Whatever you’re drinking: water, coffee, or your beverage of choice, choosing plastic-free water bottles will always equal a lower impact than consuming single-use plastic bottles over a lifetime.
But it’s not just the footprint and landfills we’re talking about. Plastic-free bottles are not only free of, well…plastic, but also chemicals that can leach into our drinking water.
Plus, it makes financial sense. Buying bottled water can be 2,000 times more expensive than drinking purified tap water from a reusable water bottle.
Non-plastic water bottles are a planet and budget-friendly essential, and that’s all the motivation we need to support these H2Outstanding brands that not only use low-impact materials but also ethical manufacturing.
Soon we’ll be rolling out our Brand Rating System. This approaches brand sustainability and ethics by assessing them against 22 criteria (think: water use and transparency) which you can read about here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
We Love Sipping On These Non-Toxic Water Bottles
We’ve used Klean Kanteen for years, they’re a mainstay in our travel and day-to-day life. They offer recycled stainless steel water bottles and food storage containers with reusability and repairability in mind.
For water bottles for every kind and creed—mountain climbers to tiny tots—S’well is, well, pretty swell! They have large stainless steel strawed tumblers but without the lead pellet like the comparable Stanley cups.
Index: Best Non-Plastic Water Bottles
- Klean Kanteen Jump to brand
- Hydro Flask Jump to brand
- S’well Jump to brand
- Que Jump to brand
- Greens Steel Jump to brand
- Welly Jump to brand
- Tree Tribe Jump to brand
Klean Kanteen
About Klean Kanteen
Price Range: $20–$65
Klean Kanteen is arguably the best plastic-free water bottle manufacturer in the USA.
Klean’s drinkware range includes their classic plastic-free stainless steel water bottle, but also tumblers, cups, and thermoses. Several colors, sizes, and accessories are available.
Klean Kanteen’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All Klean Kanteen’s bottles are made with 18/8 stainless steel and a chip-resistant, powder coat finish. The Straws and TK Wide Mouth line are 90% post-consumer recycled stainless steel. 95% of their products will follow suit in 2023.
Free of plastic and epoxy linings means they’re also free of BPA and other harmful substances on the brand’s restricted substances list.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The designs come out of Chico, California before each water bottle is responsibly made in China. The Certified B Corp is family and employee-owned, allowing them to prioritize people, planet, and product over shareholder profits.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
Since lids are the hardest part of the bottles to recycle, Klean Kanteen makes them versatile and interchangeable between different bottle bodies. The Strong as Steel™ Guarantee covers serviceable elements and replacement parts may be ordered to keep your stainless steel water bottle in tip-top shape. They’re Climate Neutral Certified, too.
Community & charitable giving:
As a member of 1% for the Planet, Klean Kanteen makes annual contributions to organizations prioritizing plastic pollution, outdoor stewardship, and conservation. The Klean team gets 24 hours of paid volunteer time annually.
My Personal Review of Klean Kanteen’s TKWide Water Bottle:
“Klean Kanteen’s water bottles stand out for their durability – I’ve been using them for years. The recycled stainless steel is robust, and I find that the textured powder coating seems to help me grip it better, reducing the chances of dropping it. Compared to my other bottles, this one has significantly fewer dents at the bottom! I’m also a fan of their wide-mouth tumbler with a snap-on lid, which is perfect for hot drinks.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Hydro Flask
About Hydro Flask
Price Range: $20–$125
Hydro Flask is here to help you #RefillForGood, and they have a non-plastic stainless steel water bottle suitable for all hydration enthusiasts. In addition to fun-colored and custom bottles, they also offer cups, tumblers, coffee mugs, and growlers for beer, wine, and spirits, as well as lunchboxes.
You can choose between narrow or wide-mouth screw top designs, which can be swapped with a flip-up straw lid for easy sipping. If you’re looking for something bigger for all-day hydration or even a weekend away in the woods, add the massive 128 oz. Oasis non-plastic water jug to your sustainable camping gear kit.
Hydro Flask’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
18/8 stainless steel is combined with a powder coating for no-slip grip and durability to create BPA and phthalate-free water bottles. TempShield™ technology keeps cool drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12.
Supply chain & labor practices:
They require suppliers to adhere to a code of conduct, and while their website lacks details, it’s been reported that products are made in China in a factory audited by third parties that promote safe working conditions.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Every plastic-free water bottle comes with a lifetime warranty. Replacement parts, like those pesky lost lids, are also available. Their paper packaging is FSC-certified
Community & charitable giving:
Hydro Flask created Parks For All, a program to create green spaces and make the outdoors more accessible. Through this, they’ve supported more than 151 non-profits. They’ve also partnered with Surfrider Foundation to remove trash from the oceans.
