Best Water Bottle? I Tested Stanley, Owala, Yeti, Hydro Flask, and More

Are all insulated water bottles the same? Or are some brands actually better than others? 

To answer these questions and find out which brand is truly the best, I tested the eight highest-rated insulated water bottles on the market, including Stanley, Owala, Yeti, Hydro Flask, CamelBak, S’well, Takeya, and Gatorade.

I tested how well they keep liquids cold by filling them with water chilled to 43F and measuring the temperature of each after 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours. 

Since most bottles are also safe for hot liquids, I measured how well they keep things hot by filling each bottle with 180F water, putting them in a freezer, and measuring the water temperature after 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours. 

I tested how leakproof the lids are by filling each bottle, tipping them over 3 times, and shaking them upside down for 30 seconds.

To simulate real-world accidents and test their durability, I filled them with water and dropped them from 3 feet high on the side of the bottle and directly on the lid. 

I also evaluated their design features, including how well they fit in cup holders and how easy they are to use with one hand.

In this guide, I break down each water bottle. I show you how they performed, what they’re best at, and where they fall short. You’ll see which brands live up to the hype and which ones aren’t worth your money. I’ll start with the most affordable bottle and end with the most expensive.

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Use the links below to navigate the guide:

• Comparison Chart
• Owala FreeSip
• CamelBak Chute Mag
• Gatorade Overtime
• Takeya Actives
• S’well
• Stanley Tumbler
• Hydro Flask Wide Mouth With Flex Chug Cap
• Yeti Rambler With Chug Cap
• Bottom Line: Which Insulated Water Bottle Is the Best?

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Comparison Chart

Swipe to view the entire chart on mobile.

Brand	Owala	CamelBak	Gatorade	Takeya	S’well	Stanley	Hydro Flask	Yeti
Capacity (oz)	24	25	22	24	17	30	24	26
Price	$28	$30	$30	$33	$35	$35	$40	$40
Straw?	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Hot Water Safe?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes (up to 185F)
Insulation	Triple-layer insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulation	Triple-layer insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulation
Fits Cup Holder?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Colors	20	8	5	19	32	27	11	19
Weight (lb)	0.8	0.8	1	0.8	0.7	1.1	0.8	1.3
Height (in)	10.6	10	10.1	11	10.2	9.5	11	11
Bottom Diameter (in)	3.1	3	2.8	2.9	2.5	2.75	2.75	3.25
Spout Diameter (in)	1.2	1.1	1.25	0.75	1.25	0.75	1.25	1
Cold Water Temp 6 Hours (°F)	48	46	48.4	47.5	46.9	46.2	48	46.2
Cold Water Temp 12 Hours (°F)	51.8	49.5	52.7	52	49.6	50	52.2	49.3
Cold Water Temp 24 Hours (°F)	57.2	54.5	59.2	58.1	53.8	55.6	58.1	55.4
Hot Water Temp 1 Hour (°F)	N/A	159.1	151.7	160	170.4	157.6	N/A	160.5
Hot Water Temp 6 Hours (°F)	N/A	116.4	100.6	115.5	145.9	113.5	N/A	116.1
Hot Water Temp 12 Hours (°F)	N/A	96.4	79	94.5	131.5	92.1	N/A	96.1
Hot Water Temp 24 Hours (°F)	N/A	58.6	41.7	54.3	94.3	52.5	N/A	56.5
Top Reason to Buy	Lid design	Temperature retention	Durable rubber coating	Folding handle design	Best insulation performance	One-handed operation	Functional design	Temperature retention and durability
Top Reason to NOT Buy	Flicks water	Flimsy plastic cap connector	Poor temperature retention	Poor durability when dropped	Can’t fit ice cubes	Leaking	Cold temperature retention	Too wide for standard cup holders

Owala FreeSip

The Owala FreeSip 24-ounce water bottle is triple layer insulated and was recently named the best water bottle for one-handed use by the New York Times. It comes in over a dozen color options but the combinations seem random and don’t always coordinate well.

