7 of the Best Stainless Steel Water Bottles: Reviews and Comparison

Without a doubt, the Hydro Flask Standard Mouth is our pick as the best stainless steel water bottle. It isn’t the cheapest, but this bottle will provide excellent insulation and durability that will last for years.

Very close at second is the Klean Kanteen Classic that possesses the combination of quality, ergonomics and insulation that you want from a water bottle. You can’t go wrong with any of these two brands – it will just be a matter of preference.

According to Medical Daily, around 75% of the American Population is chronically dehydrated.

The fact is our body needs water. Need proof? Based on research, drinking water has many benefits to our body, and we’ll look at 11 of them. It should inspire you with the why.

Let’s now move on the how.

To ensure enough water consumption, you’ll need a water bottle that you can bring with you at work or in the gym, wherever you’re spending the day in to give you easy access to it.

In this article, I will be focusing on stainless steel water bottles. In my opinion, these are some of the best options available because these provide excellent insulation and very durable.

These bottles are so durable that you can bring it with you anywhere without worrying about it breaking, unlike glass bottles that can easily break.

We’ll be looking at some of the best options available right now.

Our Pick: Hydro Flask Standard Mouth

The Hydro Flash is one of the best stainless steel water bottles available to date thanks to its combination of quality, insulation, and ergonomics.

With this bottle in tow, your cold drinks will stay cool for hours on end.

Daniel Zweier of Backpackers.com said that hot drink he put was only “slightly cooler” by the 12th hour.

Now if you’re drinking hot liquid expect it to cool down faster because of air exposure, but with the lid fully sealed, it will stay hot.

In the same test, ice cubes stayed whole even after 30 hours which is pretty darn impressive. And with the Flex cap on this is completely leak proof as proven in some tests done by sites like The Sweet Home.

Even with the sports cap on, it is almost sealed tight even with the small release valve present.

The release value will close shut when it’s fully shut, so you don’t have to worry about your gym bag without leaving a puddle of water inside.

You can also drink water directly from the bottle if you so choose.

The metal edge is tapered with a round lip so it’ll be like drinking from a glass bottle – very cool. The narrow 1-3/4″ opening helps with insulation but still wide enough to fit ice.

At the exterior, the Hydro Flask has a durable powder coat finish – perhaps the most durable finish you can have.

Having this finish prevents the surface from getting too hot if you leave this under the sun. This bottle is available in several sizes – 12, 18, 21 and 24-ounce bottles.

Picking one again will be all about personal preference. If need to constantly hydrate, then buy the large 24 or 32-ounce bottle.

But if that bottle is too big, then the 21-ounce bottle is a good compromise and will fit most vehicle cup-holders.

Are there potential issues?

There aren’t many, to be frank. You’ll find complaints about quality issues, but that shouldn’t be an issue because Hydro Flask comes with a lifetime warranty for manufacturer defects. This warranty covers even the cap. If it leaks, they will replace it for you

The manufacturer recommends that you hand wash this bottle. Heat from the dishwasher can damage the insulated and powder coat finish.

Some consumers didn’t like that part of the drinking surface is exposed.

If you look inside the bottle, the thread that holds the cap is on the inside part of the lid. It is by design as sipping on a threaded surface isn’t comfortable.

Runner Up: Klean Kanteen Classic

Klean Kanteen has been known to manufacture excellent quality water bottles for years.

Here’s another option that comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Folks looking for a bigger bottle than the 24-ounce bottle the Hydro Flask offers, this is a good option.

The manufacturer claims that drinks will stay cold for up to 90 hours and hot for up to 24 hours!

Consumers agree with these claims and love it for its excellent insulation properties.

If you’re a big coffee drinking and love to bring coffee to work, this bottle will do an excellent job of keeping it hot!

It certainly beats having to drop by Starbucks and spend $5 to $10 for your caffeine fix.

Finish varies and would depend on the variant you’ll choose.

They have glossy and matte powder coat finishes and the plain stainless steel finish minus the powder coat.

I’d go with the powder coat finish because it is much more durable and insulates hot liquid better.

The powder coat also prevents the bottle from sweating if you put cold liquid.

Klean Kanteen is one of the most durable containers according to Brian Wu of Your Best Digs as it only had minimal dings after their drop test.

It does come with a manufacturer’s “Strong As Steel” guarantee so this gives you peace of mind that this bottle will be able to handle outdoor abuse.

A lot of campers and outdoors people use this and gave rave reviews.

The loop cap is solidly designed and will prevent leaks. Just make sure to seal it tight.

I like this design because you can easily clip this on your bag or luggage.

Some potential issues

The biggest issue with this water bottle would be size. It will not fit in any cup holder inside your vehicle.

