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The Best Gallon Water Bottles

Venture Pal/RTIC/Venture Pal
🕚 Updated November 2022

Whether you're an athlete trying to keep your body in prime condition or the average joe feeling the effects of dehydration throughout the day, a gallon water bottle can save you time while giving your body what it's craving.

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  Best Overall Best Insulated Best with Hydration Tracker Best with Straw Magnetic Bottle
 
  Venture Pal
Gallon Motivational Bottle
RTIC
Insulated Gallon Jug with Handle
Aquafit
Gallon Water Bottle With Time Marker
Vitscan
1 Gallon Water Bottle with Straw
SOCOO
Gallon Water Bottle
 
Our SummaryDitch excuses about drinking enough water with this cheerful gallon water bottle.This stainless steel gallon jug is high-quality and great for the self-motivated.This versatile gallon water bottle comes with two lids, so you can drink your water how you like.This bottle makes drinking a gallon of water easy.This square-shaped gallon water bottle comes with conveniences you may have never known you needed.
Pros✓ Motivational messages and time markers
✓ 17 color options
✓ Wide mouth for cleaning
✓ Comes with straw
✓ Insulated to keep drinks hot or cold
✓ Wide mouth for easy cleaning
✓ Durable stainless steel
✓ Five different colors
✓ Handle for easier drinking
✓ Two lids to fit your preference
✓ Time marker
✓ Seven different colors
✓ Double lid prevents leaks
✓ Straw comes with flap that protects from dust
✓ Motivational messages and embossed measurements
✓ Ergonomic handle
✓ Food-grade, BPA-free
✓ Available in five colors
✓ Has key holder
✓ Magnetic phone holder
✓ Wide mouth for cleaning
✓ Motivational messages
Cons✗ Can break when dropped
✗ Not insulated
✗ No handle
✗ O-ring in lid can come out of place during opening
✗ No motivational messages or no time marker
✗ Can break when dropped
✗ Not insulated
✗ Smaller mouth can make it hard to clean✗ Only 91 ounces
✗ Can break when dropped
✗ Magnet lifespan for phone is not reliable
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The Best Gallon Water Bottles

One woman holds a gallon water bottle as she sits, one man pours water from his bottle into a smaller bottle, and a hand holds a third bottle full of citrus wedges and water up to the camera.
Venture Pal/RTIC/Venture Pal

Gallon water bottles hold enough water for your entire day, encouraging you to drink up and cutting out trips for refills. Keeping a gallon water bottle at your side will also increase your water intake by giving you no excuse to choose a coffee or energy drink on a busy day. Here are some fantastic gallon water bottles we recommend.

Buying Guide for Gallon Water Bottles

two large colorful water bottles hanging from wrist straps.
SOCOO

Why should you buy a gallon water bottle?

Our bodies need water to be healthy and function at their best. But drinking the appropriate amount of water each day may require using several regular-sized bottles of water, which could cause a lot of waste. Plus, constantly running to refill a glass (while it may be a good reason to get up and walk around) tends to get pushed aside and ultimately forgotten on busy days. Most people end up realizing in the evening that they’ve hardly come close to drinking enough water to care for their bodies.

Having a gallon water bottle that you fill up once in the morning and carry with you throughout the day is a great way to keep water conveniently close, giving you that friendly reminder to take some more sips.

What should you consider when purchasing a gallon-sized water bottle?

  • Color: Water bottles sitting out in the sun will struggle to resist the heat and may warm up your water. Clear bottles will allow more sun rays through the plastic, so opt for opaque or darker-colored ones.
  • Mouth: For those that enjoy including ice, fruits, or powders in their drinks, look for bottles that feature wide-mouth openings. This will allow you to place items into the jug easily and make it easier to clean.
  • Material: Plastic bottles are lightweight and come in various designs, but they don’t retain the liquid’s temperature as well. Stainless steel water bottles keep your water cold for longer and don’t collect condensation on the outer surface. However, they can be much heavier than plastic bottles, so they aren’t ideal for sports. Glass water bottles in a gallon size aren’t as practical, either since they’ll be quite heavy, so if dropped, they could break easily.

How do you know how much water you should be drinking each day?

In general, your water requirements per day can be calculated by using your current body weight. Most people need to drink about two-thirds of their body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. For example, a 200-pound adult needs approximately 150 ounces (or 1.1 gallons) of water each day for optimal hydration.

Our Picks for Gallon Water Bottles

Best Overall

Venture Pal 1-Gallon Motivational Water Bottle

Ditch excuses about drinking enough water with this cheerful gallon water bottle.

Pros: This is a fantastic gallon water bottle with 17 different color options, time markers for motivation, and friendly motivational messages to read while you work towards your water-drinking goal. It’s BPA-free, leakproof, and comes with a straw for safe, mess-free, and convenient drinking. The wide mouth makes it easy to clean.

