Category: Tea

How to Remove Stains, Rust, and Rainbowing from Stainless Steel Mugs and Bottles

3/25/2025

What are the Best Ways to Clean Stains, Rust, and Rainbowing from Stainless Steel Bottles and Mugs

(10 minute read)

How to Clean Stainless Steel Mugs and Bottles

So, what exactly are the best ways to remove stains and rust from your stainless steel bottle? And what exactly is that oily-looking rainbow color that you sometimes see, and is it harmful?

It honestly gets really confusing, and everyone seems to have their own trick or solution. So today, let's talk about and test eight of the most commonly-mentioned options to see which are the best for removing stains, rust, and rainbowing in stainless steel water bottles.

You'll see some that work amazing, and others that don't so much at all. So let's get started and learn how to make your stainless steel bottle look like new.

Best for Stains and Rainbowing (Not Rust)

Given that this is the most common question, we wanted to highlight this answer first by showing the cheapest, fastest, and easiest ways to remove stains and rainbowing from stainless steel mugs and bottles.

Keep reading below to learn more about our tests, as well as which are the best cleaning options for removing rust.

Cheapest

(harder to use in narrow bottles)

Step 1:
Pour some baking soda on the stain.

Step 2:
Add hot water and mix it into a paste.

Step 3:
Spread the paste around on on the stain and let it sit for ~10 minutes.

Step 4:
Scrub it around, wipe it off, and rinse.

See on Amazon

Fastest

(harder to use in narrow bottles)

Step 1:
(for their Soft Cleaner formula)
Read the instructions on the bottle first, because you need to be a little more careful compared to just using baking soda.

Step 2:
Pour some Bar Keepers Friend onto the stain.

Step 3:
Immediately start scrubbing and wiping it around with a paper towel or rag.

Step 4:
After 30 seconds, wipe it off and rinse. Don't let it sit for more than 60 seconds.

See on Amazon

Easiest

(easy for any mouth diameter)

Step 1:
Fill up your bottle with hot water (ideally close to boiling)

Step 2:
Add one Bottle Bright tablet, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Note that the bubbles may cause the water and foam to spill over some at first if you filled your bottle to the rim.

Step 3:
After 30 minutes, use a long-neck brush like this one to scrub around inside the bottle, then rinse.

See on Amazon

Video: How to Remove Stains, Rust, and Rainbowing from Stainless Steel Mugs and Bottles

We also cover this info in a YouTube video if you'd prefer to watch the recap that way.

Amazon Associates Disclosure
BottlePro is part of the Amazon Associates Program. There are a few products linked later in this article, and if you make a purchase using one, we earn a small commission at no cost to you. Big thanks if you use one because it really does help!

Stains vs Rust vs Rainbowing

First, it helps to know the difference between stains, rust, and rainbowing because knowing what you have can change which type of cleaning agent or method you should use.

Stains

Coffee and Tea Stains (in 16oz Hydro Flask)

Stains are most commonly formed if you are a regular coffee or tea drinker. This is because of tannins, which most people associate with wine, but they also exist in coffee and tea. They're basically organic compounds you find in things like fruit, bark, and leaves, and fun fact, the name "tannin" comes from how people can use tree bark to tan animal hides when making leather.

Because tannins are so small, they work their way into the microscopic pores and imperfections in stainless steel, which creates that staining effect.

Another type is water stains, which is when water droplets dry up and leave behind oils or dissolved minerals like calcium, and it's a lot more common if you live in an area with hard water.

But notably, none of these stains actually damage your bottle.

Rust

Rusting

Rust on the other hand is corrosive and can leave lasting damage if left unchecked.

Regular carbon steel corrodes because the iron in the steel reacts with water and moisture in air to form iron oxide, also known as rust. Stainless steel is different because it contains a percentage of chromium, along with a few other metals. The amount of each type of metal varies based on the type of stainless steel you have, but the important detail is that the chromium in stainless steel forms a protective chromium oxide layer, also known as a passive layer.

That's what actually prevents rust from forming, and it's why stainless steel stains less. But it's really thin, typically just a few nanometers thick.

Rainbowing

Rainbowing in a Corkcicle Mug

Rainbowing is what happens when that chromium oxide passive layer gets a little thicker. When stainless steel is heated up, that can actually increase the thickness of that oxidized top layer, creating that rainbowing effect.

Because it's related to heat, that's also why you sometimes hear rainbowing referred to as heat tinting. Even though it looks a little weird and oily, rainbowing stainless steel bottles are totally safe to use.

What We're Testing

Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what's a stain, rust, or rainbowing, especially if it's really bad because maybe there's a combination of these issues. And even though stains and rainbowing aren't inherently unsafe, they make it more difficult to know if a bottle is truly clean.

For those reasons, it can be a good idea to clean bottles regularly so they look like brand new stainless steel. These are eight of the most commonly-mentioned methods you'll find online.

Baking soda
Vinegar
Salt and lemon juice
Bar Keeper's Friend
Cleaning tablets (like Bottle Bright)
Bleach
Abrasive cleaners (like steel wool and Magic Erasers)
Cleaning beads

We're going to test some of these three mugs: a rainbowing Corkcicle mug, a coffee and tea-stained Contigo mug, and a stained and rainbowing Hydro Flask 16oz bottle.

And I don't have any bottles with enough rust to run multiple tests, but I did accidentally left this camping stovetop outside too long, so that'll give us plenty of surface area to test a few different ways to remove rust.

Corkcicle (Rainbowing)

Corkcicle Mug (Rainbowing)

Contigo (Staining)

Contigo Mug (Staining)

Hydro Flask (Staining and Rainbowing)

Hydro Flask (Staining and Rainbowing)

Camping Stove (Rusting)

Camping Stove (Rusting)

Test 1 Setup: Corkcicle (Removing Rainbowing)

First on the testing block is the Corkcicle with the heavy rainbowing.

Rather than testing one method after another, I taped off four sections inside the mug so we can hopefully see the differences side-by-side against the exact same types of stain.

Taping Off 4 Sections

Test 1 (Rainbowing): Baking Soda

Sprinkled a bunch on, added warm water to make a paste, let it sit for 10 minutes, then did some light scrubbing and washed it off.

Baking Soda

Test 1 (Rainbowing): Vinegar

Made a 1:1 solution of 5% distilled white vinegar with warm water and let that also sit for 10 minutes.

Vinegar

Test 1 (Rainbowing): Lemon Juice and Salt

Made a solution then poured that on, also leaving it for 10 minutes.

Lemon Juice and Salt

Test 1 (Rainbowing): Bar Keeper's Friend

Bar Keeper's Friend recommends using it for no more than 1 minute, so I did more of a wipe-on-wipe-off approach over about 30 seconds.

Bar Keepers Friend

Test 1 Results: Corkcicle (Removing Rainbowing)

Baking soda and Bar Keeper's Friend had by far the best results of these four methods when it comes to removing rainbowing. The baking soda results did not look at good as BKF, but that's probably because I did not make as even of coverage with the baking soda paste. It looked really good in the middle where I know there was good coverage with the paste.

Both the vinegar/water solution and the lemon juice/salt solution did not appear to remove rainbowing much at all.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Results

Bar Keepers Friend and Lemon Juice and Salt Results

Test 1 (Rainbowing): Bottle Bright

Next was Bottle Bright, and for this, I filled the same mug up about halfway with warm water, added a tablet, and let it sit for 10 minutes. (show footage). You can can how it cleaned some of the mug, but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be.

Bottle Bright Results (Half Full, Warm Water, 10min)

I've used these tablets before with amazing results, so I ran the test again like how I normally use them by adding boiling water, letting it sit for 30 minutes, then scrubbing it some with a long brush. You can see that really did the trick, and now the whole inside of the Corkcicle looks like new.

Bottle Bright Results (Full, Hot Water, 30min)

Test 2 Setup and Results: Contigo (Removing Stains)

After that, I tested the Contigo with heavy coffee and tea stains the exact same way using a mug that's been taped into 4 sections.

Again, baking soda and Bar Keepers Friend were great at removing stains, while vinegar and lemon and salt may have removed some of the stains but not nearly as much.

And Bottle Bright worked the same too. You can see where I filled it halfway up with warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes, but you can really see the difference when used with boiling water and a 30-minute sit time.

Test 2 (Staining): Baking Soda (top middle)

Sprinkled a bunch on, added warm water to make a paste, let it sit for 10 minutes, then did some light scrubbing and washed it off.

Baking Soda Results

Test 2 (Staining): Vinegar (top middle)

Made a 1:1 solution of 5% distilled white vinegar with warm water and let that also sit for 10 minutes.