You can opt for the narrower Klean Kanteen Wide Insulated 20 ounce bottle with both the brushed stainless and powder coat finish.

Heavy Duty: YETI Ramber 26 ounce

One word to describe the YETI Rambler water bottle is sturdy.

It is the water bottle to have if you’re an outdoorsman who loves to hunt.

Their water bottles have 18/8 kitchen grade stainless steel.

YETI says that their bottles aren’t lined with any plastic whatsoever so you can use their containers for coffee and it wouldn’t leave any aftertaste if you put in water afterward.

If you look at their website, their motto is “BUILT for the WILD” which says a lot to their commitment to quality.

Outdoorsmen like Sean McCoy of GearJunkie have torture tested this bottle and say that this bottle will keep drinks hot for 4 hours even in freezing temperature.

He also drop-tested this (6 feet) on both sides, and it only had little damage.

The leak-proof cap is also heavy duty and has a 3-finger grip making it easier to carry.

You can also wash this inside a dishwasher. It is the only one in this list that’s dishwasher safe.

Possible issues

There isn’t much in terms of quality and insulation. But if you want to nitpick, this water bottle isn’t as good as the Hydro Flask at keeping drinks hot. It also lacks accessories and design options.

Travel Buddy: Coldest Water Bottle Travel Mug

Summer here in our country is a nightmare with temperatures rising to as high as 40-ish degrees Celsius. Normal water bottles would not stand a chance against this heat.

Are you leaving your water bottle in the car in the middle of summer?

Forget about it; when you come back, it’ll be warm. The Coldest Water Bottle is an excellent option to beat the summer heat.

This water bottle uses a high grade 18/8 stainless steel that they claim will keep drinks cold for up to 36 hours!

Now that figure isn’t a guarantee because there will be a lot of variables like outside temperature, humidity and if often open the bottle for a drink.

Do you like to swim?

The manufacturer also claims that this bottle will float even if it’s full.

So this bottle can double as a toy for your kids. This 21-ounce bottle is slim enough to fit in most cup holders (99% to exact).

The powder coat finish prevents it from sweating. At the bottom of the bottle is a rubber grip that prevents slippage.

The standard version comes with a leak-free cap with a loop that makes it easy to carry or clip on your bag.

Optional accessories are available like the sports straw cap for folks who work out a lot.

Workout Buddy: Takeya Originals Vacuum-Insulated

Gym buffs who frequent the gym know that hydration is essential to maximize their performance.

What better way to hydrate than with a water bottle that will keep your drinks cold for up to 28 hours!

What makes the Takeya Originals a great option is the spout lid that makes it easy to drink.

You don’t need to remove the whole cover just for a sip of water.

The spout lid is excellent for workout buffs because sweaty hands can make it tough to open a tight lid. Just lift the lid then drink. You don’t need to touch the spout.

It also comes with a sturdy carry-on clip that makes it easy to carry. Remove the cap, and the opening is wide enough to put ice in and load water in without spilling from a refrigerator dispenser.

Consumers love it because it kept water cool for hours on end. Takeya claims that liquids will stay cold for as long as 28 hours and hot for 12 hours.

Lifetime warranty

They back up their claim with a lifetime warranty so don’t worry about reviews that say this water bottle has poor quality.

Takeya will replace the bottle for you if there are manufacturing defects.

Different size options

These bottles are available in a variety of sizes from the small 14 ounces up to 40 ounces.

So these bottles will be great for kids to water guzzling adults. Perhaps a more significant reason why this is so popular is the lid. The narrow spout makes it consuming water easier.

The Hydro Flask will keep drinks cooler for longer, but Takeya makes up for it by being cheaper.
It has a leak-proof lid that will prevent liquid from dripping.

If you’re fond of bring your water bottle with you to work, this may not fit inside a standard-size cup-holder inside your vehicle.

For the Multi-Tasker: Contigo Autoseal Chill

The first two options (Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen) in this list have caps that you have to remove to drink water.

Contigo is the first option here that has an AUTOSEAL lid that easily opens with a push of a button. When you release the button, it closes automatically.

The whole mechanism is plastic, so there’s a risk of it deforming if you put in boiling water.

It is a big reason why my wife wouldn’t trade her Contigo water bottle even for a more expensive Hydra Flask.

She had a Contigo bottle while she was down with the flu and drinks water on the bed without it spilling.

That’s how good their lids are. And the AUTOSEAL Chill will give you the same type of convenience.

It also comes with a carry-on strap that makes it easy to carry.

Only the lid is dishwasher safe while the body is not. This bottle has a double wall design, but it does not have a powder coat finish.

