Best Travel Water Bottles for 2024

Finding the best water bottle for traveling is essential for staying healthy and hydrated on the road while reducing single-use plastic bottles that are bad for the environment. Now more than ever, you should be using a travel water bottle with a covered spout.

Why do travel water bottles matter in 2024?

With an infectious airborne virus, it’s crucial that the mouthpiece of your water bottle is not exposed to the air. It needs to stay clean and protected because it will be in direct contact with your mouth!

Unfortunately, many reusable water bottle designs either don’t fully cover the mouthpiece with a lid, or they require you to touch the spout with your hands to open the water flow. 

Our favorite water bottles for traveling

On our trips, we like to take large travel water bottles with a handle that’s easy to carry. We have two favorite brands we recommend. They each have unique features that make them the best water bottle for different situations.

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Tiger Sahara insulated water bottle with flip top lid

This is our tried and true flip top water bottle. Our family has owned several versions of the Sahara waterbottle over the years. This Tiger sports bottle is closest to the one we typically use.

The key feature is that the water bottle is well insulated. The Tiger stainless steel bottle, thermos, and sealed mugs are top quality. The Sahara, which adds another layer of insulation and easier grip, thanks to the outer sleeve, is a bit harder to find. 

If you’re traveling to hot climates, insulation is key to keeping your drinks cool. It’s amazing how well it works. You can put an ice cube in the bottle in the morning, and it will still be there in the afternoon!

Pros of the Tiger Sahara water bottle:
– Well insulated to keep cold drinks cool (or hot drinks hot)
– Flip top lid keeps the mouthpiece clean
– Sturdy and durable materials
– Outer sleeve serves as a carrying case for easier handling

Cons of Tiger Sahara bottle:
– Too bulky to fit in a cup holder
– The seal over the mouthpiece needs to be removed and cleaned periodically

Check out more Tiger Sahara water bottles on Amazon >

SaganLife travel water bottle with filter

I was searching for an everyday/travel water bottle with straw and protected spout when I came across the SaganLife Journey waterbottle (update: this model no longer available), which doubles as a travel water filter. 

When using the filter, it removes 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and toxins. 

This water bottle with filter is perfect when pure, filtered water may not be available. This would be the best travel water bottle for camping, hiking, or traveling in less developed countries.

But it’s also handy at home if you don’t like the taste of your tap water.

Pros of the SaganLife Journey water bottle:
– Filter option conveniently lets you purify water
– Flip top cover keeps the mouthpiece clean
– Fits in most cup holders
– Small handle makes carrying easier

Cons of SaganLife Journey bottle:
– Not insulated
– Filter takes up space so you carry less volume in the bottle

Check out the Journey filtered water bottle >

Owala FreeSip Water Bottle for Travel

The Owala waterbottle is one that I found through online research and bought for myself. While it doesn’t have insulation like the Sahara or filtering like the SaganLife options, it meets all my requirements, especially for use at home.

What’s unique about the FreeSip is that the mouth allows for sipping (my preference) OR swigging. There is a straw, which means you don’t have to elevate the bottle when drinking from it, but you can if you want to chug more water at once.

Pros of the Owala water bottle:
– Flip top cover keeps the mouthpiece clean
– Fits in most cup holders
– Thumb handle makes carrying easier
– BPA-free and dishwasher safe

Cons of Owala bottle:
– Not insulated
– Filter takes up space so you carry less volume in the bottle

Check out the Owala FreeSip waterbottle >

Super Sparrow bottles

We were also sent samples of the Super Sparrow line of water bottles. Super Sparrow has a wide range of styles, sizes, and colors to choose from.

Pictured here are the Stainless 750mL in Dark Green and the Ultralight 500mL in Sky Blue.

Unfortunately, there’s not a great option for straw-like sipping that doesn’t leave the mouthpiece exposed to the environment.

The Ultralight is a cute design and has a covered mouthpiece but no straw functionality. The release button and lock for the lid don’t feel super durable either.

What’s the best water bottle for travel?

You may be wondering what is the best water bottle for travel to Europe, or to Southeast Asia, or for your multi-day hiking trip.

Between the bottles we mentioned, it depends on your priorities.

If you’d prioritize maintaining the temperature of your drinks, then go with the insulated Sahara bottle. If you might need water filtration, then go with a Sagan Life bottle with filter. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a water bottle that combines both of these great features yet.