The best water bottle for kayaking to keep you happy and hydrated [for most outdoor activities…]

The best water bottle for kayaking to keep you happy and hydrated [for most outdoor activities…]

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For those in a rush, I’ve selected the first water bottle in this table as my favourite of the ones I reviewed.

I think it’s the best water bottle for kayaking because of its large size and robust material, and the variety of lid styles to drink from.

The larger sizes are a little expensive but it’s important to stay hydrated and safe, so worth investing in a good water bottle.

ModelProsConsSave time, get it now!
1. Buzio Stainless Steel Water Bottle– Has straw lid for sipping, and screw cap for chugging.

– Keep water cold for 24hours

– Variety of sizes and awesome colours

– Robust stainless steel
– Rigid bottle so difficult to store easily

– Heavier material than the other bottles.

– Scratches easily if dropped.
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2. Pogo Tritan Water Bottle– Wide straw for easy chugging

– Large volume ~32oz/1L

– Attachment loop
– Large bottle, less easy to store and transport.

– Flip-cap so less watertight.
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3. Bigfoot Venture Collapsible Water Bottle– Collapsible and foldable

– Lightweight

– Dishwasher safe

– Handy clip
– A little smaller than the others

– Has a plug instead of screw thread lid
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4. Nefeeko Collapsible Water Bottle– Highly collapsible and compact

– Lightweight

– Cool design
– Much smaller than alternatives 18oz/500ml

– Less stable when drinking due to the design and material.
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5. Nalgene BPA Free Tritan Water Bottle– Large volume -32oz/1L

– Sturdy material

– Large screw cap lid for easy drinking
– Large size and shape, difficult to transport. Click to check today’s price
The best water bottles for kayaking

Full review of the best water bottle for kayaking

How lucky am I to be sitting here in the wild, not far from my house and having these sorts of views, writing about my search for a new water bottle.

I couldn’t see anyone out on the water here, apart from a couple of pleasure boats! So serene, it made me want to go and grab my kayak there and then…

A hut by water where the author wrote this post on the best water bottles for kayaking.
A beautiful local kayaking spot called Bantry Bay, NSW, where I wrote this article on the top picks for kayaking water flasks.

Ok, onto business…

When kayaking, unfortunately, you can’t just slurp out of a stream or river these days. You need a good water bottle that can help you stay hydrated and healthy on your next kayaking trip. 

There are many water bottles on the market that happen to be designed well for kayaking and will work great. 

Just a note though, that these bottles below haven’t necessarily been designed specifically for kayaking.

I picked them because they have features that make them great for a day trip kayaking.

It is important to choose a bottle that not only meets your hydration needs but is also easy to use and store. 

As I’m searching for a replacement water bottle for myself, these are some of the better ones I found along the way for kayaking.

Some of the best water bottle options for kayaking

1 – BUZIO Stainless Steel Water Bottle

  • Has a large opening that makes drinking from and filling the bottle much easier.
  • It is very easy to clean as well as being dishwasher safe.
  • The straw is great for drinking when on the move and I like the rubber grip on the lid.
  • I like the fact that the caps and lids are interchangeable.
  • It comes in a large range of colours which is useful if you want to match it with a sports bag
  • It’s made of stainless steel and keeps drinks cold for 48 hours and hot for 24 hours.
  • It has two types of lid, one is a screw top and the other is a straw lid.

SUMMARY: The bottle comes in different sizes so you can choose the one that’s right for you. I love the colours it comes in too. The only negative about this product is that it’s a bit bulky, but that’s because of the insulation. All in all, this water bottle comes recommended for outdoor enthusiasts.

2 – Pogo Tritan Water Bottle

  • I was looking for a water bottle for kayaking I could use on the go, which was durable, easy to transport, could be cleaned easily and had a straw, and came across this.
  • The Pogo Tritan Water Bottle with Soft Straw is an easy to transport water bottle that is made of silicone.
  • It has a wide lid that makes it easy to chug
  • Comes in a variety of colours.
  • Is dishwasher safe.
  • Has a loop on the lid you can attach to a leash to avoid losing it while kayaking.

