Snowflake's quest for a water bottle

September 19, 2016 11:39 AM

I'm looking for a water bottle without a sippy-cup or straw interface, just an open end that I can drink from like a civilized human. It also needs to be opened and closed one-handed, easy to clean, and durable. Price is not really a consideration.

Help me find a water bottle that I'm not constantly disappointed in.
I have been going through these bottles since they have a big open top and the springed lid pops open with a button press, but they only work well for a month or so, and are a pain to clean. (I've thrown half of them out because they fall apart, the other half because they start smelling funny in a way that dishwashers + bleach can't fix—even though I wash them after every use.)

I only ever put filtered water in them, I don't care about insulating properties or how big it is. I'm material agnostic. I need to have a wide enough mouth to drink from it like a cup. It needs to be durable and easy to clean. And I need to be able to open and close it securely one handed. (Threaded tops and plugs are no good since they require a second hand to hold the bottle while you twist or pull.) I'm not having much luck finding the intersection of those features and would love your advice.

posted by Ookseer to Shopping (20 answers total)

This is stainless steel, so can be used for hot or cold. I've used mine for water everyday for at least 4 years now. Bubba 24oz Hero Bottle.
posted by fourpotatoes at 11:50 AM on September 19, 2016

Tervis water bottles are fantastic. The openings aren't quite as large as the water bottles you've been using, but they are still actual openings vs. straws/sippies.

My daughter uses one every day at school, and while she's 16 and therefore not as much of a hazard as a toddler, she still drops it at least once a week. Haven't had one break yet.
posted by cooker girl at 12:06 PM on September 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

I've had this Thermos for years. Can use one handed. Easy to clean (get a scrub brush). No smells. It has a spout but it's a good one. Make sure you don't loose the rubber ring in the lid but you can call them for replacement ones. Mine is fine after years of use. But you definitely want metal.
posted by Crystalinne at 12:07 PM on September 19, 2016

Buy one of these and reuse it at will. VOSS water bottles are made of glass, and can be washed and refilled ad infinitum.
posted by seawallrunner at 12:18 PM on September 19, 2016

My wife likes the lifefactory bottle with the cafe cap.
posted by fings at 12:19 PM on September 19, 2016

I bought a Zojirushi stainless mug on recommendation from The Wirecutter and it is amazing for coffee. They reported that it tested well for cold beverages. I don't know if the provided spout would be too narrow for you though.

The Wirecutter's Water Bottle round up features a few that have a flip-top style.

When I drank from a water bottle on the regular, I really liked my Kleen Kanteen. Maybe a Wide with a Cafe Cap could work for you?
posted by sparklemotion at 12:19 PM on September 19, 2016 [7 favorites]

Contigo, which makes the water bottle you don't like, makes my favorite coffee mug. It would certainly work fine for cold beverages as well as hot. I bought it specifically because the sealing mechanism was simple and did not contain a bunch of fiddly bits that would retain liquids. It has even held up well to a couple years of weekly dishwashing though they don't recommend dishwashing, I don't think.
posted by kindall at 12:27 PM on September 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

I have one of the Zojirushi mugs described in that link. It's fantastic and worth the money.
posted by Gev at 12:30 PM on September 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have one of these: Ello 20-ounce glass water bottle and quite like it. The push-button has gotten a little soft since I purchased it (over a year ago), but it still works fine, and it makes a delightful popping sound when you open it. I've run both parts through the dishwasher with no problem. I found mine at Target, but having looked at that Amazon link I'm tempted to buy a few more -- my family squabbles over who gets to have the nice glass bottle that makes the popping noise.
posted by Janta at 1:34 PM on September 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I also have the Ello; it's stood up to a year of dish-washing, the occasional iced coffee, and lots of getting tossed around. Easy with one hand.
posted by quadrilaterals at 1:55 PM on September 19, 2016

My whole family is nuts about the Hydroflask with the fliptop. Reviewers think there's a design flaw but I haven't had any issues. I like the fliptop better than the push mechanism on my contigo.
posted by vunder at 1:59 PM on September 19, 2016

Came in to suggest the Ello bottle that Janta suggested above. I've seen a two-pack at Costo, though I'm not sure if they're still available. I've run it through the dishwasher too and I really like it because the flip-top lid doesn't get funky at all and the glass makes my water taste fresh all day.
posted by onecircleaday at 2:30 PM on September 19, 2016

Came in to suggest the Tervis water bottle that cooker girl mentioned. As a bonus, if it breaks, Tervis will replace it. For life.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:34 PM on September 19, 2016

(BTW, that's no matter what. I've never had a Tervis tumbler break, though I have had a lid bend from being dropped. Replaced instantly in store no questions asked.)

Edited to say I read the fine print for once and "Items damaged due to normal wear and tear (e.g. fading, scratching), improper care, or abuse will not be replaced." Oops.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:34 PM on September 19, 2016

I also was coming in to suggest the Ello. Got mine at Target as well.
posted by freezer cake at 3:16 PM on September 19, 2016

This nalgen "on the fly" might not be wide enough but it's the only water bottle I like. They have gotten hard to find in stores though.

posted by missriss89 at 3:44 PM on September 19, 2016

Best answer: I really like the Zulu Atlas glass water bottle.
posted by AFABulous at 5:06 PM on September 19, 2016

I recently got one of the Zojirushi mugs people are praising and it's wonderful. Compact (when it arrived I used a measuring cup to fill it with water because I couldn't believe it was really 16 oz), easy to clean (all the components of the lid easily pop apart for washing, so nothing gets trapped and nasty), and maintains temperature very well (if that's important to you).
posted by Lexica at 6:04 PM on September 19, 2016

My favorite water container for one-handed, on-the-go use is the Blender Bottle. It goes in the dishwasher (top shelf) and it doesn't leak, even when I take it on planes and the pressure changes. I've got 2 - one big (20oz) and one smaller (16oz) and they are both more than 3 years old and still going strong.
posted by netsirk at 7:03 PM on September 19, 2016

Best answer: I'll second the Zulu. I went to Target a while back to peruse water bottles, also looking for a one-handed mechanism as a critical characteristic, and I really liked the design of the Zulu. It's very similar to the Ello Syndicate -- glass bottle, silicone sleeve, with nearly identical lid manufacture and mechanism -- with the added benefit of having a sliding lock to keep the lid from opening if the button is bumped. The opening is a great size, and the whole thing has been solid. The elastic lid-spring on the one I bought broke somewhat quickly (it already had a tear when I bought it), and the company happily mailed me a few spares for free after I contacted them through their website.
posted by whatnotever at 8:29 PM on September 19, 2016