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See why.Glass Water Bottles
Glass water bottles have a fervent following, so we put them to the test. Were any worth the extra weight?
Last Updated May 21, 2021.
The cap on our favorite glass water bottle, the Lifefactory 22 Oz Glass Bottle with Classic Cap, was recently redesigned. Its U-shaped handle now swivels and can be folded against the neck of the bottle to make it shorter and slightly more compact. We liked the redesigned cap and found the bottle otherwise unchanged. We also recommend the smaller 16-ounce version.
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What You Need To Know
Reusable water bottles can be plastic, metal, or glass, all environmentally friendly alternatives to disposable plastic. We previously tested plastic and metal water bottles but excluded glass because of weight and durability concerns. However, interest in alternatives to plastic is growing, and glass models have proliferated in the market. We decided it was time to examine them.
We chose six popular models priced from about $10 to roughly $40, ranging in capacity from 16 to 22 ounces, and put them through a battery of tests that included sipping, opening and closing lids, staining, shaking, washing, and, of course, dropping. (Yes, this resulted in a lot of broken glass, even though most models came with a protective sleeve made of silicone or, in one case, nylon. One model was sleeveless, as its glass interior was fully encased in a plastic exterior instead.) We also assigned each model a temporary owner for one week, sending the bottles into the real world—to the grocery store and gym; to restaurants; to yoga, boot camp, and barre classes; they rode in cars, trains, and buses and sometimes just sat around the office, too.
All models passed our staining, odor-retention, and leak tests. Bright red sports drink didn't color the glass or the undersides of the lids, and while most of the lids smelled faintly fruity if we really sniffed, it wasn't noticeable while drinking. None of the bottles leaked, even when we turned them upside down and shook them vigorously. They all looked great after 10 washes, too, with no signs of wear and tear. The real differences came down to how easy they were to use. From an aesthetically pleasing model that was a pain to fill to a loud lid that interrupted an otherwise peaceful yoga class, there were clear factors that separated the top performers from the rest.
Bottles with Wide Mouths Were Easier to Fill
Water bottle openings ranged in diameter from 1 to 2¼ inches. The model with the smallest opening was difficult to fill, requiring laser-like focus. We often accidentally hit the rim and consequently found ourselves wiping down the exterior. The other bottles had larger openings that were much easier to fill.
Lid Style Was Key
Every bottle had a screw-on lid. Two were problematic. One had a metal cap, which, like nails on a chalkboard, felt and sounded grating when screwed onto the glass bottle. The other troublesome lid was plastic, with a rigid looped handle that was positioned at a roughly 45-degree angle. The asymmetrical loop made the cap unbalanced and difficult to grip, and the top-heavy lid sometimes fell off as soon as it was unscrewed—both because it was hard to grasp and because the un...
Everything We Tested
Recommended
- Cleaning: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
Our winner had the widest mouth in the lineup, which made it simple to fill—no spills or drips. The screw-on lid had a wide, arched handle that was easy to grip and turn, though users occasionally took an extra few seconds to get the lid on track. We liked that this model was dishwasher-safe and had no extra parts to remove during cleaning, and it survived three indoor drops despite its 2½-pound (filled) weight. It's also available in a 16-ounce size, if you prefer a lighter load.
- Cleaning: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This model's simple button mechanism allowed us to easily open and close the bottle instead of taking time to mess with a screw-on cap. And while it emits a loud “pop” upon opening, we learned to place our fingers atop the lid to soften the sound; plus, this model also offers the option of unscrewing the lid if you prefer. A wider mouth made it easy to fill, and it was generally easy to clean. We also liked its silicone loop, which made it comfortable to transport, and it didn't retain fruity sports-drink odor. Unlike our winner, it broke when we dropped it indoors.
Recommended with reservations
- Cleaning: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
While this bottle was generally fine to fill, it wasn't always easy to open. We'd attempt to unscrew the lid, but because this bottle was wrapped in a slippery nylon sleeve instead of grippy silicone, we'd sometimes rotate the entire bottle instead of turning only the cap. Cleanup was also an issue, as the nylon sleeve sometimes absorbed sweat (at the gym, for example), giving us another item to wash and dry. (The company recommends hand-washing the bottle, too, and included a bottle brush.)
Not Recommended
- Cleaning: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1.5 stars out of 3.
This chic model was easy on the eyes but hard in every other way. Because of its small 1-inch opening, filling and cleaning it were especially challenging. We had to focus intently to aim the water, and even then we often missed and had to wipe down the bottle after filling. The lid was another issue. It has a rigid, asymmetrical looped handle, and the lopsided weight made the cap wobble when we tried to screw it on the bottle. Finally, the silicone sleeve covers almost the entire bottle, making it hard to gauge water level. This resulted in one overflow during filling and subsequently forced us to either scoot the silicone sleeve down to check water level or hold the bottle opening to our eyes and peer in. This bottle didn't break, even when we dropped it onto concrete, but that wasn't enough to make up for its many flaws.
- Cleaning: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
We were intrigued by this bottle's combination of a glass interior and a plastic exterior, but the interesting design—which helped prevent it from breaking even when dropped on concrete—came with a catch: seven different parts to disassemble and clean. It was cumbersome and time-consuming, and it wasn't dishwasher-safe, so we had no way to expedite the process. Besides that, the bottle mouth had a secondary rim ⅜ inch below the sipping spout, which awkwardly hit our bottom lips.
- Cleaning: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1.5 stars out of 3.
The metal cap grated against the glass bottle opening, making it unpleasant to open and close this model. The mesh metal strap was also uncomfortable to use; the weight of the water bottle caused the metal to dig into our hands, and the strap was hard to remove before washing. If we left it on, though, the mesh held water and took a while to fully dry. The silicone sleeve wasn't as tight as those on other models, so water seeped underneath, making it difficult to wash and dry this bottle completely.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
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