Best Kids Water Bottle

The Kid Kanteen is a kid bottle that lasts a lifetime

The Kid Kanteen (*MSRP $17) water bottle, made by Klean Kanteen, is a reusable, stainless-steel water bottle that features sleek, rounded edges and a shape that fits nicely into the mesh pockets of your kid's backpack or lunchbox, and into cupholders. The cup comes with either a sippy cup lid or a push-spout sport lid, which makes it easy to transition the bottle from toddler to kid use. Parents say it's not leakproof, but older children should be able to avoid big messes.

The Contigo Autoseal Kids Trekker Cup (*MSRP $12) features an innovative leakproof and spill-proof lid design. Aimed at kids from 3 and up, it offers on-demand, free-flow water by depressing a release valve on the side of the bottle. As soon as you let go of the valve, the cup seals itself, never spilling a drop. While this cup is considered leakproof, the small pressure valve on the bottle top can seep slightly when tipped up.

The Thinksport Insulated Sports Bottle (*MSRP $16) is another favorite for kids. It's insulated with vacuum-sealed stainless steel that users say keeps liquids cold or warm for hours. Like the Kid Kanteen, the Thinksport bottle has nicely rounded edges that make for a comfortable grip and fit well into backpack sleeves and bottle holders. The Thinksport gets more complaints of leaking from its sport lid than the Kid Kanteen or the Contigo Trekker.

For durability and safety, the Kid Kanteen comes out on top of all other water bottles in virtually all reviews. Users say that this is a bottle that can spend an entire season forgotten in the backyard and come up clean and ready to use again after a thorough scrubbing. By contrast, parents say that it is difficult to access all of the recesses in the Contigo Trekker's one-piece lid, which can lead to mold and mildew buildup. One complaint: Parents say the single-wall construction of the Kid Kanteen bottle sweats and can feel too cold for little hands, while the Thinksport bottle is said to keep a cool, dry feel regardless of its contents.