Water Bottles: Ratings of Sources
Total of 25 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Reusable Water Bottles Tested
by Editors of Good Housekeeping
Our Assessment
Good Housekeeping tests 32 reusable water bottles that claim to be BPA-free. Each bottle is subjected to stability, leak and drop tests, and a panel of testers evaluates the bottles for comfort, ease of use… and appearance. The water bottles are also run through 28 dishwasher cycles. Of the 32 bottles tested, the Nalgene OTG Everyday, CamelBak Podium and Product Architects Polar Bottle are the top three. The bottles are listed in descending order, but the scores themselves are not listed. We'd rate this source even higher if they included testing details and scores.
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2. The Great Outdoors magazine
July 2009
On Test: Hydration Systems
by Editors of The Great Outdoors magazine
Our Assessment
The Great Outdoors -- a British magazine -- offers one of the most recent and comprehensive tests of water bottles. Editors look at a variety of hydration systems, including hydration packs, but they also… test seven stand-alone water bottles. Of the seven, the Nalgene All-Terrain bottle earns a Best Buy award, and three others - CamelBak Better Bottle, Nalgene Wide Mouth and Liquitainer 1 -- are recommended. Each water bottle gets a lengthy description and the author notes pros and cons. The Liquitainer water bottle is not available in the United States.
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Bottle Shock: 4 BPA-Free Water Bottles Endure Torture Testing
by Adrienne So
Our Assessment
Wired puts four stainless-steel water bottles through a torture test, which includes freezing, boiling and dropping. Each bottle is also run over by a VW Beetle. Every bottle gets a lengthy review, and the author notes pros and cons for each bottle. You can also see a picture of how each bottle looks after the torture test. Of the four tested, the Klean Kanteen fares the best.
Reviewed: Water Bottles
by Tobin Hack
Our Assessment
Tobin Hack tests a number of water bottles in this balanced review. Each of the bottles is tested, but no details are provided as to what type of tests were performed. Hack devotes a short paragraph to each of the water bottles, and although they're not rated, he does list some pros and cons of each.
Message in a Bottle
by Laura Moser
Our Assessment
Laura Moser enlists six friends to test eight water bottles, with each bottle being evaluated for user-friendliness, taste, style and portability. The testing is thorough and the review is comparative, but… it was conducted before many of the new BPA-free bottles hit the market. Some of the plastic bottles reviewed are rated lower because they are made with BPA, and newer water bottles from these manufacturers are BPA-free.
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BPA-Free Water Bottle Showdown
by Jeremiah McNichols
Our Assessment
Blogger Jeremiah McNichols evaluates 10 BPA-free water bottles over a five-week span of time, using four criteria: design, durability, insulation and value. Top picks, based on high scores in each criteria, include the Performance Bottle, Nalgene Everyday Tritan Bottle, Polar Bottle, Thermos Raya and ThinkSport.
Gear Test with Eric Linxweil, Outdoorsman; Not Simply a Water Bottle
by Yishane Lee
Our Assessment
The New York Times enlists the help of Eric Linxweiler, the president of an outdoor recreation club, to test five water bottles on multiple hikes around Seattle. He details his personal opinion on each water bottle, but there are no numerical ratings assigned to the water bottles. Linxweiler finds positives and negatives with all of the bottles, but he says the Thermos Intak is his favorite.
8. Outside Magazine
June 2009
The Essentials: Editor's Choice Awards
by Editors of Outside magazine
Our Assessment
Outside magazine asks various editors to select their favorite gear of the year in the Editor's Choice awards. The products have been tested by each editor, but the bottles only get a brief, one-sentence overview. Sam Moulton picks the Nalgene Backpacker water bottle, a 32-ounce stainless-steel water bottle. Will Palmer selects the Sigg Eco Message, which is part of the Sigg Lifestyle collection.
Top 5 Eco-Friendly Water Bottles
by Hilary Hylton
Our Assessment
Time magazine picks the five most eco-friendly water bottles, but the review also includes information on durability and reliability. Popular brands like Sigg, Nalgene and CamelBak are tested, but there are no direct comparisons between the water bottles. While each bottle gets a positive review, the 27-ounce Klean Kanteen is the author's favorite.
Summer 2009 Buyer's Guide: Accessories
by Alicia Carr
Our Assessment
Only one water bottle scores a mention in Outside magazine's latest buyer's guide -- the Sigg Retro Bottle, which is formerly known as the Sigg Heritage. Reviewer Alicia Carr likes the ribbing on the outside of the bottle, which makes it easier to grasp, and she says the Sigg liner helps prevent odors.
Best of Adventure Gear
by Steve Casimiro
Our Assessment
The Kor One water bottle wins a Best of Adventure Gear award from National Geographic Adventure magazine. The 750-millilter bottle is made from BPA-free Tritan plastic. Reviewer Steve Casimiro likes the flip top.