Vinegar Results

Test 2 (Staining): Lemon Juice and Salt (top middle)

Made a solution then poured that on, also leaving it for 10 minutes.

Lemon Juice and Salt Results

Test 2 (Staining): Bar Keeper's Friend (top middle)

Bar Keeper's Friend recommends using it for no more than 1 minute, so I did more of a wipe-on-wipe-off approach over about 30 seconds.

Bar Keepers Friend Results

Test 2 (Staining): Bottle Bright (line halfway up)

Mixed 1 tablet with warm water, then soaked for 10 minutes.

Bottle Bright Results (Half Full, Warm Water, 10min)

Test 2 (Staining): Bottle Bright (filled to top)

Mixed 1 tablet with hot water, then soaked for 30 minutes and lightly scrubbed with a soft bristle brush.

Bottle Bright Results (Filled to Top, Hot Water, 30min)

Test 3 Setup and Results: Hydro Flask 16oz (Removing Stains and Rainbowing)

For good measure, I also cleaned a 16 ounce Hydro Flask bottle. However, since I'm not able to get my hand inside it, I just used Bottle Bright with hot water, soaked for 30 minutes, then scrubbed it lightly with a brush. The results speak for themselves!

Bottle Bright Results

Test 4 Setup and Results: Camping Stove (Rust)

Next was the rust test using that camping stove. I used all of the same methods and durations again, each time just testing one side of this flat part of the stove.

Rusted Camping Stove

For rust, lemon juice and salt did much better and seemed to have the best result. Bar Keeper's Friend and baking soda both removed some rust, but not as much. And again, vinegar didn't seem to do much at all, and neither did Bottl Bright this time. Then I added a Bottle Bright tablet with warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes on the vinegar section because that was the side that still had the most rust. It didn't do much at all, so I reran the test with boiling water and letting it sit for 30 minutes. But again, Bottle Bright didn't do much.

Test 4 (Rusting): Baking Soda

Sprinkled a bunch on, added warm water to make a paste, let it sit for 10 minutes, then did some light scrubbing and washed it off.

Baking Soda Before/After

Test 4 (Rusting): Vinegar

Made a 1:1 solution of 5% distilled white vinegar with warm water and let that also sit for 10 minutes.

Vinegar Before/After

Test 4 (Rusting): Lemon Juice and Salt

Made a solution then poured that on, also leaving it for 10 minutes.

Lemon Juice and Salt Before/After

Test 4 (Rusting): Bar Keepers Friend

Bar Keeper's Friend recommends using it for no more than 1 minute, so I did more of a wipe-on-wipe-off approach over about 30 seconds.

Bar Keepers Friend Before/After

Test 4 (Rusting): Bottle Bright

I added a Bottle Bright tablet with hot water and let it sit for 30 minutes on the vinegar section because that was the side that still had the most rust. It didn't seem to do much.

Bottle Bright Before/After

Conclusion

Here were the best results based on visually comparing the different methods.

If you have a stained or rainbowing bottle with a wide mouth that you can get your hand into like a mug or a Stanley tumbler, you may want to try baking soda or Bar Keeper's Friend for stains first because they work really well and are the fastest. If you can't fit your hand into the bottle, use Bottle Bright with boiling water for 30 minutes, then use a long brush to scrub it and I can almost guarantee that will work.

For rust, try lemon juice and salt first, followed by Bar Keepers Friend. If your bottle is rusting on the inside and you can't get your hand in there, you can try using lemon juice and salt with a long brush, but it might be difficult to get as much scrubbing force with a brush as much as you really need so you may want to consider replacing your bottle.

For Stains

Best Options:

Baking Soda (cheapest)
Bar Keepers Friend (fastest)
Bottle Bright (easiest)

Not as Effective:

Lemon Juice and Salt
Vinegar

For Rainbowing

Best Options:

Baking Soda (cheapest)
Bar Keepers Friend (fastest)
Bottle Bright (easiest)

Not as Effective:

Lemon Juice and Salt
Vinegar

For Rust

Best Options:

Lemon Juice and Salt
Bar Keepers Friend

Not as Effective:

Baking Soda
Bottle Bright
Vinegar

Looking to Buy Some Supplies?

Here are some good options for each of the supplies and cleaning methods mentioned. Big thanks if you use one of the links to buy...it really does help!

Click on any of the images to see the Amazon listing.

Baking Soda

Lemon Juice

Bar Keepers Friend

Salt

Bottle Bright

Retainer Tablets

Mosolan 3-Brush Kit

I've used this kit for years. It's not that expensive, and it has a good range of brushes that help with just about any bottle (including a small detailing brush that helps with threads and hard-to-reach spots with many brands).

It's the one accessory we typically recommend everyone has for ANY bottle because it's so helpful. There are plenty of other brands on the market though, so feel free to shop around.

See on Amazon

What about Bleach, Abrasives, and Cleaning Beads?

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed I didn't test bleach, abrasives (like steel wool), or cleaning beads.

Can You Use Bleach to Clean Stainless Steel?

Why You Shouldn't Use Bleach on Stainless Steel

There's a reason why I didn't test bleach. Yes, it will kill any bacteria and remove some stains, but the problem is that bleach is so corrosive that it can damage or remove the chromium oxide layer, which then makes your stainless steel bottle more likely to corrode in the future by rusting.

You'll see a lot of people say they've used bleach for years on stainless steel with no problems, and I'm sure that's true. If you use a really mild solution and wash it out quickly, then it's probably OK.

But in my opinion, I'm not sure why you'd want to risk that with a stainless steel bottle when there are other effective stain and rust-removal options like we've just seen that are less likely to cause damage.

Can You Use Steel Wool or Magic Erasers to Clean Stainless Steel?

Why You Shouldn't Use Steel Wool on Stainless Steel

It also may not be a good idea to use abrasive things like steel wool. These can scuff up the surface of the stainless steel, adding more of those microscropic imperfections that make it more likely to stain or corrode again in the future. It's safer to use something non-abrasive like a brush or sponge with the right cleaning agent.

Magic Erasers are made of melamine (type of plastic) and are essentially a much finer abrasive. For that reason, we typically still recommend using non-abrasive cleaning methods first, like Bottle Bright with a soft bristle brush. But if that doesn't work, then Magic Erasers could be worth a try. Because the melamine is softer than steel and it's much finer, Magic Erasers are much safer to use on stainless steel when you need some extra abrasive force. However, be careful when using them around painted and powder coated surfaces because it's possibly they could lead to cosmetic damage.

Do Cleaning Beads Work on Stainless Steel?

Do Cleaning Beads Work?

I've seen these mentioned quite a few times, and they're basically just small stainless steel balls. They're designed so you can drop them through a narrow neck then shake them around, and the impact from the beads helps remove some of the stains. I'm not 100% sure, but maybe they just jar some of those tannins loose, and apparently they can work OK and I can see how this would be helpful with something like a rounded wine decanter with a really narrow neck.

But they may not be the best solution for stainless steel bottles. Even though the beads are small, it's probably hard to get them to clean all the corners effectively, like along the bottom rim of your bottle.

Also, it sounds like you're meant to use them along with some kind of cleaning solution anyways, so why not just use Bottle Bright and a cleaning brush?

If you have an extremely narrow neck bottle like a classic S'well, then maybe these cleaning beads could help. But other than that, I'm not sure they're any better than just using a brush, which you should have for your weekly cleaning anyways.

If any of you guys have used cleaning beads, I'd be really curious to hear what you think in the comments.

Cleaning Guide

And Remember...

Regardless of which bottle you get, always clean it regularly. Here's our latest guide on the best practices and cleaning schedules for stainless steel bottles so you can keep your bottle in great (and safe) condition.

See Our Cleaning Guide

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What is the Best Water Bottle? (our Biggest Comparison Yet!)

9/30/2024

1 Comment

What is the Best Water Bottle?

What is the Best Bottle?

If you're wondering what is the best water bottle on the market today, you're not alone. The water bottle market is incredibly saturated (pun intended), so there's a lot to consider. Well, I've collected 31 bottles over the years for this business, so today I'm going to reveal my full collection to help you find the best bottle for your situation.

What's Next?

Video review
Good accessories to have regardless of which bottle you go with
Part One: Giving my recommendations for the best (and worst) bottles for different uses, like value, hiking, and overall.
Part Two: Rapid-fire review of each bottle, including the main pros and cons.

Video Review: What is the Best Water Bottle? (31 Tested!)

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

Good Accessories for Most Large Bottles

Whether you go with Owala, Hydro Flask, YETI, Stanley, or anything else, these are our three most popular recommended accessories for any large reusable bottle.

Brush Kit

Bottle Brush Kit

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.

