I tested the best school water bottles – the £8 winner was leak-proof and should last for years
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TOP quality water bottles are a must-have for families with kids.
Keeping your kids hydrated is so important.
According to the British Nutrition Foundation, children should aim to drink six to eight glasses of fluid a day.
Studies have shown that even mild dehydration can affect their concentration.
But you don't want to be packing your children off to school with a leaky bottle that might spill all over their school books.
And they need to be hardy enough to survive being dropped or bashed around too.
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So whether your child is heading back to school, off to a sports club or just gearing up for a day out, you'll want a bottle that your child enjoys using, is easy to open and of course, doesn't leak.
But it's not always easy keeping their water levels topped up when you're on the go, or they are in class.
Our reporter Lynsey Hope tested a range of bottles with her children Jacob, 10 Olive, seven and Ivy, four, to see which were most durable and which the kids liked best. Here's the verdict.
Thermos Disney Minnie Mouse Signature Flask
- Capacity: 470ml
- Dishwasher safe: Yes, top shelf only
This is a gorgeous flask with a sophisticated Minnie Mouse design which will appeal to Disney fans both old and young.
Not only is it super cute, but the Thermos technology means it can keep drinks hot for 12 hours or cold for up to 24 hours.
For less than £10, I really liked the Tum Tum bottle.
The ladybird design was a hit with my youngest tester Ivy, four, and the flip dome-shaped top kept the bottle clean and looking great.
- Capacity: 500ml
- Dishwasher safe: No
The push-button lid on this worked really well and was easy for the kids to use.
It's a good size, too, with a large capacity of 500ml, and the leakproof lid was effective - we suffered no messy leaks!
It's not dishwasher safe, but was easy to clean by hand.
My daughter Olive, seven, loved the leopard print design and can't wait to take this to school with her.
- Capacity: 400ml
- Dishwasher safe: No
Durable and leakproof, this bottle is also easy to use and easy to clean.
Even my four-year-old could fill it and tighten it up without experiencing any leaks.
It can't go in the dishwasher but after washing by hand, it came out clean with no grime left in the hard-to-reach spots, where bacteria often builds up.
It was hard and only suffered light scratches when bashed around.
The latch on the flip lid was great for preventing unwanted spillages in a school bag. I was impressed - this is a top contender, especially for just £10.
- Capacity: 540ml
- Dishwasher safe: Yes, top shelf only
The hard spout on these means it is probably suited to younger children.
The straw is durable and bite-resistant and it lasted well compared to many of the other flimsy ones we have tried.
- Capacity: 550ml
- Dishwasher safe: No
Jacob, 10, loved the camo design of this bottle, which comes with a flip top and a chew-resistant straw.
It’s a generous capacity too, one of the larger ones we tried.
However, we did suffer some leaks whilst using this, which you don’t want in a school bag, so that's a pretty big letdown.
It's BPA free - not a bad backup, but this wouldn’t be my go-to.
- Capacity: 750ml
- Dishwasher safe: Yes, top shelf only
This is a magical drinks bottle for Harry Potter fans! It comes in a range of designs, but we loved this bold pink.
It has a flip-top spout, and silicone bands which make it easy to grip and these can be removed and swapped for a custom design.
The straw comes out for cleaning, which helped keep it fresh, and it's one of the biggest we could find with a generous 750ml capacity.
I had expected Smiggle to be more expensive but thought this was good quality and value for money. A good pick overall, although possibly a bit big for smaller kids.
8/10
Trixie Bottle - Mr Lion
- Capacity: 500ml
- Dishwasher safe: No
Even though this is made from stainless steel, this bottle is lightweight and easy to carry. It's durable, completely leakproof and easy to clean, too.
The handy cap was easy for children to open and it comes with a loop which was helpful for carrying or hanging on a backpack.
It's super cute and you can tell it will last a long time, but it's not the cheapest pick.
7/10
- Capacity: 650ml
- Dishwasher safe: No
This one has a cute design that the children loved, but it was a little flimsier than other bottles and I'm not sure it would last as long.
The flip top was on the whole pretty effective though we did suffer one or two minor leaks, which was rather annoying in my child's bag.
5/10
- Capacity: 360ml
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
A great option for preschool children, this bottle is ideal for little hands thanks to the easy grip textured base and the curve of the bottle.
It's a smaller size and the no spill spout was quite effective.
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Sometimes the children would forget to push it down properly and it would leak, though, so maybe not the best pick if your kids are forgetful.
6/10
How to bag a bargain
SUN Savers Editor Lana Clements explains how to find a cut-price item and bag a bargain…
Sign up to loyalty schemes of the brands that you regularly shop with.
Big names regularly offer discounts or special lower prices for members, among other perks.
Sales are when you can pick up a real steal.
Retailers usually have periodic promotions that tie into payday at the end of the month or Bank Holiday weekends, so keep a lookout and shop when these deals are on.
Sign up to mailing lists and you’ll also be first to know of special offers. It can be worth following retailers on social media too.
When buying online, always do a search for money off codes or vouchers that you can use and are just two sites that round up promotions by retailer.
Scanner apps are useful to have on your phone. app has a scanner that you can use to compare prices on branded items when out shopping.
Bargain hunters can also use B&M’s scanner in the app to find discounts in-store before staff have marked them out.
And always check if you can get cashback before paying which in effect means you’ll get some of your money back or a discount on the item.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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