The key feature of this bottle is the innovative lid design. Push a button, and the lid springs open to give you two ways to drink. You can sip through the built-in straw, or tilt the bottle back to drink from the wide-mouth opening, which curves to fit your mouth. When you’re finished, just push the lid down, and it locks with a satisfying click.

While I like how easy it is to use with one hand, the spring-loaded lid can accidentally open if you put it in a bag and something leans against the button. Also, the lid has an annoying tendency to flick water if there’s any moisture under the lid. 

In my cold water test, it performed below average after 6, 12, and 24 hours. The water temperature was 48°F after 6 hours (vs. the 47.2°F average), 51.8°F after 12 hours (vs. the 50.9°F average), and 57.2°F after 24 hours (vs. the 56.5°F average). According to Owala, this bottle is for cold drinks only, so I left it out of my hot water test.

When I tipped it over, a few small drops of water leaked out, but it didn’t leak when I shook it. When I dropped in on the concrete floor, there was no major damage.

CamelBak Chute Mag

The CamelBak Chute Mag 25-ounce water bottle comes in 8 colors and it’s double-wall insulated.

It has a wide mouth that makes it easy to add ice and a smaller drinking spout with a magnetic cap that snaps out of your way when you drink.

When I filled it with water chilled to 43 degrees Fahrenheit, it outperformed most of the bottles I tested. The water was 46°F after 6 hours – the coldest among all bottles tested. After 12 and 24 hours, it maintained temperatures of 49.5°F and 54.5°F respectively, making it the second-coldest at both intervals.

It also maintained hot water remarkably well. After one hour, the 180-degree water cooled to 159.1°F, placing it in fourth place behind S’well, Yeti, and Takeya. However, its performance improved over time, maintaining temperatures of 116.4°F after 6 hours, 96.4°F after 12 hours, and 58.6°F after 24 hours – making it the second-best performer behind S’well at all these intervals.

This bottle passed my leak test and survived being dropped on concrete with minimal damage. It also fits perfectly in standard cup holders.

The two minor complaints I have about this bottle are that the plastic piece that connects the cap to the bottle feels thin and flimsy, and I could see it snapping if you tug on it too hard.

Also, the handle is sturdy and functional, but it sticks out and makes the bottle’s profile wider.

Gatorade Overtime

The Gatorade Overtime 22-ounce water bottle has double-walled insulation, and comes in 5 bright, sporty colors that align with the Gatorade brand.

While most insulated bottles are plain stainless steel, this one has a durable rubber-like material called TPE covering the metal. This material provides a slightly better grip and protects the bottle from damage. Other than a small dent on the metal ring, the rubber coating protected the bottle from scratches or dents when I dropped it.

The lid design is also clever. Unlike the CamelBak’s magnetic cap that can detach if you shake it hard, this lid swings to the side and stays firmly in place no matter how much you shake it.

All that said, this bottle performed poorly relative to the others at keeping drinks cold and hot. When I filled it with 43-degree water, it warmed up faster than any other bottle, reaching 48 degrees after 6 hours, 52.7 after 12 hours, and 59.2 after 24 hours. 

It performed even worse with hot liquids – starting with 180-degree water, it dropped to 151.7 degrees after just one hour and was down to 41.7 degrees after 24 hours, the lowest temperature of all the bottles I tested. 

On top of all that, this bottle also failed my leak test – when I tipped it over, a few water droplets spilled out.

Takeya Actives 

The Takeya Actives 24-ounce water bottle has double-walled insulation and comes in 19 colors.

This bottle has a swinging handle that folds nicely out of the way, a rubber ring that makes the large lid easy to open, and a removable rubber bumper on the bottom that’s meant to protect it from dents and keep it stable wherever you place it down. After using this bottle for a while, I took the bumper off because it was slipping off and getting stuck in cup holders.

