The Best Water Bottle Brands and the Best Water Bottles from Each

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No everyday carry kit is complete without a reusable, durable and leak-proof water bottle.

Water — the source of life — has been carried in portable vessels for years and years and years, going all the way back to goatskins and ceramic pots. But it wasn’t until hikers and outdoorsmen started to use Nalgene’s lightweight and durable scientific containers to carry consumables that water bottles caught on as an everyday and outdoor item.

The Rochester, New York-based company’s own scientists used its products for camping in the Adirondacks in the 1960s, and as the conservationist movement caught on in the 1970s, Nalgene started branding its products with the label Nalgene Outdoor — the modern-day water bottle had arrived. As the fight against single-use plastics continues, water bottles have expanded from the realm of camping and backpacking into everyday life.

No longer relegated to reusable plastic, water bottles now come in insulated, soft, aluminum and glass options. As the types of water bottles have proliferated, so too have the number of brands making high-quality, reliable drinkware for outdoor and everyday use.

Which bottle you'll end up picking depends on a few key factors: capacity, shape and materials. (There are, of course, other factors like colors and accessories like different caps, but these are largely subjective and dependent on the individual.) Price is always a consideration, but because many bottles are made with similar materials, prices stay within a reasonable range.

Most water bottles fall within a range of 16 to 64 ounces — anything smaller than 16 is probably intended for coffee, tea or other beverages that come in smaller amounts, while anything above 64 would typically be considered a growler. If you're using a water bottle for anything outdoors and want decent hydration, 24–40 ounces is a safe bet.

Many water bottles, insulated or not, follow a distinct design language: cylindrical, with a screw-on lid. Some water bottles are either slim enough to fit into standard cup holders, or are designed to fit into a cup holder while retaining volume — like the Stanley Quencher. If you're going to be spending a lot of time in the car, make sure you research whether a bottle will fit in the cup holder, or get used to it rolling around on the floor.

Many insulated water bottles are made with food grade, stainless steel and feature double (or sometimes triple) walled construction. Plastic water bottles are made with — you guessed it — plastic, which can be virgin, recycled, or a blend of the two. Reusable water bottles can also be made with aluminum, but this is less common that stainless steel.

Today, no everyday carry kit is complete without a reusable, durable, leak-proof water bottle. With so many brands to choose from, it's important to figure out which type best suits your needs. Our guide to the best water bottles of 2023 provides everything you need to know before buying a water bottle, highlighting the best brands and models based on volume, insulation, durability, extra features and more.

After a near-death experience in 2006, founder Bryan Papé realized his mission-driven purpose and launched MiiR in 2010. For over a decade, the certified B-Corp has created sleek, insulated bottles for consumers, as well as contributed over $1,000,000 to nonprofits worldwide.

Miir’s 23-ounce insulated bottle brings a design-forward approach to the simplest type of water bottle without using gimmicks or a fancy paint job. The bottle is made from 18/8 medical-grade stainless steel and doesn’t retain flavors; there’s no metal aftertaste either. The bottle’s cap is leak-proof and uses a unique handle design that makes it easy to grab and clip to bags, unlike those of many other small-mouth bottles. The less-bulky body size means it’ll fit in a cup holder too.

Purist Collective was formed with the goal of providing beautifully designed bottles with no aftertaste. By creating a material that transforms silicon dioxide into a glass interior, the young brand has already innovated the water bottle category.

Purist's stainless steel, vacuum-insulated water bottles make a case for taste. It lined the inside of each vessel with an imperceptible and unbreakable layer of glass that neutralizes the steely flavor you might experience drinking from other bottles. The company recently created the Scope lid, which swivels open to allow you to drink from any angle. The action is oh so smooth, making for a bottle design that's satisfyingly sleek and somewhat futuristic.

Hydro Flask is an award-winning pioneer in insulated food and beverage solutions, from beer growlers to lunch boxes and everything in-between.

Insulation makes drinking from a water bottle better — returning to a hot car to find cold water is all it takes to prove it. It comes at the expense of bottle size and weight, but in creating its newest line of water bottles, Hydro Flask figured out how to reduce the load by 25 percent. The result is a water bottle, available in 24- and 32-ounce sizes, that offers the best of both worlds. It's the only water bottle we found that strikes such a balance, making it worth the higher price tag.

