5 Best Smart Water Bottles of 2024
These bottles can remind you to drink up, charge your phone or even play your jams.
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A trusty travel mug or water bottle is great to keep on hand, but that doesn't mean you'll always remember to drink from it. A smart water bottle can go beyond holding your beverage — it can remind you to drink enough water and log how much you drink. And staying hydrated helps you feel great: It can help relieve headaches, contribute to glowing skin and even prevent hangovers.
The pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab tested smart water bottles to find those that are easy to use and offer useful and reliable tech: reminders, hydration tracking, temperature data and more.
Our top picks:
We also considered bottles from brands we know and love, as well as those with compelling features. Though we do include a UV-light bottle on this list — for which we have assessed certain brand-provided data — our experts need to review more data before supporting claims of self-cleaning or sanitizing.
Read on for more about how we test products, how we chose these smart water bottles and what to consider when shopping for one. We also have round-ups of the best shaker bottles for your next workout as well as the best coffee thermoses for the coffee obsessed.
Pros
- Glows to remind you to drink and syncs with its app
- Available with chug lid or straw lid
Cons
- Cannot use with hot liquids
The HidrateSpark PRO, formerly the HidrateSpark Steel, was easy to use in our tests. The bottom of the bottle glows as a reminder to drink up, and you can choose to have it send push notifications to your phone to nudge you as well. It connects via Bluetooth to the HidrateSpark App (available for iOS and Android), and it can sync with Apple Watch, Fitbit and Garmin so you can add hydration to your tracking. It even includes tech to help you find your bottle if you've forgotten where you left it.
According to the manufacturer, the bottle is insulated to keep liquids cold for up to 24 hours, but note that it's not compatible with hot liquids. This version includes the chug lid, but we like that you can opt for a straw lid. Both lid styles are dishwasher safe, but the bottle is hand-wash only — remove the glowing puck first. A charging cord is included.
| Smart benefits | Reminders; tracks hydration; tracks location |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Capacity | 21 oz. |
| Dishwasher safe | Only lid |
Pros
- Glows to remind you to drink
- Includes a Bluetooth speaker
Cons
- May require contact with certain hard surfaces for best sound
For under $20, you can buy Icewater's smart water bottle that glows to remind you to drink. Just power it up, and it will nudge you every hour — no Wi-Fi or app required. It also has a built-in Bluetooth speaker, so you can connect to your smartphone to play music and podcasts (again, no app required). But we did note that the company touts a "special resonance function" that "when used on wooden tables, will produce a strong bass," so be aware that the sound might be diminished in certain settings.
We have not tested this bottle in our Labs, but the manufacturer claims the vacuum-insulated stainless steel can keep your beverage hot for up to 12 hours or cold for up to 24 hours. The lid has a built-in large carrying loop, and the bottle holds 20 ounces of liquid.
| Smart benefits | Reminders; includes Bluetooth speaker |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Capacity | 20 ounces |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
Pros
- Rechargeable speaker has good output
- Keeps liquid cold for 24 hours or hot for 14 hours
Cons
- Does not remind you to drink or track water intake
At a glance, this is a 16-ounce, insulated bottle that keeps liquids cold for 24 hours and hot for 14. But look closer, and you'll see that the bottom of the bottle is a detachable Bluetooth speaker — perfect for workouts or picnics.
The company states that the waterproof and dustproof speaker provides about six hours of play before it needs recharging. It can also sync to your phone, so you can use it to answer calls as well. Our tester said the speaker's sound was impressive for its size. The bottle comes with a charging cord, and we like the convenient carry loop on the lid.
| Smart benefits | Includes Bluetooth speaker |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Capacity | 16 ounces |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
Pros
- Contains up to two full charges for devices
- Charger is removable so the bottle is dishwasher safe
Cons
- Not compatible with Google Pixel phones
Cut clutter in your bag with this two-in-one water bottle that rings in at around $20 and has a removable smartphone and tablet charger. According to the manufacturer, the charger provides up to two full charges. It unscrews so the bottle and lid can be cleaned safely — both are top-rack dishwasher safe.
