Water bottles are an essential part of every student’s life, whether they are super active or not. Everyone drinks water, so the need to purchase a water bottle will arise at some point in their life. Why not do it the right way? Here is some friendly advice on which water bottles are worth your money and which ones are worth no money at all, from someone who has spent an embarrassing amount of money trying to find the perfect water bottle.

Buy: Hydro Flask

Many people know of Hydro Flasks because of their association with the recent, trendy “VSCO girls”, which may deter some consumers from purchasing one. Despite this, regarding the qualities and characteristics of a Hydro Flask, consumers will realize it is a very sensible choice in water bottles. Hydro Flask is an award-winning leader in high performance insulated products, ranging from their original 18-ounce water bottle to their new series of Unbound Soft Coolers. Hydro Flask also offers many exciting colors, and numerous variations in the bottle, allowing consumers to alter their Hydro Flask to their lifestyle.

Although you may get a dent or two in your Hydro Flask, it will continuously persist through all of your adventures and journeys. Hydro Flasks are made for people who like to go out and explore the world, and an essential part of exploring the world is staying hydrated, whether that be with ice-cold water or steaming hot chocolate! Hydro Flasks will keep your choice of drink cold or hot throughout your entire adventure.

“Inspiring an active and joyful life on the go,” Hydro Flask states, “innovations showcase TempShield double-wall vacuum insulation to lock in temperature, 18/8 stainless steel ensuring pure taste and durable, ergonomic design for the ultimate trusted sidekick.” Although Hydro Flasks are on the more expensive side, they are an incredible investment for someone who is always looking for a new adventure!

Buy: S’well

S’well water bottles are especially convenient for people who are always on the go. While racing from place to place, carrying a large water bottle can be extremely burdensome, especially if you don’t carry a purse or a bag! But, the stainless steel S’well water bottles are lightweight and compact enough to carry in your hand or to fit in a purse, allowing you to stay hydrated as you take on your day, racing from place to place. And don’t worry about getting everything in your bag wet, because S’well’s triple-walled technology has created a condensation-free exterior, keeping everything in your bag safe and dry!

CEO and founder of S’well, Sarah Kauss says, “I believe that if we made a crave-worthy bottle that combined fashion with function, people would stop buying disposable bottles and we could reduce single-use plastic consumption worldwide.” The sleek and stylish design makes S’well water bottles versatile, and acceptable for any occasion. Whether you’re going to a museum, or you just got out of hot yoga, S’well has a design that will fit right into your location. Along with looks, S’well works hard to keep your beverage cold for 24 hours, or hot for 12 hours. Considering that the S’well water bottle is appealing to the eye, keeps your drink at the right temperature, and is eco-friendly, I would say this water bottle is a steal!

Additionally, S’well partners with multiple charities to help provide clean drinking water for underdeveloped countries, among other causes. It is always a swell purchase (pun intended) when you know a portion of the proceeds go to a good cause!

Buy: CamelBak

The CamelBak brand deeply cares about the products they produce, and the effect they have on the lives of consumers. CamelBak puts all of their products through rigorous testing so all the product failures will happen in the lab, not in the field. And their “Got Your Bak” lifetime guarantee will repair or replace any manufacturing defects, free of charge.

When making a purchase it is important to know that you are not throwing your money away, and with CamelBak, you can feel confident that you are making a safe investment with a company that pays meticulous attention to how their products perform. CamelBak uses materials that exceed the performance and safety expectations of a diverse group of users, with this comes the insurance that the product you’re purchasing is top-notch quality!

Along with being deeply invested in their own company, CamelBak also supports many outside organizations, stating, “You’ll discover many groups we partner with — supporting a variety of programs from trail access to helping get more of our youth engaged in the outdoors.” CamelBak is a distinguished choice for consumers that prefer a more reliable and dedicated company!

Bye: Glass Bottles

I will say that glass water bottles are very aesthetically pleasing, but this doesn’t come without consequences. An obvious deterrence from glass water bottles in the inevitability of them falling and shattering all over the floor. Then you’re left with a jumble of water and glass, which is a terrible combination and a horrible mess to clean up.

Aside from the hazard they could become if they fall, they are also incredibly heavy compared to plastic or stainless steel water bottles. Glass water bottles are definitely not for people who play sports, people who are outdoorsy, or for people who are always on the go. But, if you don’t leave your house and you want to stay hydrated while sitting on your bed doing some homework, sure, a glass water bottle would work. But, in this situation, any other water bottle would work just as well.

Glass water bottles look nice but are not functional for the life of students who are constantly walking from class to class with an already heavy load on their backs

Bye: Single-Use Plastic Bottles

Although single-use plastic water bottles are small, they have a colossal, negative impact on our environment. Plastic pollution is a major issue in today’s political climate, and it can easily be improved and avoided by purchasing a reusable water bottle. Yes, it is effortless to buy a single-use water bottle while out and about, but the consequences of this small piece of plastic weigh heavily on the health of our planet and all of the animals that rely on a clean environment.

Humans buy about 1,000,000 plastic bottles per minute in total, and only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled within the U.S. You can help these numbers improve by simply purchasing one of the reusable water bottles mentioned above. Many people, students in particular, think that their small contribution to plastic pollution will not make a big difference, but when the masses start to follow along, the major destruction to our planet will come to an end.

So, I offer a simple and obvious solution: purchase a reusable water bottle, and keep it by your side at all times!

Bye: Contigo

To put it nicely, Contigo water bottles are not high quality– or even good quality. The design of the bottle is very finicky and can be easily broken. While designing a basic water bottle there are a few essential parts, which include a bottle and a lid that detaches to allow for drinking. And even though these are simple and general concepts, when it comes to a water bottle, Contigo water bottles always malfunction when it comes to these factors. Especially when it comes to the lid, either the button to release the lid doesn’t work or it just breaks completely. It is clear that Contigo does not put much thought or effort into the manufacturing process of their bottles or the materials that they use to make them.

Although they are very inexpensive, the saying you “You get what you pay for” holds very true in this case. A cheap costing water bottle will in fact function as a cheap water bottle. Why spend money on a water bottle that will just need to be replaced by a new one in a few weeks, or even days? Consumers can find many other water bottles for the same cost that are much better quality! Contigo water bottles are simply a waste of money.