Not all water bottles are created equal. There are many things to take in to consideration, from the materials used, to the quality and reputation of the brand, whether the bottle is insulated, what happens if you accidentally drop it and what kind of lid does it come with and are there replacements available. When we started Shop Naturally a decade ago now back in 2009, walking in to a shop and buying a water bottle was not something most people did.  Now, the reusables market is big business and bottles are everywhere.  Buying a 2 litre water bottle in a shop is still not an easy thing to do, so since we specialise in selling things that are hard to find, we have done a lot of careful research and testing in to this larger drink bottle market.

What materials are available in a 2 litre water bottle?

Your main two options in this category are bpa free plastic and stainless steel.  I am not aware of any commercial glass water bottles in these larger sizes that are suitable for carrying around. Glass bottles are heavy and prone to breakage at the best of times. A 2 litre glass water bottle would not be a very practical choice of material, so we'll skip to the other two.

BPA Free Plastic 2 litre water bottles

Not exactly 2 litres in size, these bottles from Enviro Products come in a 3.8 litre and a 2.2 litre bottle. There are many other brands in this style and they're all pretty much made the same way. They're Tritan Eastman bpa free plastic,  but it's not very thick. It makes them incredibly lightweight but not very durable at all. If you want to filter water in a jug and just store it in these bottles, that's a great use for it. If you want to carry them around and there's a chance they're going to be knocked about a little or even dropped, this isn't the bottle for you, regardless of the brand. They are going to crack.

The only really sturdy bottle we've found in Tritan Eastman is the Chute bottle from Camelbak that's available in a 1.5 litre capacity.

Stainless steel 2 litre water bottles

This is best choice for every reason except price. In our 2 litre water bottle category, we have several 1.5 litre options listed purely because we can get the price point of some brands down to just under $30 in the insulated versions. The Avanti 1.5 litre insulated  bottles are on sale for $29.95 365 days of the year and the Cheeki 1.6 litre single wall bottles are $39.95 and can sometimes be found on sale.

Since many bottles from US brands like Klean Kanteen are sized on ounces and not litres, their 2 litre bottle is actaully 64oz, measuring in at around the 1900ml capacity. There's actually some good variety from single wall to insulated with different lid types. Klean Kanteen are a very sturdy bottle and while no bottle is covered under warranty for accidental damage, we have thrown around Klean Kanteen  bottles to see just how much punishment they'll take before the bottom warps and they crack. They can take a pretty good beating (but don't do it on purpose!).

Do I want my 2 litre water bottle insulated?

One reason people buy bottles this large is to take to the beach or to a picnic. In this instance, having insulation is very helpful. There are two potential downsides to choosing an insulated bottle this large.

  1. The bottle is almost twice as heavy to carry - vacuum insulated bottles are two layers of stainless steel with the air sucked out of the cavity and then sealed up. This vacuum space is what provides the insulation. When you consider that the weight of the liquid will be 2kg on its own, the weight of a single wall Klean Kanteen 64oz bottle is 362g. the 64oz TKWide from Klean Kanteen weighs in at 836g which is more than double.
  2. The bottle is physically larger - we don't get a lot of returns in store, but when we do, it's someone underestimating just how large and heavy one of these bottles will be. Picture the average milk carton at 2 litres, then add a good 2 cm to allow for some vacuum space and bulk and you're in the ballpark. We always have measurements of bottles on our site, so if you're planning on buying one this large, grab your ruler out and make sure you understand what you're buying.

What lids are available on my 2 litre water bottle?

This is where you're really limited. You are basically stuck with a screw lid with two exceptions, and both your choices here are from Klean Kanteen, because they are the champions of creating the most amazing lids for their bottles. If you buy the Klean Kanteen Classic, then you can add the Classic Sports Lid to your bottle, but it's the Klean Kanteen TKWide that gives you the ultimate in versatility.

You can choose from the standard screw cap that comes with the bottle, a cafe cap (turning it in to the largest coffee cup you're ever going to need!), the chug cap giving it the perfectly sized drinking spout and a smoothie cup lid with a straw in it, so you can definitely drink on the run with the TKWide. If this sounds like what you're after, read our dedicated blog post on the subject, Your Complete Guide To The TKWide Range from Klean Kanteen where we outline the full range and show all the lids in action.

You can't buy spare lids for the Avanti bottles, so don't lose them. Cheeki don't currently have a spare lid available for their 1.6 litre, but Klean Kanteen lids are always available to purchase.