The best reusable water bottles of 2026: Shop Stanley, Owala and more
Not all water bottles are created equal — these are the best ones.
Bink Day Bottle
$24.99
$38.00
Whatever your motivation is for buying a new reusable water bottle, there are a few key factors to keep in mind when shopping. To find the best reusable water bottles, I spoke with experts about what to look for in a high-quality reusable water bottle. Here’s what they recommend I keep in mind while curating this list:
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Based on expert advice, most of the water bottles we recommend are stainless steel, but we also included a few that are plastic or glass. Most of the water bottles on our list also have several lid options to choose from. Lastly, some of the bottles on this list are suitable for holding hot drinks, while others are not, which you should keep in mind if you like beverages like tea.
Owala sent a few samples of their bottles to the NBC Select staff to try, including the FreeSip water bottle, which comes in 21 bright and neutral colorways. This particular model is a favorite of NBC Select commerce editor Lindsay Schneider. “It has a dual-sipping system that I really like,” she says. “You can sip through the straw or throw your head back and sip like you would out of a glass, so it’s really versatile.” The bottle is available in a range of sizes and color combinations. Plus, the bottle’s dual-wall insulation helps keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours at a time, according to the brand. The bottle is not suitable for hot drinks, however, according to the brand.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 16, 24, 32, 40 oz. | Colorways: 21 | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Only cold | Dishwasher-safe: Only the lid (hand wash bottle)
The Stanley Quencher Flowstate Tumbler, commonly referred to as “the Stanley,” is arguably the most popular water bottle on this list. It’s hugely popular, in part, because of its size options, which range up to 64 ounces, though only bottles that are 30 ounces and above have handles. It can also keep beverages cold for hours, according to the brand. “I think it’s super stylish, I love the colors and I even have a little flower accessory on top to keep the straw closed,” says NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio. “I also think it’s really functional because it has a handle that makes it super easy to carry around.” The bottle is suitable for iced, cold and hot drinks, according to the brand.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 14, 20, 30, 40 and 64 oz, | Colorways: 30+ | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Another glass option that’s very popular right now, the Bink water bottle has a silicone cover and a screw-on lid with a handle. The silicone covers almost all of the water bottle, except for a long window of exposed glass with time markings, referred to as a hydration tracking system, to show you how much progress you’re making as you drink throughout the day. The bottle’s made of borosilicate glass, which is both heat-resistant and extremely durable, especially as it relates to drink and cookware. Pros: Has hydration tracking, Silicone covering, Comes in many colors, Something to note: May be prone to breaking
The Simple Modern summit water bottle is highly customizable — it’s available in sizes ranging from 14 ounces to 40 ounces and with both flip straw and chug lids. Plus, it comes in over 20 different shades and patterns. It’s made of stainless steel and has double-wall vacuum insulation to keep drinks cold, though the brand doesn’t recommend using it with hot or carbonated beverages. The bottle has a 4.7-star average rating from 1,015 reviews on Amazon.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 14, 18, 22, 32 and 40 oz. | Colorways: 20+ | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Only cold | Dishwasher-safe: Only the lid (hand wash bottle)
While many bottles are plastic or steel, this Bkr bottle has a glass construction and removable silicone sleeve, which comes in several muted shades, like pink and mint. “This is the water bottle I use at home, especially when gardening in the backyard,” says NBC Select SEO editor Nikki Brown. “I prefer glass over plastic because it motivates me to take better care of the bottle.” The water bottle is easy to take apart and clean by hand— the silicone covering slides on and off easily. Plus, the bottle is dishwasher safe, according to the brand. You can also use the carry loop on the leak-proof cap to attach the water bottle to a bag for easy portability. The bottle is fine to use with hot or cold drinks, according to the brand.
Material: Glass | Sizes: 8, 16 and 32 oz. | Colorways: 16 | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Hydro Flask makes various water bottle styles, including this sturdy travel tumbler, which NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin is a huge fan of. “It holds so much water and keeps it cool all day. I love the squishy straw and how easily the top pops off when I need to refill it,” says Malin. The bottle is available in unique shades and different sizes, though only the 32- and 40-ounce tumblers have handles. The tumbler is also dishwasher safe and suitable for both hot and cold drinks, according to the brand.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 20, 28, 32 and 40 oz. |Colorways: 15 | Suitable for hot and cold: drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
The Stanley Iceflow Flip Straw Tumbler is another great alternative to the Stanley Quencher. I keep this bottle on my bedside table and I love the handle on the top. It makes it easy to carry the bottle, and since there’s not a bulky side handle, I don’t worry about it fitting in most drink holders or bags. You can also attach the handle to a clip on your bag so it’s great for everyday activities and outdoor hobbies, like hiking. Malin also uses this during hot yoga and other workout classes. “The flip up straw never leaks when I open or close it and I love that it has a handle on the top,” she says.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 20, 30, 40, 64 and 96 ounces | Colorways: 30+ | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
You can customize this NBC Select Wellness Award winner for best water bottle with different caps and lids, including a press-in lid (that slides open and shut), a flex cap (that twists on and off) and a chug cap. The stainless steel bottle is made with double-wall vacuum insulation that helps keep drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot drinks warm for up to 12 hours, according to the brand. The bottle is also a favorite of NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez. “I’ve been using my Hydro Flask for years now and after trying multiple options it’s still my go-to reusable water bottle,” she says. “My favorite thing is that when you screw off the top, the opening is large enough for ice.”
