Which half-gallon water bottles are best?
Drinking a healthy amount of water every day can be a challenge. The hustle and bustle of modern life make extra trips to the water cooler challenging. Purchasing enough bottled water at the vending machine to properly hydrate your body gets expensive, not to mention how detrimental that is for the environment.
If you’re looking for a way to increase your H2O intake without increasing ungreen habits, there’s no better way to do it than with a half-gallon water bottle like the YETI Rambler Half-Gallon Jug.
What to know before you buy a half-gallon water bottle
Reduce plastic waste
There are a lot of ways you can make your home eco-friendly. Choosing more green products, like eco-friendly laundry detergent and reusable straws, is one of the best ways to make a difference. Reusable water bottles also make a massive impact in lessening unnecessary plastic waste. You can minimize microplastics and decrease ocean plastic by not using plastic bottled water or disposable water cooler cups. Using a half-gallon water bottle helps make the world a better place.
Aesthetics
While we’re all aware that bottled water lacks aesthetic vibes, there’s no end to the personality options in half-gallon water bottles. All half-gallon water bottles have their own unique style. Choose from seemingly endless color options and designs.
Ease of use
The best half-gallon water bottles make life easier, not harder. That means it will be comfortable to hold and transport. It will feel like an extension of yourself throughout your workday or errands. It will be convenient to drink from without spilling or making a mess on your desk. Perhaps it’s even dishwasher safe. As you shop around for a half-gallon water bottle, consider how easy it would be to drink from, transport and clean.
What to look for in a quality half-gallon water bottle
Material
While plastic is a popular material choice for the water bottle industry, other materials are cleaner and more economically safe. Stainless steel is a durable, safe option for half-gallon water bottles, though it does tend to be more expensive. If you want the most affordable material, a plastic bottle is your budget-friendly option. Keep in mind some of these can leak chemicals into your water, so search for something BPA-free. If you want the safest, purest drinking experience and don’t mind paying extra for it, choose a half-gallon water bottle that’s stainless steel.
Insulation and temperature control
When you have a half-gallon of water sitting on your desk for hours, it can get warm by the time you reach the second half of sips. A great way to keep your beverage colder longer is with a double-walled water bottle with vacuum insulation. These bottles will be more pricey, but they’re a great way to maintain temperature for hours at a time. Stainless steel insulated water bottles help improve the quality of your drinking experience, even if your bottle sits untouched for hours in the sun.
Extra features
half-gallon water bottles have become incredibly popular, so you can find many extra features to suit your specific needs. You can find bottles with encouraging measurements on the sides, so you know how much you drank (or how much you still need to drink). Some bottles come with inspirational quotes or attractive art. Some have handles to make transport easier, while others are more streamlined. Consider what type of mouth opening you want, something to sip or a wide pour. Some even come with straws, so you don’t need to pick up the entire bottle to drink.
How much you can expect to spend on a half-gallon water bottle
While you can get plastic half-gallon water bottles for under $20, the best half-gallon water bottles are insulated stainless steel. These can be $30-$100.
Half-gallon water bottle FAQ
What’s the safest water bottle material to drink from?
A. A reusable bottle made from either glass or high-quality stainless steel is the safest material for drinking water.
How much water should you drink daily?
A. Check with your doctor to determine the ideal amount of water for you to drink daily. The classic “eight cups of water a day” isn’t right for everyone. An estimated measurement is to drink half an ounce to an ounce of water per pound that you weigh, plus 7 to 10 ounces per 10 to 20 minutes of exercise. That means if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink between 80 to 160 ounces of water. If you work out for an hour, you should drink an extra 21 to 60 ounces of water.
What’s the best half-gallon water bottle to buy?
Top half-gallon water bottle
What you need to know: This half-gallon jug was built to hold enough liquids to keep you hydrated all day long.
What you’ll love: Made from non-toxic stainless steel, this insulated jug will maintain your beverage’s temperature in the sun, wind, rain or snow. With double-wall vacuum insulation and a 100% dishwasher-safe design, you will love the convenience and sturdiness of this bottle.
What you should consider: This bottle is on the expensive side, and some Yeti users say the bottles lose their impressive vacuum seal over time.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Backcountry
Top half-gallon water bottle for the money
GOSWAG half-gallon Motivational Water Bottle
What you need to know: If you need some extra motivation to get your water down throughout the day, these 64-ounce jugs will cheer you on the entire time.
What you’ll love: These affordable half-gallon water bottles come in a variety of cute colors. They feature a time-marker and motivational quotes to keep you inspired to hydrate. A leak-proof design will keep things tidy and dry as you sip.
What you should consider: Some users say this bottle is not as durable as they would like, and it sweats a lot with iced beverages.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
The Coldest Half-Gallon Water Bottle
What you need to know: Never worry about your drinks changing temperature with this bottle that keeps cold beverages cold for 70+ hours and hot beverages hot for over 13 hours.
What you’ll love: A patented, insulated flip-top lid makes drinking comfortable. A triple-insulated stainless steel design maintains the temperature of your beverage, sometimes for days. Enjoy the durable construction and solid handle to make use and transportation simple.
What you should consider: This bottle may not be as durable as some of its competition as some users report it breaking through rough use or after being dropped.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Dicks Sporting Goods
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Abbey Ryan writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2021 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.