If you put in a cold drink on a hot day, there will be some risk of it sweating because of this.

The double wall structure will help keep drinks cold or hot for hours.

But Contigo’s thermal retaining capabilities will not be as good as other brands like Hydro Flask, Klean Kanteen or Takeya.

Potential issues

One concern for me would be the durability of the lid because it has a lot of moving parts. But Contigo does back this product up with a lifetime warranty, so this puts some peace of mind.

Compact: MIRA Cascade

When it comes to popularity, the MIRA is up there with the Hydro Flask Classic with over 3,000 reviews.

It’s not surprising as MIRA is one of the cheapest options out there – their 25-ounce water bottle will cost under $25!If you opt for the pattern prints, the price will go up.

But take note that these bottles will not have the powder coat finish.

Regardless, the fancy design is what makes this bottle popular.

For the Cascade bottle, you’ll have more than 20 design options!

Take note that if you do not get the plain colored bottle that has the powder coat finish, expect this bottle to sweat if you put in cold water.

Consumers say that this bottle is pretty durable.

One mom, in particular, noted that their MIRA bottles had dropped multiple times and there was not dent or scratch.

But you’ll have to get the powder coated option because it adds that extra layer of protection.

If you’re the type that fancies these colorful patterns, this is the water bottle for you.MIRA bottles are compact and will fit inside a backpack.

The small diameter bottle will also fit in most cup holders. Ice may not also fit in the narrow opening.

The one big advantage that a small-cap design has is its ability to keep cold liquids cold for more extended periods. MIRA will stay cold for up to 24 hours.

Some potential issues

Most important would be the warranty. Unlike the Hydro Flask and Klean Kanteen that come with lifetime warranties, this brand only comes with a one year warranty.

How to choose a stainless steel water bottle?

There are hundreds if not thousands of stainless steel water bottles in Amazon. These vary in size, design, and quality of metal used.

To help you narrow down your options here are the some of the features you need to look.

1. Capacity

It perhaps is the most important. Where do will you use this water bottle? Are you bringing this to the gym or at work?

Striking a balance between capacity and size is a delicate balance. Bottles of varying sizes are available from 18 up to 64 ounces.

Remember that the larger the water bottle, the heavier it becomes and more cumbersome. Ask yourself where are you storing the bottle when you bring it and how much do you drink.

Lastly, if you have access to drinking water in your workplace, a smaller container may be enough.

2. Quality

One way to look at this is to check the reviews. Do consumers like the quality? Does it have one common issue that multiple reviews complain about?

Also, check reviews if there are issues with leaking and such.

Go with a water bottle with a powder coated exterior as these tend to be a lot more durable and less prone to chipping.

Avoid containers that have painted coatings as these will scratch easily and won’t last as long.

3. Reviews

You can easily spot good quality bottles with reviews.

An excellent product will have thousands of reviews with high ratings. It’s pretty hard to achieve this by using fake reviews.

It will inevitably trigger bells that Amazon has set in place to fight such.

4. Type of lid

There are different types of lids available. Choosing between any of these lids will be a matter of personal preference and where you’ll use this the most.

Flex cap – This is just a fancy term that manufacturers use to describe a bottle cap. The top brands have holders that make it easy to carry with you.

Straw – A great feature to have if you want something where you can easily sip water from.

Sports cap – Similar to the straw type lid, this gives you easy access to drinking water without having to open the lid.

Press-in lid – Great option if you use your water bottle to drink hot beverages like coffee or tea. The small opening means you’ll not burn your tongue sipping hot liquid.

5. Insulated or non-insulated

There are two types of containers that manufacturers use – double walled insulated and single wall, non-insulated.

The former is better at keeping liquid hot or cold for long periods while the latter does not. Of course, you’ll have to pay an additional premium to get this feature.

6. Stainless steel quality

Look for water bottles with the highest quality stainless steel which is the 18/8 food grade. Anything less would be a waste of money in my opinion.

How to care for and maintain stainless steel water bottles?

Caring for stainless steel bottles is simple. You can most type of drinkable liquid in it from juice, coffee, water, etc. but please avoid putting anything in it that has chlorine in it because it will eat through the stainless steel layer and eventually destroy it.

These bottles are pretty sturdy even in the harshest conditions. As times goes by, gunk will build up especially on the cap area.

To make it last as long as possible, you’ll have to clean it from time to time with a brush plus your favorite cleaning agent. You can use dishwashing soap but if you’re concerned for the environment – vinegar and baking soda will suffice.

One of the best brushes to clean any bottle would be the OXO Good Grips water bottle brush.

It’s a combination of a broad brush for cleansing the body and smaller brushes for cleaning nooks and crannies.