This isn’t a big deal most of the time, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re going hiking or on a long walk with your bottle.

​When you take off the cap and look inside, you’ll find the comically large instruction booklet translated into 8 languages.  There’s also a thank you note that reviews all the social programs and environmental commitments that Klean Kanteen is involved with, so if you’re into supporting environmentally-focused causes and companies then you’ll probably feel pretty good about your purchase.