• From preschool to college, all students need to stay hydrated to perform their best in school, and no student should be found without their water bottle close by.
  • We bring you cute designs and easy sipping for preschoolers and durable, insulated bottles for college students – we’ve brought you the best pick for each school-age group.
  • For elementary school, we recommend the Thermos FUNtainer Bottle, while the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth is our top pick for college students.
  • You can also check out our guides to the best water bottles and travel mugs for more options.

Water bottles are a staple – pretty much every student carries one. When I was in school in the ’90s and early 2000s, hardly any kids carried water bottles, and if they did, there was nothing fancy about them. As a former high school teacher, though, over the past few years, almost every student in my classroom carried a water bottle.

Water bottles have become much more than a container for water. Most students have water bottles with cute designs or interesting features like built-in fruit infusers. The right water bottle makes a statement and will earn students plenty of compliments from friends and strangers alike.

Among my friends and family, I’m known for constantly drinking water (imagine how much fun it must be to go on a road trip with me). My house is always littered with water bottles, so I’ve done my fair share of testing. When I was in college, I threw a water bottle into my backpack and it leaked all over my 3,500 page Shakespeare anthology. Don’t worry. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I now properly vet every single water bottle I buy.

One important thing to note about our picks: The majority of them are stainless steel because it’s a safe material to store water, and it helps keep water cold. However, some schools only allow water in clear bottles, so be sure to check with the school’s policy before you buy a water bottle for your child.

I’ve combined my own experience with water bottles, my observations of my students’ water bottles, and countless roundups and reviews to bring you the best options for each age group. Many of these bottles are available in multiple sizes, so we picked the size we feel best fits the age group.

Here are the best kids' water bottles for school:

Prices and links are current as of 07/22/20. We added related links to our guide to the best water bottles and the best travel mugs to give you more options to choose from, depending on your or your kids' needs. We've also included links to related back to school guides to help you with school shopping.

The best for preschool

The CamelBak Eddy Kids Water Bottle comes in more than 40 fun designs, it's leak-resistant, and it's the perfect size for young kids.

I have the regular-size CamelBak, and it has served me well over the years. I love that the CamelBak Eddy Kids Water Bottle has so many different colors and designs to choose from. A lot of parents worry that their kids aren't drinking enough water, but adding in fun designs can help encourage your child to drink their water, and it can make it less likely the bottle will get left behind at school. This plastic bottle is BPA, BPS, and BPF free.

This kids' water bottle is the perfect size for little hands, and it's easy for young kids to figure out how to use. We like that it's a simple plastic option for young kids who are still learning how to take care of their belongings. The bite valve provides a way for kids to drink without having to tilt the bottle while it remains leak-resistant. The carrying handle on the top makes it easy to clip to backpacks or lunch boxes so your child doesn't forget their bottle at school.

One of the only cons of this CamelBak Eddy Kids Water Bottle is that the bite valve has been known to be hard to clean, which can lead to the development of mold. I actually had this problem after having one of my CamelBak bottles for a few years, and the company sent me a new bite valve.

Wirecutter named the CamelBak Eddy Kids the best plastic kids' water bottle, noting "The CamelBak's spout is easy to open and close, and because of its bite valve, it's the only one that won't leak even with the spout open and held upside down." This is a huge plus for young kids who might forget to close the spout after they're done drinking.

Pros: More than 40 designs for kids to choose from, perfect size and easy for young kids to use, leak-resistant even with the spout open

Cons: Bite valve is hard to clean and can get moldy

The best for elementary school

Foto: Source: Thermos

The Thermos FUNtainer Bottle doesn't leak or sweat, and it appeals to young kids with prints like 'Cats With Sunglasses' and 'Paw Patrol.'

Thermos is known for keeping liquids well insulated, and the company has done it again with the Thermos FUNtainer Bottle. It has stainless-steel-vacuum-insulation technology to keep your little one's water cold all day at school, and it's sweat-proof so it's less likely to slip out of your child's hands or get their schoolwork wet.

The cuteness factor is huge for elementary school students, and this water bottle delivers with many different colors and styles, including popular themes like Toy Story, Paw Patrol, JoJo Siwa, Marvel characters, and Disney Princesses.

If your child has already started elementary school, you know that a school full of hundreds of little kids is also full of germs. Because of that, we love how the Thermos FUNtainer has a straw that's covered to keep it as sanitary as a water bottle in an elementary school can be. The cover also prevents leaking.

This water bottle was named the best kids' water bottle by Wirecutter. Reviewers love that it doesn't leak and that it keeps drinks cold all day.

Pros: Leak- and sweat-proof, fun designs, ideal size for young kids, easy to clean, keeps water cold all day

Cons: The bottle does leak if the lid isn't closed all the way

The best for middle school

Foto: Source: Pogo

The Pogo Tritan is a simple water bottle that's perfect for middle school students who are transitioning from kids to teenagers; it's made of transparent plastic and is leak proof.

Oh, middle school. The time of awkward growth spurts and the peak of puberty. There's one thing that doesn't have to be awkward about your child's middle school years though: their water bottle.

The Pogo Tritan Water Bottle has been one of my go-to water bottles for years, and the 18-ounce size with a simple design is perfect for middle school students. I've thrown this bottle in bags countless times, and it's never spilled or leaked. It's also very easy to clean. I've tested the chug-lid version, and some reviewers complain that the soft straw version leaks.

