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This article includes the best bike water bottles I selected after comparing more than 30 different bottles from various brands.
My favorite bike water bottle is the Elite Fly. It’s lightweight, features a large nozzle allowing better liquid flow, and is used by pros and hobby cyclists worldwide.
If you are looking for the best-insulated bike water bottle, go for the Polar water bottle. It can keep the water cold, even on hot days.
Below, you will find out more about the water bottle features, what you should consider before buying it (including your health), and what bottles pro road cycling teams use.
What Are the Best Bike Water Bottles?
NOTE: All bottles in this selection are BPA-free.
Elite Fly Water Bottle (Best Overall)
Pros
- Multiple colors available
- Lightweight
- Fits well with standard bottle cages
- Available in 3 capacities (550 ml, 750 ml, 950 ml)
Cons
- The bottle is very soft, so it is easy to crease
The Elite Fly bottle is the most used bike water bottle in the pro peloton. And there are several reasons for that. The first advantage is its low weight of 54 g (550 ml bottle).
Thanks to the larger nozzle, you will get more fluids in one go. You will appreciate this when thirsty or in the summer. And thanks to the wide neck, it won’t happen that you pour your sports drink powder everywhere, just not into the bottle.
By the way, the nozzle is made of rubber and can be removed. Therefore, you can easily clean the bottle and the nozzle after each ride.
The Fly bottle is flexible enough to be easily squeezed and is available in 3 volumes of 550 ml, 750 ml, and 950 ml.
Polar Bottle Insulated Water Bottle (Best Insulated Bike Bottle)
Pros
- Available in 10+ colors
- Available in 2 sizes 20 and 24 oz (590 ml and 710 ml)
- Keeps the water cold/warm for 2-4 hours
- Easy to squeeze
- Easy to clean
- Does contain a plastic loop
Cons
- I could not find any
This is one of the best bottles for keeping your water cold in summer or warm in winter. It is made in Colorado, the US. It consists of 3 layers that keep the temperature of the water inside.
The Polar Bottle insulated bike bottle keeps the water cold for 2-4 hours, depending on the outside temperature. You can squeeze the bottle easily and take advantage of the plastic loop to hang the bottle when needed.
The nozzle is removable so you can clean the bottle easily, and the bottle is also designed to provide a good grip, and it fits standard bottle cages. You can choose from 10+ various colors.
XLAB Aero Bottle With Cage (Best Aero Bike Water Bottle)
Pros
- Aero design
- Carbon bottle cage included
- Anti-slippery surface
Cons
- Only 2 colors available
- The set is not suitable for bumpy roads
When choosing the best bottles for the bike, I also thought of triathletes and time trialists. As you may know, triathlon and time trial bikes are designed to be as aerodynamic as possible.
Naturally, if you put a regular bottle on such a bike, you can lose precious seconds, which can cost you victory. The XLAB Aero bottle has been designed to reduce air resistance.
The manufacturer states that this bottle saves 20 seconds on a 40 km (approx. 25 miles) time trial. Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to verify this claim, but I believe you get marginal gains with this bottle.
The bottle surface is anti-slippery, which is very useful. The biggest disadvantage of this bottle is its bottle cage. It’s not very reliable, and the bottle may fall out of it on bumpy roads.
Elite Jet Water Bottle (The Best Eco-Friendly Bottle)
Pros
- Made from biodegradable plastic
- Available in 3 capacities (550 ml, 750 ml, 950 ml)
- Fits well to standard bottle cages
- A scale on the backside of the bottle
Cons
- A few colors available
The Jet Elite bicycle bottle was released in 2020. Its main feature is that it is manufactured from a biodegradable plastic material. This means it reduces the time needed for the bottle to break down (3 months to 5 years) once it enters industrial composting cycles.
This makes this bottle the best eco-friendly cycling water bottle on the market.
Did you know that traditional plastic products take 100 to 1000 years to decompose? (Source)
The Elite Jet bottle is very similar to the Elite Fly series. Yet, Elite claims its design is brand new. The bottle is made of quality materials that are odorless and tasteless.