SUMMARY: This is a great bottle for kayaking. Its a chug-style straw that is easy to clean and stays clean. Its a nice size and it comes with a loop on the lid so you can attach it to a paddle or a kayaking vest. The lid is large and the bottle is silicone so it is easy to clean and doesn’t hold odours or stains.

3 – Bigfoot Venture Collapsible Water Bottle

  • I’d heard of collapsible water bottles that could be packed away easily and during my search I found this.
  • The Bigfoot Venture collapsible water bottle is a lightweight water bottle that rolls up for easy storage. This means that it is a great bottle for carrying with you kayaking or hiking.
  • It’s lightweight so I’m sure you wouldn’t even know that you have it with you.
  • It has a handy metal clip so you can secure it while on your kayak.
  • The other great thing about this water bottle is that it doesn’t leak – so no more worries about getting your things wet.
  • The bottle is easy to clean too. You can even put it in the dishwasher

SUMMARY: I am always on the go and like to travel light. This collapsible water bottle is great for taking with me on my adventures kayaking, camping, or even just hiking. I am not the best at remembering to drink my water, but with this collapsible water bottle, I am better equipped to make sure I stay hydrated.

4 – Nefeeko Collapsible Water Bottle

  • I like this product because it is collapsible, lightweight, its flexible and it comes with a carabiner. The carabiner can be used to attach it to your kayak and it is leak proof so you can take it on your kayak and not worry about it spilling and it will not harm the inside of your kayak either.
  • This is a great little bottle that can be folded and put into a bag and be used when you’re out and about, and the best part is that it doesn’t leak and doesn’t take up much space.

SUMMARY: It is very sturdy and holds half a litre of water. It doesn’t leak and is built with an aluminium carabiner to attach to your kayak as you’re paddling. I love that it’s lightweight and it folds into a small shape.

5 – Nalgene BPA Free Tritan Wide Mouth Water Bottle

  • This water bottle is rugged and tough which makes it the perfect companion for an active lifestyle.
  • It’s tough, it’s leakproof, it’s easy to use.
  • The measurement markings are also great because you can get an accurate measurement of how much water you’re drinking.

SUMMARY: This Nalgene water bottle has a wide mouth that allows you to add ice cubes and water with ease. It is made of tritan which is a 100% BPA-free material so you do not have to worry about plastic taste in your water. It has a loop so you can easily attach this to a backpack or a kayak so you can take it with you on your outdoor adventures!

What to look for in a water bottle for kayaking

This article has been written with the kayaking day-tripper in mind, rather than for someone going on an 8-hour-to-multi-day kayaking tour, so I have selected specific factors based on this.

Water Bottle Volume

Volume is the most important factor for choosing a water bottle – are you going to get enough hydration while on the water?

Sites like WebMD suggest that you drink around 1 litre/32oz of water before you start any physical activity. This is a very smart thing to do before kayaking.

You want to pre-hydrate because you’re out on the water for a while, and all you can depend on is the water you bring with you.

And you want to make sure that you bring enough water with you.

The rough guidelines seem to be to consume about 8oz/200ml of water every 20 minutes for vigorous exercise, and kayaking can be vigorous depending on the style you are doing.

So if you’re going kayaking for an hour or two you want to carry at least a litre / 32oz with you – after pre-hydrating, too.

The water bottle I selected above has options to go right up to 2.5L, which might be required for the longer sessions. However, you’ll need to consider weight and storage space in the kayak too – because 2.5L is a large bottle.

Water Bottle Material

Water bottles come in so many different materials now.

