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Yeti Ramber, Simple Modern, and HydroFlask kids' water bottles on a blue background Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The Best Water Bottles for Kids of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Yeti Ramber, Simple Modern, and HydroFlask kids' water bottles on a blue background Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

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Editor's Choice Product image of Yeti Rambler Jr. 12 oz Kids Bottle
Best Overall

Yeti Rambler Jr. 12 oz Kids Bottle

This water bottle is a beast of durability that can handle anything you throw at it. The chrome bottom and extra wide mouth made it a winner! Read More

Pros

  • Wide mouth
  • Sturdy handle
  • Double wall insulation

Cons

  • None that we could find
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Simple Modern Summit Kids Water Bottle with Straw Lid
Best Value

Simple Modern Summit Kids Water Bottle with Straw Lid

Comes in a range of sizes and styles that will suit kids from toddlers to teens. The straw top is dishwasher-safe with no small pieces to worry about. Read More

Pros

  • Easy-to-clean spout
  • Range of capacity options
  • Wide range of design options

Cons

  • Vessel is hand wash only
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Hydro Flask 12 oz Kids Wide Mouth
Best for Little Kids

Hydro Flask 12 oz Kids Wide Mouth

Durable, colorful, and dishwasher-safe, this little bottle stands up well to years of testing. The two sizes appeal to very little and very big kids. Read More

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Double wall vacuum insulation

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Silicone sleeve can feel superfluous
4
Product image of Takeya 16oz Actives Kids Insulated Water Bottle With Straw Lid

Takeya 16oz Actives Kids Insulated Water Bottle With Straw Lid

With so many great features it could have been "Best Overall." Sadly, the tendency for the internal straws to break knocked it down a few points. Read More

Pros

  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Grippy twist-cap
  • Large handle

Cons

  • Internal straw is prone to breaking
5
Product image of CamelBak eddy+ Kids 12 oz Bottle, Insulated Stainless Steel

CamelBak eddy+ Kids 12 oz Bottle, Insulated Stainless Steel

The Camelbak Eddy keeps water cold, has a spill-proof design, and comes in an array of fun designs that kids love. Read More

Pros

  • Cool designs
  • Bite-valve
  • Spill proof

Cons

  • Not dishwasher-safe
  • Difficult to clean bite-valve

Kids are always working up a big thirst. Along with a great kids' backpack, a quality reusable water bottle for school and sports is an absolute must.

For over a year, we tested popular options to find the best water bottle for kids, and the Yeti Rambler (available at Yeti) took our top spot with its sturdy stainless steel construction, its superior ability to keep drinks cold, and its easy-to-clean features. It also has best survived longevity testing to come out on top.

Our Best Value pick, the Simple Modern Summit (available at Amazon) is not only affordable and easy-to-clean, it comes in a wide range of sizes and styles, making it a great choice for everyone from toddlers to tweens and teens.

Whether you are searching for a cool bottle kids will love, a high-capacity flask that will take them into their teens, or a super-sturdy option that will never leak, we have found the best kids’ water bottle for some good ol’ H2O on the go.

A child drinks from a yellow Yeti Rambler outside under trees.
Credit: Reviewed / Janelle Randazza

The Yeti Rambler still looks great and functions as well as it did the day we got it. Plus, it's easy to carry and keeps drinks cold.

Best Overall
Yeti Rambler Jr. 12 oz Kids Bottle
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 14 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • BPA Free: Yes

We love this kid-sized Yeti Rambler. More than two years into testing, it basically looks and functions as well as the day we got it.

It’s hard for us to narrow down everything we love about the Yeti Rambler Jr. The insulation is terrific. It’s sturdy and durable and holds up well in the dishwasher. The handle makes it easy for kids to carry. Every part is easy to clean—both in the dishwasher and with a bottle brush. And lastly, the wide mouth opening makes it simple for even small kids to refill with ice.

This water bottle is as long-lasting as they come. The chrome bottom takes the brunt of the impact when this bottle is dropped, while also making it easy to slip into cup holders and backpack water bottle pockets. The powder coat ensures it will always look new. Plus, it has an innovative straw design that prevents straws from splitting—no small detail when a split straw renders a bottle useless until a new one arrives in the mail.