What I like about this bottle is the scale on the back. Thanks to it, you can easily mix drinks in the required ratio.
CamelBak Insulated Water Bottle
Pros
- Available in 10+ colors
- Available in 2 sizes 21 and 24oz (630 ml and 710 ml)
- Keeps the water cold for 1-4 hours
- Easy to squeeze
- Easy to clean
Cons
- The pictures are not the same as the real product
- Does not contain a plastic loop
The CamelBak bottle keeps the water cold for 1-4 hours, depending on the outside temperature. It is squeezable, and you can clean it easily (the valve is removable).
The bottle design allows a good grip and the wide neck is also a plus. This bottle is available in 10+ various colors and fits standard bottle cages.
The downside is that the pictures look slightly different than the real product. For example, the bottle looks matt in the picture, but it is glossy in reality.
Pro Bike Tool Insulated Water Bottle
Pros
- Keeps the water cold/warm for 1-4 hours
- Available in 3 colors (black, white, red)
- Easy to squeeze
- Easy to clean
- Does contain a plastic loop
Cons
- Available in one size only (680 ml)
The Pro Bike Tool bike bottle is made of 3 layers (inner bottle, insulation layer, and outer bottle). This means it will keep your drink cold/warm. The bottle keeps water cold for 1-4 hours, depending on the outside temperature.
Thanks to the removable rubber valve, you can clean the bottle very easily. I also like the carry loop that you can remove if necessary. Finally, it allows you to hang the bottle in a gym, on a carbine, etc.
The bottle is made of soft plastic, so you can squeeze it easily. And thanks to the wide neck, it is also pretty easy to clean. It is available in black, white, and red and fits standard bottle cages.
Elite Byasi Bike Bottle (The Best Bottle for Essential Tools)
Pros
- Simple storage solution
- Fits well into standard bottle cages
Cons
- Only 2 colors available
- Higher weight compared to Elite Fly
This bottle is specific. It is a bottle for storing essential bike tools. I included it in this selection mainly because many people don’t know about the existence of bottles like this.
I find it very useful. You can hide tools, a spare tube, a rain jacket, keys, money, and other small things in this bottle. This will save space in your handlebar bag or saddle bag. Or you don’t have to take them with you at all.
Elite Byasi is available in 2 sizes (550 ml and 750 ml) and 2 colors (black and white).
| Bike Bottles | Capacity | Weight | Category | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Fly Water Bottle | 550 ml or 750 ml or 950 ml 18.6 oz or 25 oz or 32 | 54 g 1.9 oz | Standard Bottle | Check Price |
| Polar Bottle Insulated Water Bottle | 590 ml or 710 ml 20 oz or 24 oz | 160 g 5.6 oz | Insulated Bottle | Check Price |
| XLAB Aero Water Bottle With Cage | - | 160 g 5.3 oz | Aero Bottle | Check Price |
| Elite Jet Biodegradable Water Bottle | 550 ml or 750 ml or 950 ml 18.6 oz or 25 oz or 32 | 80 g 2.8 oz | Biodegradable Bottle | Check Price |
| CamelBak Insulated Water Bottle | 621 ml or 710 ml 21 oz or 24 oz | 130 g 5 oz | Insulated Bottle | Check Price |
| Pro Bike Tool Insulated Water Bottle | 680 ml 24 oz | 140 g 4.9 oz | Insulated Bottle | Check Price |
| Elite Byasi Bike Tool Storage Bottle | 550 ml or 750 ml 18.6 oz or 25 oz | 100 g 3.5 oz | Tool Bottle | Check Price |
My Verdict
Before buying a new bike water bottle, make sure you decide what type of bottle you want. I’ve explained to you what options are available on the market. I also selected the best bike bottles from individual categories, including insulated, aero, biodegradable, standard, etc.
The best bike bottle is the Elite Fly, thanks to its simple design, high-quality material, variety of colors available, very reasonable price, and wider nozzle compared to the other nozzles. It is 100% BPA-free and lightweight. I use it myself, and I have never looked back.
How to Choose the Best Bike Water Bottle?
