Which reusable water bottle should you choose to reflect your love for the planet and your unique quirks? Try on one of these eco-conscious brands!
You need to stay hydrated, especially as the weather heats up. However, wasting money on plastic isn’t good for your wallet — or the planet. Eco-friendly water bottles let you carry a beverage wherever you go while reducing waste and emissions. The safest reusable water bottles also protect your health.
However, choosing the right one isn’t easy. You want something that matches your style and personality. Furthermore, the right material ensures your investment lasts for years, even decades, without replacement, which saves you money in the long run.
So which one should you choose to reflect your love for the planet and your unique quirks? Try on one of these 20 best reusable water bottles for size and green the way you sip.
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The Importance of Water and Hydration
Water is essential to life. It makes up roughly 60% of the human body, although your individual levels may vary depending on your age, gender, activity and hydration level. Although you can live for several weeks without food, you’ll perish within three days without the wet stuff — and that’s if you stay in the shade and avoid activity.
Dehydration is a more pressing threat today, given how climate change continues to heat things up. Although a lack of water alone doesn’t cause heat-related illness, it plays a huge role in its development. Your body needs water to sweat, and a lack of it affects your ability to regulate your internal temperature. Exercise can make your muscles generate up to 20% more heat than usual, and that, combined with high temperatures, can quickly send you into the danger zone.
Heat exhaustion can rapidly progress to heat stroke, which can be fatal. Heat-related illnesses send thousands of people to the ER each year. However, it’s possible to prevent nearly every case by taking the right precautions — especially staying hydrated.
Subtle Signs of Dehydration You Might Miss
Although most people rely on thirst to tell them when to drink, many folks today are far too distracted by a nonstop flood of competing stimuli. It’s possible to become dehydrated before you know it. Set an alert on your phone to check in with yourself mindfully every 30 minutes or so when working in hot conditions, and remain alert to these subtle signs of dehydration you might otherwise miss.
- Bad breath: Saliva rinses away bacteria, but you can’t make enough of it when parched.
- Dark urine and low output: Your pee should be clear to light yellow. If it is dark yellow or amber, it’s a sure sign you need more water.
- Feeling sluggish or tired: You might have heard that thirst can masquerade as hunger, but it can also disguise itself as a need for a nap.
- Headaches and nausea: Dehydration can make you start to feel sick with symptoms similar to heat-related illness, even in cool environments.
- Dry mouth and swollen tongue: If you stumble over your words and don’t have a speech impediment, you may need to sip up.
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How Much Water Do You Need Each Day, Anyway?
The answer to this question isn’t as simple as it sounds, as your needs vary slightly. Factors such as your age, gender and activity level play a role, as does your diet. Those who consume a lot of salt, for example, are bound to feel thirstier.
Most folks are familiar with the 8-glasses-per-day rule, with each glass about eight ounces. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, women should consume 2.7 liters, or 11 cups, daily, and men 3.7 liters, or 15 cups.
If you want to get even more precise, Wendy Bazilian, a registered doctor of public health and nutritionist, suggests drinking half an ounce for every pound of body weight. Therefore, you’d consume 75 ounces daily if you weigh 150 pounds. However, a tough workout further influences what you need. Dr. Sarah Eby, a sports medicine specialist at Mass General Bingham, suggests weighing yourself before and after exercise and drinking three cups of water for each pound lost.
Dr. Eby also suggests sipping four to eight ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes into your workout. As you can see, the question of how much water you need isn’t that simple to answer, but you can use these guidelines to design a personalized estimate. Adjust it as needed per your activity, and always drink up if you feel thirsty — it is a reliable sign if you tune in mindfully.
The Problem of Disposable Water Bottles
As crucial as hydration is to health, there’s a right way and a not-so-good way to achieve it. Did you know that every week, Americans consume and dispose of more than 500 million water bottles — enough to circle the earth five times? Plastic bottles come from fossil fuels and require energy to create. It isn’t only the bottle itself that pollutes, but the process of making it.
Does Plastic Get Recycled?
However, you might think you’re safe if you toss that bottle into the recycling bin after you drink it. After all, it becomes a new bottle, right, which doesn’t take much energy? Not exactly. Plastic recycling is a bit tricky.
The reality is that plants recycle only 5% to 6% of America’s plastic. The rest ends up in landfills. Plastic is tough to recycle because of the varied chemicals used to create it and the lack of infrastructure, especially in rural areas. If you must choose a plastic bottle, those labeled #1 or #2 are your best bet. Plastics #3 through #7 may bear the recycling logo, but there’s rarely a facility that handles them, resigning them to the landfill.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Water Bottles for the Environment and Your Health
Reducing your reliance on single-use plastic isn’t only good for the environment. It also benefits your health. Here are five reasons why you should skip the refrigerated section at your local convenience store and head straight to the soda and tea fountain.
