How many oz in plastic water bottle

Chapter 4: Anatomy of a Water Bottle

Covered in this section:

• Water bottle shape

• Water bottle lid types

• Water bottle handle types

• Water bottle accessories

If you think size and material are the only decisions you need to make when choosing a water bottle, think again. There are a range of advantages and disadvantages to consider in the details. The shape, lid, handle and accessories of your bottle can make or break your relationship with it over time.

These factors influence the way you access water, how well you can clean your bottle and how easy it is to carry. Learn about all of the varieties available for these critical water bottle features.

Water bottle shape

Bottle width

Apart from the volume of a water bottle, you’ll want to consider its exterior width. This is especially true if you need it to fit snugly in your hand, backpack sleeve, waistband loop or a cup holder.

Bottle makers understand this concern and they have come up with alternate carrying solutions as well. Check the section on bottle accessories to find out additional ways to comfortably carry your bottle.

Bottle height

Keep in mind that some bottles are too tall to fit into coffee machines or the water dispenser of your refrigerator. Think of the different appliances you might want to use your bottle with and measure them accordingly.

Interior Angles

The other consideration for a bottle’s shape relates to ease of cleaning. If the bottle has sharp corners on the interior or a noticeable “bottleneck” it can be more difficult to clean. The bottle mouth size can also impact your ability to clean your bottle. See the next section for tips on choosing the best bottle mouth for your needs.

Narrow mouth vs. Wide mouth bottles

Now, it probably sounds like we’re getting into the nitty gritty details, but these are important to continue to read on. A bottle’s mouth can make or break your relationship with it. When we talk about the bottle mouth, we’re actually referring to its opening. At this point, we haven’t touched on the lid, which is coming up next.

There are few advantages to buying a water bottle with a narrow mouth. Think about it. The shape of the bottle is fixed and you will have great difficulty reaching inside the bottle to clean it. The only real advantage is that you will be less likely to splash yourself when you drink the water, but this can be solved a number of other ways, such as purchasing a straw or sports lid.

Here’s why having a wide mouth is essential for ease of use. You can insert ice cubes. You can insert a capsule-style water filter. You can fill it with other snack items like nuts or even crackers. You can also dip your bottle into a stream and quickly fill it up in the outdoors. Bottle brushes fit inside easily when you need to clean your bottle. And when you air dry your bottle, there will be enough airflow to ensure your bottle dries out.

Long neck vs. Short or no neck

Of course, few of the water bottles on the market have a long neck. That’s because the same issues that arise with a narrow mouth can be made even worse with a long bottle neck. Go for bottles with a short neck or no neck at all.

Water bottle lid types

Now we’re getting to the up close and personal parts of your bottle. Screw-top lids are often the default for an insulated stainless steel water bottle, whereas sporty plastic bottles often come with nozzles or spouts. However, most bottle companies are offering a variety of lids that fit their bottles, so they’ve become a “both-and” rather than an “either-or” option.

Screw-top lid

Obviously, with a screw-top lid, you’ll have to open the bottle each time you drink. You’ll want to find a bottle with a durable lid that has a handle, so it won’t fly out the window easily.

Screw-top lids are most common for wide-mouth bottles, so you can easily gulp water from the bottle if you’re thirsty or splash water over your head, if you’re too hot.

If possible, choose a bottle with relatively large ridges where the bottle screws on, so grime and gunk won’t stick in the grooves.

Some screw top lids, such as the Healthy Human screw top lid are designed with a special interior construction that prevents any plastic from touching any part of the liquid you drink. For people concerned about the chemicals of plastic leaching into their drinks, this is a wise solution.

If you’re worried about splashing yourself with water each time you drink you may prefer a sports lid.

Sports cap with nozzle

These are most common on plastic bottles made of a soft, flexible material. You can pull them up with your teeth and then squirt or drip water into your mouth by tipping the bottom of your bottle up into the air. The nozzle is essentially used like a short, thick straw. Sometimes, you’ll have to bite the end of the nozzle for the water to come out.

