RTIC Water Bottle Review: It Goes EVERYWHERE With Me

Move over, Stanley water bottle—the chic RTIC water bottle is here and a more cost-effective competitor we can't get enough of. It's quickly become our Executive Editor's favorite hydration accessory that travels just about everywhere she does. It's gone from typical days by her desk to the playground and even a long week at an all-inclusive family resort.

What makes the RTIC water bottle so special?

The reusable RTIC water bottle is actually a clever tumbler with a straw that offers a brilliant 3-in-1 lid design. Use it with a straw, remove the straw for an open-mouth option or snap the lid shut with the leak-resistant closure. It features a ceramic lining that's absolutely perfect for anyone who hates the strangely metallic taste other bottles tend to give off.

Oh, and the dual-side handle is great for both left and right-handers.

My RTIC water bottle review

Before getting a gorgeous green-hued RTIC water bottle, I switched off between a giant Stanley Tumbler and a more colorful Starbucks straw tumbler. Liked both, but the Starbucks version kept chipping and getting worn down (after just a few weeks of regular use), and the Stanley option just sort of irked me because it was so expensive and the water always tasted a bit like its stainless steel interior.

The steel-free taste is actually what impressed me most about the RTIC Road Trip Tumbler. It's fully lined in white ceramic that promises zero aftertaste (and delivers!) as well as a full 24 hours of ice-cold drink maintenance. And yes, I tried it out by mistake when I left a nearly full tumbler full of iced tea in a car cupholder overnight in the height of August heat.

It was still icy cold the next morning.

I also love the comfortable lid, ease of using in either the left or right hand (which means I can share the cup with my left-handed husband) and 3-in-1 lid design. Each RTIC water bottle tumbler also comes with two straws—not one—so you don't have to live in perpetual fear of straw loss. Genius. And comforting. Love them for that.

Right now, the bottle is available in five modern, muted hues that are all sorts of stylish. The option to personalize with a name, initials or logo also exists, and that's pretty jazzy.

Pros

• Excellent for both left and right-handed people
• Available in several sizes
• No metallic taste thanks to a smooth ceramic interior
• Keeps drinks insulated for hours
• Can be used with or without the included straw
• Available in five gorgeous colors
• Priced below major competitors
• Dishwasher safe
• 24-hours of ice retention (seriously, we tried)
• Can be personalized

Cons

• Cleaning the straw is cumbersome (which is true of all straw tumblers), so make sure you invest in a small straw-cleaning device like this one

Where to buy the RTIC water bottle

The RTIC Road Trip Tumbler water bottle costs $35 for the 30-ounce size and $45 for the much larger 40-ounce size. It's no secret that it's far more affordable than competing tumblers and boasts better-tasting water, making it a value-driven must-have Stanley cup dupe—only nicer.