​There are a lot of brush kits on Amazon at this point, so feel free to shop around.  This is the one I have, and it has a range of brush sizes that work with any bottle.

It's worth noting that some bottles with wider openings like YETI's Rambler tumblers may be wide enough for your hand to fit, so you may not actually need a brush kit like this (see the cleaning section below for more details).

Hydro Flask

• The only option reviewed for this list that includes a handle, but it's a good one
• Comfy, flexible 3-finger design that rotates out of the way so it's not cumbersome

​As mentioned before, this list did not include many popular mugs with side-mounted handles because those are more difficult to travel with (not cupholder friendly)

YETI's Magslider is a relatively simple design that does a lot of things very well.

​It's a slider-style lid, and you simply push the slider back and forth to close the sip opening.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

​Of all the travel mugs I tested, this one is the easiest to clean because the slider is magnetic, the rim seal is easy to remove and put back on, and there are no hidden or hard-to-reach spots.  Most people won't even need a brush and can handwash it for deep cleaning with just a sponge (it's also dishwasher safe).

It's also very durable, partially because YETIs seem to be more dent-resistant than many competitors, but also because the slider is magnetic.  This means it avoids problems like with Weto Weto or Owala's SmoothSip where the plastic connections with the slider might chip or break over time.

Couple these benefits with YETI's popularity as a brand (particularly for men), and there's a reason why YETI's Magslider is one of the most popular gift options.

YETI Magslider's only real downsides are the high cost and that they're leak-resistant, not fully leak-proof.

Owala is the trendiest bottle brand on the market today.

​It's a slider-style lid, and you press down on the back side of the slider then push it backwards to open it.  The lid is explicitly dishwasher safe, but the bottle is handwash recommended to preserve the finish (though technically it's dishwasher safe too).

Like their FreeSip lid on their popular bottles, the drinking spout is ergonomic so it feels strangly good to sip from.  It's also raised, to the middle of the lid is less likely to bump against your nose when taking a sip.

Disassembling the lid for cleaning is pretty simple, but it can take some getting used to.  Just open the slider completely, pull up on the slider to pop it off, then you can twist the seal to remove it.  If you're having issue twisting the seal, give it a nudge to move it completely to the "open" position and you should be good.

The external lid threads also make cleaning the rim seal much easier compared to recessed seals that are harder to remove or put back into place.

Owala SmoothSip's main downside is that the slider is more difficult to open and close than other options like YETI's Magslider and you may find your finger slipping off the slider, especially if you just washed your hands.  Though in my experience, you get used to it and opening and closing this tumbler gets easier over time.

Zojirushi's travel mug has the best insulation by a significant margin, so if keeping your drink hot or cold is a priority, this is your best choice.

​It has a spring-loaded lid cover that opens by pressing a button on front.  The bottle and lid are not dishwasher safe.

Zojirushi has a lot of other great things going for it.  For a complex lid, it's incredibly well-designed for thorough cleaning and ease-of-use.  The lid cover goes over the spout to keep it cleaner throughout the day.  Also, the spout pops out so you can clean around it more easily, and the spout seal is also easily removable.

The lid cover includes a lock, and it's all very easy to use with one hand.  That along with the lightweight and narrow body makes this one of the easiest bottles to use for many people.

Zojirushi's main downsides are that the finish scratches easily and the bottom is more prone to denting if dropped compared to more durable options like YETI's Magslider.  The lid cover is also quite bulky, which can block your view more when driving, and while it's well-designed and easy to take apart, the lid still consists of many parts and surfaces that make cleaning more of a chore.

Fellow's Carter Move travel mug is one of the more attractive options on the market because of the aesthetic, minimalist design.  But besides the sleek look, it also has a range of other features that make it stand out.

It's a standard lid that you screw on-and-off to use, and it also comes with a splash guard that snaps into the rim and helps prevent spills.  The bottle and lid are not dishwasher safe.

This is one of the best travel mugs I've seen if you're goal is to avoid plastic contact with your mouth or drink because the rim is stainless steel as well as the bottom of the lid.  The splash guard handle has a bit of plastic, but you can use the bottle without the splash guard if you'd prefer.

