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Best for Most People

A Tumber

For Filtered Water

Best Plastic Bottle

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  Photograph: Owala

  Best for Most People

  Owala FreeSip Water Bottle

  I've liked a lot of water bottles, but the Owala FreeSip (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the only one I've ever truly loved. No, really! I've bought myself two and gifted two more to other people. The beauty is in the top, which has both a straw—my favorite means of drinking—and a chug spout. Sip however you like and then cover both with the cap and lock it when you're done. It's a simple yet genius design. Owala's color options are also just plain cute.

  The FreeSip is insulated so water stays cold all day, even when left in the car during a Texas summer. I like the 40-ounce so I don't have to refill it as often, but it's also available in 32-, 24-, and 19-ounce sizes, as well as a 25-ounce plastic version and a kids' 16-ounce. The brand just released a slimmer, twist-cap version of the FreeSip in 18- and 24-ounce sizes that reviews editor Adrienne So absolutely loves. You'll find the most sizes and color options directly from Owala, but they're basically everywhere, including sporting goods stores and grocery stores.

• Photograph: Amazon

  A Tumber

  Owala 40-Ounce Tumbler

  Did I mention that I was obsessed with Owala? If you like the idea of getting a viral Stanley tumbler but don't want to risk lead contamination (more on that below), Owala also makes a 40-ounce tumbler. It's functionally the same as Stanley's, keeping your water cold all day, and it fits into most cup holders.

  Most people will likely drink from the straw, but the lid also includes a chug spout that can be covered when you aren't drinking. (We also like straw covers.) The brand has a 24-ounce tumbler ($28), but it lacks a handle.

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• Photograph: Amazon

  For Filtered Water

  LifeStraw Go Series 18-Ounce Filtered Water Bottle

  Not to brag, but my (Adrienne's) family lives in Portland, Oregon, where the water runs pure off the wooded mountains and tastes like crystals and fairy dust. This is also horrible because it makes traveling a huge bugbear. My 6- and 8-year-olds refuse to drink warm filtered water out of plastic bags or bottles, and neither of them will drink tap water anywhere else. Everywhere else, water tastes gross and funny and different, and we cannot have that.

  The LifeStraw Go kept my kids from turning into dehydrated skeletons. I took the 18-ounce water bottle on a recent holiday trip to New Orleans, where the water tastes like lead and Shell oil (I’m sorry New Orleans, but you know it’s true), and my family deigned to drink it. The stainless steel insulation kept water cool through an eight-hour flying day, and the slim profile fit neatly in the water bottle pocket of my bag. The giant filter takes out microplastics, and the carbon filter removes that coastal sulfur stink. (The membrane also filters out bacteria, parasites, and contaminants, so you can take it traveling or camping).

  You do have to suck the water with a little bit of force from the rubber nozzle, but gravity helps a lot, and you also don’t have to remember when to replace it, because the membrane will stop allowing water to flow through when it’s reached the end of its lifetime. I’m already planning on buying the larger size for backcountry camping this summer. —Adrienne So

• Photograph: Yeti

  Best Plastic Bottle

  Yeti Yonder

  Stainless steel bottles keep your drinks cold longer, and they're usually heavier-duty. But that means they're also heavy. Plastic, on the other hand, is light. WIRED editor Adrienne So loves the Yeti Yonder (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's BPA-free and made from 50 percent recycled plastic.

  It has a nice cap that should save your shirt from spills if you're really chugging. It's also easy to wash whether you're doing that by hand or in the dishwasher. So has dropped it and tossed it around, and she says it hardly has a scratch.

  $25 at Yeti

• Photograph: HydroJug

  For Maximum Hydration

  HydroJug Pro

  If you want a bottle to hold a ton of water, get the 73-ounce HydroJug Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends). WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe loves it for getting her hydration in, and she doesn't have to run to the kitchen for water more than once a day. Make no mistake, this thing is big. You won't be throwing it in your purse, but it does double as a 4-pound weight for bicep curls when full. HydroJug has nice neoprene sleeves with pockets and a carrying strap, which you can get with a straw in the starter kit.

• Photograph: Stanley

  What About Stanley?

  Stanley The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 40-Ounce Tumbler

  Every few years, a new water bottle takes the popularity award, and currently, that's Stanley. I get it. They're big, cute, and available in every color. We like the 2.0 version, which has a spill-resistant lid that allows you to drink from the straw or use the wide-mouth opening instead.

  However, recently it's come to light that Stanley uses lead soldering in the sealing process of its cups and bottles. The company confirmed that a pellet of lead is used in the manufacturing process to seal the bottom of the cup, but that it's enclosed in stainless steel. If your bottle falls or otherwise gets damaged and the steel cover comes off, you can be exposed to lead. Another brand we like, MiiR, also uses this method.

  The chances of your bottles getting damaged might be slim, but the consequence doesn't seem worth it. Despite Stanley calling it an “industry standard" practice, our favorite bottles here confirmed they do not use lead soldering.

