8 Best Collapsible Water Bottles Designs For Your Custom Need

There are many design options for collapsible bottles whether you want enhanced durability or a bottle that is as compact as possible. This can make it harder to settle on a design, but we can help with that.

We have compiled a list of the 8 best collapsible water bottle designs, mentioning the pros and cons of each and how you can customize them to suit your corporate or branding needs better. 

Are Collapsible Water Bottles Worth It?

Collapsible water bottles may seem like a fad, but they have many qualities that guarantee we’ll be seeing them for a long time. Some of the factors that make collapsible bottles worth it are:

• Lightweight: Collapsible water bottles are typically made using thinner and lighter materials. This significantly reduces their weight.
• Space-Efficient: Rigid bottles require the same amount of full or empty space. However, collapsible water bottles with large capacities can fit in a pocket or fanny pack when empty.
• Long-term Cost-Savings: Collapsible bottles may seem weak but can be surprisingly durable. Some even come with lifetime warranties. This helps you avoid regularly buying bottled water.
• Environment-friendly: Speaking of bottled water, ditching single-use plastic bottles for a reusable collapsible bottle is almost always better for the environment.

Different designs of collapsible water bottles achieve the above benefits to different degrees. Some are incredibly lightweight but sacrifice durability to achieve this and others are space-efficient but have low capacities. 

Although they are not perfect, collapsible water bottles are definitely worth it, especially for those who are not keen on lagging a bulky water bottle everywhere they go.

Key Features to Look For in Collapsible Water Bottles

There are some features of collapsible water bottles that grab customers’ attention quickly. These include safety and durability, but design features that improve functionality are also major deciding factors. 

Material Safety and Sustainability

Material choice influences many aspects of collapsible water bottles’ appeal to customers. The material chosen will affect the weight, rigidity, and other features of the bottle.

However, the safety and sustainability of materials should always be considered first. Some materials contain harmful chemicals such as BPA which can have adverse effects on users’ health. Food-grade silicone is a much safer choice and it doesn’t have a strong plastic taste.

Food-grade silicone is so safe it is even used to make pacifiers. The material is also durable and some silicone collapsible water bottles are backed by lifetime warranties.

Functional Design Aspects

Some collapsible water bottle designs are easy to use in everyday situations, but other designs are extremely well-suited to niche applications. This is how some design features can open new markets. 

Some features that can make a collapsible water bottle more functional are:

• A wide mouth: A wider mouth makes it easier to clean the bottle or add ice cubes.
• Built-in Filter: With an attached filter, hikers and campers can safely drink water from different sources.
• Leak-proof design: A leak-proof cap makes it easier to pack a filled bottle in your bag.
• Ability to stand: Some users want a portable bottle that can be placed in a cup holder and thus must be able to stand on its own.
• Grip: Some collapsible bottles can be easily used with one hand and others can’t. This makes a difference in activities such as cycling.   

Portability and Ease of Storage

One of the main selling points of any collapsible water bottle is ease of storage. They need to be light and take up less space than regular bottles. Most collapsible water bottles achieve this but some are much better at it.

Some designs collapse completely and can be folded so they fit into a pocket. Others can only partially collapse so they take up a little extra space and are not as easy to store.

Neither design is bad, but some outdoor enthusiasts will want a bottle that is completely collapsible while others will want something cute and small that they can still show off when empty.

Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance

Consumers will expect to use their collapsible water bottles for months or even years. This means the bottles will need to go through many cleaning cycles. 

A bottle that can be cleaned in a dishwasher will be more convenient to own than one that requires users to manually clean it with a bottle brush and dish soap.

The 8 Best Collapsible Water Bottle Designs

Collapsible water bottles can be manufactured in different designs but some designs have proven to be more successful than others. Eight of these great designs are explained below.

1. Foldable Design

This is probably the most common type of collapsible bottle. Their main bodies are flat when empty making it easy to roll them or fold them up towards the cap. Many brands include a strap that secures the folded portion of the bottle, keeping it in a small and tidy package. 

These bottles are made using tough materials such as silicone and TPU. However, some materials may have a strong plastic taste or a plastic smell. You can opt for thinner walls to improve foldability or thicker walls for rigidity, toughness, and insulation.

Pros 

• Foldable bottles with thin walls are some of the most compact collapsible water bottles.
• Silicone foldable bottles are tough and can last for years.
• Some foldable bottles weigh very little and are perfect for when you want to pack light.
• Bottles with larger capacities are not bulky when empty.
• Foldable bottles are easy to clean and are often dishwasher-safe.

Cons

• Very light foldable bottles are not usually made with durable materials.
• Some bottles are floppy in the hands and unable to stand on their own.
• If the walls are very thick, the bottle will be harder to fold.

2. Accordion-style, Semi-Collapsible Design

Accordion-style collapsible bottle designs are also quite popular. The bodies of these bottles have ridges or other repeating patterns that allow them to be compressed like an accordion. The first of these designs is the semi-collapsible one.