While the Yeti Rambler is listed at a 12-ounce capacity, it actually holds 14 ounces. That may not seem like a big deal, but extra space makes the Yeti a perfect size for small kids to carry and for bigger kids to have adequate water intake or—in my kid’s case—it allows for a solid layer of ice.

The Yeti Rambler for kids is a bit pricier than other options, but if your child doesn’t lose it, you will never need to replace it.

Pros

  • Wide mouth

  • Sturdy handle

  • Double wall insulation

Cons

  • None that we could find

Two Simple Modern water bottles on an orange background.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

Simple Modern makes a sturdy kids' water bottle that keeps drinks cold and comes in a range of sizes. Plus, they come at an unbeatable price.

Best Value
Simple Modern Summit Kids Water Bottle with Straw Lid
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 10 oz. to 18 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: Partially
  • BPA Free: Yes

Simple Modern’s bottles have continually impressed us in our testing. Their wide range of designs appeals to older and younger kids alike, their price point is spectacular, and they clean up easier than most of their competitors.

With an array of patterns to choose from—from Disney- and Star Wars-themed styles for tiny tots, to cool color ombre styles for older kids with more sophisticated tastes—you are certain to find a bottle that will get your child passionate about hydrating.

These easy-to-clean bottles come in a wide choice of sizes, from 12 ounces to 64 ounces and we found that sizes as high as 18 ounces fit in a variety of car seat cup holders—for older kiddos that still need to be in boosters.

With no small parts to deal with, the patented leak-proof top portion can easily go through the dishwasher cycle for easy sterilization. While the vessel of these bottles isn’t technically dishwasher safe, we’ve found they hold up great on the top rack. Plus, this bottle also has a split-proof straw holder design.

If you do choose to follow manufacturer directions, these water bottles are still a cinch to clean. The wide mouth makes them easy to scrub and easy to fill, and the wide array of sizes and styles make them the best all-around kids' water bottle you can buy for the price.

These bottles did sustain dents and scratches over the course of a year, but that’s to be expected of any bottle that doesn’t come with a bumper or a powder coat. Overall, however, they held up great through continual and constant use.

Pros

  • Easy-to-clean spout

  • Range of capacity options

  • Wide range of design options

Cons

  • Vessel is hand wash only

A gold and a red HydroFlask
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

HydroFlask is sturdy, easy to clean, has a grippy powder coat, and it really keeps drinks cold.

Best for Little Kids
Hydro Flask 12 oz Kids Wide Mouth
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 12 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • BPA Free: Yes

Well-insulated and well-built, the Hydro Flask Kids’ Wide Mouth bottle was one of the best water bottles for kids that we tried—both for keeping drinks cold all day and for standing up to bumps and drops with nary a scuff.

The loop handle is well-positioned, making it easy to carry or hook onto the back of a backpack. We also appreciated the powder coating that made gripping the bottle easy when hands were wet or covered in goop or slime.

This spill-proof and leak-free bottle, also available in a 20-ounce version, didn’t give up a drop, even when turned upside down for 12 hours. With no small pieces and every part being dishwasher-safe, this is one of the easiest bottles to clean that we tested.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Dishwasher-safe

  • Double wall vacuum insulation

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Silicone sleeve can feel superfluous


Other Water Bottles for Kids We Tested

Product image of Takeya 16oz Actives Kids Insulated Water Bottle With Straw Lid
Takeya 16oz Actives Kids Insulated Water Bottle With Straw Lid
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 14 oz. to 40 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • BPA Free: Yes

We thought this water bottle was going to be the winner this year. The Takeya water bottle for kids is lightweight and well-insulated, and the thoughtful design makes it stand out.

The large and flexible handle is easy to hold and the screw top cap is rimmed with grippy silicone to make it easy to tighten and loosen with wet hands. The straw lid is easy to open and close with teeth, so there’s no cross-contamination with your hands.

Sadly, within 10 days of using this bottle the straw split at the top and needed to be replaced. We replaced it and the straw split again. We noticed this is a common complaint on the Takeya website, and replacement straws seem to create the same issues.

While this bottle is well-priced, this is a frustrating issue. Still, if you can find a sturdy straw that fits, the Takeya kids' water bottle has a lot going for it.