Fellow Carter Move's main downside is that it's not a great travel mug for driving and commutes.  The standard lid is one more thing to juggle and potentially drop, leading to a dirty lid or worst-case causing a distraction.  And while the splash guard helps, this bottle still has the fastest flow and is most likely to accidentally splash in your face.  It's also not tapered and is one of the wider options I tested.

Hydro Flask's Flex Sip is the only option from this list that includes a handle, but it's a really good one because it's Hydro Flask's classic, comfortable 3-finger design.

It has a twist-style lid where you turn the top to open and close the sip opening.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

Hydro Flask designed this lid so it's relatively easy to disassemble for cleaning.  It involves a few parts and requires decent hand strength, but at least the parts are all a good size and durable (MUCH better than Frank Green).  Here's our Youtube Short that shows how it works.

Hydro Flask Flex Sip's main downside is that it has internal threads and the rim seal is recessed and difficult to remove and put back on for deep cleaning.

Stanley's Aerolight Transit is a jack-of-all trades travel mug that does a lot of things well without any major benefits or drawbacks.

It has a plunger-style (or lever-action) lid, and you pull up on the lid cover to drop down the seal.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

Transit has good insulation, only trailing Zojirushi and Fellow and ranking similarly to YETI's Hotshot.  It also has a lightweight construction and narrow design that makes it easy to hold.  The lid doesn't take up much space or block your eyesight, just make sure to push the lid cover/lever all the way until it snaps back into the lid so it doesn't bump up against your nose when taking a sip.

Stanley Aerolight Transit's main downside is that the lid can be tricky to deep clean if you prefer to remove all of the seals.  The lid cover/lever is removable and that helps drop down the plunger seal more so the silicone seal is easy to remove, but it's a tight fit and tricky to put back on.

Simple Modern's Voyager is one of the best options for driving and would be a top-tier bottle if not for one glaring issue, but first we'll look at the positives.

It has large button that you push to open and close the seal, and it worked reliably with a lot of testing.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

You can also sip from any side, so you don't have to worry about lining up your mouth with a spout.  This along with the narrower design compared to other tumblers makes this a great option for when you're driving.

It also comes with a grip-pad ring on the bottom to prevent scratches.

Simple Modern Voyager's only real downside is a big one.  The lid is very bulky and not meant to be disassembled, making it nearly impossible to manually deep clean with brushes.  You'll rely on the dishwasher or soaking it with soap or Bottle Bright tablets, and then make sure it has time to properly air-dry.  But the fact that you can't disassemble it to check everywhere for mold or other buildup is a major drawback.

YETI's Hotshot is essentially their standard Rambler bottles but with their Hotshot lid.

It's a twist-to-open lid, and you're able to sip from any side.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

The lid is fairly easy to deep clean because you just twist the middle part until it pops out, and there are just two durable pieces involved.

YETI Hotshot has two main downsides. First is the overall weight and bulkiness compared to many other travel mugs without a handle to compensate, which makes it not a great option for driving or making it easy to bring with you.

Second is how you have to cram your fingers into a tight space to twist the lid opened and closed.  It's a pretty snug fit that requires some decent finger strength, and popping out the middle piece for deep cleaning takes even more effort.  This makes it a poor choice for most people with limited finger strength due to conditions like arthritis.

Worth noting is that YETI seems to be moving away from their "Hotshot" lid by taking the same design, rebranding it as the "Commuter" lid, and pairing it with a tumbler-style bottle similar to YETI's Magslider.  That last change makes it a better overall product, particularly for driving.

Healthy Human's Cruiser is one of those travel mugs that doesn't try to do too much, and that makes it a decent option primarily for at-home use.

It has a press-fit lid with a permanent opening, so the lid is not intended to be leak-resistant or proof.  The bottle and lid are not dishwasher safe.

The main draw is that each Cruiser comes with a stainless steel straw, making it a great option for avoiding plastic contact with your drink, particularly for iced coffee.  The straw also comes with a silicone end to avoid that stainless steel taste some people experience.

Besides that, the rim is also stainless steel so you can sip there and avoid plastic contact, though that assumes you aren't using the plastic lid.

Healthy Human Cruiser's main drawback as mentioned is how you can't close it, so you're one accidental bump away from the tumbler tumbling off a desk and spilling your drink.