When I tested how well this bottle maintains temperature, it performed about average for cold water and below average for hot water. With cold water, it maintained 47.5°F after 6 hours (close to the 47.2°F average), but fell slightly behind at 52°F after 12 hours (vs. 50.9°F average) and 58.1°F after 24 hours (vs. 56.5°F average).

With hot water, starting at 180°F, it cooled to 160°F after one hour (ranking 3rd out of 6 bottles tested), then dropped more quickly to 115.5°F after 6 hours, 94.5°F after 12 hours, and ended at 54.3°F after 24 hours – ranking 4th out of 6 bottles at all these later intervals and staying consistently below the average temperature.

Takeya passed the leak test, the durability results were mixed. The plastic lid held up well when I dropped it upside down, but dropping it on its side caused the most damage of any bottle tested.

S’well

The S’well 17-ounce water bottle comes in over 30 colors and has triple-layer insulation.

It has a slim profile with a simple cap and no handle. It’s easy to fit in a bag, cupholder, glove box, or any other small space. The cap stays on tight and doesn’t leak. 

The best part about this bottle is its insulation. In my cold water test, it maintained 46.9°F after 6 hours (4th place, slightly better than the 47.2°F average), improved to 49.6°F after 12 hours (3rd place, beating the 50.9°F average), and reached 53.8°F after 24 hours (1st place, significantly better than the 56.5°F average).

It performed even better with hot water. When I filled it with 180-degree water, it outperformed every other bottle at every testing point. After one hour, it maintained 170.4°F, nearly 10 degrees hotter than the next best bottle.

It continued to dominate, keeping water at 145.9°F after 6 hours, 131.5°F after 12 hours, and an impressive 94.3°F after 24 hours – more than 35 degrees hotter than CamelBak, the second-best-performing bottle.

The two main issues with S’well are that the opening is too small to fit regular ice cubes, and the lid sticks down into the bottle. So if you fill the bottle to the top and put the lid on, water will spill everywhere. 

Also, it didn’t do well in my durability tests. When I dropped it on its side, the bottom got a large dent and the sides got scraped up. When I dropped it upside down, the metal cap got a major dent. It still works fine but it doesn’t look good. 

Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler

The Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate 30-ounce bottle comes in nearly 30 colors. Instead of a traditional water bottle shape, this Stanley tumbler has a tapered bottom, a large side handle, and a straw.

Along with Owala, it’s the best option for driving or any situation where you only have one free hand. If you don’t want the straw, you can twist the piece in the middle of the lid and drink from a smaller opening.

This bottle has become incredibly trendy in recent years and went viral when someone posted a video on social media after their car caught fire but their Stanley survived with ice still inside. 

Although that story is the best free advertisement Stanley could ever ask for, my testing showed that relative to other popular brands, this bottle does an average job keeping drinks cold and a below-average job at keeping hot drinks hot. 

With cold water, it started strong at 46.2°F after 6 hours (tied for second-best with Yeti and better than the 47.2°F average), but fell to 50°F after 12 hours (4th place) and 55.6°F after 24 hours (4th place).

It struggled more with hot water, starting at 180°F and dropping to 157.6°F after just one hour. It continued to underperform, maintaining only 113.5°F after 6 hours, 92.1°F after 12 hours, and 52.5°F after 24 hours – ranking 5th out of 6 bottles tested at all intervals.

The worst part about this bottle is that it’s not even close to leakproof. Even with the straw removed and the drinking spout closed, it leaks a lot. Never put the Stanley in a bag or in a situation where it can tip over. 

When I dropped it on its side, the lid, which was securely fastened, popped right off and spilled water everywhere. When I dropped it on its lid – the rubber seal came loose and made a mess.

Hydro Flask With Flex Chug Cap

The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth with Flex Chug Cap 24-ounce water bottle comes in over 10 colors, has double-walled insulation, and costs $40, which makes it tied for the most expensive bottle I tested. The New York Times recently named it the best overall water bottle.

