When it comes to your water source, it’s not worth taking chances.
Water is vital to your life, to your health, and, as far as fitness and outdoor recreation in concerned, to your energy and performance.
If you’re going to be out in hot or cold weather, the best way to protect your water supply is to have water storage that is well-insulated, something that can hold up to wicked hot or cold temperatures and keep your water from heating up or freezing inside.
So, whether you’re getting ready to go winter hiking, on a snowshoeing tour, or on a long boat ride, these insulated water bottles are our top picks to keep your water safe and in liquid form throughout your entire excursion.
Best Insulated Water Bottle – YETI Rambler
The company that started with the mission of building indefatigable, nearly indestructible coolers brought that same purpose to their insulated water bottle line and it shows.
YETI Ramblers are tough, able to endure rough handling and hard drops.
It keeps cold drinks cold, warm drinks warm, and is everything you can ask for in an insulated water bottle.
The Rambler line also comes in a range of sizes all the way up to a gallon.
Get the best price on the YETI Rambler at REI.
If you’re going out on a full-day trek, a YETI gallon will certainly give you plenty of supply, but it can be a bear to handle and we don’t love the lid.
If you’re going to be out for half a day or less, top off at the 46-oz. Rambler (or two of them to make sure you’re well-supplied), which is considerably more pleasant to drink (or pour) from.
Good Insulated Water Bottles
While the YETI Rambler is our top pic for insulated water bottle, it’s not the only good insulated bottle out there.
Here are a few other bottles you might want to consider in your search for the perfect drink holder.
CamelBak Chute Mag
The CamelBak Chute Mag is much like the YETI Rambler in a lot of ways.
It keeps hots hot, colds cold, and holds up pretty well to drops and dings.
The main difference between the Rambler and the Chute Mag is the lid.
Where the YETI Rambler has a two-part lid, an outer lid you remove completely to get to the second lid (or drinky spout) underneath, the Chute Mag has a single lid design.
The Chute Mag lid pulls back, revealing the drink spout, and remains (magnetically) attached to the top of the bottle. (This can be pretty beneficial when you’re wearing heavy gloves.)
Since the Chute Mag lid does fit right to the spout, though, it doesn’t offer quite as much protection as the Rambler lid, increasing the risk of damage if you drop your water bottle on a hard surface.
Get the best price on the Camelbak Chute Mag at REI.
Still, we like the ease of taking a drink and the Chute Mag is a very sturdy and well-insulated bottle overall.
Klean Kanteen
If it’s good enough for REI, it’s good enough for us, and Klean Kanteen is one insulated water bottle REI chooses to puts its name on.
The lid design is nice; it has a built-in straw, but still closes up completely when not in use, helping lock out those blistering or freezing temperatures.
Get the best price on the Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated Bottle at REI.
Basically, it’s an all-around good bottle that gets the job done.
Hydro Flask vs YETI
If you’re familiar with only one name in the insulated water bottle market, it’s probably Hydro Flask.
Hydro Flask has done an excellent job of building a brand and reputation in the insulated water bottle market.
So, you might wonder why a Hydro Flask isn’t one of the three insulated water bottles on our list.
Let us first say there is certainly nothing wrong with Hydro Flask insulated bottles.
We own several ourselves!
What we don’t love about Hydro Flask when it comes to actual utility is the designs of their lids.
They are either hard to drink from (their standard screw caps) or not quite as insulating as other brands’ lids (their straw lids).
Of Hydro Flask’s lids, the Hydro Flask Sport Cap is our favorite.
And we actually like the Hydro Flask Oasis gallon bottle more than the YETI Rambler gallon jug. (The Hydro Flask’s design makes pouring easier and it’s not as prone to leaks.)
So, it’s really not a matter of Hydro Flask vs YETI for us. (And we do like Hydro Flask insulated bottles.)
We just like the YETI, CamelBak and Klean Kanteen bottles a little more.
Are insulated water bottles the same as thermal water bottles?
Yep, exact same thing.
So, you may see the terms used interchangeably.
Insulated Water Bottles for Outdoor Activities
Unless you’re outside (or inside for that matter) in perfect drinking temps – 40-55 degrees for most cold drinks, 175-200 degrees for most hot drinks – you’re going to want something that helps moderate the temperature of your drink supply.
An insulated water bottle is one of the simplest means of keeping cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, and nowhere is that more important than when you’re outside in the elements.
The insulated water bottles on our list are not just good at regulating temperature, they are tough bottles designed to endure.
That’s what you want when you’re out on the trail or the lake, where quality drinking water is always one of your most vital supplies.
