By Mike Szostech Last updated
Whether you’re headed to the mountains, hanging out at the beach, or lounging in your backyard, drinking water is important. And, yes, we’re lazy like you – if the water isn’t within reach, we don’t usually drink it.
Having an insulated water jug is a great ways to make sure you always have enough refreshing water on hand this summer, whether you’re out on our own, with a gaggle of kids, a baseball team, or a bunch of friends!
Do you need an insulated water jug for cold and hot?
All of the large capacity insulated water jugs are made out of plastic. It’s food safe plastic, but they still don’t recommend storing hot liquids in it as the plastic can still leach chemicals when in contact with hot liquids.
If you’re interested in an insulated water jug that you can use for hot and cold drinks, then you’ll want to get one made out of stainless steel – and you’ll be limited to a maximum size of a 1 gallon water jug.
How big of an insulated water jug do you need?
For our family of 6, if we each have a 20 ounce water bottle, we need a 1 gallon water jug (128 ounces) to refill each of our water bottles once. On a hot summer day’s hike, we would want more water than that. A 2 gallon jug would be better. However, if we were to go camping for a few days, that number goes up – the 5-gallon size would work for us.
You’ll have to determine how many people will typically be served from the insulated water jug, and how many hours/days those people will be needing drinks. According to the Mayo Clinic, an adult needs between 2.5 liters and 3.5 liters of water per day to stay properly hydrated.
For a large sports team of thirsty kids (or adults), you might want to consider a 10-gallon insulated water jug – just make sure you have a way to fill and transport such a big jug!
Do you need an insulated water jug with a rubber seal?
If you’re filling with liquid in the school cafeteria or the church kitchen, then you won’t need a leak-proof rubber seal on your lid. But, if you’re loading up your insulated water jug with cold liquid at home, and then putting it in the trunk and driving somewhere for the day, you probably don’t want the lid popping off (some of them are just press fit), or your drinks sloshing out the top.
The large Igloo drink coolers and Coleman drink coolers don’t have rubber seals on their lids, but they are less expensive to make and that means less expensive to buy as well. The screw on lids will be more spill, leak, drop proof than the press fit, but they still lack the water-tightness of a rubber gasket on the lids.
Top Choice - Stanley Rugged Best 2 Gallon Water Jug
More portable than the 5-gallon options, this is the best 2 gallon insulated water jug from Stanley that works well to keep a whole family hydrated.
Stanley has created a rugged 2 gallon insulated water jug. It has 3-inches of thick insulation, and a leak-proof gasketed lid with clamp locks to keep your drink from spilling during transport. You can tell the water jug is airtight, because if you don't open the air valve at the top, you'll only get a dribble of water out of the spigot.
The spigot is completely recessed, meaning that none of it sticks out past the edge of the jug - so it's virtually impossible to bump or damage the spigot.We've had the jug sliding around in the back of the van with camping and picnic gear without any problems.
It has a large 'button' to open the spigot that makes it easy to do with only one hand, while holding your cup in the other. There is a slight delay, where after you release the spigot, there is a dribble that continues for a second or so as the large spout drains.
This water jug is so well insulated that even adding cooled fridge water without ice, it stayed cold for hours during a summer afternoon picnic.
With only a few downsides, this is our top recommendation for a medium sized insulated water jug. The 4 latches are strong and easy to use, but since there are 4 of them, opening and closing them takes a little bit of time. ideally this jug would be square, because it's hard to pack camping chairs and coolers around it so it feels like you're wasting some space in the trunk. (Yeti's option is square, but it also costs almost 10 times as much!)
Get the best price Stanley Rugged Insulated Water Jug in Canada from:
Upgrade pick - Yeti Silo 6 Gallon
If you're a YETI fan, or someone who won't settle for anything less than the best, this Silo insulated water jug might be for you.
Sure it's almost $400, but it's the biggest, most rugged option for an insulated water jug we could find. The rubber sealed lid and the heavy duty latches means that your drink won't spill even if this falls out of the back of your truck!
The YETI Silo is a hardworking hydration station that keeps water cold for hours and is tough enough to take a tumble.
It's rotomolded construction is as tough as Yeti's other coolers, and it's Permafrost insulation ensure all six gallons of water stay icy cold.
It comes with a steel handle to help protect the spigot and stabilize your cup while filling it up.
Get the best price YETI Silo 6 Gallon Water Cooler in Canada from:
Highest Capacity - Igloo 10 Gallon Beverage Cooler
Looking for a big insulated water jug? This is the biggest - it holds 10 gallons!
This is the large insulated water jug you grew up with - it was on the side of the field during sports days at school and church picnics. The large capacity, 10 gallon jug can maintain ice for 3 days at 90 degrees F.
This isn't a great option for a water jug for travel, as it just has a pressure fit lid that will pop off if the jug it tipped over. It's a large capacity jug for keeping a whole bus-load of people hydrated!