Contigo's Byron is a budget-friendly option from a big-name, classic brand that can be serviceable for a daily-use travel mug.

It has a plunger-style (or lever-action) lid, and you pull up on the lever on top of the lid to drop down the seal.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

The bottle includes a stainless steel bottom to prevent scratches, which is a good thing because the black finish scratches off very easily.  There's also a silicone grip around the middle of the bottle to keep your grip from slipping.

Contigo Byron's main downsides are that it has unremarkable insulation, the paint scratches easily, the lever action lid is not able to be fully disassembled for deep cleaning, and the interior lid threads make the rim seal more difficult to remove and replace for deep cleaning.

The lever-action lid also has a tight fit.  While good to prevent accidental opening, this can make it more difficult to open one-handed and you may need to turn the bottle first to line it up a certain way, particularly if you're driving.  And when you do that, you'll also likely find yourself pressing the palm of your hand against the sip opening and making that part more dirty.

Weto Weto is the least-expensive option reviewed and is a capable travel mug.  It maintains a high ranking on Amazon because it's a budget-friendly alternative to YETI's Magslider in particular.

It's a slider-style lid, and you simply move the slider back and forth to open it.  The bottle and lid are both dishwasher safe.

Overall the design is quite simple and this travel mug is decent at most things, so it can be a good option as an every day mug.

Weto Weto's travel mug does come with a few significant drawbacks though.  I noticed visible moisture building up under the slider during regular use and cleaning.  However, the slider is not meant to be removed, and the small plastic connections can chip if you force the slider out of the lid.

​Also, the lid did not leak during my intial testing, but it started leaking after the drop test.  Not much, but it was dripping consistently possibly because the bottle or lid warped slightly.

Frank Green's travel mug was easily my least favorite option tested.

A few positives are that the push-button lid is a good concept when it works, and the bottle itself has a nice sleek, minimalist design.  The lid is dishwasher safe, though the bottle is handwash recommended (likely to preserve the finish).

However (deep breath)....

• The button did not work consistently, often getting stuck and seeming to depend on how I pressed the button, like how many fingers I used and where exactly I pressed it.
• The lid is ridiculously complex to disassemble and reassemble, involving 7 different parts (many of which are very small plastic parts that could easily be broken or lost).
• The very thin metal rim may dent or warp more easily if dropped.
• It's the most expensive option, at least in the US.

There are a lot of brush kits on Amazon at this point, so feel free to shop around.  This is the one I have, and it has a range of brush sizes that work with any bottle.

I've tested these, and they work really well when cleaning out coffee and tea stains.  I also recommend using them roughly once per week during your deep cleaning routine.

Bottles that are 24 ounces or less can fit in the majority of cup holders.  Bottles that are larger than that typically need an adapter, like our BottlePro Max.

A key difference is if you purchase a tumbler-style bottle, like a Stanley Quencher.  Tumblers are known for having tapered sides that are better able to fit in more cup holders.

Let's start with the most popular brands by looking at a bottle that's quite possibly overtaking Stanley as the most trendy option on the market today, Owala.

Owala's FreeSip is good because it has an ergonomic combination straw and spout lid that's honestly pretty nice to use.  It's also a reasonably priced bottle.

Cons with Owalas are the handle and at least for me, the colors (though some people love the funky combinations).

​I recently made a dedicated post about this brand, so check out this link if you'd like to learn more.

Stanley's Quencher tumbler has been atop the social media mountain for a few years.

Stanley's Quencher is good because it has a large handle that's easy to hold because it's side-mounted.  It also has a tapered base that lets it fit cup holders.

Cons with Stanley Quenchers are that the lid is not leak-proof.  Also, the large handle makes an already-bulky bottle even bulkier

YETI's Rambler series is incredibly popular and includes a wide range of different products, but I'm just referring to their bottles like these.

YETI Rambler pros are the durability and the wide handle with their chug and straw lids.

Cons with YETI Ramblers are the high cost and the handles or lack thereof with their other lids.

I recently made a dedicated video about this brand, so check out this link if you'd like to learn more.

Cirkul took social media by storm a few years ago, and it's known for having flavor pods with a dial so you can control how much flavor you get.  While an interesting concept, I really don't like this bottle.

Cirkul bottles are good if you'd like to easily add flavor to your drink, but that's about it.