See Brush Kit

Cleaning Tablets

Bottle Bright Tablets

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.

See Cleaning Tablets

BottlePro Max Adapter

BottlePro Cup Holder Adapter

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.

See BottlePro Max

Part One: Recommended Bottles by Use

Different bottles are better for different situations, so here let's take a look at various uses to see which bottle is the best option.

Scroll down to Part Two to read more about any particular brand or bottle.

Best Bottle for Everyday, All-Around Use

These are the two bottles I find myself going back to most regularly when I'm not deliberately testing a different one. They each have a great combination of features that make them amazing choices for everyday use.

Owala FreeSip Lid and Removable Seal

Owala FreeSip

Dual straw/chug lid
Easy sipping for a straw lid (less air constriction)
Ergonomic (actually feels weirdly better)
Cover keeps the mouthpiece clean

See Owala

FJbottle 32oz

FJbottle

Has both a rigid handle and a built-in carrying strap
Magnetics keep the spout cap out of your face when sipping
Silicone grip pad on base
Comes with a brush to help you get started (though you'll probably want to upgrade to a different kit)

See FJbottle

Best Bottle for Value

Ozark Trail 32oz

Ozark Trail

Least-expensive stainless steel insulated bottle
Good handle
No-slip base

See Ozark Trail

Iron Flask Lids

Iron Flask

3 lids included

See Iron Flask

ThermoFlask 2-Pack

ThermoFlask

One of the few brands that regularly offers 2-packs
2 bottles and 4 lids included

See ThermoFlask

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth

Nalgene

One of the least-expensive bottles
Extremely durable and won't dent

See Nalgene

Best Bottle for Hiking

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth

Nalgene

Extremely lightweight
Durable and dent-resistant
Best if used with a carrying pouch or stashed in a bag because the lid tether isn't much of a handle

See Nalgene

Hydro Flask Trail Series

Hydro Flask Trail Series

Lightest vacuum insulated bottle
Good handle

See Trail Series

FJbottle 32oz

FJbottle

Having both a rigid handle and a carrying strap makes it easier to bring with you on long hikes
Silicone grip pad on base
(If you'd like to add flavor and love the carrying strap, see Vesmoon in Part Two below)

See FJbottle

GRAYL Filter Bottle

GRAYL Filter Bottle

This is a good option if you're going on a very long hike or backpacking trip and want to refill from a stream or other questionable water source
I tested this bottle, and it was one of the best options to filter out visible particulates

See GRAYL

Best Bottle for Sports

Takeya Actives

Takeya (Actives Series)

Good handle
Attached spout cover
Recommended: This lid style has a built-in ice blocker

See Takeya Actives

Owala FreeSip Lid and Removable Seal

Owala FreeSip

Dual straw/chug lid, so you can sip or chug depending on how much water you need
Easy sipping for a straw lid (less air constriction)
Ergonomic (actually feels weirdly better)
Cover keeps the mouthpiece clean

See Owala FreeSip

Best Bottle for Driving

Hydro Flask 16oz Flex Sip

Hydro Flask Flex Sip

Sip-style lids are the best for coffee or tea during a commute, and this is one my favorites
Good handle
Easy to know when the lid is opened or closed

See Hydro Flask

Owala FreeSip Lid and Removable Seal

Owala FreeSip

Straw lids are great for driving because it's easier to keep your eyes on the road
Owala's FreeSip is one of my favorite straw lid options
You will likely need a cup holder adapter like this one with 32oz or 40oz sizes

See Owala

Stanley Quencher Handle

Stanley Quencher

Straw lid
Tapered base fits in more cup holders
Side-mounted handle makes it easy to grab

See Stanley

Best Bottle for Road Trips

Any of the bottles listed under "Best Bottle for Driving" are good options here, but I'd also consider having a 2nd larger bottle on hand for refills.

Hydro Flask Growler

Hydro Flask Growler

The large 64oz size makes it a good option for refilling a smaller bottle that you keep in your cup holder
However, this bottle is too large to be used as a stand-alone bottle for most people and most situations, especially when driving
YETI and other brands also have comparable "growler" sized bottles, so feel free to check those out

See Hydro Flask Growler

Best Bottle for Home or Office

Stanley Quencher Handle

Stanley Quencher

The big side-mounted handle makes it easy to grab when you're just walking from one room to another
The always-open straw makes it really easy to quickly take a sip (though be careful of it getting too dirty)

See Stanley

Brita Bottle Filter

Brita Filter Bottle

I haven't tested many filter bottles yet, but of the ones I have, this is by far the easiest to use as an every-day bottle
It's a good option for extra assurance that you're drinking as clean of water as possible

See Brita

Best Bottle for Clumsy People

YETI Rambler Lid

YETI Rambler

Extremely durable
Good handle

See YETI Rambler

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth

Nalgene

Extremely lightweight
Durable and dent-resistant
If you somehow break it (not likely), this is an inexpensive bottle to replace

See Nalgene

Best Bottle for Iced Water

Owala FreeSip Lid and Removable Seal

Owala FreeSip

In general, straw lids are good options if you love sipping ice-cold water from your bottle without having to worry about any ice coming out
Owala is one of my favorite straw lid options right now

See Owala FreeSip

EcoVessel Strainer

EcoVessel

One of EcoVessel's key features is a built-in strainer that serves as an ice blocker
Vesmoon is another option with a strainer, or you can look at Takeya's ice strainer lid

See EcoVessel

Best Bottle for Fruit Infusing

Vesmoon Infusers

Vesmoon

This has the largest built-in strainer of any bottle I've tested
Good option to avoid plastic infusers

See Vesmoon

FlavorFuze Pod

This is our design, and we sized it to fit in nearly any wide-mouth bottle
Each comes with two lids. One is sized to fit snugly in Hydro Flask wide mouths and act as a splash guard. The other has a larger handle and is meant for drop-in infusing

See FlavorFuze Pod

Best Bottle for Tea Infusing

Steepware Infusers

Steepware

This bottle does do a good job at what it was designed for, which is brewing tea
The bottle is the right size, and the infusers are also a good size to keep your loose-leaf tea contained while giving it more surface area to diffuse into your water

See Steepware

Best Bottle for Limiting Plastic Contact

Healthy Human Lid

Healthy Human (Stein or Curve)

Healthy Human is a great option to avoid plastic because their standard lids have stainless steel underneath, making sure your water touches as little plastic as possible

See Healthy Human

EcoVessel

EcoVessel is unique in that it's the only chug-style lid I've seen that avoids plastic contact under the lid
Both parts of the lid have either silicone or stainless steel contact points with your water, but not plastic

See EcoVessel

Best Bottle for Easy Cleaning

Zulu Ace

Zulu Ace

One of only a few bottles I'm aware of that has a removable bottom so you can clean it from both sides

See Zulu Ace

Owala FreeSip

Owala FreeSip

Easiest straw lid to clean all surfaces where water touches the lid
Does not have a rotating spout, which is common in most other straw lids and is the most difficult part to clean
Easily-removable seal

See Owala FreeSip

Stanley Quencher

Stanley Quencher

Largest opening on top, making it easier to clean without needing a bottle brush kit

See Stanley

Best Bottle for Sanitizing Water

Brita Bottle Filter

Brita Filter Bottle

I haven't tested many filter bottles yet, but of the ones I have, this is by far the easiest to use as an every-day bottle

See Brita

LARQ UV Bottle

LARQ UV Bottle

Easy to use, but expensive
Requires charging
The UV kills bacteria and viruses, but it's not a filter bottle so it won't remove particulates

See LARQ

GRAYL Filter Bottle

GRAYL Filter Bottle

Not convenient for an everyday bottle
Good for filtering particulates, ideally when hiking or backpacking

See GRAYL

Best Straw Lid

Owala FreeSip Lid and Removable Seal

Owala FreeSip

Dual straw/chug lid
Easy sipping for a straw lid (less air constriction)
Ergonomic (actually feels weirdly better)
Cover keeps the mouthpiece clean

See Owala FreeSip

Hydro Flask 32oz Flex Straw

Hydro Flask Flex Straw

Removable insert that lets you clean around the spout more easily
Good brand with other interchangeable lids
Good handle

See Hydro Flask

Best Chug Lid

Takeya Actives

Takeya (Actives Series)

Good handle
Attached spout cover
Actives series comes with an insulated lid

See Takeya Actives

FJbottle 32oz

FJbottle

Magnet keeps the spout cap out of your face
Has a rigid handle and a carrying strap

See FJbottle

Best Sip Lid

Hydro Flask 16oz Flex Sip

Hydro Flask Flex Sip

Good handle
Easy to know when the lid is opened or closed
Easy to disassemble (though it does take a few steps and has more parts than some other brands)

See Hydro Flask 16oz Flex Sip

Many people prefer YETI's Hotshot because it has fewer pieces and you can drink from any side, which are both good points. But it's not my personal favorite because it does not have a handle and is more difficult to open and close because of how the piece you twist is recessed below the rim of the lid. With Hydro Flask's design, you can grab the outside of the lid and twist it which is just easier, and this is one of those small differences that you probably wouldn't notice unless you tried both side-by-side.

