The 5 Best Water Bottles For 2020

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Taking Away The Guesswork!

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the water bottles in aisle 12 of your discount/grocery/mall store in total and utter confusion! I have been here so many times, mostly feeding my addiction to all kinds of bottles. I just love having a travel bottle for every use, hot, cold, gym and beach. The thought of mixing my coffee in the same bottle as my water makes me cringe. So my cabinet holds a different travel cup for every area of my life. Below I go through my 5 favorite water bottles for 2020 to help you navigate like a pro!

What’s The Deal With All The Bottles?

What we experience in that moment in aisle 12 is called “overwhelm” or “information overload”. No matter what you want to call it, there is a MUCH easier way to venture into the water bottle abyss! Let’s begin by breaking it down.

How do I find the best water bottle?

I have found that if I focus on simple criteria, it is much easier to choose a water bottle. No matter what type of bottle you’re looking for, all bottles must rate high in certain areas for you to maintain ease and fluidity in your lifestlye. Who wants hot coffee leaking all over your white jeans (yup, it’s happened to me!)? You want a bottle you don’t think about; grab and go is my motto. I will not consider any bottle that scores low in these 4 criteria:

leak-proof
temperature
weight
price/value

Types of Water Bottles

There are many different types of bottles: plastic, glass, stainless, hard resin, ceramic. Some are insulated, double lined or lined with silicon to avoid breaking. Choosing any of these options really depends on what you will be using it for. I will show you, using our 4 simple criteria, how we can hone in on the type of bottle that will work best for us.

The 5 Best Water Bottles

1. Yeti

Yeti’s are a durable, stainless steel bottle. Your beverage will remain hot/cold for hours no matter what the temperature is or how long you leave the drink! I only use them for cold drinks, i.e. water and smoothies. Get yours here. The mug is just too heavy for me. It does not fit in my car’s cupholders. Pictured: bottom right. Overall Rating: 4+****

leak-proof: 5 stars
temperature: 5 stars
weight: 2 stars – on the heavy side
price/value: 5 stars

2. Contigo

Contigo is a solid bottle for hot and cold. It is made from hard plastic for water and stainless for hot liquid. You can easily use the stainless for keeping your beverages hot or cold.

Keep in mind that the plastic version sweats since the bottle is not insulated. This means your drink will not stay cold through the warmer weather. This definitely falls short on the grab and go motto. Pictured: top right. Overall rating is 4+****

leak-proof: 5 stars
temperature: 2 stars – the plastic version sweats
weight: 5 stars
price/value: 5 stars

3. Aladdin

Aladdin is the most utilitarian bottle around. It does what it has to do. It is hard plastic. I love the style as it’s tall and skinny so I can easily hold it, even when full. Drinks do not stay to temperature. We have dropped these bottles numerous times. They have chipped, but not split or leaked, so high marks for durability. Also high marks for leak-proof; as long as top is closed, this bottle does not leak. Pictured: bottom middle. Overall Rating: 3***

leak-proof: 5 stars
temperature: 1 star
weight: 5 stars
price/value: 3 stars

4. Tervis

I have 3 of these bottles. Two because they are our favorite NHL teams and 1 because it’s just cool! Tervis bottles are made of 2 layers of plastic that are fused together so they don’t sweat. Well, I’m here to tell you the fusing breaks when they are dropped and they do chip. So not so much on the durable for me! Another downside for me is that you have to purchase any extras like lids, handles, straws. These extras make them pricey. No matter what lid you choose, these bottles leak. Pictured: bottom left. Overall Rating: 2**

leak-proof: 1 stars
temperature: 1 star
weight:3 stars
price/value: 2 stars

5. Blender Bottles

In my world, there is a tie for this 5th choice. What I like about blender bottles is not the slinky ball thinger, but the volume of the bottle. Most have a handle so they are easy to hold. If I use the bigger bottle to walk, I throw on a silicon handle (if you don’t have these, get them now here!). The slinky ball thinger is supposed to mix your powders and liquids without clumping. This has never worked for me, thus it is not pictured. The bottles are leak-proof, durable and super inexpensive! Pictured: top middle. Overall Rating: 4+***

leak-proof: 4 stars
temperature: 1 star
weight: 5 stars
price/value: 5 stars

Extra, Extra! Stainless Store Brand

These 2 bottles are simply stainless. They both have screw tops and a flip top to drink from. They are light-weight, leak-proof and durable. These are my go to’s for hot drinks, specifically coffee. Be very careful with these as the drink stays super hot!

If you happen into my fave coffee spot and see this mug, pick up one for me!!! These are hard to find, but here’s a fun one that may work for you...click here. Pictured: top left. Overall Rating: 4+***

leak-proof: 4 stars
temperature: 4 star
weight: 5 stars
price/value: 5 stars

FAQs About Water Bottles

Which brand is best? Yeti’s design and fundamental use puts it at the top of my list for all my cold drinks, water, smoothies, iced tea. I’m still a fan of my white store brand coffee cup for hot drinks on the go.

What bottle is healthiest? Stainless is the winner here! There are no chemicals or harmful materials and won’t break and shatter. Find a stainless steel bottle that fits your needs, and you won’t need another for years to come. I suggest you start with Yeti!

What is the best insulated bottle? Yeti! All versions of these bottles keep your drinks at the right temperature for hours, no matter the conditions. This alone makes them worthy of the higher pricing, never mind the cool personalizing they do!

What is the best leak proof water bottle? Contigo wins in this category. Every bottle I have purchased, for hot or cold, has fallen from my hands and remained in tact! My bottles are used frequently, and, at times, are found at the bottom of a work or gym bag. I have never worried about them leaking.

Bottom Line!

You must choose your bottle wisely based on your own lifestyle. Any bottle you buy is a waste if you don’t use it. For example, my mom has a 30oz Yeti. I’m in love with this bottle, but mom says its too heavy, so it sits on her counter. She now has the smaller wine glass Yeti with the leak proof top, and uses it everyday for all her cold drinks.

Choose a bottle for your needs and lifestyle. Enjoy it. Be excited to use it. Habits form when we connect with the tools of the trade. Click a button to buy your bottle from Amazon.