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 20, 32, 40 and 64 oz. | Colorways: 16 | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Yeti is a pioneer in the cooler space, so it’s not surprising that the brand also makes great water bottles. Available in eight sizes, the dishwasher-safe Yeti Rambler, like other bottles on our list, uses double-wall vacuum insulation to keep drinks hot, or cold for hours, according to the brand. If you don’t like the screw-on lid it comes with, you can buy other types, such as the bottle straw cap and the magslider lid, separately. NBC Select editorial operations manager Rebecca Rodriguez, who self-identifies as a clutz, says the tumbler’s Straw Cap has prevented many spills.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 18, 26, 36, 46 and 64 ounces | Colorways: 25+ | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes Dishwasher-safe: Yes
S’well bottles are made of durable stainless steel that can keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for 12 hours, according to the brand. The bottles come in several fun colors, patterns and sizes. It also has a condensation-free exterior, so it doesn’t leave droplets on the outside from cold beverages, according to the brand. The S’well is not dishwasher-safe, but you can purchase a cleaning brush to clean the inside of the bottle when you hand wash it. It also has a 4.7-star average from 2,812 reviews on Amazon.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 9, 17 and 25 ounces| Colorways: 30+ | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Hand wash only
This dishwasher-safe stainless steel bottle comes with a lifetime warranty and can keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours and hot for 12 hours, according to Takeya. It has a leak-proof spout lid that’s easy to sip on the go. Former NBC Select editor Christina Colizza has owned hers for years and says that it endured multiple falls on hikes and hard floors, without a scratch or spill.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 18, 22, 24, 32 and 40 ounces | Colorways: 10 | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
This ThermoFlask bottle, which has a 4.7-star average rating from 1,909 reviews on Amazon, comes with two lids — a Chug Lid that twists off and a Straw Lid that pops open — and is available in five sizes. If you don’t like either of those lids , you can purchase other options, including a Spout Lid and a Travel Mug Lid, separately from the brand. Like other bottles on our list, it also has double-wall vacuum insulation to help with temperature regulation.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 18, 24, 32, 40 and 64 oz. | Colorways: 5 | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Larq’s water bottle has UV-C light sanitizing technology, which is a great feature if you’re often in a hurry and don’t always have time to hand wash the bottle. The Larq technology sanitizes the bottle every two hours and eliminates up to 99% of bacteria and viruses, according to the brand. The stainless steel bottle, which has a 4.1-star average rating from 1,172 reviews on Amazon, is also double-wall vacuum insulated to keep water cold for up to 24 hours or hot for up to 12 hours.
Material: Stainless steel | Sizes: 24 and 32 oz. | Colorways: 5 | Suitable for hot and cold drinks: Yes | Dishwasher-safe: Hand wash only
If factors like temperature control, durability and ease of use are important to you, then you’ll want to consider each water bottle’s material and lid type when shopping.
Water bottles are typically made with three main types of materials: metal, plastic and glass. Mike Beckham, co-founder and CEO of Simple Modern, helped break down some of the major pros and cons of each. (Any mention of Simple Modern in this article was made independently of Beckham. We only asked him for guidance and did not ask him for product recommendations.)
There are many lid types on the market, and depending on the water bottle you get, you may be able to swap in several lids to match your needs. Three of the most common lids are flip-back, flip-up straw and screw-on — each has benefits, so it just depends what you’re using your water bottle for, according to Beckham.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I cover food, kitchen, home care, cleaning and other lifestyle content. For this story, I consulted four sources — some of whom are involved in the manufacturing of water bottles, others who can speak to their efficacy — about what to look for in a high-quality water bottle. The NBC Select staff also frequently test water bottles; I included their recommendations along with my favorite options in this list.
Morgan Greenwald is a former senior editor for NBC Select.
Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
