Tech & Gear Accessories Best Collapsible Water Bottles of 2023 The HydraPak SkyFlask Speed 350ML is the best overall bottle for most travelers By Nathan Borchelt Nathan Borchelt LinkedIn American University Nathan Borchelt has been working in the travel industry for more than 15 years as a writer, photographer, editor, and product manager. He covers everything from trail cameras to ski equipment. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 02/15/23 Share Pin Email We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. TripSavvy / Kristin Kempa It’s easy to understand why collapsible water bottles have earned the loyalties of discerning groups of hikers and travelers. They’re almost always lighter than hard-bodied water bottles, so your load is instantly lightened. And—as their name describes—they can collapse when they’re empty, either by rolling the bottle up and securing it or collapsing vertically, both of which save space in your pack. And since they’re flexible, you can safely pocket a full bottle without worrying that you might injure yourself if you fall, a nice feature for hikers, skiers, and snowboarders. Some come with ergonomic designs that make them easy to handle or are equipped with a clip to attach the bottle to your pack or belt. Others boast insulation to keep cold water cold or will collapse as you drink to reduce the annoyance of water sloshing. Almost all of them are dishwasher-safe and can be frozen to keep your refreshment cold for longer stretches. When looking for the optimal bottle, consider the attachment points via carabiners, the types of lids/caps and nozzle types that are available, and the diameter of the bottle’s mouth—if you love to add ice, look for ones with wider mouths, which also makes the bottles easier to clean with a bottle brush. Runners should also look for bottles with an integrated hand strap, which makes carrying the bottle comfortable and easy when on the trail or out on the road, while hikers may want ones that either come with an integrated water filter or that are compatible with third-party water filters, which can attach directly to the threaded opening. The Rundown Best Overall: HydraPak SkyFlask Speed 350ML Water Bottle at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: Platypus SoftBottle at Amazon Jump to Review Best Design: Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle at Amazon Jump to Review Best Lightweight: Vapur Flexible Water Bottle at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Hiking: Platypus DuoLock SoftBottle Flexible Water Bottle Platy Logo at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Road Running: Nathan QuickSqueeze Insulated Handheld Water Bottle at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Trail Running: Salomon Soft Flask XA Filter Water Bottle at Backcountry.com Jump to Review Best for Traveling: HydraPak Stow 1L at Amazon Jump to Review Table of contents Expand Our Picks What To Look For FAQ Why Trust TripSavvy Best Overall HydraPak SkyFlask Speed 350ML Water Bottle Amazon View On Amazon View On Backcountry.com View On Moosejaw.com What We Like The hand strap adjusts quickly The soft material conforms to your hand It’s easy to drink and refill What We Don't Like Other collapsible bottles take up less storage space The SkyFlask Speed 350ML bottle from HydraPak provides everything you’d need in a collapsible water vessel, with a soft body design that shrinks as you drink to cut down on water sloshing around inside, and can easily be stored in your pocket when not in use. Optimized for active pursuits, the adjustable strap fits different hand sizes easily, and the snap-close main cap provides a wide opening for refills and the confidence that it won’t break open in your pack, while the high-flow bite valve automatically seals after each sip. Price at time of publication: $24 Weight: 1.5 ounces | Capacity: 12 fluid ounces | Materials: TPU and RF-welded seams Best Budget Platypus SoftBottle Amazon View On Amazon View On Dick's View On Midwayusa.com What We Like Inexpensive Easy to use It rolls up into a tiny package What We Don't Like Be mindful that it’s closed after drinking The lightest water bottle in Platypus' line, the SiftBottle provides easy hydration, and it rolls up into a very small package when not in use. Made from BPA-free materials that won't taint your water with a chemical taste, the bottle is narrow in the middle to make it easier to hold, and you can choose from either a standard closure cap or a push-pull cap. The bottle is also compatible with any of the brand's threaded lids or drink tube kits. Price at time of publication: $13 Weight: 1.2 ounces | Capacity: 34 fluid ounces | Materials: Nylon, polyethylene Best Design Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle 4.3 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart What We Like Smartly designed It has a solid failsafe against leaks What We Don't