Semi-collapsible, accordion-style bottles have alternating rigid and flexible sections from top to bottom. The flexible sections are in the form of ridges that allow the bottle to collapse along its length when empty. The folded bottle looks like a miniature version of the filled bottle. 

Pros 

• Bottles are rigid enough to stand even when empty
• The material used is very tough and durable
• These bottles can be used to hold hot beverages.
• The bottles have great visual appeal even when empty

Cons

• The ridges make these bottles harder to clean
• This design is not compact and can be quite heavy too
• Capacity is limited by the larger size of the collapsed bottle

3. Pouch Design

The pouch-style collapsible bottles offer many of the features of foldable bottles but with significant compromises. These bottles have a similar design to baby food pouches and are not durable.

These ultra-portable bottles are designed to be as thin and light as possible but hold lots of water so users can hydrate properly. A bottle weighing around 37 grams can hold 2 liters of water. The empty bottle flattens completely except for the cap and can be crumpled and squeezed into a bag or pocket. 

Pros

• This design is suitable for large capacities
• Yields the lightest collapsible bottles
• These bottles are typically the cheapest

Cons

• The bottle construction is the poorest resulting in much shorter lifespans
• Not the most interesting-looking bottles.

4. Accordion Style – Fully Collapsible Design

These bottle designs also collapse into themselves like an accordion but they fold almost 100% of the way when empty resulting in a more compact package. Two designs use this approach with similar results.

Both designs have alternating rigid and flexible sections but the sections have different sizes. In the first design, the middle section is the widest and the sections get narrower both towards the top and bottom. This allows the rigid sections to collapse around each other instead of on top of each other.

The other design has the widest sections at the top and bottom, with the narrowest section in the middle. The result is a different shape but the rigid sections also collapse around each other, allowing the empty bottle to be very compact.

Pros

• The bottles are rigid and can stand on their own
• Can be used to hold hot liquids
• Both designs make the bottle easier to hold
• Is more compact than the semi-collapsible accordion-style bottles

Cons

• Don’t have the same carrying capacity of pouches or foldable bottles

5. Axial Folding Design

These foldable bottles fold along their axes like accordion-style bottles. They don’t have alternating rigid and flexible sections and instead, fold along indented lines made in the thick silicone material.

These bottles fold flatter than any accordion-style bottle and they can stand on their own. However, they are not very sturdy due to the lack of rigid sections. They often come with a strap to hold the collapsed bottle in a small and neat package.

Pros

• This design is as compact as the foldable design when empty
• The bottles can stand on their own when filled.
• The collapsed bottle looks neater than the folded bottles.

Cons

• These bottles are not as sturdy as accordion-style bottles.

6. Crumple and Lock Design

In this design, the main body is made of a material that can easily crumple up but the top and bottom are rigid and form a lockable case for the main body. This results in a sturdy bottle when full and a small sealed package when the bottle is empty.

Pros

• When empty, the softer body of the bottle is protected inside its case.
• The bottle collapses into a very compact size.

Cons

• The thickness of the walls must be limited for the design to work and may result in a less durable body.
• These bottles will be a little floppy around the middle, making them harder to hold.

7. Folding Mid-Section Design

These bottles also collapse along their axis, allowing for a more aesthetically pleasing collapsed bottle. These designs only collapse in the middle and have rigid bases and tops. Therefore, the collapsed bottles stand taller than other options such as the axial folding and regular folding collapsible bottles. 

Pros

• The bottle is sturdy even when empty
• Can be used to hold hot liquids
• These designs are among the most stylish

Cons

• The taller design limits the bottles’ capacity
• One of the least compact designs

8. Collapsible Tumbler Design

These tumblers typically have wide tops that taper towards narrow bottoms. This design allows the bottom to collapse into the top. Silicone is the material of choice for these designs and some are insulated to keep your drinks hotter or colder for longer.

Pros

• Collapsible tumblers are usually sturdy enough to stand on their own
• Insulated designs are great for hot or cold drinks

Cons

• The design may not be the easiest to hold
• These designs don’t collapse flat due to rigid sections

Customization Options for Collapsible Water Bottles

Collapsible water bottles are functional but the ability to customize them greatly broadens their appeal. Having different color options is a major plus and adding a logo or other information is great for brand recognition.

Manufacturers like Hongju Silicone offer such customizations for their collapsible silicone bottles. Bottle designs can also include unique shapes for branding purposes or to help sell your corporate message. 

Conclusion

Innovative designs have really pushed the adoption of collapsible water bottles. Beyond their basic functions, there are important considerations to remember when manufacturing these bottles such as the use of safe materials like food-grade silicone.

The designs discussed above cover most of the collapsible water bottle market today. To get that winning product you’ll need a great design and a manufacturer who knows how to customize it into a one-of-a-kind product.

Why Choose Hongju Silicone For Your Custom Collapsible Water Bottle Project?

Hongju Silicone can help to turn your collapsible water bottle idea into a market marvel. We work with food-grade silicone to make our bottles and we have produced similar products for many years. Our quick turnaround times will have people sipping from your company’s collapsible bottles before you know it. Contact our experts today to find out how we turn great designs into winning products.