Part Two: Rapid-Fire Review of All 31 Bottles

Most are vacuum insulated stainless steel around 32 ounces in size, but there are some different types of bottles and sizes mixed in.

They're in no particular order.

1 of 31: Owala FreeSip

Owala FreeSip Lid

Owala FreeSip Lid and Removable Seal

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.

See Owala FreeSip

2 of 31: Stanley Quencher

Stanley Quencher Handle

Stanley Quencher Lid

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

See Stanley Quencher

3 of 31: YETI Rambler

YETI Rambler Lid

YETI Rambler Spout

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.

See YETI Rambler

4 of 31: Cirkul

Cirkul Flavor Pod

Cirkul Flavor Dial

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.

See Cirkul

5 of 31: Hydro Flask 32oz Flex Straw

Hydro Flask 32oz Flex Straw

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.

See Hydro Flask 32oz Flex Straw

6 of 31: Hydro Flask 16oz Flex Sip

Hydro Flask 16oz Flex Sip

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).

See Hydro Flask 16oz Flex Sip

7 of 31: Hydro Flask 24oz Flex Straw

Hydro Flask Narrow 21oz

Hydro Flask Narrow Flex Straw

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.

See Hydro Flask Narrow 24oz

8 of 31: Hydro Flask 32oz Trail Series

Hydro Flask Trail Series

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.

See Hydro Flask Trail Series

9 of 31: Hydro Flask 64oz Growler

Hydro Flask Growler

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.

See Hydro Flask Growler

10 of 31: S'well 25oz

S'well 25oz Narrow Mouth

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.

See S'well

11 of 31: Klean Kanteen Classic 40oz

Klean Kanteen Classic 40oz

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.

See Klean Kanteen Classic

12 of 31: Klean Kanteen TKWide 32oz

Klean Kanteen TKWide 32oz

Bump-Style Threads

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.

See Klean Kanteen TKWide

13 of 31: Takeya 32oz

Takeya Actives

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.

See Takeya Actives

14 of 31: Nalgene 32oz

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth

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.

See Nalgene

15 of 31: Healthy Human 32oz Stein

Healthy Human 32oz Stein

Healthy Human Lid

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.

See Healthy Human Stein

16 of 31: Healthy Human 21oz Curve

Healthy Human Curve

The Curve series is more ergonomic for some people, and it has some other color combinations and gradients.

Other than that, it's very similar to the Stein and use the same style lid.

See Healthy Human Curve

17 of 31: Camelbak Chute Mag 32oz

Camelbak Chute Mag 32oz

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.

See Camelbak

18 of 31: ThermoFlask 32oz

ThermoFlask 32oz

ThermoFlask 2-Pack

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.

See ThermoFlask 2-Pack

19 of 31: Iron Flask 40oz

Iron Flask 40oz

Iron Flask Lids

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.

See Iron Flask

20 of 31: Ozark Trail 32oz

Ozark Trail 32oz

Ozark Trail Lid

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.

See Ozark Trail

21 of 31: FJbottle 32oz

FJbottle 32oz

FJbottle Strap

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.

See FJbottle

22 of 31: EcoVessel 32oz

EcoVessel 32oz

EcoVessel Strainer

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.

See EcoVessel

23 of 31: Steepware 22oz

Steepware 22oz

Steepware Infusers

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.

See Steepware

24 of 31: Vesmoon 32oz

Vesmoon 32oz

Vesmoon Infusers

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.

See Vesmoon

25 of 31: RevoMax

RevoMax

RevoMax Threadless Lid

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.

See RevoMax

26 of 31: Zulu Ace

Zulu Ace

Zulu Ace Removable Bottom

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.

See Zulu Ace

27 of 31: Stanley Classic Thermos

Stanley Thermos

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.

See Stanley Thermos

28 of 31: Otiem Copper

Otiem Copper Bottle

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!

See Otiem

29 of 31: Brita Filter Bottle

Brita Bottle

Brita Bottle Filter

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.

See Brita

30 of 31: GRAYL Filter Bottle

GRAYL Filter Bottle

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.

See GRAYL

31 of 31: LARQ UV Bottle

LARQ UV Bottle

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.

See LARQ

1 Comment

What are the Best Bottles for Infusing (Fruit, Tea, and Coffee)

6/2/2024

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What are the Best Bottles and Accessories for Infusing Water with Fruit, Tea, and Coffee?

What are the Best Bottles for Infusing?

If you're like me, you get bored drinking regular, plain water all day. I used to be addicted to sodas, so switching from extremely sugary drinks to water was a big shift. The thing that helped me the most was adding my own flavors.

Now, technically sodas are flavored water with carbonation and you can also add flavor with enhancers like Mio, but for the purposes of this video I'm calling flavored water anything that gets its taste from more natural sources like fresh fruit, loose-leaf tea, or coffee grounds.

And at the end, I'll also give my take on two bottle brands that have more recently taken social media by storm, Cirkul and air up. (spoiler alert, it might not be positive)

Video Review: Which Bottles are Best for Infusing?

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

Links to Products: As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission if you purchase after clicking a link. It doesn't cost you anything extra, and it really helps. Thank you!

Adding Fruit Directly into Your Bottle (No Infuser)

First, I have to mention the most obvious way to flavor your water, and that's simply by adding fruit like lemons, cucumber, mint, or a whole range of other flavors directly into your bottle! This works well enough, but the problem is that you ideally would have some way to strain it so it's not a good option with most bottles.

The good news is that more and more bottles are coming to market with built-in stainless steel strainers at the lid. For stainless steel, EcoVessel is one brand that's been around awhile, and for glass, Mayu is a brand I've mentioned a few times on this channel. Just add your fruit, snap the strainer into place, and you're good to go.

It's also worth noting that these strainers double as ice-blockers, which can be a life-saver when driving in particular.

EcoVessel (Steel Bottle with Strainer)

EcoVessel (Stainless Steel)

$28 for the 32oz (as of 6/2/2024, on sale)
Small strainer included - snaps into neck of bottle
All stainless-steel interior
20, 24, and 32oz size options
Reasonable prices for a stainless steel insulated bottle
Triple-layer insulation
Spout lid to prevent spills
Includes a bottle boot

See EcoVessel

Sunkey (Glass Bottle with Strainer)

Sunkey (Glass)

$19 (as of 6/2/2024)
Small strainer included - snaps into neck of bottle
All stainless-steel interior
Carrying sleeve included (for easier handling and protection)
Not insulated

See Sunkey

Bottles with Built-In Infusers

Some brands take the built-in strainer a step further by having a larger strainer that screws into the smaller one, which makes it a better option for tea or coffee. It's also a good option if you want your fruit to be contained instead of free-floating.

Notably, none of the "major" brands that I'm aware of currently have bottles with built-in infusers, including Stanley, YETI, and Hydro Flask. We would not be surprised if they come out with options within a few years, but for now you'll have to go with lesser-known brands or add-on accessories (see further down the page).

The first brand I tried with a larger infuser was Steepware, but honestly I'm not too much of a fan of this bottle. It did the worst by far on an insulation test, and the handle isn't anything to write home about.

A much better all-around option is a new brand I came across called Vesmoon. Now to be clear, there do appear to be other similar bottles with the same size strainer coming to market, but this is the one I've tested in person and I'm a pretty big fan.

Unfortunately, Vesmoon was not available for purchase as of 6/2/2024. This is sometimes a problem with brands that are smaller and newer because the water bottle market is incredibly competitive But there are other options on the market today, and these ones by Hemli and Akvati look to be comparable.

Hemli

Hemli Bottle with Infuser

See Hemli ($28)

Akvati

Akvati Bottle with Infuser

See Akvati ($40)

Stanley Bottle with a Fruit Infuser

Now I'm not a huge fan of Stanleys, but I recognize many people love them. Unfortunately, Stanley does not have a fruit infuser bottle option at this time, though a good alternative is from a brand called Fimibuke. It's essentially a Stanley knockoff with a large built-in infuser for one third the price, and while I can't say much about the company or brand itself, the design and functionality look pretty solid.