Get the best price Igloo 10 Gallon Beverage Cooler in Canada from:
SuperHandy 5 gallon Insulated Water Jug
We like everything about this, except the price! At the time of writing this article, this water cooler jug came in at almost $200 - if it goes on sale, snap it up!
Although we're slightly confused by the Amazon commercial logo, we really like the rugged design of this 5 gallon insulated water jug. Plus, the listing claims that if you pre-cool the jug, it will retain ice for 5 days or longer!
Using 3" thick insulated walls, a UV protective shell, and a 'grip seat' surface, this insulated water jug is ready for anything you throw at it. It comes with a commercial D-seal gasket and a zero-drip faucet. Keep in mind that the ruggedness is heavy - this thing weighs 14 lbs empty!
Get the best price 5 gallon Sport Beverage Cooler in Canada from:
Best Insulated Water Jug with Wheels - Igloo
At around $90, and from a reputable brand, this is the best insulated water jug with wheels.
We noticed it doesn't come with an 'ice day' rating like the more expensive cooler options, so we wouldn't expect this to keep beverages icy cold for days on end.
If you need to get lots of drinks to somewhere farther than a few steps from your car, consider this Igloo insulated water jug. With an extending handle and large wheels, it's easy to drag across a parking lot or down a trail to the baseball diamond.
It holds 5 gallons inside it's locking, leak resistant lid and has a leak resistant spigot that is removable and dishwasher safe. An elevated design keeps the spigot up away from dirt and grass and allows you to fill a cup without needing to lift the jug up onto something.
Get the best price Igloo 5-gallon Roller Beverage Cooler in Canada from:
Stackable Jug - Coleman 2 Gallon Party Stacker
At time of publish, this was just over $50. Now it's over $100, so it isn't as good of an option at that price.
This insulated gallon water bottle is still made out of high quality stainless steel, and has great reviews.
If you're hosting a party, or if you want the flexibility in the size of your insulated water jug, then a 2 gallon Party Stacker from Coleman might be the answer.
It has a spigot that's removable and easy to clean, and it has a sturdy bail handle for hauling it from the kitchen to the party on the patio, or down the trail to the lakeside.
It's relatively cheap, at under $40, so if you need more capacity, you can just buy 2 of them - and they stack so nicely. Plus, with 2 separate beverage containers, it allows you to serve 2 different drinks; one from each of the insulated water jugs.
One thing we don't like so much about the Party Stacker is that the spigot is sticking out and unprotected. If you aren't careful when transporting, or loading into your trunk, you could crack the spigot if you happen to knock it against something to hard.
Get the best price Coleman 2 gallon Party Stacker in Canada from:
Best For Hot & Cold - BUZIO Gallon Insulated Water Jug
At time of publish, this was just over $50. Now it's over $100, so it isn't as good of an option at that price.
This insulated gallon water bottle is still made out of high quality stainless steel, and has great reviews.
BUZIO TempArmour water bottle features double wall 18/8 food-grade stainless steel that keeps the liquids icy for up to 48 hours or piping hot for up to 24 hours.
The leak-proof screw cap is accessible with one hand, and an upgraded 1 inch wide handle enhances the comfort and portability of taking the jug with you. Plus, it comes with a carrying pouch and strap so you can sling it over your shoulder and hit the trails.
Ice filling and bottle grabbing are made easy with the wide-mouth 4.33 inch lid and Buzio powder-coat sweat-free technolog that means the outside stays dry.
Get the best price BUZIO Gallon Insulated Water Jug in Canada from:
RTIC Insulated Gallon Jug
The RTIC is the best rated insulated gallon jug available for under $90.
The RTIC gallon water bottle has an extra wide opening for easy filling and cleaning, and it comes with a built in handle making it easy to carry. Constructed from 18/8 stainless steel, this insulated water jug is non-toxic, non-leaching, and BPA free.
Since it's plastic free, it's safe to use for hot and cold liquids. RTIC says it can keep drinks piping hot for 6 hours, and it keeps ice for up to 24 hours. To top it off, RTIC says if you have an issue with your jug, let them know and they'll make it right.
Get the best price RTIC Gallon Jug in Canada from:
Great Choice if Available - Yeti Rambler Gallon Jug
This would be a great option for an insulated gallon water bottle - if you can find it in stock.
With all the features you'd expect from Yeti, this Rambler insulated gallon water bottle is made from 18/8 stainless steel, has double wall vacuum insulation, and a No Sweat Design.
The Gallon Jug also has a full inch of Lid Insulation which ensures your drinks stay frosty or piping hot longer, and it's dishwasher safe.
Get the best price Yeti Rambler Insulated Gallon Water Jug in Canada from:
Smaller Size - Reduce Insulated Growler 1/2 Gallon
Smaller capacity, but if that's all you need, then this insulated water jug from Reduce is a great option.
Technically a growler, that means this water jug can keep carbonated beverages or water cool all day long.
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