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If your pup is your plus one to all your favorite activities, you’ve probably realized how inconvenient human water bottles are for dogs. All scenarios lead to major water loss or dog slobber in your drinking vessel. We reached the conclusion that our pups needed their own dog-specific water carriers—which is why dog water bottles and travel bowls are so handy.
Dog-specific bottles and portable bowls are great for hikes, beach trips, and other outdoor activities with your dog. They’re an especially good idea for the summer months, when heat stroke and dehydration become very real risks. But anyone who likes to hike with their dog knows how important it is to make sure you’re both well-hydrated in any season—and we think you’ll find yourself bringing your dog’s water with you everywhere they go.
How To Choose Dog Water Bottles and Travel Bowls
There are a lot of dog water devices on the market, and different designs can be a little better suited to different activities. When choosing the best dog water bottle and travel bowl for you and your canine, you’ll want to consider size, portability, usability, and whether it’s leak-proof.
Size: Not all dog water bottles and travel bowls are made equally. You’ll want to make sure the one you choose can hold enough water for your dog while you’re out and about on an adventure. For example, if you’re going out for an all-day hike, bringing an eight-ounce dog water bottle won’t suffice, especially for larger dogs. On the flip side, if you’re going on a brief one-mile walk, you probably don’t want to lug around a huge water container.
Portability: Some dog water bottles come with wristbands or clips you can attach to a bag—big pluses for hands-free transport. If you’re using a travel bowl, look for collapsible ones for easy storage in your backpack or car.
Usability: Some of the best dog water bottles include a water canister with a small connected bowl that you’ll hold for your pup—picture a thermos with a flip-top. If you’re storing food in a travel bowl, you’ll want to look for ones with secure lids to keep food fresh.
Leak-Proof: No one wants to get to the dog park and realize the dog water bottle leaked all over. Look out for dog water bottles with leak-proof technology to prevent any spills.
Best Dog Water Bottles and Travel Bowls
With these dog water bottles and travel bowls, your dog will stay hydrated wherever you go, from the park to the car and beyond.
Best for Day Trips: MalsiPree Dog Water Bottle (Verified Review)
This dog water bottle from MalsiPree is a fan favorite with over 23,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, and we can see why. It’s incredibly convenient when you’re on the go, since it lets you press the button to dispense water, then press it again to return unused water to the bottle. It comes in 12-ounce and 19-ounce capacities and is praised for its slim, bag-friendly profile. One watchout? Its food-grade plastic base isn’t dishwasher safe.
We’d say this is a strong contender for your dog’s everyday bottle and a good choice for a day on the town or a trip to the beach—but serious hikers and campers may want to look for something a little more hardwearing, and our testing found it a little finicky for large dogs and big drinkers.
- Leak-proof seal prevents spills
- No need to dump unused water
- Available in two sizes and two cheerful colors
Best Heavy-Duty Bottle: PetFusion Portable Dog Water Bottle
This hardy stainless steel bottle from PetFusion has a 22-ounce capacity and prides itself on keeping water cool for up to eight hours. It’s more manual than some of the fancier options, since you’ll have to pour the water and hold it for your pup, but it’s also a lot hardier. We think its compact design makes it ideal for adventuring, though it will add half a pound to your pack.
- Bottle and textured drinking sleeve are both dishwasher safe
- Attached carabiner makes it easy to clip to a pack
- Comes in natural stainless steel and mint (though note the mint bottle requires handwashing)
Best Budget Pick: GULPY Water Dispenser for Dogs (Verified Review)
The Gulpy is a classic—and it’s affordable to boot. This plastic water bottle with attached bowl is great for everyday outings with your dog, and it weights just 0.15 pounds. It dispenses water based on how hard you squeeze the bottle, making it easy to control the output (though note that it can’t, like some bottles, suck the excess back up). The Gulpy isn’t as tough as a stainless steel option, so it’s probably a better choice for the car and the beach than the trail. Our testers like that it’s easy to use one-handed (especially when you’re wrangling multiple dogs).
- Clips to your waistband or fits in a side compartment of a backpack for easy access
- 20-ounce carrying capacity
- Fits in most car cupholders
Best Shared Water Bottle: OllyDog Sharable Water Bottle (Verified Review)
The OllyDog bottle is one of the few options we’ve found that lets you share a single water supply with your pup. You drink from the bottle, and they drink from the snap-on bowl. There’s no contact between the mouth of the bottle and the bowl, which makes the OllyDog a nice compact option and a good space-saver. It was our test pups’ favorite out of all the dog water bottles they tried.
- Made from BPA-free plastic
- Dishwasher safe
- Available in five colors and two sizes: one liter and 600 milliliter
Best for Camping: Highwave AudoDogMug
Touted as a “one-handed hydration system,” this 20-ounce dog water bottle and bowl combo fits in any standard car cupholder. It’s a more durable, dishwasher-safe take on Malsipree bottle: just squeeze the base to deliver water to the attached bowl, then release to allow the excess water to run back into the bottle. Its only downside is that it’s a little less bag friendly—leaks can happen, and if your dog isn’t a tidy drinker, you may get a bit wet. But its larger volume and sturdier frame make it an excellent outdoor option for camping or hitting the beach.
- Food safe, BPA free
- Adjustable hook-and-loop strap attaches the bottle to your waistband or backpack
- Dishwasher safe
Best Portable Bowls: PetBonus Collapsible Travel Bowls
Available in a range of sizes, these super affordable collapsible bowls save a ton of space. Each has a 12-ounce capacity, which means they can hold about a cup and a half of food or water, and they collapse down to a disc that’s just half an inch thick and five inches wide. Best of all, they’re dishwasher safe.
- Portable and convenient—just pop open and fold away
- Made from food-grade silicone
- Top-rack dishwasher safe
Best Food and Water Set: Awakelion Travel Bowls & Food Bag
This complete dog travel bowl kit is ideal for road trips, camping, and extended travel. It includes a food bag and two grease-proof, waterproof bowls.
- Lightweight and durable, constructed from heavy duty canvas with a waterproof lining
- Made with food-safe materials
- Large-capacity food bag has a roll-top enclosure with a buckle that doubles as a carrying handle
We hope you and your pup find the right dog water bottle and enjoy your next adventures fully hydrated!
Further Reading
- Sleek, Smart, Budget: A Review of the Malsipree, OllyDog, and Gulpy Dog Water Bottles
- Our Ultimate Dog Hiking Gear Guide
- The 9 Best Dog Life Jackets for Safe Swimming
- The 7 Best Dog Sleeping Bags
- The 12 Best Dog Tents for Camping With Your Dog
- Do You Need a Dog Water Bottle? The Hidden Value of Portable Hydration
