Are you drinking enough water? Chances are, you’re not—and a reusable water bottle can help. But finding the right one is a tall order! Consumer Reports experts checked out reusable water bottles, and we give the lowdown on the best kind for kids, the gym, and everything in between.
You want a water bottle that makes it easy to stay hydrated. So Consumer Reports looked at a lot of different bottles and a lot of different key factors, like whether a bottle leaked and how easy it was to clean and tote around. We also assessed how it handles drops and falls.
“Easy to clean” is relative—it could mean that the bottle is dishwasher-safe or that it just doesn’t have a lot of pieces with hard-to-reach areas.
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Take the 14-ounce CamelBak Eddy+, $15: It’s completely leakproof and spillproof, thanks to a straw piece that doesn’t detach. But that piece is a bit more challenging to clean.
If that’s a deal breaker, the budget-friendly 14-ounce Contigo Trekker Kids, $12 for a two-pack, strikes the right balance between kid-friendly and easy-to-clean.
If durability is your main concern, look no further than the Yeti Ramblers. Both the 12-ounce Rambler Jr, $25, and the 18-ounce Rambler, $30, are almost indestructible, keep drinks cold for more than 36 hours, and are super-easy to clean.
The Yeti is a pretty solid and heavy water bottle, so if you have smaller kids or you want something that’s really easy to tote around or take to the gym, you might want to consider something lighter.
For example, the 24-ounce Hydro Flask Wide Mouth With Straw Lid, $40, weighs less than a pound, keeps your water cold, and fits perfectly into most cup holders.
If ice-cold water isn’t a top priority, Consumer Reports says you can save some money and score the 26-ounce Sundried Water Bottle for $6. It has a silicone mouthpiece that’s easy to drink from and clean.
For those who are into bicycling, Consumer Reports also checked out water bottles designed to fit into a bike’s water bottle cage. You want to make sure the bottle fits snugly in the cage but not so snugly that it’s hard to grab while you’re in motion. A bottle that’s lightweight and insulated makes the journey more pleasant, too.