Baby & Family · Head-to-head
Thermos FUNtainer 12 oz Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw Lid vs CamelBak Thrive Flip Straw Kids 14 oz Bottle with Tritan Renew
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Kids Water Bottles: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Thermos takes it on cold retention and on the depth of its replacement parts range, which together decide whether a kids' bottle survives more than one school year. The CamelBak is the better answer for smaller children and for households that want the dishwasher to be the whole cleaning routine.
Thermos FUNtainer 12 oz Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw Lid
Buy itThe default school bottle, and the one whose lid, straw top and straw stem you can all buy separately.
- Push-button cover keeps the silicone straw sealed away from desk trays and lunchbox crumbs
- Thermos sells the straw lid, the alternative spout lid and the straw stems as individual replacement parts
- Rated to keep drinks cold for 12 hours, so water is still appealing at afternoon pickup
- Double-wall stainless body survives the drops that crack plastic bottles
- The straw channel needs a narrow brush regularly, whatever the top-rack dishwasher rating says
- Insulated steel plus 12 oz of water is close to 630 g, which a small child feels all day
- The range leans heavily on licensed characters that date fast
CamelBak Thrive Flip Straw Kids 14 oz Bottle with Tritan Renew
Buy itThe lightest bottle here by a wide margin, and the only one whose dishwasher claim covers the cap without an asterisk.
- About 145 g empty, so it is under 570 g full while holding more water than the insulated picks
- CamelBak states the whole bottle including the cap is dishwasher safe, with no hand-wash exception
- Leak-proof when closed and spill-proof when open, which suits a bottle lying sideways in a bag
- The kids' flip-straw cap is sold on its own, so a chewed spout is a part order
- Single-wall Tritan, so cold water is room temperature by lunch
- Clear and translucent finishes show every scuff and drink stain
- The soft spout invites chewing from children who chew
Side by side
| Thermos FUNtainer 12 oz Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw Lid | CamelBak Thrive Flip Straw Kids 14 oz Bottle with Tritan Renew | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Families who want cold water at 3pm and a bottle they can keep alive with cheap replacement lids. | Younger or smaller children, walkers, and parents who want one dishwasher cycle to be the entire cleaning routine. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Thermos FUNtainer 12 oz Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw Lid - The default school bottle, and the one whose lid, straw top and straw stem you can all buy separately. Choose the CamelBak Thrive Flip Straw Kids 14 oz Bottle with Tritan Renew instead if younger or smaller children, walkers, and parents who want one dishwasher cycle to be the entire cleaning routine.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Kids Water Bottles: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).