1. Reduce Single-Use Plastic
Reducing single-use plastic is a huge plus of investing in a reusable water bottle. Remember, you must consider the entire life cycle of an item when determining how sustainable it is. Single-use plastics require energy to create and often end up in landfills.
The former creates obvious emissions from factories, but the latter also leaves a mark. It contributes to anaerobic landfill conditions, which results in methane emissions when organic matter breaks down. Methane is several times heavier than carbon, exacting a high environmental toll.
2. Keep Hydration Handy
Understanding the importance of hydration makes you want to keep water handy all the time. However, you don’t always have access to a sink or refrigerator. A reusable bottle lets you carry your drink with you anywhere you go, with many models conveniently fitting into your car’s cup holder.
You may be permitted to take your reusable water bottle into places where regular drinks are forbidden. For example, you may need to carry any beverages in a sealed, lidded container when working around certain equipment — and it’s also a good way to safeguard your personal laptop if you work on the go.
3. Maintain the Perfect Beverage Temperature
Those who don’t favor the flavor of plain water often assert that it tastes even yuckier warm. You can fill many eco-friendly water bottles with any type of beverage, and they’ll maintain the perfect temperature — hot or cold — for hours. Compare that to a clear, plastic bottle that heats up in less than 10 minutes in your car on a hot summer’s day. Keeping hot coffee in a disposable vessel? Forget about it.
4. Avoid Sketchy Chemicals
Here’s the scary bit. Nearly everyone already has microplastics in multiple body tissues, and scientists still have little idea what the long-term health effects are. They could make you more susceptible to various diseases, from cancer to Alzheimer’s. Researchers simply don’t know.
One known risk of single-use plastic bottles is BPA. BPA is a chemical used to manufacture various food and beverage containers. More than 90% of people have it in their bodies. Researchers are concerned that it impacts the following systems:
- Hormones: Animal studies have shown mixed results of BPAs effect on your endocrine system, but it could impact conditions like PCOS or affect fertility.
- Brain and behavior problems: The National Toxicology Program at the FDA has expressed concern that BPA may affect the brain and behavior of young children.
- Cancer: Some animal studies have linked BPA exposure to cancer.
- Heart problems: Adults with higher levels of BPA in their bodies are at an increased risk of heart trouble.
Experts suggest you avoid heating plastic food containers, something you rarely do with water bottles. However, it’s probably best to avoid the substance altogether. The safest reusable water bottles are BPA-free, creating zero worries.
5. Personalize Your Sipping Experience
Now for the fun part. Personalizing your eco-friendly water bottle is a blast! It’s a chance to express your unique personality. Cover it with stickers, write your nickname in glitter pen and make it a vessel that is undeniably you.
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20 Safest Reusable Water Bottles for the Eco-Friendly Set
You’re educated and savvy and ready to invest in the perfect eco-friendly water bottle. Here are 20 of the safest ones to stay hydrated and do your part to protect Planet Earth.
1. Yeti Explore Rambler
Yeti has long been the go-to name in outdoor refreshment, with a line of coolers suitable for bear country and an assortment of eco-friendly water bottles you won’t find anywhere else. The Explore Rambler is perfect for daily use, as it fits neatly into your car’s cup holders, although you can purchase larger models if you work outdoors. Whatever style you choose, the thick, stainless steel lining maintains your beverage at its ideal temperature for hours, cold or hot. Your ice won’t melt even in Arizona desert heat.
2. Brita Water Bottle With Filter
Does the stuff coming from your tap make you wrinkle your nose in disgust? If you question what you sip, trust one of the best-known names in filtration to come to your rescue. The Brita water bottle with filter transforms ordinary tap water into a delicious beverage you actually want to drink. It’s among the safest reusable water bottles if you worry about the pipes in your home or office.
3. Thermoflask Stainless Steel Water Bottle
What makes stainless steel a preferred material for eco-friendly water bottles isn’t only its insulating properties. It’s 100% recyclable and doesn’t lose material integrity when melted down to create new products. What makes Thermoflask a favorite is the fun colors and the special lid designed for easy sipping.
4. Owala Free Sip Stainless Steel Water Bottle
If it’s a funky, futuristic design you crave, go to Owala. These eco-friendly water bottles come in multiple festive color blends, like purple, orange and green or blue, red and yellow. They also have a unique sippable lid and a built-in straw so you can sip or swig.
5. Takeya Actives Insulated Water Bottle
Takeya Actives are among the safest reusable water bottles because of how easy it is to carry them with you. The convenient ring tab lets you clip this bottle onto your belt or backpack with a carabiner, keeping your hands free if you have to boulder a bit on your next hike. It also comes in multiple fun sizes to match your style.
6. Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Travel Tumbler
Hydro Flask makes the Amazon bestseller list time and again because of its affordability. However, if you have a little more money to spend, you can upgrade with customization options. Change the body color, straw, lid and boot, creating a vessel that’s utterly unique to you. Hello, rainbow unicorn sipping.