Founded over 100 years ago by inventor William Stanley Jr., Stanley Drinkware has been a mainstay in the world of insulated bottles for over a century.

The Quencher has plenty of positive attributes, and a few drawbacks. It's designed to fit 40 ounces of your favorite beverage, while still being able to fit in a standard cupholder. The handle is oversized and easy to grip, and the integrated straw makes it easy to stay hydrated throughout the day — it's fun to drink out of. But with that extra volume and skinny base, comes some balance issues. The Quencher is top-heavy, and while that's not an issue if it's sitting snugly in your cupholder, it is out in the wild. This isn't the bottle we'd bring out on hikes or backpacking trips; it's too bulky. But for staying hydrated at camp or in the car, it really can't be beat.

Founded by pro snowboarder Jussi Oksanen, Mizu has deep roots in the action sports and outdoor categories and has made a name for itself by crafting hard-wearing, well-insulated bottles.

Insulated water bottles are preferable for their ability to keep contents cold or hot, but adding double-walled technology can quickly make a bottle bulky, even at lower volumes. Mizu’s V8 gives the best of both worlds, with a 26-ounce capacity that betrays its size and insulating capabilities. The V8 also earns points for the availability of different lid styles, even though its standard gives the bottle a beautiful and clean aesthetic.

Japanese mountaineer Yukio Yamai founded Snow Peak after being dissatisfied with the equipment he had access to. Since then, Snow Peak has built a reputation of quality and aesthetic appeal that is unmatched.

Snow Peak is known for its functional and aesthetically pleasing products (and its price). While this water bottle may not be the cheapest on this list, it certainly is the most stylish and is durable and lightweight to boot. The Titanium Aruora Bottle comes in five eye-catching colorways, is made from 1mm thick titanium and weighs in at 5.2 ounces. It holds 27 ounces and is durable enough for everyday use.

With possibly the longest brand history on this list, for almost a century Nalgene has been making reliable and cost-effective water bottles and hydration solutions for the adventurer in all of us.

Nalgene products were first developed for use in science labs, but the company may very well be responsible for bringing everyday water bottles into modern life and helping to reduce the use of throw-away plastics. Its water bottles have been widely used for years and remained popular even as insulated vessels carve out their space. The Tritan is Nalgene’s no-frills classic; it’s a hard-sided plastic bottle with a wide mouth, plastic screw-top lid and easily-legible measurements in milliliters and ounces.

Klean Kanteen is a family-and-employee-owned business with the mission to provide reusable, reliable drinkware for the outdoor enthusiast.

Klean Kanteen’s Wide Mouth Water Bottle is as fundamental as a non-plastic water bottle gets. Its body is made of stainless steel, which is flavor- and odor-resistant, easy to clean and BPA-free. Its lid is molded plastic, leak-proof, and nearly indestructible (meaning you can trust a carabiner won’t rip through it). The wide mouth can accommodate backcountry water filters too. Put a dent in it? Hammer it out and keep on drinking.

More volumes: 27 ounces ($18.22), 64 ounces ($29.30)

The leader in insulated water bottles, coolers and foodware, Yeti was founded by brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders in 2006. The Seiders wanted to create a cooler that would serve the luxury outdoor market and have since expanded to provide a number of outdoor goods.

Like Yeti’s coolers, its everyday water bottle, the Rambler, is an ultra-durable vessel that’ll keep a beverage cold or hot for longer than it’ll take to finish. Yeti’s double-walled insulation is constructed of high-quality 18/8 stainless steel. The leak-proof cap features a sturdy and simple handle design that has room enough for more than just a single finger, and its wide mouth means your nose won’t get in the way when your thirst calls for a chug. The Rambler comes in a variety of sizes and there's a full collection of lids to suit your preferred drinking style, all of which are interchangeable.

Inspired by the bounty of outdoor activities in California, since 2001 HydraPak has been making flexible and pliable hydration solutions meant to stand up to hiking, backpacking, biking and more.