12. Vegetarian Times
April 2009
BPA-Free At Last
by Elizabeth Turner
Our Assessment
Four Vegetarian Times staffers list their top BPA-free water bottle in this short article. Favorites include Sigg's Make Love Not Landfill, the CamelBak Better Bottle, Nalgene OTG Tritan and the 13-ounce EarthLust bottle.
Water Bottle
by Editors of BikeRadar.com
Our Assessment
BikeRadar.com reviews a number of water bottles, but most bottles reviewed by this U.K. site are not widely available in the United States. Still, the highest-rated bottle on the site, the CamelBak Podium, is available here.
BPA-Free Bottles
by Wendy Bumgardner
Our Assessment
Wendy Bumgardner, the guide to walking for About.com, reviews six water bottles. Her favorite is the Ultimate Direction bottle, which is made of safer polyethylene plastic, because it "allows easy access."… The CamelBak Performance Bottles are also favorites, because you don't have to "tilt them to drink out of them." (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
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America's Healthiest Fitness Buys 2009
by Taylor Dahl, Jacquelyne Froeber and Josh Rutledge
Our Assessment
Health magazine picks the CamelBak Podium ChillJacket as one of the healthiest fitness buys in 2009. Using a panel of expert judges, Health tested hundreds of fitness products and picked 24 products that are "must-haves." The judges love the Podium ChillJacket's self-sealing valve and insulation to keep fluids cool.
BPA-Free Water Bottles
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Our Assessment
To its credit, Amazon.com groups BPA-free bottles together, which helps users narrow down their choices. There are hundreds of owner-written reviews of BPA-free water bottles on Amazon.com. The CamelBak Better Bottle and bottles from Klean Kanteen and Sigg all get high ratings.
Gear Reviews
by Stephen Regenold
Our Assessment
Stephen Regenold reviews a number of water bottles, including the CamelBak Podium and CamelBak Better Bottle. He also conducts a comparative review of Sigg and Klean Kanteen bottles. Although he has some qualms with both bottles, he still recommends both brands for everyday use. He doesn't rate the bottles, but his reviews are detailed and based on personal testing.
Future Gear
by Editors of Outside magazine
Our Assessment
Outside magazine reviews a number of outdoor products that represent the "future of gear," including the Kor One water bottle. There's not a huge amount of detail, but the Kor One gets a brief review that praises its design.
BPA-free Water Bottles
by Editors of Women's Adventure magazine
Our Assessment
Women's Adventure magazine highlights four, BPA-free water bottles from various manufacturers. It doesn't appear the bottles were tested and they are not rated, but each receives a brief overview that focuses on features.
Water Bottle Reviews
by Contributors to Buzzillions.com
Our Assessment
Buzzillions.com compiles owner-written reviews from retailers around the web, including REI.com and Zappos.com. The CamelBak Better Bottle is the top-rated water bottle on the site, with over 300 individual reviews. The Sigg Lifestyle water bottle also receives good reviews. Still, there are far fewer reviews here than on Amazon.com.
Fun in the Sun
by Jayme Otto
Our Assessment
In this brief, uncritical review, Jayme Otto highlights the Kor One on a list of the best new summer gear. Otto especially likes the wide mouth and one-handed hinge cap.
93 Products We Love
by Editors of Men's Health
Our Assessment
In Men's Health 2008 Tech Guide, the CamelBak Podium water bottle is recommended as a good choice for athletes and cyclists. The bite valve -- seen on CamelBak's hydration packs -- gets high marks for preventing leaks.
New Water Bottle Makes Hydrating Easy
by Sarah Snow
Our Assessment
In this short, single-product review, Sarah Snow at Fitness magazine offers her feedback on the new Kor One water bottle. At first she thinks the bottle is too gimmicky, but after using it she finds it very user-friendly and likes how the rubber bottom stops the bottle from clanking around.
Plastic Water Bottles: Is "BPA-Free" the Same as Safe?
by Sheryl Eisenberg
Our Assessment
Sheryl Eisenberg is an advisor to the Natural Resources Defense Council and she maintains the This Green Life blog for the NRDC website. In this article, Eisenberg looks at BPA-free water bottles to… determine if they are any safer than water bottles containing BPA. As an alternative to plastic, Eisenberg recommends stainless steel. She also says Sigg aluminum bottles are an option, although she notes that they have not been forthcoming about the contents of their liner.
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Bisphenol A: Toxic Plastics Chemical in Canned Food: BPA and Human Diseases on the Rise
by Editors of Environmental Working Group
Our Assessment
This article doesn't review any water bottles, but the Environmental Working Group provides a detailed overview of the potential health risks for BPA. The EWG suggests that BPA may be linked to a variety of health problems, including cancer, diabetes and reproductive problems. They also include tips on how to reduce your exposure to this common chemical.
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