Cute Drink Bottles for Kids and Grown-Ups: A This-or-That Guide (Australia)

Here's the short answer: a straw bottle for little kids, a strap bottle for anyone who loses things, a glass cup for the desk, and a mug for anything hot. The rest of this guide is the long answer, in four this-or-that rounds, so you can match the bottle to the drinker in about two minutes.

Every bottle here lives on our cute drink bottles shelf. They're food-shaped, because a bottle that looks like a donut gets carried home, and a plain one gets left at school.

The two-minute match

Round 1: straw or open cup?

Ask one question first: will they drink while walking, or while sitting? A straw with a flip lid suits walkers, little hands and the school bag. An open cup with a lid suits the desk, the car cup holder and anyone who likes ice cubes.

Donut Kids Straw Bottle 350 ml ($25.95 AUD)

A frosted donut with a flip-up straw and a strap to wear it across the body. It's flat enough to slide into a school bag, and there are five icings to pick from. Best for ages 3 and up. Keep the straw clipped shut in the bag.

Kawaii Glass Juice & Tea Cup (from $36.95 AUD)

A soda-lime glass cup with a lid, in 350 ml or 470 ml, with a white or black lid. Juice, iced tea, milk tea, the morning coffee. It's glass, so it's one for grown-ups and careful hands. No straw included.

Verdict: under 8 or always on the move, the donut. Desk drinker who hates takeaway cups, the glass cup.

Round 2: little hands or lunchroom?

Size matters less than you'd think. What matters is whether they can open it alone, and whether it comes home. A strap fixes the second one. A bottle with a face fixes it twice.

Watermelon Ice Lolly Straw Bottle 320 ml ($24.95 AUD)

An ice lolly, stick and all, with a built-in straw and a cross-body strap. Four flavours: watermelon, kiwi, dragon fruit and orange. Suitable for ages 3 and up. Unlike the real one, it won't melt at the beach.

Bread Loaf Funny Face Water Bottle 380 ml ($36.95 AUD)

A loaf of bread pulling a face, in green, yellow, purple or pink, with a clip-on strap. Teens, uni students and workmates who keep "borrowing" your bottle. It's the bread lover's pick too, if you read our bakery gift guide.

Verdict: preschool and primary, the ice lolly. Anyone with a lunchroom, the loaf.

Round 3: cold or hot?

This is the round people skip, and it's the one that matters. Lots of fun-shaped bottles are for cold drinks only, our gingerbread juice bottles included. Check the "Good to know" line on each product page. If the drink is hot, it needs a mug.

Gingerbread Hug Mug ($27.95 AUD)

A chubby gingerbread man with wavy icing, peppermint buttons and a check scarf. Classic biscuit brown or pink icing. He's here for the hot chocolate, and he's the only mug on this list, so he's very proud of himself.

Verdict: summer sipper, any bottle from rounds 1 and 2. Hot chocolate on a cool night (or Christmas morning with the air con on), the mug.

Round 4: stocking or keyring?

Small budget, big smile. Both of these are under $13 AUD and both live on our stocking fillers shelf.

Gingerbread Man Christmas Juice Bottles ($12.95 AUD)

A 500 ml gingerbread man in a tiny knitted hat and scarf. He arrives empty and see-through: the brown in the photo is chocolate milk. Cold drinks only, and keep him upright in your bag. Part of Snacks for Santa, and he'd fit right into our gingerbread gift guide.

Bubble Tea Cup Plush Keychain ($11.95 AUD)

For the bubble tea fan who already owns six bottles. A fluffy cup with a cloud top, a little straw and boba pearls, in matcha, strawberry, blueberry or brown sugar. Zero spills. Not for under 3s (small parts).

Verdict: Christmas stocking, the gingerbread man. School bag zip, the bubble tea.

Keep it clean (the boring bit that matters)

Straw bottles are the cutest and the fussiest. Mould likes the inside of a straw, especially in hot weather. Five habits keep it away:

1. Rinse the same day. Especially after milk or juice.
2. Take it apart. Lid, straw and bottle, every time you wash it.
3. Brush the straw. A straw brush or a pipe cleaner with a little dish soap, pushed through from both ends.
4. Warm, not hot. Warm soapy water. Cold-drink bottles get warm water only: no boiling water, no microwave.
5. Dry it open. Leave the lid off and let every part dry fully before you put it back together.

Add a name sticker under the strap for school. Lost property is full of plain bottles.

Our verdict

There's no single best bottle. There's the best bottle for one person, and that's the fun bit. Siblings fighting over colours? Get one of each. Every pick here is on the Pick Any 3 shelf, so three of them saves 15% until Fri 20 Nov, and that's a whole drink-bottle line-up for the kids sorted. See the full range on our drink bottles shelf, or more kid picks on gifts for kids.

For Christmas: order by Fri 20 Nov. Orders take 7-14 business days to arrive, counted from the day you order. Delivery is $7.95 AUD under $50 AUD and free from $50 AUD.

Poppy x
Store Manager, Scribble Snacks