Leak Proof Kids Water Bottles: 15 Tested + Results Revealed

There’s nothing more frustrating than purchasing a water bottle for your child only to have it leak the moment it tips over. To help you avoid this situation, we’ve tested several popular brands and styles to see which are most likely to be leak-proof kids water bottles.

Why it’s Important to Have a Leak-Proof Water Bottle

A question like this may seem obvious, but there are several reasons why you don’t want your kid’s water bottle to leak. Water bottle spills can cause more damage than just an extra mess to clean up. For example, if a water bottle leaks onto the floor, the wet area may become a slipping hazard. On the other hand, if it leaks onto carpet or upholstery you may have to worry about mold growth. Staining may also take place depending on which type of liquid is in your water bottle and which material it spills on. 

What Makes a Water Bottle Leak-Proof or Leak-Resistant?

There are many elements a manufacturer may include in a water bottle design to make it leak-proof or leak-resistant. First, a silicone gasket can be placed inside of a cap to encourage a tight seal once its vessel gets screwed in. Second, the straw portion of a water bottle may be made from a rubber or silicone material. The flexible straw can kink or pinch itself making it watertight once its cap is secured properly. A third method is by the use of a bite valve. A bite valve allows water to remain in the vessel unless the bite valve is compressed while sucking. Other systems may be used to make a child’s water bottle leak-proof, but these are the most popular ways.

Are Manufacturer’s Claims of Leak-Proof Water Bottles Credible?

You can assume that claims advertised on a product’s packaging are accurate, correct? Not necessarily. Although it would be nice to believe such claims, this is not always the case. Unfortunately, some companies may stretch the truth when it comes to advertising their products. Including, companies that manufacture and sell reusable water bottles. 

This claim is the focus of a class action lawsuit involving a popular water bottle corporation a few years back. The plaintiffs report that the water bottles were advertised as leak proof on the product packaging. However, in real world situations, the bottles in question leak when they are on their sides, in backpacks, and even on planes. (1)

Hearing about this story made us more anxious than ever to get out into the field and test kids water bottles first hand. It’s important for consumers to receive accurate information and we want to do our part to help make this purchase easier for you. Below, you will find the results of our water bottle leak tests and our top recommendations for leak resistant kids water bottles. 

Kids Water Bottle Leak Test

In order to understand which kids water bottles preform the best and which don’t make the cut, we had to conduct a hands-on test. The purpose of this test was to determine which bottles were least likely to leak when turned upside-down.

First, each bottle tested was partially filled with water and the lid was screwed on tight. Next, the bottles were turned upside-down and shaken aggressively. Finally, each bottle and testing area was observed for drips and leaks. We did not test the water bottles in any other manner besides this. 

Please know that that we do not make any claims on whether or not these water bottles will leak outside of our lab environment. We did our best to conduct this test in a controlled and thorough manner. However, we cannot guarantee that the results will be the same in any situation outside of our experiment.

Below you will find the results to our kids water bottle leak test.

Kids Water Bottles Most Likely to be Leak-Resistant (According to Our Test)

The below water bottles did not leak during our “flip and shake” test:

1. Klean Kanteen Kid Classic Sippy

2. Yeti Rambler Jr.

3. Nalgene Wide Mouth Bottle

4. Simple Modern Kids Watter Bottle

5. Lifefactory Glass Flip Cap Bottle

6. Klean Kanteen TKWide Straw Top Bottle

7. Nalgene Kids On-The-Fly Lock-Top Bottle

8. Takeya Kids Insulated Water Bottle

9. Bubba Flo Kids Water Bottle

10. Contigo Kids Stainless Steel Water Bottle

11. Thermos Funtainer

12. CamelBak Eddy Insulated Water Bottle

The below water bottles leaked during our “flip and shake” test:

1. Columbia BPA-Free Straw Top Bottle

2. Hydroflask Kids Wide Mouth Water Bottle

The below water bottles were hit-or-miss during our “flip and shake” test:

1. Klean Kanteen Kid Classic Sports Cap Bottle – This bottle did not leak out of the mouthpiece. However, it did leak out of the bottle’s rim when the optional mouthpiece cover was attached. When the optional mouthpiece cover was not used, this bottle did not leak. 

Final Thoughts

Luckily, most kids water bottles on the market appear to be leak-resistant. Although no bottle is perfect, if you follow the manufacturer’s suggested guidelines, you’re likely to avoid spills with any of the passing bottles above.

Sources

(1) https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/camelbak-class-action-says-water-bottles-leak/

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