The best kids' water bottles you can buy

The Thermos FUNtainer Bottle doesn't leak or sweat, and it appeals to young kids with prints like 'Cats With Sunglasses' and 'Paw Patrol.'

Thermos is known for keeping liquids well insulated, and they've done it again with the Thermos FUNtainer Bottle. It has stainless-steel-vacuum-insulation technology to keep your little one's water cold all day at school, and it's sweat-proof so it's less likely to slip out of your child's hands or get their schoolwork wet.

Cuteness factor is huge for elementary school students, and this water bottle delivers with many different colors and styles, including popular themes like Toy Story, Paw Patrol, JoJo Siwa, Marvel characters, and Disney Princesses.

If your child has already started elementary school, you know that a school full of hundreds of little kids is also full of germs. Because of that, we love how the Thermos FUNtainer has a straw that's covered to keep it as sanitary as a water bottle in an elementary school can be. The cover also prevents leaking.

This water bottle was named the best kids' water bottle by Wirecutter, and it's loved by consumers with over 4,000 5 star reviews on Amazon. Reviewers love that it doesn't leak and that it keeps drinks cold all day. Many reviewers also mention how easy it is to clean, including a verified purchaser named Maria: "It's super easy to clean since all the pieces come apart effortlessly."

Pros: Leak- and sweat-proof, fun designs, ideal size for young kids, easy to clean, keeps water cold all day

Cons: The bottle does leak if the lid isn't closed all the way

The Pogo Tritan is a simple water bottle that's perfect for middle school students who are transitioning from kids to teenagers; it's made of transparent plastic and is leak proof.

Oh, middle school. The time of awkward growth spurts and the peak of puberty. There's one thing that doesn't have to be awkward about your child's middle school years though: their water bottle.

The Pogo Tritan Water Bottle has been one of my go to water bottles for years, and the 18 ounce size with a simple design is perfect for middle school students. I've thrown this bottle in bags countless times, and it's never spilled or leaked. It's also very easy to clean. (Note: I've tested the chug-lid version; some reviewers complain that the soft straw version leaks.)

There are seven different colors offered, and this is our only large water bottle pick that is transparent, which is a requirement at some schools. The side carrying handle is perfect to slip a finger through when students are already carrying all of their books, and it could also be hooked to a backpack or lunch box. Even though this bottle is plastic, it's BPA, phthalate, PVC, lead, and cadmium free.

The larger 32 ounce Pogo Tritan and this 18 ounce size both appear on Amazon's top-selling water bottles list. The 32 ounce might even be a good option if your middle-schooler has sports after school or tends to drink a lot of water. One Amazon reviewer said, "I love that the spout is protected by a cover and the bottle itself is not extremely tall while also holding 18 oz of liquid (we use this for water only). For the price, the value is awesome."

Pros: Low price point; transparent color options; no BPA, phthalate, PVC, lead, or cadmium

Cons: The soft straw version might leak

The Simple Modern Wave Water Bottle has trendy designs that high-schoolers will love, and it's insulated to keep water cold all day.

The recent trend that I saw a lot in my classroom as a high school teacher is the narrow bottle-shaped water bottles, the exact design you see with the Simple Modern Wave Water Bottle.

In high school, it's all about having the right water bottle to match your backpack, having the coolest design, or even having different options to match different outfits. Some of my students would even cycle through different water bottles in one school year because there are so many fun designs to choose from.

We like the Simple Modern Wave because it's cheaper than some nearly identical options, it's made of double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel, and it comes in fun designs as well as solid colors. There are a lot of different marbled patterns to choose from that are really pretty.

This bottle is narrow, so it will easily slide into a water-bottle pocket on the side of a backpack. It can also be tossed into a backpack because it doesn't sweat, and the screw-on cap isn't going to leak. The insulated stainless steel will keep water cold from the time you fill it up in the morning until the time your kid hits practice after school.

Verywell Fit and Wirecutter named Simple Modern Wave one of the top water bottles, and the Wirecutter review mentioned that "the Simple Modern performed identically to a S'well in our test, but costs half as much." The average Amazon rating for this bottle is 4.5 stars, and it's one of their bestselling water bottles.

Pros: Keeps water cold all day, doesn't sweat or leak, many designs to choose from

Cons: Small opening makes it hard to fit ice inside

A classic sports water bottle, the Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is exactly what every athlete needs to quickly hydrate during practice and games. This bottle makes it so easy they don't even have to take off their headgear.

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is the quintessential sports water bottle, and for good reason. It's simple and cheap, but that's exactly why it's our top pick for sports. Kids can easily toss it into their bag, chuck it onto the sidelines, and use the squeeze function to share without having everyone's lips touch the bottle. And since it's so cheap, they don't have to worry about losing it at a game or accidentally breaking it.

The wide opening makes fill-ups quick, and it's easy to drop in a handful of ice cubes. Being able to squeeze the water out of the bottles is perfect for sports that require headgear because athletes can quickly rehydrate and get right back in the game without taking their helmet off.

Since these are such popular bottles for sports, there is a white line on each bottle to write your kid's name to make sure the same bottle is coming home every night.

The Gatorade Squeeze Sports Bottle is a top-selling water bottle on Amazon and Dick's. One verified Amazon purchaser raved about this bottle, saying, "This is the product to compare against when purchasing a sports water bottle, the gold standard. These Gatorade branded plastic bottles are super cheap and work very well."

Pros: Cheap, can squirt through headgear, easy to fill and add ice

Cons: Some reviewers complain that the bottle leaks

College students need to stay hydrated, but they also need their caffeine. The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle will keep water ice cold for 24 hours and coffee hot for 12.

Hydro Flask has recently become a household name when it comes to water bottles, and they do live up to the hype. When you're on a college campus, days are so busy that you can easily leave your dorm or apartment while it's still dark and return back after the sun sets. The Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle is designed to keep water cold up to 24 hours, so students can fill it up before they leave in the morning and have cold water all day. Add some ice cubes through the wide mouth in the morning, fill it up, and they're set.

We like that this is a simple bottle that is built to last, so it can take students well beyond their college years. It has a powdered coat that makes it easier to grip than many other stainless-steel options, and it also has a convenient carrying handle. The standard version has a screw lid, so students will drink out of the wide mouth opening, but you can also buy a straw lid or a flip lid. As with our other picks, there are multiple color options.

Another reason we love this bottle for college students: coffee, coffee, coffee. Unlike many of the water bottle options out there, the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Bottle can hold hot liquid as well, and is designed to keep it hot for up to 12 hours. Start off with hot coffee in the morning, give it a rinse, and finish the day with ice cold water. Or, you know, just drink coffee all day.

Verywell Fit named it one of the best stainless-steel water bottles of 2019. They wrote: "Hydro Flask insulated water bottle is truly exceptional when it comes to holding a drink's temperature." Hydro Flask also takes the Nos. 1 and 2 spots for bestselling water bottles on Amazon, and over 5,000 5-star Amazon reviews can't be wrong. We like the 32 ounce version to last college students the whole day, but some reviewers mention that it's a snug fit to put it in a backpack's water bottle holder, so the 18 ounce size would be better for that purpose.

Pros: Keeps drinks hot or cold, durable design, easy to grip, wide mouth

Cons: The 32 ounce version might not fit in a backpack water bottle holder