Like The structured elements mean it doesn’t collapse as small as some other rolling bottles It’s quite heavy The smartly engineered Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle puts lesser water vessels to shame. Made of flexible silicone, it’s burly enough to withstand impacts but easily squishes down for compact travel—simply slide up the central plastic section, roll it up, and then strap everything together with the looped wrist strap. A screw cap and lid design provide an airtight seal, and the hinged cap also works as a spout cover to keep dirt or germs from getting on the mouthpiece. It’s also freezable, dishwasher safe, and heat resistant. Price at time of publication: $37 Weight: 7 ounces | Capacity: 22 fluid ounces | Materials: Silicone, plastic The Best Travel Mugs of 2023, Tested and Reviewed Best Lightweight Vapur Solid Flexible Water Bottle Amazon View On Amazon What We Like Lightweight Smart carabiner integration A solid closed lid position What We Don't Like Some may want a wider mouth to add ice At 1.5 ounces, there are slightly lighter collapsible water bottles than the Vapur Wide Mouth Anti-Bottle—but don’t sweat it, as a few more grams also provides you with one of the bottle’s most useful features, its carabiner, which lets you attach the bottle to your pack, or to store the bottle in its rolled-up, collapsed state to really make it storage-friendly. The BPA-free, dishwasher-safe materials can handle freezing, with three layers of plastic—FDA-approved polyethylene and two layers of strong nylon. The drink spout clips closed for confident storage, and the twist-off port makes it easy to fill. Price at time of publication: $9 Weight: 1.5 ounces | Capacity: 34 fluid ounces | Materials: Polyethylene, nylon Best for Hiking Platypus DuoLock SoftBottle Flexible Water Bottle Platy Logo Amazon View On Amazon View On Backcountry.com View On REI What We Like The clip makes it easy to attach to a pack The double-lock lid inspires confident storage What We Don't Like A slightly wider mouth would accommodate all shapes of ice In addition to making it easy to clip the Platypus DuoLock SoftBottle to the straps of your backpack, the integrated carabiner also provides a bit of structure to the top of the bottle, which makes it easier to drink and refill. But if you prefer to store it inside your pack, the dual-locking lids ensure it stays closed. Ergonomically shaped to make it easy to handle, it’s also fairly easy to fill and clean thanks to a wide mouth and dishwasher safe. Price at time of publication: $15 Weight: 1.6 ounces | Capacity: 34 fluid ounces | Materials: Polyethylene Best for Road Running Nathan QuickSqueeze Insulated Handheld Water Bottle REI View On Amazon View On Nathansports.com View On REI What We Like Intuitive drinking design Loads of running-specific storage features What We Don't Like Expensive In addition to providing some much-needed hydration, the QuickSqueeze Insulated Handheld Water Bottle from Nathan also comes with a small zippered stash pocket integrated into the adjustable hand strap, so you can store your ID and keys to avoid things jostling around. That hand strap also has a thumbhole to position the bottle comfortably and securely in your hand, and a stretch-woven pocket nestled behind the stash pocket is designed to keep your phone safe, secure, and easy to reach. You get 12 ounces of water, and the double-wall insulation construction will keep the liquid cool longer than most collapsible water bottles. Drink by squeezing when the push/pull cap is open, and then keep on running. Price at time of publication: $35 Weight: 4.2 ounces | Capacity: 12 fluid ounces | Materials: Polyester, spandex Best for Trail Running Salomon Soft Flask XA Filter Water Bottle Salomon View On Backcountry.com View On Competitivecyclist.com View On Salomon.com What We Like Provides reliable drinking water wherever there’s a water source It frees you from hauling lots of water on long runs What We Don't Like Costly If your running ambitions take you deep into the backcountry and far from safe drinking water, go with the Soft Flask XA Filter from Salomon, which incorporates a water filter into the lid to remove bacteria and protozoa from any water source, meaning you have to run with less water without risking dehydration. A high-flow valve makes it easy to drink, and a wide mouth lets you refill it from even the slightest trickle of a stream. TPU- and RF-welded seams add some much-needed durability, as does a mix of plastics that make up the body. And when you don’t need it, it collapses into a package that can fit in most pockets. Price at time of publication: $50 Weight: 1.8 ounces | Capacity: 17 fluid ounces | Materials: Thermoplastic, polyurethane, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, polyoxymethylene, polysulfone, silicon Tested: The 10 Best Travel Water Bottles of 2023 Best for Traveling HydraPak Stow 1L Amazon