We’ve conducted nearly 70 hours of study into water bottles over the previous five years and have tested a total of 79 in all sizes and shapes. However, because different individuals have different priorities, we could not pick just one, so we’ve picked our favorites throughout a broad range of materials and styles that include steel, insulated, plastic, glass, and collapsible bottles. (If you want a bottle to keep hot beverages hot, have a look at our guide to the very best travel mug; and in case you’re searching for something that holds much more water to outdoor sports, then head to our hydration packs direct.)

Our pick

Klean Kanteen Classic 27-Ounce Stainless Steel Bottle with 3.0 Sport Cap The steel bottle It is stainless steel, so it retains unwanted scents and tastes to a minimum. Plus, it’s lightweight and dishwasher-safe. Buy on Amazon

The 27-ounce Klean Kanteen Classic Stainless Steel Bottle has been at the top of our list for five years. It’s easy to fill, easy to drink from, and ready to be pitched into the dishwasher at the end of the day. Most important, it’s leakproof and almost as mild as a plastic jar. You can also fit the Vintage with any of a half-dozen cap styles in case you’re searching for something different.

Using its spring-loaded best, easy-to-sip-from spout, and convenient meter for keeping tabs on just how much you have drunk during the day, the 24-ounce Thermos Intak Hydration Bottle is our choice three years running for the best plastic bottle. With its slim profile and contoured, grippy body, it’s easy to hold while wet with perspiration or condensation, making it ideal for the gym.

We have chosen the 22-ounce Lifefactory Glass Bottle with Classic Cap and Silicone Sleeve as our glass pick to get a fourth year since it features a very simple but elegant layout, an easy-to-screw-off top, and (for a glass bottle) surprising resilience against casual abuse.

The Hydro Flask 24-Ounce Standard Mouth is a leakproof, easy-to-open jar designed to keep your drink cool. It does so by sandwiching a insulation vacuum coating between two layers of stainless steel to stop external heat from heating up the inside. Unlike the majority of the other insulated bottles, the coating and rubber lid make it effortless to grip during opening. The mouth is broad enough to make plopping ice cubes into the opening simple, but not so wide as to spill water on your self while guzzling on a hot day. It is a pleasure to drink out of, as it permits water to flow smoothly into your mouth without a gurgling to interrupt the flow.

The dual-purpose Platypus Meta Bottle can be transformed into a cup or collapsed when space is constrained. This squishable, leakproof bottle delivers a drinking experience that’s as close to that of a hard-sided jar as we’ve managed to discover in a collapsible vessel. Once it’s empty, then you can roll it up and put it off. Its wide mouth and shallow layout make it the easiest bottle we tested to utilize an UV water heater to get when you travel to areas where the water isn’t potable.