Pros

  • Dishwasher-safe

  • Grippy twist-cap

  • Large handle

Cons

  • Internal straw is prone to breaking

Product image of CamelBak eddy+ Kids 12 oz Bottle, Insulated Stainless Steel
CamelBak eddy+ Kids 12 oz Bottle, Insulated Stainless Steel
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 14 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: No
  • BPA Free: Yes

The Camelbak Eddy+ keeps drinks cold, the bite valve gets kids to drink more water without being overwhelmed, and the container vessels come in fun, brightly colored designs kids love.

While the cap, straw, and bite valve can be cleaned on the top shelf of a dishwasher, it’s recommended that the bite valve be removed and deep cleaned on occasion, which wasn't an insurmountable task. However, once in there, we realized that this type of deep cleaning should be a weekly deal.

There are reports that after removal the bite valve of the bottle tends to leak. After a year of use, that was not our experience, but it may be something to keep in mind.

Pros

  • Cool designs

  • Bite-valve

  • Spill proof

Cons

  • Not dishwasher-safe

  • Difficult to clean bite-valve

Product image of Contigo Kids Autospout Straw Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Easy-Clean Lid, 13 oz.
Contigo Kids Autospout Straw Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Easy-Clean Lid, 13 oz.
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 13 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • BPA Free: Yes

There are a lot of things to like about the Contigo Autospout. It’s durable, the flip-top straw is genius in its ability to both protect the bite valve and be easily cleaned, it’s dishwasher-safe, and it keeps drinks good and cold.

The main problem with this bottle is that it just doesn’t come in any fun designs to appeal to kids. It only comes with a colored lid and a stainless steel exterior. This is likely in an effort to keep the bottle dishwasher-safe at a low price point, but kids just weren’t into this one and it was only grabbed when every other bottle in the house was dirty.

Editor’s note: The bottles made between April 2018 and February 2020 were recalled. We reached out to Contigo and they said this: “You can rest assured Contigo puts consumer safety and quality first. ... Previously, the Contigo kids cleanable water bottle’s clear silicone spout found on the lid may have detached in some cases. There were no reported injuries, but out of an abundance of caution, Contigo reannounced the recall in February 2020.”

Pros

  • Easy to clean

  • Vacuum insulation

  • Cool flip-top straw

Cons

  • Bland design

Product image of PlanetBox 12oz Sip Spout Water Bottle
PlanetBox 12oz Sip Spout Water Bottle
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 12 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • BPA Free: Yes

Straightforward and easy to use, we initially liked the PlanetBox Sip Spout water bottle. While it lacks a cool design overall, our 8-year-old decorated his with stickers and commented on how cold it kept his drinks.

He liked the ease of drinking from the standout chug spout after a long and strenuous jiu-jitsu season, and the carry loop made it easy to tote along.

Sadly, the latch just didn’t stand up to drops on a concrete playground the way our top performers did. It’s a shame—the chug mouth was a favorite feature that would have placed this in the top tier, but reading as how this seems to be a common complaint this bottle is, sadly, one to avoid.

Pros

  • Easy to clean

  • Easy to refill

  • Kid-approved chug spout

Cons

  • Flimsy lid that broke easily

Product image of Thermos Funtainer, 12oz
Avoid
Thermos Funtainer, 12oz
  • Material: Stainless steel
  • Capacity: 12 oz. and 16 oz.
  • Dishwasher safe: No
  • BPA Free: Yes

One of the most popular and affordable bottles on the market, the Thermos Funtainer keeps drinks cold, comes in at a great price point, and is mainly dishwasher-safe (though the cool printed versions tend to lose their colors and fare better over time if hand-washed). It's also one of the leakiest we tried. (Another test for the best straw cups for toddlers also found the Thermos Funtainer to be a prodigious leaker.)

Soggy mess aside, that wasn't the only issue we had with this popular kids' water bottle. The straw is one that got constant complaints from parents polled for being one that children could easily bite through. While the pieces gnawed off won’t likely require the Heimlich, I don’t love the idea of my child ingesting tiny pieces of a silicone straw. If you go for this one, be judicious about checking your child’s straw daily and being on top of replacement straws.