The thing I like most about this bottle is its simple design. It has a slim profile that fits easily in cup holders, and a thick rubber handle that you can move to either side of the lid. The wide mouth makes it easy to add ice, while the smaller chug cap gives you a comfortable drinking spout.

This bottle passed my leak test without any issues, and in my drop tests, it only got a small dent when dropped on its side and showed no damage at all when dropped on the cap. 

On the negative side, it didn’t do a great job keeping drinks cold. The bottle ranked seventh out of eight bottles at all testing intervals. The water warmed to 48°F after 6 hours (above the 47.2°F average), continued rising to 52.2°F after 12 hours (versus the 50.9°F average), and reached 58.1°F after 24 hours (notably warmer than the 56.5°F average). 

Like the Owala, this bottle isn’t designed for hot drinks, so I didn’t include it in my hot water tests. 

The only other downside is that the handle can sometimes get in the way when you’re trying to open the smaller drinking spout.

Yeti Rambler With Chug Cap

The Yeti 26-ounce Rambler with Chug Cap has double-walled insulation, it comes in 11 colors, and works for both cold and hot liquids—although Yeti says to not exceed 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

This bottle has a durable look and feel. It’s the heaviest one I tested at 1.3 pounds empty and it has a thick plastic handle that’s fixed in place. 

When it comes to keeping drinks cold, Yeti performed really well. The water temperature was 46.2°F after 6 hours (tied for second with Stanley and below the 47.2°F average), improved to 49.3°F after 12 hours (first place, beating the 50.9°F average), and reached 55.4°F after 24 hours (third place, but still better than the 56.5°F average). 

In my hot water test, it also showed strong performance. Starting at 180°F, the water cooled to 160.5°F after 1 hour (second only to S’well), and maintained 116.1°F after 6 hours, 96.1°F after 12 hours, and 56.5°F after 24 hours (ranking third at all these intervals behind S’well and CamelBak).

It passed my leak test without a problem and held up well in the drop tests. It only ended up with a small bump on the bottom and some minor scrapes on the plastic cap. 

My biggest complaint about this bottle is the chug cap design. When you tighten the outer lid, it can over-tighten the chug cap underneath. When that happens, it’s difficult to open. As I was reviewing the testing footage it was clear that I had to put the most effort into opening the Yeti. 

Another downside is that this bottle has a wide 3.25-inch diameter so it doesn’t fit in standard cup holders. 

Bottom Line: Which Insulated Water Bottle Is the Best?

Now that you know the pros and cons of the top brands, the question is: which insulated water bottles are worth buying, and which should you avoid?

If you want a heavy-duty bottle that keeps your drinks at the right temperature and won’t leak, I recommend Yeti or CamelBak. The CamelBak is cheaper and fits in cup holders, but the Yeti has a more durable lid design.

Hydro Flask and Takeya are also worth considering. While they don’t keep water as cold as the others, the difference is only a few degrees. They’re both well-built with leakproof lids.

Stanley and Owala are great for one-handed use, but I hate that the Stanley leaks so easily, and Owala’s lid failed the leak test and can flick water and make a mess. Also, since the lid operates on springs, there are more pieces that can break compared to a simpler twist-off lid.

Avoid Gatorade because it performed the worst by far in both temperature tests. Although S’well had the best insulation, the small opening and lid design are deal breakers for me.

Use the links below to read more reviews and compare the current prices of each bottle:

• Owala FreeSip (Amazon)
• CamelBak Chute Mag (Amazon)
• Gatorade Overtime (Amazon)
• Takeya Actives (Amazon)
• S’well (Amazon)
• Stanley Tumbler (Amazon)
• Hydro Flask Wide Mouth With Flex Chug Cap (Amazon)
• Yeti Rambler With Chug Cap (Amazon)