I’m a travel writer and professional gear tester with a 12-year-old daughter. That means I’ve been unwillingly swept into more than one water-bottle trend passionately embraced by the tween set.
For a while, she was very into Stanley; that’s how we ended up with a formidable collection in our house.
But I’ve found Stanleys aren’t especially practical for travel. The ones I own are heavy and bulky, with straws sticking out of the top, making them prone to germ exposure and awkward to shove into a backpack pocket. The straw also makes them far from leakproof, and they’re a pain to clean.
We’ve since tried other brands that have emerged as clear favorites for travel. These are the alternatives that are simple to carry and to clean, and most importantly, stay completely leakproof when I toss them in a bag. I’ve destroyed one too many laptops with liquid damage in transit, and that pain stays fresh.
In this article
Owala FreeSip
I first learned about Owala when I interviewed a flight attendant for a story, and she told me it is her favorite bottle for flights. Since then, Owala has become my own go-to for travel because it solves so many of the problems I have with my Stanley.
My $30 FreeSip holds 24 ounces of liquid and weighs about 13 ounces empty, with an insulated stainless-steel body that keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours. The lid closes completely, so there’s no exposed straw sticking out of my backpack, and you can sip through the built-in straw or tilt the bottle back to drink normally. I also like that the push-button lid can be opened with one hand—a real help when you’re juggling many items in the boarding line.
Yeti Rambler
In my opinion, the Yeti Rambler is the best of the bunch for keeping contents cold.
The $32 version I use holds 18 ounces and weighs just over a pound empty, making it the heaviest bottle on this list, but the insulation is well worth it.
It’s made from puncture- and rust-resistant stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation, and the wide, easy-to-grip handle makes carrying it feel extremely sturdy on the go. The insulation really goes the distance for long travel days, red-eye flights, or at my destination when I’m going to be carrying the same bottle around for hours.
The tradeoff is the substantial weight. But when I want something durable that keeps my drink cold for a long time—especially, say, in the middle of a historic European heat wave—I’m happy to make room for it.
Nalgene 24-Ounce On the Fly
I love the no-fuss nature of Nalgene, a brand I can remember using since college in the ’90s. For travel, I consider that an impressive feature.
The 24-ounce On the Fly weighs under 5 ounces empty and is made from BPA/BPS-free Tritan Renew plastic, so it weighs a fraction of the insulated stainless-steel bottles I also use.
It comes in under $20, and the bottle is durable and sized to fit into a cup holder or the side pocket of a backpack. I especially appreciate the locking cap, which banishes my stress about leakage. I pick this one when weight matters; it’s considerably lighter than an insulated stainless-steel bottle.
Revomax Classic Series
Revomax is newer to me, but it’s an instant keeper.
The $30 Classic version holds 20 ounces, weighs 0.8 pounds empty, and is made from stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation. It’s easy to grip and slim enough to slip into the side water-bottle pocket of a suitcase or backpack without taking up much room. It also has a one-handed push-button opening, which comes in clutch when hands are full on travel days.
The insulation is rated to keep drinks cold for up to 36 hours or hot for 18. Major bonus: It has a pressure-release valve that safely vents carbonation before opening, so you can carry soda, kombucha, or even Champagne to that Parisian picnic under the Eiffel Tower.
Hydaway 17-Ounce Collapsible Water Bottle
I love the idea of a collapsible water bottle for travel, but some I’ve tried have made the space savings feel like too much of a sacrifice. They leak, or they’re so weird and wonky when filled that they’re too awkward to actually hold and drink from.
This Hydaway one solves those problems. At under $30, it holds 17 ounces, weighs just 5.5 ounces, and is made from food-grade silicone and BPA-free plastic. It feels sturdy enough when expanded and has a leakproof flip-top lid, and it collapses to just 1.5 inches when empty.
That means I can fill it after airport security, then flatten it and stash it in my bag when I’m done—exactly what I want a collapsible bottle to do.
The Shortcut
Check the lid before the insulation: In a packed bag, a lid that locks shut, with no straw sticking out, matters more than how many hours your drink stays cold.
Weigh it empty: An insulated steel bottle can weigh two to three times as much as a plastic or silicone one before you add a drop of water.
Fill up after security: A collapsible bottle goes through the checkpoint empty, then flattens back down when you’re done with it.
Go one-handed for the boarding line: A push-button lid means you can drink while holding your boarding pass and your bag.