As a note: There are complaints online about replacement straws causing leaks. We didn’t have an issue with that with our replacement, but the reasons for replacing the straws are concerning enough that we won’t continue using these bottles either way.

Pros

  • Locking lid

  • Lots of fun, kid-friendly patterns

  • Dishwasher-safe

Cons

  • Silicone straw can be bitten through

  • Prone to leaks

How We Tested Kids' Water Bottles

A girl fills her Simple Modern water bottle
Credit: Reviewed / Lisa Lawrence

Each water bottle went through rigorous testing by parents and kids.

Before testing, we conducted informal polls in numerous online parenting groups and ended up with approximately 30 respondents, whom we asked to list the top must-haves in a water bottle. Overwhelmingly, parents look for bottles that are easy to clean; all wanted dishwasher-safe models.

Caregivers also looked for good insulation, that the bottle be leak-proof, and that it holds up to cleaning, dropping, and the occasional gnawing on the straw—plus it needed to be easy to carry. These bottles went through a wide array of testing, but we placed the greatest emphasis on those points during scoring.

Every water bottle on this list has gone through at least one full year of testing.

We voraciously read consumer reviews to put each bottle's strengths and weaknesses to the test, and then we tested them again and again for a year. These are our unequivocal recommendations for a bottle that you’ll love the day you get it—and that you’ll keep loving for years to come.

The Tester

Hi, I'm Janelle Randazza. I’m a mom in sunny (and HOT) Los Angeles. Our son likes his drinks cold, and he likes his water to be plentiful. For us, it’s essential that a water bottle is lightweight, well-insulated, and leak-free. And, since I’m a working parent juggling a pretty hectic schedule, it better be easy to clean.

The Tests

A row of kids' water bottles on the top rack of a dishwasher
Credit: Reviewed / Janelle Randazza

Parents overwhelmingly asked for bottles that are dishwasher-safe and easy to clean.

Because of the emphasis our tester parents placed on an easy-to-clean bottle, we tested all bottles for their dishwasher safety claims. We washed each manufacturer-approved component on the regular wash setting at least twice a month for a year and we ranked the non-dishwasher-safe pieces for how easy they were to clean with a quick scrub.

Kids want their drinks cold, so we opted not to test plastic water bottles. Instead, we rigorously tested for insulation—both in practical day-to-day scenarios and by leaving the insulated bottles filled with five ice cubes and 8 ounces of water in a hot car with no air conditioning for one hour on a 95-degree day.

A row of water bottles on a white towel. One is leaking green water.
Credit: Reviewed / Janelle Randazza

We tested for leaks by filling each bottle with colored water and setting it on a white towel for a few hours.

A leak-proof bottle is important. We tested for leaks by filling each bottle with colored water, vigorously shaking each bottle upside down, and then setting the bottles upside down for 12 hours.

Other tests were conducted at the hands of a child for ease of use and carry.

Because we saw so many complaints online regarding children biting through straws, we conducted a “bite test” where we analyzed each bottle's straws, mouthpieces, and bite-valves and tested their durability on kids that love to chew straws. We noted if the straw was bite-proof following the first two months of use, and then again after a year of use. We literally left nothing to chance in our testing.

What You Should Know About Kids' Water Bottles

Insulated vs. Lightweight

In general, non-insulated water bottles are made from BPA-free plastic. While they are lightweight, they tend to not keep drinks cold over the course of a full school day.

If you are looking for a bottle that will keep drinks cold, look for a stainless steel water bottle and double-walled vacuum insulation. You will generally find those bottles cost more and weigh a few more ounces than the non-insulated kind, but they’ll be worth it on hot days.

Price

Kids lose stuff. If your child is one to lose water bottles, you may want to take the price point into consideration. Our Best Value winner, the Simple Modern Summit (available at Amazon), is not 100% dishwasher safe but it’s well-insulated, durable, and very affordable.

Meet the tester

Janelle Randazza

Janelle Randazza

Staff Writer, Parenting

@JanelleRandazza

Janelle Randazza is a writer/mother hybrid and taco enthusiast based out of Los Angeles, California.

See all of Janelle Randazza's reviews

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