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Shopping for the best reusable water bottle feels a bit like trying to find a new home, job or significant other. The water bottle market is completely flooded, and the search for one often elicits more questions than answers. Is triple insulation that much better than double-walled bottles? How long will it really keep liquids cold? Does a spendy bottle equal a higher-quality bottle? And why are all Yeti products so heavy?
Hydro Flask vs. Stanley: Who Makes the Best On-The-Go Steel Water Bottle?
They both keep things cool. But which is ice cold?That’s why we’re here to answer some of the questions you may have about the big wide world of water bottles with the hopes of narrowing down your search. Read on to discover our list of the best water bottles for hiking, traveling or just everyday hydrating.
Best Water Bottles to Use in 2023
Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide
Klean Kanteen, which has been making reusable water bottles since the early 2000s, is one of the most recognizable names in the business. The brand offers bottles in a number of different shapes and sizes, but I prefer the 32 oz. wide-mouth design since the opening of Klean Kanteen’s Classic is on the small side. This particular Insulated TKWide 32 oz. bottle with a twist cap advertises that it keeps water ice-cold for 75 hours, which is impressive considering most insulated water bottles keep water cold for only 12-24 hours. Among the perks of Klean Kanteen is its versatility, especially with its caps. They sell various interchangeable lids, including straw, café, sport and loop caps.
Hydro Flask Lightweight Trail Series
Hikers and backpackers are likely looking for a bottle that’ll keep beverages hot and cold for as long as possible, but also one that is as lightweight as possible. Enter the Hydro Flask Lightweight Trail Series. This bottle is 25% lighter than Hydro’s 24 oz. and 32 oz. wide-mouth bottles, and significantly lighter than most comparable options on the market. The brand’s TempShield insulation keeps drinks cold up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours. Like Klean Kanteen, Hydro Flask has a couple of interchangeable cap options, like the Hydro Flip Lid and Wide Mouth Straw Lid.
Yeti Rambler Vacuum Bottle
Yeti is a heavyweight compared to many other water bottles, with the 26 oz. Yeti Rambler Vacuum Bottle weighing in at 1.4 pounds without any liquid. What Yeti lacks in nimbleness it makes up for in durability and toughness, which has become a hallmark of its products. I’ve had the handles and lids of many water bottles break, but never on any Yeti product I’ve owned. Unlike most water bottle brands, Yeti doesn’t aggressively publicize how long their bottles keep beverages cold and hot. However, you can typically expect a Yeti to keep your drink at an ideal drinking temperature for up to a day.
S’well Stainless Steel Traveler
S’well is one of the most recognizable water bottles, with its sleek shape and creative bottle designs. Most of their bottles, including the Original and Traveler, keep drinks cold for 24-36 hours and hot for up to 12-18 hours. While the Original is the classic S’well look, I prefer the Traveler, considering its wider design and mouth that accommodates most ice cubes. Most of S’well’s bottles are twist top, without a handle, so if you want a bottle that you can hook to your backpack, for example, you’ll want to look at the S’well Roamer.
Katadyn BeFree Collapsible Water Filter Bottle
This Katadyn BeFree Bottle is primarily for the hiker and backpacker adventuring where clean, fresh water is in short supply. The brand’s lightweight, collapsible one-liter pouch fits into a small backpack pocket until you come across a lake, river or stream where you can refill it. It features a 0.1 micron microfilter that is 99.99% effective in removing protozoa and bacteria to EPA standards, filtering at two liters of water per minute. The downside of course is that it won’t keep your beverages hot or cold.
Brita Filtering Water Bottle
Brita’s Premium Filtering Water Bottle takes the concept of the company’s well-known water filtration system and puts it into an insulated bottle format. It’s designed to filter out contaminants in tap water, unlike Katadyn’s more powerful filter system which can be used to purify water from outdoor sources. Like many of the insulated bottles mentioned here, this one keeps liquids cold for 24 hours. Brita recommends replacing the filter every 40 gallons, or about every two months, and sells filters in packs of three and six.
Takeya Actives
Takeya has actually trademarked the phrase “Best Lid Ever.” Takeya’s Actives series, designed for active lifestyles, features a leak-proof insulated spout lid with a Hinge-Lock system for the cap to be kept out of the way while you’re sipping. This solves that problem we’ve all experienced from water bottles with attached caps that slap us in the face while drinking. At the bottom of the bottle, there’s a removable protective silicone bumper, designed to minimize dings and noises from dropping the bottle. It’s touches like these that make Takeya’s bottles so unique. Like many of the insulated bottles discussed here, this one keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12.
Que Collapsible Water Bottle
The Que Collapsible Water Bottle is for those who care more about weight and practicality, and less about insulation and design features. The bottle has a 20 oz. capacity but weighs just 6 oz., and it can collapse to 4.8 inches from 8.4 inches when extended, making it great for backpacking, hiking and camping adventures. In its collapsed capacity, it can still hold up to 8 oz. of liquid. Made of food-grade silicone, the Que Collapsible Water Bottle can withstand cold and hot temperatures (up to 400 degrees). Just don’t microwave it.
Hibear All-Day Adventure Flask
Hibear’s All-Day Adventure Flask is billed as the Swiss Army Tool of insulated bottles. The 32 oz. flask is designed to act as a water bottle, pour-over, cocktail shaker, wine decanter and tea infuser all in one. It features an oversized steel filter for tea, a pour-over lid for coffee, a thermal core that doubles as a muddler, a cap that doubles as a jigger and a removable sleeve that has measurements on the inside that can be used as a mug or bowl for yourself or pets. Among the most unique components of it is the thermal core, which you can throw in your freezer before using it as an ice alternative.
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