It is that time of year again! Back to school. On top of getting all your kiddos supplies, clothes, and the perfect backpack, you have to worry about finding the best water bottle for school.
Most parents are looking for qualities such as durability, safety, leak-proof, and easy-to-clean in a water bottle for kids. Below we review the best water bottles for school. You will see that they all have the above-mentioned qualities, but some better than others.
However, finding the best one has a lot to do with personal preference based on the age of your kiddos and what they will use it for- after school sports water bottle, lunch water bottle, desk water bottle or everywhere they go water bottle. You cannot go wrong with the brands below we have selected as the 5 best water bottles for school. Check out some of the other designs made by these companies if the ones below are not perfect for you. Many of them make straw top, sport top, and screw top designs.
Best water bottle for school: #1 S’ip by S’well 10 oz
You cannot go wrong with S’well. It is one of, if not the, most popular water bottle brands out there. This bottle can hold both hot and cold beverages. It keeps hot beverages hot for 12 hours and cold ones cold for 24. It is 18/8 stainless steel, BPA-free, and vacuum insulated. It comes in many fun designs for both boys and girls, which I always think helps your kiddo get excited about drinking water.
This bottle is best for kids over the age of four or those who have mastered opening the screw top lid. Its smaller size makes it a great fit for a lunch box (check out this article for lunch packing tips). It is also reasonably priced. The cons that it is hand-wash only and if tipped over, will spill.
Best water bottle for school: #2 Nalgene On the Fly 12 oz
Nalgene is known for its reasonably priced, durable water bottles. This is no exception. As with all Nalgene bottles, it is BPA-free and comes in many designs. My two-year old loves the Marvel collection, but he struggles with the locking mechanism. It is a bottle best for older kids- not toddlers. Also, the one we have does not click closed completely so it is even more difficult to use. Obviously, this bottle will not keep liquids cold.
However, it is still one of the best water bottles for school kids because it is light-weight, affordable, leak-proof, and dishwasher-safe!
For toddlers, I recommend the Nalgene Grip-N-Gulf. It has the sport top so it is much easier for them to use. It is light-weight, dishwasher safe, and leak-free. It also comes in fun designs.
Best water bottle for school: #3 Klean Kanteen 12 oz
We love Klean Kanteen for its commitment to the environment. This sport cap bottle for kids is new 2018. It is also made from 18/8 stainless steel. It is not insulated so it is lighter weight for kids. As with all Kleen Kanteen bottles, it is an eco-friendly, safe water bottle. It has a Klean Coat to help make it more resistant to chips and scratches. While the sport cap is great for kids of all ages- even toddlers- it is not leak-proof and hard to clean. Klean Kanteen recommends hand-washing all bottles, but the caps are dishwasher safe. Also, Klean Kanteen is backed by a lifetime warranty, which is necessary for the way kids treat their water bottles. It comes in many color options, but no designs.
Another great thing about Klean Kanteen is that you can buy other lids so the bottle can grow with your kiddo. This sippy cap lid is great for toddlers.
Best water bottle for school: #4 Hydro Flask Wide Mouth 12 oz
Hydro flask is another popular water bottle brand. It is a bit more expensive than the other brands, but made to last. It is non-toxic and made with 18/8 stainless steel. It has double wall vacuum to keep liquids cold for 24 hours. It does not take hot liquids.
The nice thing about Hydro Flask bottles is their powder coat. This decreases the chance of dropping the bottle when condensation builds. It has the easy-to-use straw, but the lid is not leak-proof. It is hand-wash only, but like all Hydro Flask bottles, it is backed by the lifetime warranty. This bottle is best for older kiddos because it can be a bit heavy for toddlers, but like Klean Kanteen, it has other options for lids like this leak-proof Flex cap.
Best water bottle for school: #5 CamelBak Eddy 12 oz.
This is a great water bottle for school. It has a combination sport top with the straw. It is dishwasher safe (top rack). It is light weight and easy to carry. It is stain-resistant and BPA-free. It also has the lifetime guarantee. This bottle is great for toddlers; the sport top is a bit more durable than the Contigo Kids Autospot that my son bites through. Plus, you can buy extra bit valves and straws, which is convenient. However, some parents have complained about the mold growing in the spout even after running it through the dishwasher. You can either buy new spouts or this handy spout cleaning accessory to really get it clean. A similar cleaner also comes with Dr. Brown’s bottles if you have an infant as well. Although this bottle won’t keep liquids cold, CamelBak also makes this stainless steel version.
Conclusion
Now that we have reviewed the best water bottles for school, it is time to pick some winners. All of these water bottles are good options. And like everything, there may, in fact, be no perfect water bottle. If you have found the perfect water bottle for school, please leave your recommendation in the comments.
The best water bottle for school for toddlers: Our choice is the Nalgene Grip-N-Gulf. It is easy for my two-year-old to use and doesn’t leak in my diaper bag. It also comes in fun designs, but I wish they would do the Marvel line for this model as well.
The best water bottle for school kids: Our choice is the S’ip by S’well 10 oz. It is slim and easy to carry. Although it is hand-wash only, it is only two pieces to clean and the cap is attached. It comes in fun designs and can hold hot liquids like soup for lunch.
I hope this was helpful! Please leave your favorite water bottle for school below! You may also enjoy reading our article about Water Bottle Brands.