Collapsible water bottles border on gimmicky, but a good one can stand up to the titanium-walled and insulated heavyweights with its unique utility. Hydrapak’s Stash is a good one. The main body of the Stash is made of soft and flexible BPA- and PVC-free thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), but its top and bottom are rigid plastic, which allows for easy drinking (despite the bottle’s unsupportive body material) and locks into each other when collapsed. It can also remain standing on its own when filled, which is the downfall of other collapsible bottles. Full, the Stash is as big as any other liter-sized water bottle; empty and collapsed, the Stash is less than a fourth of its original size, freeing up all the space in your bag that other bottles will continue to occupy even when empty.

More volumes: 25 ounces ($19.95)

Known primarily for its backpacking equipment, for over 40 years Osprey has also been making handheld water bottles, hydration bladders and outdoor accessories to get you on the trail and in the wild.

This lightweight 360-milliliter soft flask stows easily when empty and integrates into Osprey's Dur0 and Dyna series trail running vest packs and handhelds. With just enough capacity to get you from point A to point B, this BPA-free handheld bottle is perfect for quick hikes, runs and bike rides.

Mike Sinyard founded Specialized Bicycle Components in 1974, and since then, the brand has grown into a household name, offering bikes, components, hydration accessories and more.

Specialized’s bicycle manufacturing eclipses the fact that it’s been making sport water bottles since 1978. There’s a good chance you’ve quenched your thirst with one of its bottles too, as much of its business involves customization. The Purist is constructed with a glass-like non-permeable barrier fused to its interior, which prevents the malleable material from retaining tastes and getting moldy as other soft plastic bottles are prone to do. It’s also available with one of three different types of active valve lids.

Hydro Flask is an award-winning pioneer in insulated food and beverage solutions, from beer growlers to lunch boxes, and everything in-between.

Hydro Flask’s 64-ounce Beer Growler is a major upgrade from the glass jugs you’ll ordinarily find at breweries. Hydro Flask’s growler is equipped with double-wall vacuum insulation and lined with stainless steel, which doesn’t retain flavor and is easy to clean. Its lid is equipped with a rigid, easy-pour handle and is designed specifically to maintain carbonation, too. That helps if you aim to transport beer up a mountain or even just in the car to a casual gathering, and if your drinking destination is hours away, no worries — the insulated construction will keep whatever’s inside cold for hours and hours.

Best known for pioneering the concept of a hydration bladder, Camelbak has been providing hydration solutions for the home and outdoors for over 30 years.

CamelBak calls the MultiBev a two-in-one water bottle, but it has more uses than that. It's an insulated water bottle with a non-slip base, and its lower half includes a removable cup for portioning and sharing. The removable cup even gets its own lid, which is made of flexible, food-grade silicone. That stores inside the MultiBev's main cap, which offers up a third use: the compartment is large enough to hold snacks, tea or a small wad of cash.

More volumes: 17 ounces ($47.95)

World travelers Nancie Weston and Travis Merrigan founded Grayl a decade ago, after seeing the poor conditions and quality of drinking water around the world. Grayl's initiative is to make practical and durable water filtration solutions that can be used globally.

If you want to avoid relying on plastic water bottles while traveling or camping, you'll need a filter and purifier. Grayl combines both into its 24-ounce Geopress bottle. It works like a French press, with a purifier cartridge that uses ion exchange and activated carbon to remove bacteria, protozoa, viruses, chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants from your bottle. The whole process takes about eight seconds — and just a little bit of muscle — and each cartridge lasts for roughly 350 uses (that's almost 250 liters of water).

With a mission of offering taste-free and durable hydration solutions for life outdoors, Platypus has been making bottles, flasks and bladders for over 20 years. The brand makes the majority of its goods in the United States and has a world-class water laboratory for research and development.

Materials: BPA-, BPS-, and phthalate-free plastic

Capacity: 27 fluid ounces

Weight: 0.8 ounces

Platypus' soft flask-style wine bottle saves weight and preserves flavor on the trail. Whether you're backpacking or traveling, the PlatyPreserve's food grade lining, screw-on lid and ergonomic shape make it easy to have a quality glass of vino on the trail.