Fimibuke Fruit Infuser Bottle

Fimibuke

Side-handle
Straw lid
Built-in fruit infuser (not good for tea or coffee grounds)

See Fimibuke

Best Bottle Infusers for Fruit Infusing

Llet's say you're in the market for an add-on infuser because you don't want to buy an entire new bottle. Well, there are a few options you can look at. Let's start with ones for fruit, which generally have larger openings that work well for fruit but not for loose leaf tea or coffee grounds.

FlavorFuze Pod Fruit Infuser

FlavorFuze Pod

This was our first infuser, and it's personally still my favorite. Originally I just sold it with a splash guard style lid for wide mouth Hydro Flasks, but then I added a second lid with a handle on top that makes it a great option for drop-in infusing in any wide mouth bottle. Honestly, I like the new lid more because it makes it more universally useful. I sized it as large as possible to still fit in bottles like 20 ounce Hydro Flasks, but that also means it can have a tough time giving you enough flavor in really large bottles like 64oz growlers. But in general, it's a good all-around option for most wide mouth bottles, and I'm really proud of how this product turned out.

2 lids
- Drop-in style with a large handle on top that fits most wide-mouth bottles.
- Splash-guard style that fits snugly in wide-mouth Hydro Flasks
Sized to fit the most fruit in a drop-in infuser in bottles like 20oz Hydro Flasks.
Can be too small to flavor very large bottles like 64oz growlers.

See FlavorFuze Pod

FlavorFuze Straw

Side Channel for Straw

FlavorFuze Straw

If you have a Hydro Flask or Iron Flask with a straw lid, you can try our FlavorFuze Straw version that snaps onto the straw. It's even easier to use, it just doesn't work with as many bottles like Stanleys or Owalas because those have thicker straws.

It doesn't have as good of reviews as FlavorFuze Pod, but some of those are from people trying to use it with different bottles. So just make sure you have the intended bottle so it'll work correctly. If you do, you may find this is even easier and faster to use than FlavorFuze Pod for your situation.

Snaps onto Hydro Flask straws and similar brands (like Iron Flask).
Does not fit straws from some other brands like Stanley or Owala.

See FlavorFuze Straw

Prodyne Ice Mold Fruit Infuser

Prodyne Ice Molds for Fruit Infusing

This one takes more advance planning, but it's pretty cool, literally and figuratively. Just add fruit and water to the mold and let it freeze overnight. Then in the morning, pop the fruit-cicle into your bottle.

See Prodyne

Best Bottle Infusers for Tea and Coffee Infusing

Now each of the add-on infusers I mentioned is made with either plastic or silicone, so let's look at some stainless steel ones, which can be used for fruit but are also better for tea and coffee because they have a finer mesh strainer.

FlavorFuze Steel Infuser

FlavorFuze Steel

Our FlavorFuze Steel is sized for wide mouth Hydro Flasks, and it comes with two sizes. It's ideally used when you're getting ready for your day and have time to leave your bottle on the counter while it's brewing because it can be difficult to add the lid on top of our infuser. But brewing tea doesn't take that long so it's usually still a great option.

Like with most of our infusers, we designed them primarily around Hydro Flasks, so it likely won't fit other bottles with different diameter openings.

See FlavorFuze Steel

RumbleGo Portable Coffee Infuser

RumbleGo Portable Infuser

RumbleGo is a drop-in style stainless steel infuser that's sized for wide mouth bottles like Hydro Flasks. It's designed primarily for coffee, but you could use it for tea (or fruit) as well.

See RumbleGo

FinalPress Infuser

FinalPress Portable Coffee and Tea Infuser

FinalPress is a portable french press you could use with any wide mouth bottle, but keep in mind it's not a drop-in style infuser so it's not good to use when actively driving or moving. But if you have time in the morning at your hotel room, campsite, or wherever you are, this is a good option to consider.

See FinalPress

Bottles with Flavor Pods (Cirkul and Air Up)

And finally, let's take a look at the two elephants in the room that have taken social media by storm recently, Cirkul and air up. They each have flavor pods, but they work very differently.

Cirkul's Flavor Pod

Cirkul's Flavor Dial

Cirkul's Handle

Cirkul

Cirkul's pod screws into the cap, and there's a packet of flavor that is slowly released with your water. Just know that with Cirkul, you're essentially drinking fruit-flavored diet soda without carbonation.

Good

Control how much flavor your bottle releases
Easy to change out flavor pods

Bad

High cost over time
More waste because the pods are disposable
The flavor tasted fine enough, but it didn't last as long as I would have expected
Lid and bottle look and feel cheap in my opinion
One of the worst handles I've ever used on a bottle
Contains sucralose
Harder to drink from than most straw lids, and it makes weird bubbling noises before and after you take a sip
The outside of the bottle I purchased feels plasticy even though it's a steel bottle, and it scratched very easily

I personally don't prefer to use Cirkul, but if you'd like to give it a try, here's a link to check out.

See Cirkul

air up

air up Knockoff on Amazon

air up

To be up front, I haven't tried air up in person yet, so I'm willing to give it a try eventually before completely discounting this one. I certainly like the idea of using scents to trick your brain into tasting flavors instead of relying on sugar substitutes, but I've also read a bunch of reviews commenting about how the flavors taste weird and the straw doesn't work well because it causes you to suck in more air for the scents to work as intended.

Good

Uses scent instead of added flavors from potentially harmful additives like sugar or replacements like sucralose

Bad

High cost over time
Aesthetics (my opinion)
Reviews I've read say it's harder to drink from than most straw lids because you have to suck air and water through the flavor pod for it to work.
There's apparently not an option to drink from the lid normally without flavors to avoid the more difficult drinking.

I didn't actually see a real listing on Amazon for air up. Instead, there are some listings from other companies who are being sneaky by calling their bottles names like Air Water Up Bottle to trick Amazon's search results while still technically being legal.

See air up's Website

See air up Amazon Knockoff

Buying a water bottle?
Keep us in mind!

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

See Our Store

See BottlePro's Amazon Store

0 Comments

What is the Best Water Bottle, and Which One Should You Get? (The Ultimate Guide)

7/7/2023

0 Comments

What is the Best Water Bottle?

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?

Content Overview:

Heads up, this is a pretty long post with a lot of information. Here's what we'll cover in case you'd like to skip ahead to a certain point.

Link to our video review (covers the same info as this article)
Part 1: Questions you should ask yourself before your start searching for a bottle
Part 2: Review of popular and notable water bottles and brands
Part 3: Our recommendations for best water bottles by category (hiking, commutes, tea, value...)

Our Video Review

Our YouTube video covers the same information in this post, so click the link if you'd rather see the video. Otherwise, keep reading the full post below!

First, a few things to note.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Part 1: What Questions to Ask Yourself before Looking at Bottles

What Type of Water Bottle Do You Need?

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Part 2: Reviewing Popular and Notable Bottles and Brands

Popular and Notable Water Bottles and Brands

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

Nalgene

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.

See Nalgene Listing

Klean Kanteen Classic (Non-Insulated)

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.

See Klean Kanteen Classic Listing

Klean Kanteen TKWide 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.

See Klean Kanteen TKWide Listing

YETI Rambler

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.

Downsides are definitely the cost, but also that these bottles are heavier than some comparable ones on the market.

See YETI Rambler Listing

Hydro Flask

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.

See Hydro Flask Listing

Hydro Flask Trail Series

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.

See Trail Series Listing

Takeya

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.

See Takeya Listing

Iron Flask

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.

See Iron Flask Listing

ThermoFlask

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.

See ThermoFlask Listing

Stanley Quencher

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.

See Stanley Listing

Camelbak Chute Mag

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.

See Camelbak Listing

S'well

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.

See S'well Listing

FJbottle

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.

See FJbottle Listing

Steepware Everest

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.

See Steepware Listing

EcoVessel Boulder

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.

See EcoVessel Listing

Part 3: Our Recommendations and Favorite Bottles

Our Recommendations for Best Water Bottles

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.

Best Water Bottle for Hiking

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.

Lightweight and durable

See Nalgene Listing

Recommend a pouch for bottles without good handles

See Nalgene Pouch Listing

Lightweight and insulated

See Trail Series Listing

Carrying strap and good lid

See FJbottle Listing

Best Water Bottle for Sporting Events

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.

Good spout lid

See Takeya Listing

Good spout lid

See ThermoFlask Listing

Good spout lid

See FJbottle Listing

Best Water Bottle for Road Trips

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.

See Hydro Flask Listing

See Stanley Listing

Bottle doesn't fit in your cup holder?

If you want a bottle that doesn’t fit in your car’s cup holder, like a large Hydro Flask in most cases, consider buying our BottlePro Max cup holder adapter, which fits any of the bottles on this list.

See BottlePro Max Listing

Best Water Bottle for Commutes

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.

