Staying hydrated is essential; using single-use plastic bottles is not.
Using (or rather reusing) eco-friendly water bottles is one of the most impactful swaps you can make—and the effort of doing so is minimal and much cheaper in the long run.
Globally, 1.3 billion plastic bottles are discarded each day, leading to a lot of plastic pollution that takes about 450 years to start breaking down—and releases microplastics into our environment as it does. Plus, producing plastic bottles requires six times as much water during manufacturing as what ends up in the bottles themselves.
Any brand offering a reusable alternative is a good pick, but some go above and beyond to keep us and our planet happy, hydrated, and healthy. And that’s what we’ve rounded up here, a list of brands making plastic-free water bottles that not only prioritize low-impact materials but also ethical supply chains and fair wages.
Soon, we’ll be using our new Brand Rating System that assesses brands across a range of criteria, including water and chemical use. To learn more about what exactly this entails, see our explainer 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.
Eco-friendly Water Bottles For Sip-Sational Hydration
We’ve been using Klean Kanteen for years. They make stainless steel water bottles out of recycled materials, supporting people and the planet in the process. Did we mention they’re pretty much unbreakable?
Up-and-coming eco-friendly water bottle brand Purifyou is all about reusability, offering replacement lids if your originals break or get lost.
Index: Sustainable Water Bottle Brands
- Klean Kanteen Jump to section
- Purifyou Jump to section
- Hydro Flask Jump to section
- Tree Tribe Jump to section
- Origin Glass Co Jump to section
Klean Kanteen
About Klean Kanteen
Price Range: $20–$65
Klean Kanteen revolutionized water bottles, back when even reusable bottles were plastic.
Lightweight but not skimping on durability or variety, the sustainable metal water bottle range includes many sizes, widths, and colors—all with excellent insulating abilities. The Insulated Classic, for instance, keeps hot drinks hot for 20 hours and cold drinks cold for 50 hours.
You can also upgrade with different add-ons like steel straws, interchangeable caps, and other accessories. Pair them with their eco-friendly lunch boxes for a fully low-impact lunch.
Klean Kanteen’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Klean Kanteen uses Climate Lock double-wall vacuum insulation and 18/8 BPA-free stainless steel that has been electropolished in a non-toxic process.
Each bottle features a chip-resistant, powder coat finish that’s safe for people and the planet, according to the GreenScreen For Safer Chemicals.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Klean Kanteen is a family-and-employee-owned company, as well as a Certified B Corp. The bottles are designed in California and responsibly manufactured in China.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Klean Kanteen is Climate Neutral-certified and regularly measures, reduces, and offsets its carbon footprint. They are also a member of the We Are Still In commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
My Personal Review of Klean Kanteen’s TKWide Water Bottle:
“Klean Kanteen’s water bottles are super high quality. The stainless steel isn’t just recycled but seriously beefy, and I really like the extra textured powder coating on the outside, which I find makes me a lot less prone to dropping my water bottle constantly. So far, this has way fewer dents in the bottom than my water bottles are known to have. I also like their wide-mouth tumbler with a snap lid for coffee and hot drinks.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Purifyou
About Purifyou
Price Range: $18–$49
Family owned and operated, Purifyou is an lifestyle shop that provides an easy way to infuse your water with their eco-friendly glass bottles.
There are a whole rainbow of colors to choose from in a variety of sizes, and you can also pick up a bottle brush to keep your hydration companion clean.
Purifyou’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Made from BPA-free glass with a removable silicone sleeve, the bottles are dishwasher safe, with or without the cover on.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Manufacturing takes place in China and distributed in the U.S. We are reaching out for more details.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
Purifyou helps you keep sipping on your reusable bottle for years by offering replacement lids if the originals break or get lost.
Hydro Flask
About Hydro Flask
Price Range: $20–$125
Hydro Flask is THE name in the sustainable stainless steel water bottle industry, and they want to be with us every step, sip, and smile—and they can, with a huge selection of designs, lid styles, sizes, and oh-so-many colors.
From eco-friendly water bottles for kids to can cozies to gallon-sized growlers for adults, they truly have bottles for anything. Their 8 oz Insulated Food Flask could even be used for your daily double shot of espresso on the way to work, as well as your lunch leftovers.
Hydro Flask even makes lighter-weight versions for hiking for all you eco-friendly camping gear enthusiasts.