There are seven different colors, and this is our only large water bottle pick that is transparent, which is a requirement at some schools. The side carrying handle is perfect to slip a finger through when students are already carrying all of their books, and it could also be hooked to a backpack or lunch box. Even though this bottle is plastic, it's BPA, phthalate, PVC, lead, and cadmium free.

The larger 32-ounce Pogo Tritan and this 18-ounce size both appear on Amazon's top-selling water bottles list. The 32-ounce might even be a good option if your middle-schooler has sports after school or tends to drink a lot of water.

Pros: Low price point; transparent color options; no BPA, phthalate, PVC, lead, or cadmium

Cons: The soft straw version might leak

The best for high school

Foto: Source: Amazon

The Simple Modern Wave Water Bottle has trendy designs that high-schoolers will love, and it's insulated to keep water cold all day.

The recent trend that I saw a lot in my classroom as a high school teacher is the narrow bottle-shaped water bottles, the exact design you see with the Simple Modern Wave Water Bottle.

In high school, it's all about having the right water bottle to match your backpack, having the coolest design, or even having different options to match different outfits. Some of my students would even cycle through different water bottles in one school year because there are so many fun designs to choose from.

We like the Simple Modern Wave because it's cheaper than some nearly identical options, it's made of double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel, and it comes in fun designs as well as solid colors. There are a lot of different marbled patterns to choose from that are really pretty.

This bottle is narrow, so it will easily slide into a water-bottle pocket on the side of a backpack. It can also be tossed into a backpack because it doesn't sweat, and the screw-on cap isn't going to leak. The insulated stainless steel will keep water cold from the time you fill it up in the morning until the time your kid hits practice after school.

Verywell Fit and Wirecutter named Simple Modern Wave one of the top water bottles, and the Wirecutter review mentioned that "the Simple Modern performed identically to a S'well in our test, but costs half as much."

Pros: Keeps water cold all day, doesn't sweat or leak, many designs to choose from

Cons: Small opening makes it hard to fit ice inside

The best for sports

Foto: Source: Amazon

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is exactly what every athlete needs to quickly hydrate during practice and games without having to take off their headgear.

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is the quintessential sports water bottle, and for good reason. It's simple and cheap, but that's exactly why it's our top pick for sports. Kids can easily toss it into their bag, chuck it onto the sidelines, and use the squeeze function to share without having everyone's lips touch the bottle. Since it's so cheap, they don't have to worry about losing it at a game or accidentally breaking it.

The wide opening makes fill-ups quick, and it's easy to drop in a handful of ice cubes. Being able to squeeze the water out of the bottles is perfect for sports that require headgear because athletes can quickly rehydrate and get right back in the game without taking their helmet off.

Since these are such popular bottles for sports, there is a white line on each bottle to write your kid's name to make sure the same bottle is coming home every night.

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is a top-selling water bottle on Amazon and Dick's.

Pros: Cheap, can squirt through headgear, easy to fill and add ice

Cons: Some reviewers complain that the bottle leaks

The best for college

Foto: Source: Hydro Flask

College students need to stay hydrated, but they also need their caffeine, and the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle will keep water ice cold for 24 hours and coffee hot for 12.

Hydro Flask has recently become a household name when it comes to water bottles, and they do live up to the hype. When you're on a college campus, days are so busy that you can easily leave your dorm or apartment while it's still dark and return back after the sun sets.

The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle is designed to keep water cold up to 24 hours, so students can fill it up before they leave in the morning and have cold water all day. Add some ice cubes through the wide mouth in the morning, fill it up, and they're set.

We like that this is a simple bottle that is built to last, so it can take students well beyond their college years. It has a powdered coat that makes it easier to grip than many other stainless-steel options, and it also has a convenient carrying handle. The standard version has a screw lid, so students will drink out of the wide mouth opening, but you can also buy a straw lid or a flip lid. As with our other picks, there are multiple color options.

Another reason we love this bottle for college students: coffee, coffee, coffee. Unlike many of the water bottle options out there, the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle can hold hot liquid as well, and is designed to keep it hot for up to 12 hours. Start off with hot coffee in the morning, give it a rinse, and finish the day with ice cold water. Or, you know, just drink coffee all day.

Verywell Fit named it one of the best stainless-steel water bottles of 2019. They wrote: "Hydro Flask insulated water bottle is truly exceptional when it comes to holding a drink's temperature." Hydro Flask also takes the Nos. 1 and 2 spots for bestselling water bottles on Amazon. We like the 32-ounce version to last college students the whole day, but some reviewers mention that it's a snug fit to put it in a backpack's water bottle holder, so the 18-ounce size would be better for that purpose.

Pros: Keeps drinks hot or cold, durable design, easy to grip, wide mouth

Cons: The 32-ounce version might not fit in a backpack water bottle holder

Check out more of our water bottle and travel mug recommendations

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The best water bottles

If you want more options than what we've listed here, you can check out our full guide to the best water bottles you can buy online. Our picks include everything from glass water bottles to ones that fold up for easy storage while traveling or on the go.

The best travel mugs

For those of you who prefer hot beverages, a travel mug is indispensable. We're currently testing several travel mugs, but our current picks are still great and fully recommended. We've included everything from sturdy stainless steel mugs to travel mugs with beautiful designs.

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