Open main menu

Water Bottles

Top Picks

How we choose: The best water bottles highlighted here were selected based on 418 reviews of 110 products. Our top picks are those that are readily-available in the United States and have received the highest overall ratings from reviewers.

How we test: Trailspace is powered entirely by our community of readers. The reviews posted here reflect the real-world experiences of outdoor enthusiasts just like you.

If you've used a water bottle that you think should be listed here, please share your experience.

Disclosure: Trailspace never accepts payment for gear reviews, product placement, or editorial coverage. When you buy through affiliate links on our site, Trailspace may earn a small commission, which helps cover the costs of running the site.

Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic

user rating: 5 of 5 (2 reviews)

Keep your cold beverages cold and your hot ones hot...

Reasons to Buy

  • Easy to drink from
  • Keeps cold/hot all day
  • Lightweight for what it is

Reasons to Avoid

  • Dents easily
  • May find hard to wash
  • Some may miss a sport top

The Klean Kanteen Classic, available in many colors. I received my Klean Kanteen as part of a prize package. I've been using it almost daily for over a year now and I love it. I take it to work and to play.   Klean Kanteen is a family- and employee-owned, U.S. based company that's been around since 2004. They began the reusable, stainless steel water bottle revolution. They state, "From the very beginning, Klean Kanteens have been built with love— the love of adventure, the love of conserving wild places and the love of replacing single-use plastic." I think that says it all.

Read more: Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic reviews (2)

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle

user rating: 5 of 5 (8 reviews)

Nalgene 32 Ounce Wide Mouth Glow in the Dark (green) water bottle:

Reasons to Buy

  • Indestructible
  • GLOWS in the dark
  • Wide mouth
  • Good in winter camping
  • Good for hiking

Reasons to Avoid

  • The blue Glow in the Dark is rare
  • Not for use at -40° below expeditions

Front Rear I don't know how to get the camera to show glow in the dark. Capacity 32 oz (1 Liter?) Colors Green Blue (these are very hard to find) Ease of Use Can open with mittens on. Has a leash on the bottle top so you don't lose it. Water purification filters and Steripen work with it. FEATURES BPA-free Glow in the dark Wide Top with leash - you can torque it down for a good seal Construction & Durability I dropped one over 50 feet down the ledge and it wasn't cracked, chipped, or leaked.

Read more: Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle reviews (8)

Platypus Platy Bottle

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (11 reviews)

An essential piece of my gear and I never leave home for the backcountry without it. This simple water container has good capacity, is compact, and has proven to be reliable. It is also compatible with other gear like my Sawyer Squeeze water filter.

Reasons to Buy

  • Good capacity
  • Compact
  • Reliable
  • Inexpensive

Reasons to Avoid

  • A little difficult to clean

Why write a review about a water bottle? Well, for me, these Platypus 2 liter water bottles are some essential pieces of my gear that I never leave home for the backcountry without. I like to stay hydrated. These container come in various sizes from 1L to 3L. If find the 2L size ideal for my needs. If I need to carry more water, I just bring two 2L containers. The bottle has clear markings on the side so that it is easy to see how much liquid you are carrying at any time. The Platy is easy to use with a simple screw on cap.

Read more: Platypus Platy Bottle reviews (11)

CamelBak Better Bottle .75 Liter

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (6 reviews)

Solid, tough, good for staying hydrated. Compatible with the Camelbak All Clear.

Reasons to Buy

  • Tough
  • Easy to slurp down a lot of water
  • No BPAs

Reasons to Avoid

  • Bite valve?
  • A bit heavier than a hydration bladder

Just a water bottle, of course, but a well-designed and efficient one. I bought the Camelbak All Clear UV system, which comes complete with the same bottle, but with only a standard top with no bite valve. The idea was to swap the tops after treatment so I'd have two bottles, and it worked perfectly. Now, one has the standard solid lid that comes with the All Clear and the other has the 'Better Bottle with wide-bore straw and bit valve. I suspect the bite valve will be the weak point but it does work well, allowing you to get enough water easily without gulping it.

Read more: CamelBak Better Bottle .75 Liter reviews (6)

Platypus SoftBottle

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (8 reviews)

The Platypus SoftBottle caught my attention as something practical for excursions requiring lightweight, tightly packed gear. I admit that I really thought I could get the bottle to leak. As it turns out, the bottle soared to the top of my list of water bottles to carry for any excursion.

Reasons to Buy

  • Durable
  • Lightweight
  • Small

Reasons to Avoid

  • It passed all my tests and I'm not going to make up something—there are no cons.

One liter equals about 34 ounces. In a Platypus 1L soft bottle, weighing in at a hefty 1.2 ounces, the total weight tips the scale at a little over two pounds. I suppose you could go lighter, like carry water in a plastic sandwich bag, but you will get wet. I bought the 1L Platypus (I’ll simply call it the 1L from here on out) for a mission trip to Alaska, wanting to pack a carry-on as lightly as I could. After handling it a bit and rolling it up, I wasn’t so sure that I could trust the keeping of water in it.

Read more: Platypus SoftBottle reviews (8)

Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1 review)

Klean Kanteen's Insulated TKWide stands out among the plethora of vacuum insulated bottles on the market. It's non-leaking (with Café Cap or other leakproof options) and keeps drinks hot or cold for long hours. Made from stainless steel it's easy to keep clean and comes in a range of sizes and colors. In a world overflowing with water bottle options, the Insulated TKWide stands out as a good-looking, well made, everyday bottle for anyone on-the-go to work, school, errands, sports (if you're able to go anywhere), or for keeping drinks hot or cold while working or hanging at home.