Though we have not tested this bottle, the company says it's vacuum insulated to keep liquids hot or cold for up to 12 hours. The bottle comes with a charging cord and is compatible with iPhone 8 and newer and Samsung Galaxy and Note 8 and newer (but not Google Pixel phones).
| Smart benefits | Charges devices |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Capacity | 17 ounces |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes (top rack) when charger is removed |
Pros
- UV light feature can neutralize E. Coli, as per-company data summary shared on the brand's website
- Available in several colors
Cons
- Our experts think the self-cleaning claims need further clarification
This smart water bottle claims to deactivate up to 99% of bacteria and to self-clean via a UV function. Because the UV technology is built into the lid, the Larq is not bulky; it looks and feels like a regular water bottle. Our experts appreciate that the brand has conducted laboratory testing to show the efficacy of the UV function within the cap to neutralize E. coli bacteria and that the company is sharing it with consumers online.
While the bottle seems to make self-cleaning claims, our experts still believe that every water bottle should be regularly cleaned with a brush, dish soap and water to remove any food particles that might get transferred into the water bottle during use or any other impurities that might accumulate inside the bottle over time.
This bottle holds 25 ounces and comes in several colors — green, pink, blue, black and mint. At close to $120, the bottle is rather pricey, but it's also available in a smaller 17-ounce version that is $20 less expensive.
| Smart benefits | Can deactivate certain bacteria |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Capacity | 25 ounces |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
How we test water bottles and smart products
When the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute test water bottles, they're dropped, shaken and knocked over to see if they leak. They're weighed when full to see how heavy they are and how comfortable they are to tote around. They're opened and closed to evaluate the ease of use.
We have testers drink out of them when sitting down and while walking around. We note if they're dishwasher safe and how thoroughly they can be washed by hand.
When we test smart home devices, like home robots, doorbell cameras and robot vacuums, we assess how easy they are to set up and whether the app is intuitive. We note the novel features of each product: Does it have another functionality, like audio or charging capabilities? We also note the battery life.
For these bottles, our testers used them in daily life to check the helpfulness of the apps and the function of any reminders or tracking capabilities.
What are the benefits of a smart water bottle?
Every smart water bottle has different functions and settings, all with the aim of getting you to drink more water. If you're looking for one to remind you to drink or want to keep track of your water intake over time, make sure to choose a bottle with the features that will help you meet your hydration goals. Here are some of the common things a smart water bottle can do:
- Reminds you to drink up. Some bottles have built-in batteries (either standalone or rechargeable via a USB cord) and can nudge you to hydrate by glowing or sending notifications to your smartphone.
- Logs your intake. Smart water bottles may also tally the volume of liquid you're drinking via an app that syncs to your smartphone. You can use that data to set and meet a hydration goal.
- Reports the temperature of your beverage. Some are designed with tech that can monitor the temperature of your beverage so you'll know whether to add more ice to your water or freshen up your coffee.
- Provides other functions. There are also bottles with built-in Bluetooth speakers or power banks for charging devices. Some may also make self-cleaning claims, but our experts need to further review that technology before we can recommend it. We did confirm data from the Larq bottle on our list regarding specific claims about removing E. coli and Salmonella.
What should I know before buying a smart water bottle?
When shopping for a smart water bottle, you need to consider both the bottle and the tech.
✔️ Size: The smartest bottle won't help if it doesn't fit your needs. Do you want a smaller bottle that fits in a certain bag? Do you want a larger bottle that you'll need to refill less often? Check the capacity of the bottle before buying.
✔️ Insulation: Some bottles are insulated and will keep liquids hot or cold for several hours or up to a full day. But take note that some bottles don't allow ice (it can interfere with the monitoring of the water level), so if you want cold water, it needs to be added already cold. Others are not compatible with hot liquids.
✔️ Cleanup: Generally speaking, the tech portion of a smart water bottle is not going to be dishwasher safe. But is the rest of it, or is it hand-wash only? Decide what's important to the way you'll use the bottle.
✔️ Compatibility: Consider the operating system and/or app for any smart tech: Does it work with the operating system of your devices and/or fitness trackers? Is it customizable? Does the battery's longevity fit your lifestyle?
✔️ Price: Our research suggests you can find a top-rated smart water bottle for anywhere between $20 and $80, but there are also options under $20 plus bottles that are over $100. The higher the price tag, the more smart features you'll have built-in. Keep in mind which design aspects are most important to your hydration needs.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Sarah Wharton is a deputy editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She led the testing for these smart water bottles, and she has also conducted testing for travel mugs and heated mugs.
She consulted with Health and Sustainability Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D., for her opinion on brands’ data regarding the efficacy of UV-light bottles and Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman for feedback on the sound quality of those with speakers.
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