I’ve Tried So Many Water Bottles — Owala Is My Favorite and This Is Why

I love water, and I drink a ton of it. I rarely leave the house, let alone move to a different room, without bringing a water bottle with me. (My wife calls it an “emotional support water bottle.”) When I was younger, I brought a Nalgene with me to class every day; years later, I started trying out other top brands, looking for the perfect one. Every bottle I used had one small design flaw or another, whether they were hard to clean, tricky to open, or cumbersomely large. After testing well over a dozen, I eventually tried the Owala FreeSip, and I knew my search was over. 

You can imagine my devastation when, on a recent trip to visit family, my Owala was confiscated after the TSA noticed a few drops of water in it during airport security. After buying the biggest bottle of water I could find for the plane, I immediately whipped out my phone to order a new Owala without thinking twice. It was the first time in my life that I’ve ever bought the same water bottle multiple times. 

Owala FreeSip 32-Ounce Water Bottle

In virtually every way, the Owala FreeSip is the Platonic ideal of a portable water bottle. First, I’m not a huge ice water person, but the insulation on the 32-ounce FreeSip keeps your water cold for the entire day (up to a full 24 hours). It’s also BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. It comes in over 20 attractive colorways, so you can easily find one that suits your style.

The FreeSip has a handy carrying loop that also acts as a lock, so it won’t leak during transit. That's just one of the bottle’s genius design features. Once you open the lock, the lid pops open with the touch of a button. You can open it with one hand, which is a huge benefit, especially if you’re exercising, driving a car, or holding a burrito. One of my biggest issues with other bottles I’ve tried is that it’s not possible to open them with one hand (especially if they’re closed too tight, at which point you can barely open it with two). On that note, it has a straw so you don’t have to tilt the bottle to sip from it — another great feature for when you’re working out or on a walk.

Since it has over 62,400 five-star ratings on Amazon, I can’t say I was the first person to recognize the Owala FreeSip’s greatness. One shopper (who now owns four Owala FreeSips) said the straw offers “a smooth sip with no resistance,” the locking mechanism “works great,” and the loop is useful for attaching to a carabiner. Another fan called this the “best liquid refreshment container I’ve ever had,” noting that it’s lighter than they expected and the “perfect size” to hold with one hand. 

End your search for the perfect water bottle and grab an Owala FreeSip to help you stay hydrated this summer. You will be thrilled that you tried it.

Shop More Water Bottles

Yeti Rambler 26-Ounce Water Bottle

Owala FreeSip Twist

Stanley IceFlow 2.0 Water Bottle

Hydro Flask 32-Ounce Water Bottle

At the time of publication, the price was $35.