Reasons to Buy

  • Keeps drinks hot or cold for hours
  • Wide mouth excellent for adding ice cubes
  • Easy to clean
  • No leaks with Café Cap
  • Durable and well made
  • Five sizes (12oz, 16oz, 20oz, 32oz, 64oz)
  • Looks good—colors and style

Reasons to Avoid

  • Cost (16 oz is $29.95)
  • Do you need another water bottle?

I actually assigned this 16-fluid-ounce bottle to my middle-school-age daughter to test. Middle schoolers are really into water bottles (no joke). She already has a large 64-ounce Hydro Flask she loves, but despite our extensive home collection of bottles has wanted a smaller bottle with the cafe style cap for years. So this review is from both of us. 16-fluid-ounce Insulated TKWide with Café Cap in melon punch The Bottle (What's so special about another water bottle?) I often think "not another water bottle!" when I hear about yet another water bottle on the market.

Read more: Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide review (1)

Platypus PlatyPreserve

user rating: 5 of 5 (2 reviews)

I like wine!! A lot. And have no qualms about taking it on short backpacking trips.

Reasons to Buy

  • Lightweight
  • Sturdy
  • No plastic taste
  • Seals tight
  • No corkscrew required

I must confess, that one of my favorite parts of overnight trips is "happy hour." And a nice glass of wine to accompany your Packit Gourmet or Good To-Go dinner, is a nice luxury. On short trips (2-4 days), I have no problem hauling a bit of the grape with me. But schlepping a real bottle of wine has issues for backpackers. Even empty, the glass bottle is heavy. And there's always the possibility that the bottle could break somehow. And then there's the corkscrew issue. Fortunately, Platypus has come up with an ingenious product to keep your wine safe and fresh, the PlatyPreserve.

Read more: Platypus PlatyPreserve reviews (2)

CamelBak Chute Mag Insulated Stainless Steel

user rating: 5 of 5 (1 review)

One-litre insulated water bottle with wide mouth and double cap with narrow aperture for drinking

Reasons to Buy

  • Large capacity (32 oz or 0.95 litres)
  • Insulated
  • Wide mouth to facilitate cleaning
  • Double cap with narrow aperture for drinking
  • Magnetic feature which keeps drinking cap out of the way when drinking

Reasons to Avoid

  • Weight

  The CamelBak Chute Mag 32 oz insulated stainless steel bottle I bought this bottle for walks in warm weather. On warm days you need extra water, so I wanted a one-litre bottle. I wanted it to be insulated because water in a single-walled bottle becomes unpleasantly warm after a few hours in the sun. This bottle fitted the bill. I was also attracted by its double cap. I like bottles with a wide mouth to facilitate drying and cleaning, but it is more straightforward to drink from a bottle with a small aperture.

Read more: CamelBak Chute Mag Insulated Stainless Steel review (1)

Klean Kanteen 27oz Classic

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (7 reviews)

A durable steel bottle, with some ecological merits, a choice of lids and available in a selection of attractive colours.

Reasons to Buy

  • Stainless
  • Long life
  • Bottle body is easy to clean
  • Pretty colours
  • Fits in my car cup holders
  • Spare parts available

Reasons to Avoid

  • Sports cap leaks
  • -and needs careful cleaning.
  • Some spares are good value—some not so much
  • Paint finishes can be fragile

I bought this bottle eight years ago. It generally lives in my car, with the sport cap attached. I also have a loop-top leakproof cap, but never take the bottle backpacking, so never use that cap. I like the choice of colours. The paint isn't very durable—and would be a real mess if heated on the stove (buy the unpainted version, if you plan to take this product on a serious backcountry trip). Sports caps are fairly ubiquitous now, but work best on the kind of flexible plastic bottles that cyclists use.

Read more: Klean Kanteen 27oz Classic reviews (7)

GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist

user rating: 4 of 5 (2 reviews)

The Microlite 1000 Twist is a double-walled steel bottle that holds a liter of...whatever. It is a very effective insulator for keeping things cold (and presumably hot, though I have only used it in hot weather). It is lightweight, durable, and different in some key ways than some of its competitors. It’s a worthy choice if you’re looking for an insulated steel bottle that’s slightly lighter weight and less expensive.

Reasons to Buy

  • Lightweight
  • Reasonably priced
  • Well-insulated
  • Seemingly durable

Reasons to Avoid

  • The attached top might annoy some people
  • Opening narrower than some other options
  • Rim isn’t as rounded as some other options

INTRODUCTION Insulated steel bottles have become increasingly popular due to chemical risks and environmental concerns about using plastic. Insulated bottles also have the benefit of keeping your cold stuff cold or hot stuff hot in the winter. On the downside, steel bottles very often weigh quite a bit more than plastic and usually cost more. GSI Outdoors’ Microlight 1000 Twist is relatively lightweight and moderately less expensive than some of its insulated steel competitors.   SIZE/WEIGHT Quality HDPE liter-sized bottles weigh six or seven ounces, which no insulated steel bottle can match.

Read more: GSI Outdoors Microlite 1000 Twist reviews (2)

More Reviews of Water Bottles

Trailspace reviewers have shared 418 reviews of 110 different water bottles.

Show All »

or add yours

Other Types of Water Storage

Find more water storage reviewed in these related categories:

Hydration Reservoirs

Buckets and Sinks

Water Storage Containers

+2 more types

Review Your Outdoor Gear

If you've found this site helpful — or if we've missed something important — please consider paying it forward by some of your favorite outdoor gear.

Why? From professional gearheads to outdoor novices, everyone has an important point of view to contribute. will support the outdoor community and help others find the best gear.

Trailspace reviewers are outdoor enthusiasts like you: hikers, climbers, paddlers, backcountry skiers, and trail runners who share our experiences with the gear and clothing we rely on to get outside. Learn more about Trailspace