Easy to disassemble for cleaning

See Hydro Flask Sip Lid Listing

Can sip from any side

See YETI Hot Shot Listing

Best Bottle for the House or Office

Best Bottle for Around the House or Office

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.

See Stanley Listing

Best Water Bottle for Tea

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.

Biggest built-in strainer

See Steepware Listing

Has strainer, but smaller size

See EcoVessel Listing

Sized for wide mouth Hydro Flasks

See FlavorFuze Steel Listing

Best Water Bottle for Ice

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.

Built-in strainer

See EcoVessel Listing

Straw lids are good for ice

See Hydro Flask Listing

Sized for wide mouth Hydro Flasks

See SplashPro Listing

Best Water Bottle for Fruit Infusing

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.

Built-in strainer

See Steepware Listing

Built-in strainer

See EcoVessel Listing

Drop-in lid fits in any wide mouth

See FlavorFuze Pod Listing

Snaps on Hydro Flask straw lids

See FlavorFuze Straw Listing

Best Water Bottle for Limiting Plastic Contacting Water

Best Bottle for Limiting Water Contacting Plastic

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.

Stainless-steel under the lid (classic, non-insulated only)

See Klean Kanteen Classic Listing

Stainless-steel under the lid

See EcoVessel Listing

Best Spout (Chug) Lid

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.

Wide handle, connected spout cap

See Takeya Listing

Handle and strap, connected spout cap

See FJbottle Listing

2-packs for better value

See ThermoFlask Listing

Easy-to-clean threads and impact base cap

See TKWide Listing

Best Straw Lid

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

See Hydro Flask Listing

Best Sip (Cafe/Commuter) Lid

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.

Easy to disassemble for cleaning

See Hydro Flask Sip Lid Listing

Can sip from any side

See YETI Hot Shot Listing

Best Value Water Bottle

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.

Lowest cost bottle in this article, and most durable

See Nalgene Listing

Includes three lid styles

See Iron Flask Listing

2-packs available

See ThermoFlask Listing

Inexpensive, and many features other bottles don't have (carrying strap, good spout cap, no-slip base)

See FJbottle Listing

Best Looking Water Bottle

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.

Sleek design and prints

See S'well Listing

Many colors, including gradients

See Iron Flask Listing

Many colors

See Hydro Flask Listing

Best Water Bottle Brand

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.

See YETI Listing

See Hydro Flask Listing

Best All-Around Bottle

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!

Buying a Large Bottle? Keep Us in Mind!

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.

BottlePro's Amazon Store

0 Comments

Do Bottle Cleaning Tablets Actually Work? (Testing on a Hydro Flask)

2/10/2023

3 Comments

Do bottle cleaning tablets like Bottle Bright actually work?

A Video Review

If you'd rather watch a video on this topic, check out our YouTube video. It covers most of the same information, just in a different format if videos are more your style. Or keep reading our post below!

Do Bottle Tablets Work?

One major problem with big bottles like Hydro Flasks is that they can be difficult to clean. We highly recommend bottle brush kits like this one because they make cleaning much easier and effective, but if you use your bottle regularly for coffee or tea, then you’ll probably notice stains developing over time no matter how well you clean it.

Bottle brush kit for large bottles like Hydro Flasks

Bottle Brush Kit

Highly recommended to help keep your bottle cleaner easier.

Flat bottom brushes are best for Hydro Flasks.

Get one with a straw cleaner if you have a straw lid.

The small detailing brush helps a lot with cleaning lids and threads.

See Pricing on Amazon

I had this problem with my 20oz Coffee bottle, and I wanted to put the stainless back in stainless-steel. Hydro Flask has these recommendations and best practices listed on their website. But instead, I wanted to try something that I remembered seeing on Shark Tank to see if it was the real deal.

I ordered a pack of Bottle Bright tablets to see how they work to get the stains out. They aren’t that expensive, and they seemed easier than using a homemade concoction. They’re made with ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and citric acid and are marketed as being completely safe and without any residual tastes or smells.

Before Picture: My Stained 20oz Hydro Flask Coffee

Testing Bottle Bright Cleaning Tablets on a Hydro Flask

Here is the inside of my Hydro Flask before the test, and you can clearly see the coffee and tea stains. I followed the instructions on the package, which state you should fill your bottle with warm water and then add one tablet for each liter.

One liter is just over 32 ounces, so given that I was testing this on a 20-ounce bottle, adding one full tablet was more than enough.

I dropped the tablet in, and it immediately started fizzing. After letting it sit for 30 minutes, I poured out the water and used my brush with some clean water to rinse the bottle to make sure I got all of the tablet residue out.

Did the Bottle Cleaning Tablets Work?

The tablet honestly worked better than I expected. Most of the stains were cleaned out, and it almost looks like a brand-new bottle as you can see from the images below. I didn't use any other cleaners for this test, so I know the tablet was responsible for removing the stain.

I took a quick sample taste of some water, and I didn’t notice anything that seemed off. Glad to know that my bottle won't have a weird aftertaste.

After Picture: My Cleaned 20oz Hydro Flask Coffee

Conclusion - Do Bottle Bright Tablets Really Work?

It's a pretty resounding YES on this one. Overall, it was a very good first impression of the Bottle Bright tablets. They simplified the cleaning process and took the guess-work out of the equation.

You could save a little money trying a different brand, and there are plenty of knockoffs available. But in our opinion, it might be a good idea to stick to reputable brands instead of buying from an unknown company on Amazon.

We hope this post and video has helped. We’ve included links to the products, and if you purchase after clicking the link, we earn a small commission. Every little bit helps our business, and we really appreciate the support!

Bottle Bright Tablets

These tablets worked really well for us, so we recommend using them periodically to deep clean your bottle.

See Bottle Bright on Amazon

Hydro Flask 20oz Coffee

This is our favorite bottle and lid (Flex Sip) for coffee or tea on the go.

See Hydro Flask on Amazon

Buying a large bottle? Keep us in mind!

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.

See BottlePro's Store

3 Comments

Narrow Mouth vs Wide Mouth Bottles - Which is Better?

12/1/2022

1 Comment

Are Narrow or Wide Bottle Openings Better?

When you’re buying a reusable bottle, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to get a narrow mouth or wide mouth bottle. Virtually all bottle brands have narrow mouth and wide mouth options, so this is something you’ll need to think about whether you’re looking to buy a Hydro Flask, Nalgene, or any of the countless other bottle brands on the market today. We’re going to review the main factors you should be thinking about when making your decision. And spoiler alert, we have a pretty strong opinion on this one.

Please note that some bottle brands have different terminologies. For example, Hydro Flask has a “standard mouth,” and that’s what we would classify as a narrow mouth design.

Links are given to the Amazon listings for each product. Thanks for your support!

Narrow Mouth vs Wide Mouth - A Video Review

If you'd rather watch a video than read our post, then check out our Youtube video below! We review the same information and give our recommendation on whether narrow mouth or wide mouth bottles are better.

Factor #1 – How Easy is it to Drink from a Narrow vs Wide Mouth Bottle?

One of the most common reasons that someone might prefer a narrow mouth is that it’s easier to take sips of your drink, and this is certainly true with the base bottle. With wide mouth bottles it’s not uncommon to take a sip of water and accidentally splash yourself in the face. Then don’t be surprised when your friends and family make an Airplane reference about having a drinking problem. Narrow mouth bottles help prevent this issue.

But if you have a wide mouth bottle, you can easily avoid this problem by purchasing a different style lid, like a straw, sip, or chug style. For Hydro Flasks, see our videos reviewing their Flex Straw and Flex Sip lids to take a closer look. Or get a splash guard, like a SplashPro for Hydro Flasks, or Guyot or Watergate for Nalgenes.

So all-in-all, there’s not much of a difference here between narrow and wide mouth bottles, other than the small cost you might run into if you’re buying a different lid or splash guard.

Lids to Prevent Spills

Hydro Flask's Flex Straw Lid

Straw Lids

Generally speaking, straw lids are a great option to prevent spills. But be aware that some lids tend to leak, especially through the air hole on top.

Pictured is Hydro Flask's newer Flex Straw lid offering that has several improvements compared to their original straw lid design.

See Flex Straw Amazon Listing

Hydro Flask's Flex Sip Lid

Sip Lids

Sip lids, as the name suggests, are great for sipping smaller amounts of your beverage. This usually makes them a great option for hot drinks like coffee or tea.

Pictured is Hydro Flask's Flex Sip.

See Flex Sip Amazon Listing

Tzuoieo's Chug Lid

Chug/Spout Lids

Some companies call these chug lids, while others call them spouts. But the design is usually pretty similar. You screw your lid onto your bottle like normal, but there's a smaller threaded cap that you can remove. This lets you drink from a smaller opening.

