Honorable Mentions

bkr Spiked Big Bottle 1L for $60: Glass water bottles remain the cleanest, nontoxic, and greenest choice. Bkr’s signature silicone protects the glass from shattering but also adds an edgy, grippy texture. It won’t dent or clang against surfaces, and if you drop it in a crowded room, it lands with silence.

Ello Cooper Twist Stainless Steel Water Bottle for $19: The Ello Cooper Twist Stainless Steel Water Bottle is vacuum-insulated, double-walled, and designed with a screw-on lid and carry handle. The spout is a matter of preference, but I appreciate the ceramic opening, and if you like a chug cap, it’s a solid choice.

Camelbak Eddy+ for $16: The Camelbak Eddy+ is a durable, lightweight, recycled plastic bottle with a straw lid. Adrienne So has had several of these for years. Just be sure to let the chew top air out daily because it’s prone to collecting mold if left damp.

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

Pura Big Mouth Insulated Bottle for $46: Pura bottles are thin, light, and made entirely from stainless steel, so there’s no plastic or powder coating (which also means they may not withstand drops and bumps). They’re Made Safe certified, meaning they’re made without harmful ingredients. I don’t love the silicone lids, as they’re very thin and floppy, but you can unscrew the whole cap to sip right from the metal rim.

Avoid These Bottles

Water.io Daily+ for $100: This is a bottle that tracks your sips and reminds you to drink, which sounds great, but in practice, not the best. The battery life is short, lasting for 2 to 3 days, and it requires a proprietary charger. For $100, you’d expect more perks, like filtration or self-cleaning tech, but this bottle doesn’t deliver any of that. The water also picks up a metallic aftertaste that is far from refreshing.

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 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.

Liberty Bottleworks Uninsulated Bottle for $23: The cap of this aluminum bottle is weird, flimsy, and confusingly shaped. Our tester 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.