Hydro Flask’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These sports water bottles are made from BPA and phthalate-free 18/8 stainless steel powder coated for durability and an easy no-slip grip. They are insulated using TempShield™ power, which keeps water cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Hydro Flask manufacturing and sourcing is not addressed on their website. We’ve reached out to inquire more, but have never received a reply.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
Backing each bottle with the lifetime warranty, Hydro Flask protects your hydration investment (which attests to their durability). Replacement parts for easily lost components (like new lids) are available as needed.
Community & charitable giving:
Hydro Flask launched a charitable program called Parks For All designed to create and support green spaces. They’ve donated more than $1.5 million (and thousands of bottles) to nearly 100 nonprofits that are protecting the great outdoors.
My Personal Review of Hydro Flask’s 32 Oz Wide Flex Straw Cap Water Bottle:
“It’s been a solid decade with my Hydro Flask bottles, and I still think they’re the best. They’re so durable—unless a landscaping truck hits one (RIP my first), they are pretty indestructible. I recently upgraded to a wide mouth with a flex straw cap, and it’s perfect for sipping on the move. The flip straw is so handy, but I wouldn’t throw it in my backpack because it’s not as leak-tight as the regular caps.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Tree Tribe
About Tree Tribe
Price Range: $20–$30
Driven by core values of adventure, travel, nature, and community, Tree Tribe is on a mission to make a positive impact on this world. They’re a US-based company but you can find them adventuring around the globe.
For your own adventure, they’ll keep you hydrated and healthy with water bottles in 17-ounce, 20-ounce, and 34-ounce sizes. Double-wall vacuum insulated bottle designs means hot liquids can stay hot for six hours or warm for up to 12).
Tree Tribe’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Durable 18/10 stainless steel comprises the outer shell, lined with 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. The bottles are BPA-free and topped off with a metal and bamboo lid featuring an airtight food-grade silicone gasket.
Supply chain & labor practices:
There is no published information about their manufacturing and have yet to respond to our outreach.
Carbon comittments & green practices:
Each environmentally friendly water bottle comes packaged in a compostable paperboard box.
My Personal Review of Tree Tribe’s Green Trees Water Bottle:
“If you’re looking for a no-nonsense water bottle, Tree Tribe has you covered. Their bottles are slim and simple, with an elegant bamboo cap and a nice textured finish. Just a heads-up though: they’re not double-wall insulated, so don’t expect them to keep your drinks hot or cold nearly as long as some other bottles out there.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Origin Glass Co
About Origin
Price Range: $15–$26
Aware that access to clean water can reduce preventable disease and mortality rates, Origin donates 2% of their revenue to solutions that support those living in extreme poverty.
Their glass water bottle range includes a wide and narrow option, an infuser bottle, and a few kid bottles.
Origin’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These sustainable glass water bottles are made with medical-grade borosilicate glass (think: Pyrex) that won’t expand or contract in extreme temperatures. It’s free of BPA, BPS, lead, cadmium, and PVC.
Lids aside, the bottles themselves are dishwasher safe. This leak-proof bamboo lid is equipped with a food-grade silicone ring to prevent chemicals leaching into your water.
They’re wrapped in a food-grade silicone sleeve that provides impact protection when the extra grip isn’t enough to prevent occasional drops. While silicone is not plastic, it is hard to dispose of, so take care of this component.
Supply chain & labor practices:
No supply chain information is available and they haven’t answered our queries at this time.
Community & charitable giving:
Not only do they provide the resources to support access to clean water, but Origin also provides education to improve literacy rates and empower women and children with access to health and hygiene solutions.
They do this through partnerships with communities and organizations rooted in sustainable development.
Why Invest In An Environmentally Friendly Water Bottle?
What is the most eco-friendly way to drink water?
We’ll give you a hint: it’s NOT plastic.
Globally, 1.3 billion plastic bottles are discarded each day, leading to a LOT if plastic pollution that takes about 450 years to start breaking down—and releases microplastics into our environment as it does.
Not to mention, millions of barrels of oil are required to produce those single-use plastic water bottles.
Even halving that consumption by occasionally remembering to bring your reusable water bottle could have a hugely positive impact.
Considering 90% of the cost for plastic water bottles is for the plastic itself, it doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint—and certainly makes spending a one-time $20-$40 on a reusable bottle reasonable.
What is sustainable about stainless steel? It has to be mined using fossil fuels, refined using fossil fuels and transported using fossil fuels. Why don’t we go back to making wineskins to carry what like people have done for thousands of years?
Such a great list! I personally love klean kanteen. Thanks for sharing this helpful post to everyone!