7. Mermaid Straw Stainless Steel Reusable Bottle
If you’re a mermaid walking around on human legs, you need an eco-friendly water bottle that reflects your aquatic heritage. The mermaid straw stainless steel reusable bottle features pictures of your playful kin, a scale design or a simple blue and purple metallic blend that reflects the waves of the sea.
8. Stojo Collapsible Travel Cup
Disposable plastic cups are as much of an environmental catastrophe as single-use bottles. Just say no to the red throwaway version at your next gathering by bringing along your Stojo collapsible travel cup. It slips easily into your purse or backpack, even your pocket, letting you bring a personal party vessel with you wherever you go.
9. Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle
Cups don’t get to have all the fun. The Nomader collapsible water bottle is even better than an old-fashioned canteen for backpacking, camping or hiking, as you can clip several of them to your pack or tuck them inside — they take little space. Even when expanded, it fits into your car’s cup holder, making it perfect for daily use, too.
10. Stanley Classic Vacuum Growler
Who said the safest reusable water bottles can’t have a rugged, masculine look? The Stanley Classic Vacuum Growler might look right at home on the trail, but it’s the perfect way to keep your love of the outdoors alive at your work desk. The handy side handle makes it easy to carry, and it comes in black, gray or military green.
11. Camelbak Eddy+
Camelbak is a serious name in all things hydration. You might be most familiar with their backpack bladders. However, the Camelbak Eddy+ is a lightweight handheld bottle made from 50% recycled plastic. They also have kid versions, letting you outfit your little one with a personalized, eco-friendly water bottle covered in dinosaurs. Rawr!
12. Iron Flask Sports Water Bottle
Iron Flask helps you find the perfect mouth feel with several unique dispenser tops. Choose a wide or narrow-mouth spout, straw or retro soda bottle styling. You’ll find one that lets you chug without dribbling. Each product features fun designs and colors and comes with a special cleaning brush to keep the inside from getting gunky.
13. Hydracy Water Bottle With Time Marker
Do you get so absorbed in your work that you forget to sip up? If so, the Hydracy eco-friendly water bottle is for you. It features a time marker down the side, reminding you if you’ve swallowed the recommended number of ounces per hour. It comes in multiple colors, is made of BPA-free plastic and offers an optional sleeve for added temperature control and grip.
14. Swell Explorer
The Swell Explorer promises to keep your cold drinks chilled for up to 42 hours. With a sleek design, easy-grip handle and natural color choices, this vessel is both rugged and attractive. It features 91% post-consumer recycled stainless steel, highlighting the company’s commitment to sustainability.
15. Grayl Ultrapress Filter Bottle
If you go deep into the backcountry and occasionally drink from a creek, the Grayl Ultrapress filter bottle is for you. You better bet it can also purify what’s coming out of your tap. It’s the ideal vessel for folks who keep a well-stocked bug-out bag with them everywhere they go, as this bottle transforms from office convenience to survival necessity.
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16. Zulu Ace Stainless Steel Water Bottle
If you love a sleek, futuristic design, the Zulu Ace is for you. Featuring vacuum technology, this bottle maintains your beverage temperature while keeping impurities out. It features a chuggable spout, although you can add a reusable straw for sipping if you prefer.
17. PurifyU Premium
PurifyU is unique for the material they use — glass. Don’t worry. It’s plenty heavy-duty and won’t easily break, plus it comes encased in a soft silicone sleeve for added protection. It’s perfect if you like to add fruit to your water for a touch of flavor, as the clear exterior provides easy visibility for washing away residue.
18. Bentgo Kids Water Bottle
Your kids deserve the safest reusable water bottle, and Bentgo has them covered with scores of adorable styles. Sharks, unicorns, race cars, butterflies — these designs and more adorn their colorful sides. The lid features a convenient strap, so you can clip it to their backpack or lunch box.
19. HydroJug Half-Gallon Water Bottle
Those with a serious thirst — or who labor outdoors in the summer — need an eco-friendly water bottle to match. The HydroJug half-gallon provides plenty of H20 with a convenient, snap-top sippy cap. An oversized ring tab lets you slip it onto a finger, keeping the rest of your hands free for hauling other things.
20. Larq Self-Cleaning Bottle
The hardest aspect of eco-friendly water bottles is keeping them clean. Larq takes the human work out of the equation. It may be the safest reusable water bottle, as it includes a nano filter and PureVis UVC technology to destroy over 99% of germs. As a result, you’ll enjoy some of the purest-tasting water this side of a mountain stream.
The Safest, Most Eco-Friendly Water Bottles
Plastic water bottles take a toll on the environment. Switching to eco-friendly reusable water bottles is one of the easiest and most impactful steps you can take to green your footprint.
The safest reusable water bottles protect the planet and human health and come in scores of styles. Use this guide to find the right one for you and sip responsibly.