Cons with Cirkul bottles are:

• that the flavor pods are disposable so they add a lot of waste while also costing you a lot more money in the long run
• the handle is also truly awful
• the bottle finish scratched easily
• the straw lid makes weird noises and takes a lot of sucking compared to Owala's design
• and there are legitimate questions and concerns about about how artificial sweeteners affect your health and you're essentially drinking non-carbonated diet soda.

If you'd like to add flavors to your water bottle, a more natural option is our FlavorFuze Pod drop-in infuser.

Next is Hydro Flask, and our company really got started by making accessories for these so I have a few of their bottles.  Hydro Flask's 32oz wide mouth style bottle was the social media darling a few years before Stanley, and even though they've dropped off the radar some, they're still great bottles.

Pros about Hydro Flasks are the lids, which all have great handles (other than the original straw lid).  They also have a wide range of color options.

​Cons are the high price, though they do seem to be on sale pretty often nowadays to compete more with Stanley and Owala.

Hydro Flask Flex Sips are great bottles for coffee and tea.

Pros about the lid are the wide handle and that it's easy to take apart for cleaning.

Cons are the high price and that taking the lid apart takes quite a few steps (though it's not particularly difficult).

I typically don't like narrow or standard mouth bottles as much as wide mouths because they're more difficult to clean, have smaller lids and handles, and aren't as easy to add things like ice or flavorings.

​But a positive of bottles with narrower mouths like this are that they typically have better insulation than their wide mouth counterparts.

Another good variation to know about is their Trail Series.  This style is lighter and actually tested a little better in an insulation test I did recently compared to their original wide mouth.

​Cons of this series is that they don't have many color options, though they do all share a cool metallic look that is different from the market-standard powder coating with most bottles.

Hydro Flask's 64oz Growler is a good one to have for situations like long road trips when you can use the growler to refill a smaller bottle that's better to use when driving.  But for most people, growlers are too big to be the main bottle they drink water from and are better used for refills.

​It's also worth noting that I have Hydro Flask's standard style growler, not their beer growler, which is another 64oz bottle with a different lid that's specifically designed to handle carbonation.

S'well is one of the original trendy brands, and for good reason.

S'well is good for its sleek look, which is more aesthetic than most other brands.  The narrow mouth one I have also had one of the best insulation test results of any bottle from my collection.

A con is that it's too narrow to easily get ice into it so there's a bit of a tradeoff, and this makes it more difficult to clean too.  The bottle also doesn't have a handle so it's not as easy to carry with you, and they're pretty pricey.

​Klean Kanteen is another premium brand, and I have two of their bottles.

The good things about Klean Kanteen's non-insulated bottles like this 40-ounce single-wall are that they're lightweight, reasonably priced, and have stainless steel under the lid.

The bad side is that it's not insulated and the handle is truly awful, though their updated loop style lid is much better.  The lid shown in these pictures is an older style.

I also have their 32-ounce TKWide, which is their insulated series.

These bottles have pretty good lid options, and the bump-style threads are easier to clean compared to traditional threads.

Some downsides with TKWides are that some people find the thin metal handle uncomfortable, and they are very bulky, especially because of the bump cap which is essentially a bumper on the bottom that's intended to save your insulation if you drop your bottle.

The problem I have with that is that is that I found in a recent test that most dents don't affect insulation anyways and if the dent is bad enough to affect insulation then your bottle is probably too wobbly and ready to be replaced anyways, so that extra cap on the bottom just seems to add more to the bulk of this already bulky bottle.

Now we're getting into some mid-range brands that are still great options but may not have the prestige of a brand like YETI or Stanley.  First is Takeya.

Pros are the reasonable cost and the great chug lid, which has a connected spout cap and a wide handle design.

I honestly don't have many negatives to say about this brand, but some people do prefer a rigid handle like YETI's over Takeya's hinged design.

​If you get a Takeya, go with their Actives series listing because it'll come with their insulated lid and a protective bottle boot.

Nalgene is the only plastic bottle in this video, and yes, I realize it's not stainless steel, but I'm grandfathering this bottle in because it's a cult classic with a place in history as the first popular reusable bottle for outdoors and hiking.

