Owning a reusable water bottle is a great way to cut out single-use plastic and stay hydrated. Most people have specific preferences for their drinking vessels—nearly every WIRED staffer has their own favorite—so the best water bottle is the one you’ll use. If you’re unsure where to start, we’ve rounded up our favorites after years of trial and error and a lot of water.
Whichever bottle or brand you go with, remember that you don’t need to own a collection of any bottle—that defeats the environmental purpose of purchasing a reusable bottle in the first place. Also, be aware that some insulated bottles are made using lead solder. We’ve removed any picks that are manufactured this way.
Be sure to check out our other buying guides, like the Best Travel Mugs, Best Reusable Products, and the Best Recycled Products.
Updated May 2024: We’ve added the BruMate Era, Bkr glass bottle, and Lund London Skittle Bottle as picks, as well as two water bottle bags we love. We’ve also added the Pura bottle to our honorable mentions.
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How Much Water Do You Really Need?
Drinking water is extremely important, but there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to just how much we need. The old eight-glasses-a-day rule isn’t for everyone, but it’s a fine place to start. Talk to your doctor, who can assess your needs given your health and lifestyle. If you’re an active person, working out and sweating a lot, you should drink more, as you should if you’re in a hot and humid area. If you’re thirsty, drink.
The Mayo Clinic states that about 20 percent of your daily fluid intake should come from food and that—counting both from drinking and eating—adult men should get around 3.7 liters a day and women 2.7 liters a day. Drinking too much water can cause your sodium levels to drop to dangerous levels in a condition called hyponatremia, but that’s, uh, quite a bit of water. Sipping your water bottle all day shouldn’t be an issue.