Pictured is Tzuoieo's chug lid that fits Hydro Flasks.

See Tzuoieo's Chug Lid Amazon Listing

Alternative: Splash Guards

SplashPro Splash Guard

For Hydro Flasks: SplashPro

We designed our SplashPro splash guard to fit around Hydro Flask Flex Lids (the standard ones that you screw on and off each time you take a drink).

See our SplashPro Listing

Factor #2 – How Easy is it to Clean a Narrow vs Wide Mouth Bottle?

First off, regardless of which bottle you use, we highly recommend getting a bottle brush to help make cleaning your big bottle more easy. But in general, you’ll find narrow mouth bottles more difficult to clean than wide mouth bottles.

Narrow mouth bottles limit the size of a bottle brush you can fit, and with smaller brushes, the bristles usually aren’t long enough to easily reach the spot where the bottle widens just under the neck. Wide mouth bottles can fit bigger brushes with longer bristles, so it’s easier to clean this area.

So when it comes to ease of cleaning, wide mouth bottles are the clear winners.

MOSOLAN's Bottle Brush with Straw Cleaner

Bottle Brush with Built-In Straw Cleaner

We like this bottle brush because the straw cleaner is easy to use and wash, and screws into the handle of the brush. It also comes with a smaller "detailing" brush that's great for cleaning the threads on the caps.

See MOSOLAN's Bottle Brush Amazon Listing

Factor #3 – Adding Ice and Flavorings

Many people like to add ice or flavorings to their water to change things up, but if you get a narrow mouth bottle, you’re really limiting what you can do. Adding ice is more tedious, and that’s if your ice cubes even fit. Some bottles, like narrow mouth Nalgenes, have really small openings that don’t even fit most standard ice cubes. And odds are you won’t have an easy time adding fruit or tea leaves since most infusers won’t fit. You can add liquid flavorings and flexible tea bags to narrow mouth bottles, but that’s about it.

Wide mouth bottles are much more versatile than narrow mouth bottles. Its easier to add ice, fruit and tea infusers, and other natural flavorings. Our FlavorFuze Pod fruit infuser fits great in most wide mouth bottles, and you can fit many common tea infusers as well. So when it comes to adding ice or other flavorings, wide mouth bottles are better than narrow mouth bottles.

Accessories to Add Flavoring (Narrow Mouth)

Mio Liquid Flavoring

Liquid Flavorings like Mio

You won't be able to fit larger fruits or infusers in narrow mouth bottles, so you'll probably have to stick with Mio or a similar liquid flavoring.

See Mio's Amazon Listing

Accessories to Add Flavoring (Wide or Narrow Mouth)

Be sure to check your bottle's mouth diameter before buying an infuser. But in general, most popular wide mouth bottles tend to have mouth openings that are at least 2.0 inches diameter. So get infusers that are less than 2" around and you should be good.

LULLATTI Tea Infusers

Tea Infusers

Brew loose-leaf tea in your bottle! LULLATTI makes a tea infuser that fits in wide mouth Hydro Flasks and other similar bottles.

See LULLATI'S Tea Infuser Amazon Listing

FlavorFuze Pod Fruit Infuser

FlavorFuze Pod and Straw

Get a fruit infuser for your wide mouth bottle to have truly natural flavorings each day.

FlavorFuze Pod has two lid: a drop-in lid for wide mouth bottles (opening at least 2.0" diameter), and a splash guard lid that fits Hydro Flasks.

Or try our FlavorFuze Straw infuser (different listing) that clips onto straw lids.

See FlavorFUze Pod Amazon Listing

What about the Cost?

You might be asking if narrow mouth or wide mouth bottles are more expensive, but the opening style really is not much of a factor. The variables that make the most impact on the bottle cost are the brand and bottle size, not the opening style.

Our Recommendation

So when it comes to deciding whether narrow or wide mouth bottles are better, our opinion is that wide mouths are the clear winners. They’re easier to clean, they’re more versatile when it comes to adding ice and flavorings, and you can make it just as easy to take sips as a narrow mouth bottle by getting the right lid or splash guard.

Do you agree with our recommendation? Let us know!

Buying a Wide Mouth Bottle? Keep us in mind!

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.

See BottlePro's Store

1 Comment

Which Hydro Flask Lid is the Best? (We Have a Favorite)

7/8/2022

1 Comment

Which Hydro Flask Lid Should You Get?

Congrats, you have a Hydro Flask (or are thinking about getting one soon)! It's hard enough deciding which Hydro Flask bottle to get, but have you also thought about which lid you'll use?

Hydro Flask has four (4) lids available right now on Amazon: Flex Cap, Flex Sip, Flex Straw, and Straw Lid.

In this video, we go over how each one works, what we like and don't like about each design, and how we use them.

If you'd rather read through the review than watch the video, see the written summary below.

Summary

Hydro Flask has four lid options, and you might be asking which lid is best for you. We've reviewed and tested each lid extensively, and here's what we think. Links are in the description.

Which one is best for you? Well, it depends on how you want to use it, but we can tell you how we like to use them.

We like using a Flex Cap with a SplashPro in our largest bottles when we're doing something active. We find it easier to get smooth pours and bigger gulps of water while also keeping water out of your face.
For sipping at work or in the car, we like using Flex Straw with a FlavorFuze Straw infuser to add some flavor.
And for coffee and tea in the morning, we prefer to use the Flex Sip lid with a smaller Hydro Flask like a 16oz.
The only lid we recommend against using is the original straw lid. If you want a straw lid, just get the Flex Straw.

Flex Cap

Hydro Flask Flex Cap Lid

First is the Flex Cap, which is their "standard" lid.

Pros:

Simple to clean.
Nice handle for easy carrying.
Insulated (better than the other lids).

Cons:

Unscrew the cap each time to take a sip.
Without a splash guard, it's easy for water to splash in your face. If you're using this lid, check out our SplashPro splash guard to help keep water and ice under control.

Our Rating: 3/5 Stars

See Pricing on Amazon

Make It Even Better with a SplashPro Splash Guard

Flex Sip

Flex Sip Lid

Next is the Flex Sip lid that was released in 2020.

Pros:

No need to unscrew the cap to take a sip. Just twist the cap to the right.
Keeps water and ice from splashing in your face.
It has the same great handle as the Flex Cap.
Insulated.

Cons:

There are a lot more steps to clean the lid properly. It's not hard, it just takes a little more time than you would have with the other caps.
Bulkier than the Flex Cap

Our Rating: 4/5 Stars

See Pricing on Amazon

Make It Even Better with a FlavorFuze Steel

Flex Straw

Flex Straw Lid

Third we have the Flex Straw lid, and this is their newest lid that was released in 2022.

Pros:

The spout snaps closed securely and doesn't leak.
Easy to clean.
Good handle.
Insulated.

Cons:

Not as easy to take big swigs of water as with Flex Cap.
Not much else. We love this lid, and it's our favorite one right now.

Our Rating: 5/5 Stars

See Pricing on Amazon

Make It Even Better with a FlavorFuze Straw Infuser

Straw Lid (Original Design)

Straw Lid (Original)

And last is the original straw lid.

Pros:

It's a little simpler to clean than the Flex Straw, but that's about where the benefits end.

Cons:

Bad handle.
Not insulated.
Leaks more.
More expensive for some reason (as of July 7, 2022)
Design feels like an afterthought

Our Rating: 2/5 Stars (Just get the Flex Straw)

See Pricing on Amazon

Also works with a FlavorFuze Straw Infuser

Want to take your Hydro Flask to the next level?

Check out our Amazon store for fun and helpful accessories, like fruit infusers, cup holder adapters, and carrying slings.

See BottlePro's Store

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How to Make Loose Leaf Tea in a Hydro Flask

5/4/2022

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How to Make Loose Leaf Tea in a Hydro FlaskPicture

Loose Leaf Tea in Hydro Flasks - A Match Made in Heaven

Many people search Google for things like:

How to make loose leaf tea in a Hydro Flask?
Can you make hot tea in a Hydro Flask?
Tea infuser for Hydro Flask
Tea strainer for Hydro Flask
Tea steeper for Hydro Flask
Making tea in Hydro Flask
Hot tea in Hydro Flask
Loose leaf tea Hydro Flask
Brewing tea in a Hydro Flask

We get a lot of questions about this too. Hydro Flasks are primarily used for water, but plenty of people would love it if they could have different flavors, like fruit infused water, coffee, or tea. In particular, tea is what we're focusing on today.

And check out our FlavorFuze Steel Mini demo video at the end!