Cons: As you may expect, this gallon water bottle is not designed to fit in your car’s cup holder, as it’s so large. It’s not insulated, so even though you may start with cold water in the morning, it won’t stay cold on its own throughout the day unless you keep it in a fridge, but that defeats the convenience of having it in sight.

Bottom Line: Even though this is a large bottle to carry around and drink from, people love how it takes the guesswork out of how much water to drink, eliminates waste, and includes time marks to spread out water intake throughout the day.

 

Best Insulated

RTIC One Gallon Jug with Handle

This stainless steel gallon jug is high-quality and great for the self-motivated.

Pros: This jug comes with a few upgrades that other gallon water bottles are missing. It has a wide mouth for easy filling and cleaning but a small mouth on the lid that accommodates neat drinking and pouring. The handle makes for easy carrying and drinking, but even if you grab it by the bottle itself, your hands will have a comfortable grip. It is insulated, meaning it can keep your cold drinks cold for 24 hours without condensation and your hot drinks hot without being too hot to hold. This insulating feature also makes it safe to pack in a bag or tote without it damaging your belongings.

Cons: The lid is plastic and doesn’t feel up to the quality of the rest of the bottle. The o-ring that is inside the lid can move easily when unscrewing, so be sure to lay it in place when fastening it again to prevent leaks or spills. It does not have motivational messages or time markers like other gallon water bottles, so this is better for those who already have the habit down.

Bottom Line: The insulation in this gallon water bottle is a top-notch, long-lasting, attractive feature. It’s more affordable than its competitors but performs comparably. Take it on your next camping trip to enjoy cool water all day.

 

Best with Hydration Tracker

Aquafit 1-Gallon Water Bottle With Time Marker

This versatile gallon water bottle comes with two lids, so you can drink your water how you like.

Pros: This gallon water bottle also has time markers and a handle for easy drinking. It comes with two tops, so you can drink your water through a straw or a regular mouthpiece. It comes in seven different colors and comes with a cleaning brush to keep your water bottle performing at its best day after day.

Cons: The measurement lines go up to 116 ounces, but if you’re looking to get a full gallon, be sure to fill above the lines to be more accurate. It’s not very durable, so be careful that you don’t drop it while you’re on the go.

Bottom Line: The convenience of choosing your own top to use and having a handle to help you hold your heavy bottle of water make this a user-friendly experience when you’re being diligent about your water intake. As long as you’re careful not to drop it, you should enjoy using this bottle as you meet your hydration needs.

 

Best with Straw

Vitscan 1 Gallon Water Bottle with Straw Motivational Water Bottle with Time Marker

This bottle makes drinking a gallon of water easy - whether it's full or near empty.

Pros: The ergonomic handle makes this gallon water bottle easy to drink from, even when it’s full. You can choose to drink from the straw, which has a cover to protect it from dust and leaking, or from the regular mouth. The water bottle has two secure lids to make it leakproof. Motivational messages and embossed measurement markers help you stay on track, so you don’t have to guzzle a whole bunch at once. The water bottle is made of durable, BPA-free plastic, making it less likely to break if you accidentally drop it. This handy gallon water bottle is available in six colors.

Cons: The opening is smaller, making it harder to clean. Since it’s so big, it can be cumbersome to tote around or store.

Bottom Line: Drinking your gallon of water throughout the day is much easier, thanks to the features of this bottle. The straw, flip protector, durable food-grade material, and ergonomic handle stand are traits that are hard to pass up.

 

Magnetic Bottle

SOCOO Gallon Water Bottle

This square-shaped gallon water bottle comes with conveniences you may have never known you needed.

Pros: When your hands are full carrying a gallon of water around throughout the day, it’d be nice to lessen your load. This 91-ounce water bottle helps you keep track of how much water you drink with motivational messages and a time marker. It also has a key ring holder and a magnetic phone holder! Its wide mouth makes it easy to fit ice cubes inside and clean it when the time comes.

Cons: It’s not exactly a full gallon, so you will have to fill it up again to get a full gallon of water down. The magnet works with most phones, but some people notice that with a lot of use, it doesn’t stick well to the phone. It’s not particularly durable, so be sure to keep a good grip on it.

Bottom Line: This eye-catching water bottle’s shape and unique features might be just what you need! It’s great for taking to the gym since it also holds your keys and phone; just be careful with it while you’re on the go.

Final Thoughts

If you’re on the road to wellness, drinking adequate water is a crucial step in the right direction. A gallon water bottle can help you stay on track. Determine which features are most important to you, and take a look at our top picks for gallon water bottles. These are each great products that can help you stay hydrated, healthy, and happy.

Camryn Lang Camryn Lang
Camryn Lang is a freelance writer and copyeditor that has produced a wide variety of content, from breaking news and memorial tributes to web content and fiction novels. While working on her bachelor's degree in English at Texas A&M University, Camryn led writers and editors at the nationally recognized university newspaper, The Battalion. During her free time, she enjoys reading thrillers and fantasy novels and eating desserts. Read Full Bio »
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