• Photograph: Amazon

  Honorable Mentions

  Other Good Bottles

  Not every bottle is great, but most are still pretty good. These ones will hold your water just as well.

  Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Water Bottle for $35: Before Stanley took over, Hydro Flask was the choice of VSCO girls everywhere. Any bottle you get from them you'll likely enjoy using and they can take a lot of abuse without showing damage. Some may find the threads on the outside of the rim to feel a bit odd, but several WIRED writers like their Hydro Flask bottles.

  Klean Kanteen Classic for $35: Like Hydro Flask, Klean Kateen makes a fantastic bottle. The Classic is relatively light and holds up well, and there are a ton of other sizes that work just was well. The company also sells a ton of cap options if you realize you want a straw or a stainless steel top.

  CamelBak Eddy+ Renew for $16: Despite not being a hefty chunk of metal, the Eddy+ is thick and well-built and the flip-up straw is a nice touch. It's BPA-free and made with 50 percent recycled material.

  Nalgene Ultralite Wide-Mouth Bottle for $12 and Sustain Tritan for $14: Nalgene's are the complete opposite of fancy, but they're classic and so, so cheap. You won't get a built-in straw or a fancy powder-coated finish, but you will get a no-nonsense, tough bottle that'll last for years.

  Sigg Water Bottle Original for $18: Sigg's bottle is uninsulated, but made of stainless steel in Switzerland. The build quality is obvious in the details. The cap looks and feels like something Porsche would design. Without the powder coating, though, the finish just isn't very durable.

  Greens Steel Insulated Bottle for $16: This bottle is nearly identical to the once-popular S'well bottles, but it's a bit tougher and has a removable clip so you can attach it to a backpack. They're perfectly fine bottles. We just found them underwhelming and heavy.

  Miir Narrow Mouth Bottle for $35: This was our top pick for hiking or rock climbing because it's durable enough to last should it fall off a cliff. But Miir also uses lead in its manufacturing process, like Stanley, so maybe don't drop it.

• Photograph: Amazon

  Avoid These Bottles

  They Didn't Make the Cut

  As simple as bottles are, there are a few we just didn't like.

  Air Up Water Bottle for $40: This bottle uses scented rings to try to trick your brain into thinking it isn't drinking plain water. WIRED writer Boone Ashworth was unimpressed. It didn't actually smell great, and you can't use the bottle without one of those rings. The beauty of a reusable bottle is that you spend money once and get free water for years. Here, you have to keep buying refills.

  Zojirushi Flip-and-Go for $30: There's a complicated spring-released lid here that we don't trust to be as durable as a plain screw-on cap. The flattened handle is slightly concave on one side to fit against the side of the bottle, which makes it dig into your fingers when you carry it. WIRED writer Matt Jancer said he had to crush two of his fingers together to hook them through the loop in the handle. Even if you have small fingers, the shape is uncomfortable.

  Liberty Bottleworks Uninsulated Bottle for $23: The cap of this aluminum bottle is weird, flimsy, and confusing shaped. Jancer got his fingers stuck in it a few times and said it's uncomfortable to twist. The bottle's outer coating isn't as tough as the matte powder coating on others, and the aluminum felt weak. (He could slightly flex it with his fingers.) Also, unlike with a stainless steel bottle, the interior is covered in a food-grade coating. It's BPA-free, according to Liberty, but people who want to avoid industrial coatings should steer toward stainless steel.

• Photograph: Amazon

  Insulated vs. Uninsulated Bottles

  Understanding the Terms

  Insulated bottles are heavier and can typically hold less water compared to their uninsulated counterparts, given similar exterior dimensions. But the advantage is that they are typically vacuum-sealed to better maintain the temperature of the liquid inside for far longer periods of time.

  For hiking and outdoor climbing trips, you may prefer uninsulated bottles because it means slightly less weight to lug around. His concern is to have enough water rather than cold water. For everything else, insulated work just fine.

• Photograph: Getty Images

  How to Clean Your Bottle

  Cleaning Your Bottle

  Despite only holding water, bottles get gross. Mold can grow quickly, especially if you leave the cap on. Straws and mouthpieces accumulate bacteria, oils and grime from your mouth and any dirt and dust they pick up in your backpack.

  Some bottles can go right in the dishwasher, but be sure to take everything fully apart first, like any silicone pieces that can trap bacteria. For lids that have more nooks and crannies, we recommend hand-washing by soaking it in soapy water and then scrubbing.

  Get yourself a bottle brush and straw brush—many kits are available that include both. Even if you don't use straws, the smaller brush can be used to get into any crevices. There are special bottle-cleaning tablets around, but cleaning with regular dish soap works perfectly fine.

  Plastic bottles have a tendency to trap odors over time. You can fix this by putting a teaspoon of bleach and a teaspoon of baking soda in the bottle, filling it up with water, and letting it sit overnight. Rinse it out well the next day.