View On Amazon View On Duluthtrading.com View On REI What We Like Easy to store Great hand feel What We Don't Like A wider mouth would make it easier to fill Space-saving travelers will love the HydraPak Stow, which flattens, rolls, and stows in a tiny package within the bail handle. The self-sealing silicone nozzle is easy to access with the flip-top cap lid (which also protects the mouthpiece from getting dirty), and the threaded mouth works with most 28-millimeter water filters, so it’s also at home in the backcountry. The mouth is a touch narrower than some bottles, but its flexible construction makes it easy to maneuver it underneath a slow-trickling water fountain. Price at time of publication: $20 Weight: 2 ounces | Capacity: 32 fluid ounces | Materials: TPU, PP, silicone What to Look for in a Collapsible Water Bottle Weight One of the biggest advantages of a collapsible water bottle is its nominal weight compared to hard-bodied bottles, which often weigh just more than an ounce. This naturally cuts down on the weight you have to haul, though bottles boast double-wall designs for better insulation, or a bottle with more structure and a few add-on features like a clip can add additional ounces. Capacity Almost every bottle comes in various sizes, though the sweet spot for most applications is around 32 to 34 fluid ounces. Runners may want less, especially on shorter runs or when there’s an opportunity to refill mid-workout so that they can cut down on weight and volume, and the virtue of a collapsible bottle is that they compress as you drink, reducing the internal slush of the water itself. But if you anticipate being far from safe drinking water for long stretches, go with a bottle that stores more, or look for ones that either have a water filter integrated into its design or that work well with filters—many brands offer those as accessories. Materials Today, any collapsible water bottle worthy of your attention will have BPA-free materials, typically polyethylene, TPU, or silicone, which provides the collapsible flex for easy storage. Look for ones with reinforced seams, which improve the bottle’s durability, and smart features like clips and carrying handles that can double to keep the bottle compressed when collapsed. Nozzle Type In addition to standard screw-top openings that access the mouth of the water bottle, many also come with either a push/pull nozzle or a bite nozzle to access the water. The latter is more leak-proof since it automatically closes when you finish drinking, though it’s easy to push a nozzle shut with your teeth after you finish. Bottles that also come with a hinged cap that sits over the nozzle ensure that the mouthpiece won’t get dirty or exposed to germs when stored in your pack. Frequently Asked Questions Do collapsible water bottles keep liquids cold? Unless a brand calls out specifically that the bottle is insulated, most collapsible water bottles won’t insulate your cold liquids for long. But almost all flexible water bottles can be filled and frozen safely—just don’t fill them to full capacity to accommodate the expanding ice as it forms. What are collapsible water bottles best used for? Collapsible water bottles are ideal when you want to store the bottle in a small package when it’s not in use—say, while you clear security at an airport and want some water for the flight. Fast-and-light hikers also prefer them to rigid bottles because they’re typically lighter. But unlike rigid bottles, the flexible nature of the collapsible bottles also lets you carry them in a coat pocket since they’ll conform to the contours of your body and will flex with your movements. Runners also like collapsible water bottles because of their light weight and the ability to reduce the bottle size as they drink, so there’s less water sloshing around. What is the best way to clean a collapsible water bottle? Almost all collapsible water bottles are dishwasher-safe, but you can also clean them with conventional soap and water. The wider the mouth, the easier it is to clean. And brands also make bottle-specific scrub brushes that can easily pass through narrower mouths, letting you scrub every corner. Why Trust TripSavvy Nathan Borchelt has been rating, testing, and reviewing outdoor and travel gear for decades and has spent a lot of time using a variety of water bottles, including hard-bodied, collapsible, and hydration reservoirs. Research for the collapsible bottles included a detailed evaluation of each bottle’s materials, durability, lid construction, and nozzle types to ensure they won’t leak. Various applications—including the features and utilities needed for running, hiking, and traveling—were also examined to ensure that the bottles would perform optimally in the field. The 12 Best Hiking Gear Items of 2023, Tested by Experts Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! 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