Good things about Nalgenes are that the plastic construction is really lightweight and inexpensive

Bad things are they don't have a great handle and are not insulated.

If you avoid Nalgene because of the plastic, then a good alternative to consider is Healthy Human.  I have two of their bottles, a 32-ounce classic design and a 21-ounce from their Curve series.

Both have stainless steel under the lid so you can avoid plastic contact with your water.  They also come with a lid that has a wide handle and a light-duty carabiner so you can clip it to a bag

The Curve series is more ergonomic for some people.

​One downside is the lack of a sip style lid for coffee in their bottles, though they do have tumblers and cups that are a better fit for that.

Next is Camelbak's Chute Mag.  Camelbak is one of the brands that's been around the hydration world for a long time, so their bottles are very common and well-known.

Good things are that the lid has a magnet in the spout cap that helps keep it out the way when you're taking sips.  They're also some of the least-expensive insulated options out there.

Bad things are that I'm personally not a huge fan of the offset handle, but some people prefer that style.  The magnets are cool, but I'm not a huge fan of the all-plastic hinge design because it is tricker to link up the cap with the spout compared to bottles with fixed hinges like Takeya and FJbottle.

Overall, this is a pretty middle-of-the-road bottle in my opinion that does a lot well but doesn't excel at anything in particular in my opinion.

ThermoFlask is another solid mid-range brand that doesn't have much that really differentiates it in either a good or a bad way.

But one good thing that you don't see with many other brands is that ThermoFlask regularly offers two-pack options for additional savings, so if you're already thinking about buying two bottles then it's a good option.

​Fun fact, this brand is owned by Takeya, so they have a lot of similarities.

​Next is Iron Flask, and you can probably guess what this brand is going for.

They have done a good job establishing their footing on Amazon as a lower priced alternative to Hydro Flask.  Pros are the value, as you'll get three lids included for a reasonable price.

​The downside is that the lids feel cheap compared to what you get from Hydro Flask itself.

Ozark Trail is Walmart's bottle brand, and as much as I hate to admit it, this is a pretty solid bottle.

Pros are that it has a grippy base and a good lid that has a connected spout cap and wide handle.  And surprisingly, Ozark Trail has also consistently had the best insulation tests out of all the wide mouth bottles that I have compared it against.

Cons are that you can't buy it on Amazon, so if you're looking to use Prime shipping then you're out of luck.  The handle is also just a touch small for comfortably fitting three larger fingers like mine.

FJbottle is a brand most people haven't heard of, but if you saw my comparison video last year then you know I really like their bottle.

What I love about FJbottle is that it has both a fingerhold handle and a built-in carrying strap, which is something most bottles don't have.  The strap is something I didn't expect to like as much as I did, and it makes it a lot easier to carry your bottle when your hands are full with other things.  It's also reasonably priced, has a no-slip base, and has a magnetic spout cap that I honestly prefer over Camelbak's design.

A downside is that the spout opening is a little too small, but for the most part I'm easily able to overlook that inconvenience because of everything else this bottle has going for it.

EcoVessel is another reasonably priced bottle for what you get.

Pros are that it comes with a bottle boot and has stainless steel under the lid to avoid plastic contact with your water.  It also has a built-in strainer that can be used for tea or blocking ice.

Unfortunately, the strainer is too small to hold fruit, and the bottle doesn't have a true handle, though you can use the cap tether.

Steepware is one of the first bottles I am aware of that had a built-in strainer, and it also has a larger section here that screws into the strainer.  This makes it a better option than EcoVessel for loose leaf tea or even some smaller fruits.

Other than that, I don't really like Steepware though.  It was an outlier on the bad side on an insulation test, and the lid isn't that great.

Vesmoon is a new brand that has the best built-in infuser in my opinion.  It's a larger infuser than Steepware's, and the chug lid is a really good design that includes a carrying strap.

​The downside is that it's a smaller brand, but if that's not a problem for you and you're looking for a good infuser bottle then this is one of the best options I've seen.

RevoMax has a really unique feature in that it's the only bottle in this video that is completely threadless.  You pull on this part here to lock the lid into place, and to unlock it you pinch the side buttons and press this button on top. 

The main pros and cons are really opposite sides of the same coin.  The lid is easy to open with one hand, but because this lid is separate it makes it difficult to use this bottle when driving unless you put the lid down somewhere.