When deciding on the right material, think about the following:

  • Rigid or flexible – how will you store and transport it?
  • Heavy or light – what weight are you comfortable with?
  • Stylish or scratch-proof – are you happy with a less colourful bottle that won’t scratch or dent, or are you ok with it being bashed around a little and getting marked?
  • Tritan or silicone, or plastic or steel or… – are you happy with the quality and substance of the material? Is it toxin-free, BPA-free, stainless etc?

Water Bottle Transportability

Materials will often influence how you will transport and store your water bottle.

If you want a bottle that’s highly stashable, then you might want to consider one with flexible material. There are a lot of options out there for foldable, collapsible, squishable water bottles that are easy to store.

You may often need to sacrifice other things, like the volume, or ease of drinking, or watertight-ness when choosing a water bottle that’s compact and storable.

Space is limited on a kayak so, of course, you want to space-save as much as you can. But you shouldn’t unnecessarily sacrifice the primary factor – volume and hydration.

If you are concerned about storing or transporting a larger bottle, look for ones that have handy clips or loops that make attaching to your bag, kayak, or kayak seat really easy. This means you can put the bottle out of the way while kayaking or hang it off your bag to avoid taking space up inside, knowing that it’s secure.

Water Bottle Cleaning

Let me confess. I, like many others I assume, have one of those old water bottles that I’ve held onto for far too long and have never washed. When I dare swill it out, and fill it up with fresh water, that water always tastes a little off.

If you want to avoid this, look for a water bottle that is dishwasher safe and easy to clean. Something with a tiny spout won’t wash well in a dishwasher – the jets won’t be able to clean it properly. So you might need to invest in a bottle brush. Some water bottles come with these, but not all of them.

Water Bottle Lids

Are you a sipper or a chugger? Do you like to pour or, or rather use a straw?

Water bottles come with many varieties of lids and straws.

Personally, I like a screw thread lid that’s watertight, with a fairly wide aperture to allow for a decent flow of water. The drawback of this design though is that you can get through a lot of water, whereas straws complement more steady sipping.

Some lid designs can seem pretty advanced, with a straw that acts as part of the lid, but my main concern here is how watertight this mechanism is. Sometimes, the pivoting mechanism to flip the straw up and down can let water escape from the top.

If this is a shared concern, then look for water bottles that come with a couple of lid options. The bottle I’m recommending, and buying for myself, from this list comes with the option to attach a screw thread cap lid and also a flip-up straw.

Water Bottle Insulation

Generally, the collapsible /foldable water bottles are able to carry most temperatures of water, however, aren’t that great at insulating and keeping water cold or hot.

Similarly, with plastic/Tritan/silicone containers – the insulating factor can be poor.

If you’re looking for bottles that keep water cool, or hot, then look for the stainless steel varieties that come with a vacuum insulating area. They have a layer of vacuum space in the wall that minimises the transfer of heat, reducing the influence of the ambient temperatures around them in affecting the water temperature.

Water Bottle Warrantee

Some of the water bottles in this list are in the mid-to-high price range. But you are paying for quality.

I look for quality when purchasing items I’m going to rely on for my safety. If I buy a dud water bottle that leaks or breaks, then it’s of no use to me on the water when I need consistent hydration.

So, it’s worth looking to see if your water bottle of choice has a reliable warranty backing up the quality of the design and materials.

The bottle I’ve chosen – the BUZIO Stainless Steel bottle – comes with a lifetime warranty, so I’m confident it’s a quality item that’s unlikely to break or malfunction in crucial moments.

The best water bottle for kayaking summary

And so ends our review of the best water bottles for kayaking. We researched these products with key factors like being lightweight, collapsible and tough. Our research led us to an interesting variety for you to pick what’s best for you.

Do you want super-sturdiness in your water bottle for more rugged adventures?

Or are you after a compact water flask to tuck away when you don’t need it?

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the best water bottles for kayaking.

We know how important it is to stay hydrated while kayaking, especially when it’s hot outside. Finding the right bottles that are well designed for kayaking can be tough.

That’s why we put together this list of our top picks. Now you can choose the water bottle that’s best for your needs!