One advantage of this type of lid is that it prevents water from splashing on your face. It also eliminates the likelihood of spills if the nozzle has its own automatic closing valve. As for disadvantages, water does not necessarily come out quickly. The nozzle also makes it easy for grime to form or for the smell or taste of flavored beverages to linger. Essentially, they’re a breeding ground for germs from your saliva, so try not to share your water bottle with friends.

Sports cap with spout

A variety of options that involve a flipping mechanism of some kind and a small straw-like spout or opening are available. Sometimes the short straw itself flips up, other times, a lid over the small spout flips up. The flipping may require you to pull the spout up to drink from it, or to push a button to make it appear.

Unlike the nozzle, this style tends to have less nooks and crannies where grime can build up. Anyone who has accidentally dropped a nozzle-style bottle in the sand knows that sand can get stuck between the rubbery folds for a long time.

Healthy Human’s Flip N Sip Lid is made for ease of cleaning. The lid pops up at the click of a button and the spout is wide enough to insert a finger, so you can clean it with a small thin cloth. The spout itself still prevents splashing, which is the point of a sports lid, after all.

Lid materials

Occasionally, you’ll find stainless steel metal lids available, but the most common material for water bottle lids is plastic. That’s why you’ll want to be sure your water bottle comes with a BPA-free lid.

Water bottle handle types

The handles on most water bottles are attached to the lid. The reason is that the lid is that one essential detachable part that you won’t want to lose sight of. Think of it like the camera lens of your bottle. If you lose that lid, you’ll be very disappointed.

The other nice thing about having a handle is that you can dangle your bottle from your fingers, if you don’t feel like gripping the bottle.

No handle

Bottles with lids that don’t have a handle are usually designed that way for a minimal look. However, by eliminating the lid handle, you’re losing an important part of the bottles functional design. You’ll never want to lose the lid of your bottle, so if you choose a bottle with a lid that doesn’t have a handle, do so at your own risk.

Flexible handle

Flexible handles can feel soft on the fingers. However, they may not hold up well over time. It also means that you’ll have to grip the lid itself for a screw-top lid to open the bottle, which can be tricky if you’ve screwed it on too tight.

Rigid handle

A rigid handle makes the bottle more sturdy and durable, as well. With a rigid handle, you can easily clip the bottle to a backpack without worrying that the handle will break. Healthy Human bottles all come with rigid handles for these reasons.

In addition, on Healthy Human screw-top lids, the firm helps you to leverage the power of the lid to unscrew the bottle. You can easily fit three fingers into the ring of the rigid handle, and it is slightly off-center, so turning open a stuck lid becomes easier.

Water bottle accessories

Clips and Carabiners

Metal clips and carabiners are a great way to make your bottle more portable. With a durable carabiner, you can hook your bottle to the outside of a backpack, a belt loop or even a bicycle basket or frame. Keep in mind that clips work best with a water bottle that comes with a rigid handle.

Pro Tip: All Healthy Human water bottles come with a free clip, so you don’t have to purchase these separately.

Water bottle slings

To enable hands-free movement and reduce bouncing, shoulder strap slings are another way to carry your water bottle on walks, hikes and day trips. Slings come in a variety of different styles, such as small pouches or straps. Try to find a secure sling with a durable, adjustable shoulder strap.

Pro Tip: Healthy Human slings come with a handy side-pocket to hold your cell phone or wallet alongside your bottle.

Metal straws

These days, protecting one another’s health is of utmost importance. When you carry a reusable bottle, remember that germs can spread very fast if you share it with others. You can eliminate this problem by stocking up on a set of metal, reusable straws. That way, your family or friends can drink from the same bottle without spreading contagious diseases.

Is a bottle of water 16 ounces?

A standard size water bottle is 16 ounces, which would be 2 cups.

How much does a normal plastic water bottle hold?

The average reusable bottle holds about 32 oz of water, whereas the average plastic water bottle can only hold 16 oz. Put simply, one reusable bottle can hold twice as much water as an average plastic bottle, resulting in fewer refills and more water at a lower price.

How many oz of water is in a water bottle?

Well, the most reusable water bottles in USA are around 17 fluid ounces (oz.) ≈500 ml, because it is easy to handle and carry on the go, fits with most of car holder.