And the lack of threads makes it easier to clean in some ways, but the lid itself is trickier to disassemble than other lids when you need to do a deep clean.

​It's a narrow mouth bottle, and it tested really well on an insulation test I did last year taking the top spot in essentially a tie with my narrow mouth S'well.

​Zulu Ace is a great bottle to consider if you're a clean freak because you can open the bottle from both sides.  This is a good option if you don't want a tumbler like a Stanley Quencher, but you also don't want to deal with a bottle brush kit.

The downside is that there are more threads where it could potentially leak if a seal is misaligned, and it doesn't have a built-in handle.

Stanley's Thermos is certainly not a new design, but I'm including it in this part of my review because it's so much different from all the other bottles I've mentioned.

This bottle has great insulation, but you wouldn't want to use it as a main water bottle.  It's best used in situations like outdoor events to store and distribute hot coffee or tea while you drink from other cups.

Copper has been used for thousands of years as a drinking container and vessel, but it's good to know what you're getting into before you buy one.

Most brands heavily market health benefits associated with using copper bottles, though I personally have not seen trusted sources or scientific research that definitively backs this up (at least not to the degree that the benefits are marketed).

They also take a lot more regular maintenance compared to stainless steel and plastic bottles because the copper tarnishes over time.

But there's no doubt that they look really cool!

Brita's bottle stays true to their roots by focusing on filtration because the bottle has a built-in filter.  This is a great option if you're traveling and are not sure about the water quality.  If you're familiar with LifeStraw, just think of this bottle like having a built-in accessory like that.

I'm not a fan of the handle though, and the bottle itself isn't as aesthetically pleasing as many others on this list.

GRAYL is a different take on the filter bottle.  Instead of sucking water through a filter straw, you use this bottle like a French press.

It looks really cool and rugged and helps clean water when you're camping or hiking and need to get water from a stream.

But this isn't a convenient bottle for every-day use because it's a lot of effort to go through if you already have good water and the handle isn't much to write home about.  And these bottles are crazy expensive, with this version costing $100 and their titanium version costing $200.

And last we have LARQ, which is the most high-tech bottle I own.  You may have seen them on Shark Tank, and this bottle's main calling card is the built-in UV light that sanitizes your water.

The pros are that UV light is proven to make water safer to drink by killing bacteria, and it's a cool concept that you can show off.

The cons are the high cost, having to recharge the battery, and they only have a narrow mouth design.

​I'll start with one that costs the least amount of money if you already have a Hydro Flask.  Most of their lids have plastic on the bottom.  However, you can purchase their stainless steel Flex Cap lid as a separate add-on (I call it the "Flex Steel").

​I'm a fan of saving money and not buying more bottles than you need, so consider getting this lid if you already have a Hydro Flask.

​Next is Healthy Human.  I recently got my hands on my first bottles from this brand, and they're pretty solid.  The handle is a good width and each bottle came with a carabiner so you can clip it to a bag.

​I was really happy to see that they include stainless steel under the lid.  And it's worth noting that both their traditional bottle shape as well as their newer "Curve" series have stainless steel under the lids.

Now let's look at Klean Kanteen.  They have the most options I'm aware of, and it makes sense with their brand since they really helped popularize stainless steel bottles as an alternative to plastic in the wake of the Nalgene BPA revolution.

To my knowledge, these are the options that have stainless steel under the lid (confirmed with an inquiry to Klean Kanteen).

• Their loop caps, which includes their non-insulated single walls, classic insulated, and TKWides.
• Their Reflect series, which is a little trendier with a bamboo lid.
• Their pour-through lid and TKPro thermos, both of which are designed more for pouring your drink or cocktail into another cup.

EcoVessel is one other brand that's not quite as well-known as the others, but it has some cool things going for it.  Each bottle comes with a bottle boot and a strainer for ice, fruit, or tea, which is something the other brands don't have.

More important to this post, the lid is the only spout/chug style one I've seen that has stainless steel underneath.

​Your water will touch some silicone so that's something to keep in mind if that's too close to plastic for you, but from what I've read, silicone doesn't seem to have the same level of concern as plastic when it comes to contacting water.

​See our Amazon store for helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.