Yes, even when choosing a simple accessory, such as the bike water bottle, there are decisions to make. I will explain the most important factors to consider when choosing your next water bottle.
Nozzle & Bottle Design
Pro cyclists use one of the 2 types of water bottles. The main difference is in the nozzle design and the mouth width. The most recognizable are the following two:
The first design is often used by Tacx, and the second by Elite. The bottle on the left has a narrower nozzle. This means the fluid flow is smaller than the water bottle on the right. Elite claims their Fly bottle has a 20% wider mouth than standard bottles.
I used the same type of water bottle type as Tacx Shiva 500. It is fine, but I’ve never looked back once I’ve tried the Elite Fly bottle. Thanks to the large nozzle, you can intake more fluids in one go.
It is also important to me to match the water bottle design with my bike frame and kit. Of course, you may not take care of this at all. Either way, the offer of water bottle designs is HUGE. So feel free to take advantage of it.
Capacity
The most common bicycle bottle capacities are 500 and 750 ml. These bottles fit standard bottle cages, so you don’t have to worry about the fit.
I ride with 2×750 ml water bottles if I take 2+ hrs bike rides. I believe it is better to have more water than you need. So drink even if you don’t feel thirsty.
The 500 ml water bottles are perfect if your training is shorter than 1 hour, so you don’t take the excess weight. But, fluid intake depends on several factors like the weather, training intensity, fitness level, etc.
PRO TIP: The British Cycling organization recommends taking 500-750 ml of fluids per hour. If you underestimate the fluid intake during longer rides, you may run into problems (cramps, dehydration, etc.).
Material
The vast majority of bike water bottles are made of plastic. The reasons are simple – plastic is lightweight, cheap, and relatively safe compared to other materials like glass.
Based on my research, I found out that there are 4 most common types of plastic used for manufacturing water bottles.
- Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Copolyester
TIP: Read more about the different types of plastics on the Earth Easy website.
The important thing is to buy bottles that are FDA-approved or BPA-free. This means they don’t contain Bisphenol A, a material that causes female and male infertility, precocious puberty, and other health problems.
All bottles in this selection are either approved by the FDA or BPA-free, so you don’t have to worry about choosing wrong.
To be more environmentally friendly, you may also look for biodegradable water bottles like the Elite Jet or Tacx Shiva.
Insulation
When I rode a bike in winter and took a plastic bottle with water inside, the water was so cold I didn’t want to drink it because I was afraid of getting sick.
PRO TIP: If you want to ride in winter, pour your bottle with warm water and store it under your cycling jacket behind your neck in winter. The water will remain warm thanks to your body temperature.
I believe some of you also ride a bike in winter. Insulated bottles also maintain a more or less constant water temperature at both high and low temperatures.
Naturally, these bottles are slightly heavier than regular plastic bottles. But, on the other hand, they will keep your drink warm/cold depending on the weather you ride in.
Brand
I found something interesting when I looked closely at the World Tour teams and the water bottles they used in the 2020 season. There were 19 teams with a WT license in 2020. 17 of them used Elite (10) or Tacx (7) water bottles. Only the EF Pro Cycling team and Trek – Segafredo were using bottles from different manufacturers (Rapha and Trek).
So, if it is true that professionals use only the best products on the market, Elite and Tacx are clear winners. However, brands such as CamelBak, Polar Bottle, Pro Bike Tool, and others are also popular among cyclists, so I included them in this selection too.
Other Bike Water Bottle Features
Neck width – the wider the bottle’s neck, the easier it is to pour supplements. Also, it will be much easier for you to refill water at fountains, springs, etc.
Squeezability – luckily, most bike water bottles are squeezable so drinking from them is easy. Squeezing insulated bottles may be a bit more difficult, yet still possible.
Ease Of Cleaning – ensure you properly wash your bottles after EVERY ride. This way, you prevent fungi and bacteria from spreading and extend your bottles’ life.
Water Bottles FAQ
This post is regularly updated to provide the most up-to-date product tips. If you find a product that is not up to date, please, contact me.