My Personal Review of Hydro Flask’s 32 Oz Wide Flex Straw Cap Water Bottle:
“I’ve always loved how tough Hydro Flask’s products are—unless a landscaping truck runs over one (RIP my first Hydro Flask), they’re nearly indestructible. I just made the switch to a wide mouth with a flex straw cap, and while I wouldn’t stash it in my backpack (unless it’s in the side pocket) since it’s not as leak-proof, the flip straw is super convenient for sipping on the move.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
S’well
About S’well
Price Range: $20–$50
Long before reusable water bottles were mainstream, Sarah Kauss pioneered S’well’s stainless steel water bottle as the first “reusable hydration accessory.”
In addition to Bottles, Travelers, Roamers, and S’ipers (plastic-free water bottles for kids), they also have tumblers, mugs, and barware for your favorite poison. S’well offers both a double-wall insulated bottle and triple-wall insulated bottles, for maximum temperature longevity.
S’well’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
S’well’s water bottles are made from 18/8 stainless steel that is BPS and BPA-free.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The brand designs all bottles in NYC and has them responsibly manufactured in China.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
S’well uses minimal, compostable, and responsibly harvested paperboard packaging for their toxin-free water bottles.
Community & charitable giving:
S’well has donated 10,000+ reusable water bottles via their Hydrate EDU initiative to support sustainable hydration for students, teachers, and administrators. Over 1.5 million youths have been further supported through S’well’s joint efforts with UNICEF and more.
Que
About Que
Price Range: $19–$33
Not just your average water bottles, Que aims for the highest design standards—as recognized by MoMA, Smithsonian, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Their stylish non-toxic drinkware really is a work of art.
The range includes a squatty insulated bottle and a non-insulated collapsible bottle for easy on-the-go portability.
Que’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The collapsible bottle—the first in the world—is made from 100% food-grade silicone with an 18/8 stainless steel cap.
The insulation is made from 18/8 stainless steel with an inner ceramic coating and bamboo/stainless steel lid. Double-walled, they keep drinks hot for 12 hours or chilled for 24 hours.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Responsibly made in China, the bottles are produced by a factory audited to ensure quality and fair working conditions.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
Both bottles are recyclable and Que will help find special facilities near you that will take the collapsible bottle’s silicone.
Greens Steel
About Greens Steel
Price Range: $12–$19
It’s all in the name, folks. Greens Steel makes a stainless steel bottle (including green ones) for every purpose, including water bottles, coffee mugs, and travel tumblers. The business aims to reduce single-use plastics by producing durable, toxin free products that promote low waste living.
Greens Steel’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Greens Steel uses pure 18/8 stainless steel for their —completely BPA-free and dishwasher safe. The plastic-lid of their tumblers is made from BPA-free Tritan plastic.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Greens Steel is family run and the founders are actively involved in company operations. No word on where their reusable bottles are manufactured, but we will reach out.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
The brand is currently pursuing Certified B Corp status, and they are also looking into joining the 1% for the Planet movement.
Welly
About Welly
Price Range: $30–$40
Each sip from Welly helps us #DrinkWithPurpose. Ben founded the company to honor his late mother, Ellen (Elly), who lost a battle to liver cancer.
Several sizes and styles of plastic-free reusable water bottles are available: Camp Cups, Travelers, and Tumblers. There are different colors and fun patterns available, and all bottles have a removable infuser to brew your favorite zero waste tea or flavor water.
Welly’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Bottle bodies are made with 18/8 stainless steel and sustainably-harvested bamboo, and caps from BPA-free plastic and silicone. The triple-walled vacuum insulation keeps drinks cold and hot for 24 and 14 hours, respectively.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The bottles are ethically made in China, in a manufacturing facility Welly visits often to ensure they maintain the brand’s quality assurance standards.
Tree Tribe
About Tree Tribe
Price Range: $20–$30
Sipping from one of Tree Tribe’s water bottles supports a healthy planet—including lots of trees. Complete with vacuum insulation, each 20-ounce or 34-ounce double-walled bottle will keep drinks hot for 6–10 hours.
Tree Tribe Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The inside is BPA-free 18/8 stainless steel, while the outside is more durable 18/10 stainless steel. Each bamboo cap features a leak-proof food-grade silicone gasket.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The brand’s products are produced in China, Thailand, and the USA. We’ve reached out for more details but haven’t received a reply.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
Compostable kraft paper boxes are used for packaging.
Community & charitable giving:
Tree Tribe plants (you guessed it) a tree for every purchase.
Ridiculous to recommend bottles using plastic lids as “100% plastic free bottles”. Like, that’s not what anyone wants when looking for “non plastic”. Why aren’t drinking spouts ever made of steel or wood???
Hi Shira, thanks for the feedback. Agree that’s a bit confusing and have removed it.