Can You Make Hot Tea in a Hydro Flask?

First off, we'll put to rest any questions about whether it's OK to put hot tea in a Hydro Flask. The answer is, YES! Hydro Flasks are made with durable, food-grade stainless steel. Hydro Flask bottles are perfectly able to safely store your hot tea, or any other hot beverage for that matter.

Stainless steel is extremely heat resistant, at least for any temperature range you'd come across when making a beverage. There's a reason why Hydro Flask prominently markets how many hours their bottles can keep your drinks hot! Unless you're planning to put liquid hot magma in your bottle, you'll be good!

And unlike some concerns with plastic and even aluminum, from what we have found, stainless steel won't leach chemicals or pollutants into your beverage. Flaske has a great article covering more details about the question of "Are Stainless Steel Water Bottles Safe to Drink From." So does Elemental Bottles, where they recommend looking for bottles that are either made from #304 or 18/8 stainless steel (Hydro Flasks are made from 18/8). We highly recommend checking these articles out if you have any other questions or concerns.

Best Hydro Flask Bottles for Tea

You should also consider what type of Hydro Flask you want to use, since that can have an effect on which type of tea infuser will work best.

16oz Hydro Flask Mug

See Pricing on Amazon

A good choice for around the house. It's also easier to clean than the other options here because it's shorter.

The downside in our opinion is that it's not as great for taking a drink on the go as the tumbler or Coffee bottle. We prefer the handle style of the Coffee Bottle when traveling.

Drop-in tea infusers are a great option for these mugs.

16oz Hydro Flask Tumbler

See Pricing on Amazon

Like many tumblers, it's great for on-the-go people, particularly because the tapered bottom is more likely to fit in cup holders.

Our main beef with tumblers like this though is the push-in lid. We prefer screw-on lids (like with the Coffee Bottle) to give us that extra layer of security against spills.

Drop-in tea infusers are also a great option for tumblers.

16oz Hydro Flask Coffee Bottle

See Pricing on Amazon

This is our favorite. Hydro Flask calls it their "Coffee Bottle", but we use ours all the time for tea!

We just love having the handle on top to help carry it. And the flex-sip lid is fantastic. The downside is that it's a little tougher to clean, but a bottle brush like this one makes cleaning simple.

These are trickier for tea-making because the top opening is smaller. Read further for more info!

Tea Infusers for Wide Mouth Hydro Flasks (like the 12/16/20oz Coffee Bottles and also 32oz/40oz Bottles)

Now that we know putting hot tea in stainless steel bottles like Hydro Flasks is safe, let's look at the best ways to do it!

OPTION #1: MAKE IT SEPARATELY

Historically, the most common way to enjoy tea in your Hydro Flask has been to brew it outside of your Hydro Flask first. Then just pour the tea into your flask, and you're good to go. This is great for many people because they already have tea-making equipment.

You'll also need to go this route if you are using a narrow-mouth Hydro Flask bottle.

Standard Small Tea Strainers

You can find plenty of options for this type of tea strainer. This is a serviceable option when you're just looking to make a personal cup of tea.

See Pricing on Amazon

Tea Press for Larger Batches

Maybe you want to make a batch of tea for your an your significant other, or maybe you just want an easy option for refills later. Whatever your reason, sometimes the smaller strainers like in the prior example just won't make enough tea.

In that case, you might want to consider a bigger tea infuser, or even a tea press like the one here. Teabloom's tea press makes 34 ounces of tea!

See Pricing on Amazon

OPTION #2: MAKE IT IN YOUR HYDRO FLASK

You can save yourself some extra dishes and time by brewing your tea right in your Hydro Flask!

But this option can be a little trickier because not all tea infusers and strainers will fit in Hydro Flask bottles. The inside diameter of wide mouth Hydro Flasks is right around 2.1 inches across, so be sure that your strainer is smaller so it can fit!

Drop-In Tea Infusers

The Kitcherish drop-in tea infusers are listed as 1.5 inches wide, so they should fit just fine in wide mouth Hydro Flasks. And the cool part is that the chain has a hook on the end that you can rest on the rim of your bottle!

See Pricing on Amazon

FlavorFuze Steel

FlavorFuze Steel is a great option that is specifically designed for Hydro Flasks. It's sized specifically for wide mouth Hydro Flask bottles so it can rest on the rim, and the thin design even lets you screw on standard Hydro Flask lids! (though not the "Flex Sip" lids though unfortunately)

Our improved FlavorFuze Steel is almost in stock. We re-designed this year to look much sleeker and be more dent resistant.

FlavorFuze Steel is the larger version that's better for coffee, fruits, and large volumes of tea (like in a 32oz/40oz bottle).
FlavorFuze Steel Mini (NEW!) is the smaller version that's best for tea brewing in a 12/16/20oz Hydro Flask Coffee Bottle.

Both sizes will be available very soon using the link below, so check back in a few months or subscribe to our newsletter for an update when it's ready for purchase.

See pricing on Amazon

FlavorFuze Steel Mini Demo

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How to Clean Stainless Steel Mugs and Bottles

Best for Stains and Rainbowing (Not Rust)

​Video: How to Remove Stains, Rust, and Rainbowing from Stainless Steel Mugs and Bottles

Stains vs Rust vs Rainbowing

What We're Testing

Test 1 Setup: Corkcicle (Removing Rainbowing)

Test 1 Results: Corkcicle (Removing Rainbowing)

Test 2 Setup and Results: Contigo (Removing Stains)

Test 3 Setup and Results: Hydro Flask 16oz (Removing Stains and Rainbowing)

Test 4 Setup and Results: Camping Stove (Rust)

Conclusion

What about Bleach, Abrasives, and Cleaning Beads?

What is the Best Bottle?

What's Next?

Video Review: What is the Best Water Bottle? (31 Tested!)

Good Accessories for Most Large Bottles

Part One: Recommended Bottles by Use

Part Two: Rapid-Fire Review of All 31 Bottles

What are the Best Bottles for Infusing?

Video Review: Which Bottles are Best for Infusing?

Adding Fruit Directly into Your Bottle (No Infuser)

Bottles with Built-In Infusers

Stanley Bottle with a Fruit Infuser

Best Bottle Infusers for Fruit Infusing

Best Bottle Infusers for Tea and Coffee Infusing

Bottles with Flavor Pods (Cirkul and Air Up)

What is the Best Water Bottle?

Our Video Review

What Type of Water Bottle Do You Need?

Popular and Notable Water Bottles and Brands

Nalgene

Klean Kanteen Classic (Non-Insulated)

Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated

YETI Rambler

Hydro Flask

Hydro Flask Trail Series

Takeya

Iron Flask

ThermoFlask

Stanley Quencher

Camelbak Chute Mag

S'well

FJbottle

Steepware Everest

EcoVessel Boulder

Our Recommendations for Best Water Bottles

Best Water Bottle for Hiking

Best Water Bottle for Sporting Events

Best Water Bottle for Road Trips

Best Water Bottle for Commutes

Best Bottle for the House or Office

Best Water Bottle for Tea

Best Water Bottle for Ice

Best Water Bottle for Fruit Infusing

Best Water Bottle for Limiting Plastic Contacting Water

Best Spout (Chug) Lid

Best Straw Lid

Best Sip (Cafe/Commuter) Lid

Best Value Water Bottle

Best Looking Water Bottle

Best Water Bottle Brand

Best All-Around Bottle

Buying a Large Bottle? Keep Us in Mind!

A Video Review

Do Bottle Tablets Work?

Testing Bottle Bright Cleaning Tablets on a Hydro Flask

Did the Bottle Cleaning Tablets Work?

Conclusion - Do Bottle Bright Tablets Really Work?

Buying a large bottle? Keep us in mind!

Are Narrow or Wide Bottle Openings Better?

Narrow Mouth vs Wide Mouth - A Video Review

​Factor #1 – How Easy is it to Drink from a Narrow vs Wide Mouth Bottle?

Lids to Prevent Spills

Alternative: Splash Guards

​Factor #2 – How Easy is it to Clean a Narrow vs Wide Mouth Bottle?

​Factor #3 – Adding Ice and Flavorings

Accessories to Add Flavoring (Narrow Mouth)

Accessories to Add Flavoring (Wide or Narrow Mouth)

​What about the Cost?

Our Recommendation

Video: How to Remove Stains, Rust, and Rainbowing from Stainless Steel Mugs and Bottles

Factor #1 – How Easy is it to Drink from a Narrow vs Wide Mouth Bottle?

Factor #2 – How Easy is it to Clean a Narrow vs Wide Mouth Bottle?

Factor #3 – Adding Ice and Flavorings

What about the Cost?

Straw Lid (Original Design)