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Keep your water secure and easy to access, no matter where your ride takes you.

While a water bottle cage might not be the most thrilling purchase for your cycling kit, hydration is no joke, and the right water bottle cage will keep your water secure and easy to access. These handy accessories need to hold up over hundreds of miles, across rugged terrain, and stay put even when subject to lots of bouncing. For cyclists carrying their water on their bike, a reliable water bottle cage (or two) is non-negotiable.

Where will this water bottle cage be on your bike? First, check out the attachment points, and consider whether or not you’ll have frame bags eliminating certain spots. Then figure out how you’ll be grabbing for the bottle on the move. Some water bottle cages have multiple access points (top and sides) and some are side-grab. Figure out what is the most comfortable and secure for yourself and the bottle placement, and let that inform your decision.

How much water do you need to carry on your bike frame? Many riders opt for multiple water bottle cages, depending on the placement of frame bags and overall bike geometry. Other options include oversize bottle cages that have more capacity just on their own. Most cycling water bottles are between 21-26 ounces, and regardless of brand, there is a fairly standard circumference that most cycling-specific water bottle cages will work with.

While the design stays mostly the same, the type of riding you do determines how much bounce the water bottle cage will have to endure. A water bottle cage for mountain biking should have more of a wrap-around grip than a cage primarily for commuting, where it’s less likely to get jostled. Multi-day bike tours also mean your bottle cage will take more abuse, and material durability, attachment point security, and shape will all come into play.

Water bottle cages are simple in purpose and (mostly) simple in design. We looked at the most basic needs for water bottle cages: how secure are they? How durable? How easy are they to access while riding? Then we narrowed down the choices and found the best-performing model for a variety of needs and types of riding. We’ve used many of the bottle cages on this list, and chatted with riders and shop owners who swear by the ones we haven’t used.

For more great additions to your ride, check out our picks for the best mudguards, bike bells, and bike frame bags.

This lightweight water bottle cage is strong and secure, equally at home on mountain bike rides and road rides. We love the moderate “squeeze” it gives to water bottles, which means you won’t lose a bottle, but you also won’t struggle to pull it out while riding.

Our only issue with this bottle are the mounts. Unlike metal mounts, these tend to stretch out over time due to the nylon material they're made of. Otherwise, this is a solid choice that will take you flying over the bumpiest trails without watching your water go bouncing down the ravine.

Get an artsy aesthetic without sacrificing performance with this water bottle cage from Portland Design Works. This cleverly designed water bottle cage comes in several bird-themed varieties, with the wings folding securely around your water bottle.

Made of a durable alloy aluminum, this model comes with its own installation hardware, and it's easy to pull the bottle out and replace while riding. Portland Design Works is a 1% For the Planet company, so you can feel good about the difference your purchase is making while adding style to your bike.

Looking for a basic-yet-functional water bottle cage? This affordable option will be equally at home on a commuter or road bike, with a simple design and durable build. Easy bolt-on mounting fits most standard bike tubes, and it comes in a few classic colors to add a pop of personality to your accessories. The wider top means bottles might bounce out on a rutted ride, so we recommend smoother rides when you use this water bottle cage.

This is a durable water bottle cage made of just one piece of aluminum, which means fewer opportunities for breakage or seam failure. This bottle cage has a powder-coated finish in a variety of fun colors, and a solid wrap-around grip that’s easy to access while riding.

This cage is easy to mount and adjust, and falls right in the middle of the weight spectrum. If you tend to ride with oversize bottles, this shouldn’t be your first choice, as it can be hard to fit wider bottles securely.

Looking for the easiest right-hand access? This sleek water bottle cage has a side-load design for fast, easy bottle access on smaller bike frames.

The durable, fiber-reinforced composite is super beefy—so much so that it lacks the flexion that makes accessing and replacing the bottles super simple. However, this bottle cage is almost certain to not lose a bottle, even though you might have to wiggle your water a bit to get it out.

Feel like splurging on the lightest, most durable water bottle cage that won’t let your water bottle go? This is the one for you.

Weighing in at just 28 grams, this feather-light option is a great choice for ultralight hill climbers and distance junkies. Arundel has encased a foam core with a carbon exterior for weight savings without losing durability, and despite its low weight, the Mandible keeps a solid grasp on water bottles without sacrificing access.

Good for everything from expansive cross-country rides to rocky, rooty downhill singletrack, this might be the last water bottle cage you ever buy.

Looking for one water bottle cage to hold more water than most other classically designed options out there? The Looney Bin might be your best bet. This water bottle cage has an adjustable ratchet knob to fit a wide (get it?) variety of bottles, and allows you to tighten down securely to ensure they stay in place.

This is a larger model, but the plastic materials keep the weight as low as possible. While the water bottle cage itself can stand up to seasons of rides, the hardware and adjustment components are also plastic, which might degrade and strip over time.

This lightweight, durable water bottle cage is on the pricier side, but you’re buying a solid piece of gear. Made with injection-molded carbon for strength and weight savings, this water bottle cage has a wide-mouth design for easy access, and you can slide the bottle in and out from multiple points, depending on mounting location.

This is a smaller water bottle cage, so it won’t work with the biggest bottles, but the small dimensions make it versatile for mounting anywhere on the bike frame.

This water bottle cage is a great deal, made of durable materials, and works for a variety of water bottle capacities, from 20 ounces all the way up to 32 ounces. We are comfortable using this on rides from in-town commutes to gravel grinds to singletrack, and the design is flexible and adjustable. Oval mounting points allow for different positions to accommodate other accessories, and it’s reasonably lightweight, considering how inexpensive it is.