I've looked at A LOT of bottles over the years with this business, and Owala's Sway tumbler gets my vote for the best all-around bottle on the market today for everyday use.

And no, I'm not talking about which bottle is most viral or has the best superficial color drops. I'm talking about actual design choices that make the bottle more functional and easy to use.

So let's dive right in and find out why this bottle is so good.

The question "what is the best water bottle" seems simple, but in reality it's surprisingly complex.  Different bottles are better for different uses, preferences, and lifestyles.

To find the best all-around bottle for everyday use, first I looked at a wide range of criteria, including:

• Leak-free
• Good insulation
• Durable
• Easy to clean
• Good handle
• Less cumbersome
• Affordable
• Car-friendly
• Popular

Each bottle earned a ranking for each criteria after extensive testing, and the total score helped narrow down the top water bottles on the market.

I also converted this info into the Best Bottle Calculator that you can use to rank your priorities and get your own list of recommended bottles.  It's completely free and requires no sign-up, so check it out!

This article gives you a focused overview of the top bottles from the most well-known brands today, including these popular options:

• Owala Sway (their newer tumbler)
• Owala FreeSip (their flagship bottle)
• YETI Rambler with a chug lid
• Stanley Quencher
• Stanley IceFlow 2.0
• Hydro Flask Flex Straw

Here's the big picture:

But let's be honest, you're here for the differences and why Owala's Sway is so good, so let's start with the FreeSip spout.

You've just read about a lot of great features and design choices with Owala Sway, but as always, there's no perfect bottle for every person and situation.  Even really good bottles like Sway have some drawbacks, or at least ways they could be improved.

One is to include a built-in grip pad, which is something you find with bottles like Simple Modern's Mesa Loop.

Another would be to improve the insulation, though that may be a little more challenging given that the larger top opening with this tumbler-style bottle makes it tend to have worse insulation compared to narrow mouth designs.  In reality, the vacuum insulation is still good enough for most people most days.

Last, the long-term durability may become an issue, particularly against drops or rough use.  That's because Owala's FreeSip lid design involves some small parts like springs, which are more likely to become damaged compared to a robust lid like YETI's Rambler.  But in my opinion, Sway's improved functionality is well worth it for most people with average daily use.

Hope this helps, and happy hydrating!

​So it's official, Stanley bottles contain lead.  But what does that really mean?

Here's the cliff-notes summary:

• A lead-based solder is used in the bottom of Stanley bottles to seal in the vacuum insulation.
• Realistically this isn't a health risk in most cases.
• If your bottle is in good condition then you probably don't need to worry.

But if the base of your bottle becomes damaged, then you may want to consider switching it out for a new one.

​Three of the most popular alternative brands that already use a lead-free plug are (click for links to their statements about lead):

• Hydro Flask
• Klean Kanteen
• Owala

​As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of the links.  Thank you for your support!

If that's all the info you were looking for, then I hope this helped, thanks for stopping by, and we hope to see you later!

​But if you'd like to learn a little more about the backstory and ramificiations, then stay tuned because I'll dive into a little more detail and give my thoughts on what's coming next.

​We also cover this in a YouTube video if you'd prefer to watch the recap!​

This all started when recent viral videos on Tiktok showed lead tests coming back positive in their Stanley bottles.  Eventually, the company had to respond and issued a statement saying essentially that

• lead is used in the manufacturing process, but
  
• that customers won't come in contact with it on the inside or outside as long as their bottle is in good condition.
  
• If the bottle does become damaged, you can file a warranty claim.

If you're looking for more information about lead free bottles and containers, or just more information about lead safety in general, I'd highly recommend visiting Lead Safe Mama, LLC's website.  She's been covering this information for years and has a pretty comprehensive review of most major bottle brands.

Lead Safe Mama, LLC Links:

​To summarize, lead doesn't contact the inside of the bottle, and it's covered up on the outside so you can't come in contact with it.  So for most people and most situations, this is not a safety concern.  And Stanley's statement also correctly noted that this is an industry standard because most dual wall vacuum insulated bottles you find on the market today use this same type of lead-based seal.

​But the problem for Stanley is that most people won't listen to the finer details or justifications.  Instead, they just see the headlines saying "Stanley bottles contain lead."  This gets shared and creates shockwaves online.

​Now Stanley is in a similar situation with lead, and they will almost certainly update their manufacturing process to remove lead from the equation.

The good news for Stanley is that this is already being done.  As mentioned, companies like Hydro Flask, Klean Kanteen, and Owala already use a lead-free method to seal in the vacuum, so it shouldn't be difficult for Stanley to adopt similar procedures.

​The problem for Stanley is whether they can do this quickly, transparently, and fairly enough for their loyal customers in a way that won't leave them feeling alientated.  If they can pull this off, then they could maintain their position as social media's favorite bottle brand.  If not, you can bet that other brands will fill the public's new requirement to know their bottles are 100% lead-free.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Stanley offers some kind of bottle swap promotion where customers can trade in their older bottles for a new lead-free version.  Yes, this would be extremely costly, but this kind of move would show their loyal followers that the company stands by them and their products.

Time will tell if they do something like this, but you can almost guarantee that most major brands will switch to lead-free plugs as soon as possible and update their packaging to make sure people know about it.

​In the end, this is a welcome change.  The further we can keep lead from our food and beverages, the better, and this market shift will make many people feel a lot more comfortable with their water bottles that they use every day.