If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Find Your Forever Water Bottle
Owala FreeSip Water Bottle
For Hot Drinks
Miir Flip Traveler (16 Ounce)
A Sipping Assistant
Silicone Drinking Straws
An Alternative to Paper Towels
Unpaper Towels
Plastic is piling up in landfills and oceans; it’s even floating around in the air. It’s sad and frustrating, and unfortunately, the problem can’t be solved by consumers simply cutting down on single-use plastics—corporations need to do their part. But reducing the amount of garbage we produce can give us a sense of agency, not to mention that you can save quite a bit of money by buying a product only once.
The best reusable products are ones you’re going to want to use again and again. So if you prefer the water bottles from Starbucks (guilty) or fancy handkerchiefs from a local boutique, that’s what you should get. And if you have a pile of disposable products you want to replace, use them up first. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a bunch of our favorite products. Don’t see anything you need here? Check out some of our other roundups, like the Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products or Our Favorite Products Made of Recycled and Upcycled Materials.
Updated April 2023: We’ve added new products, including the Owala Free Sip water bottle, Rezip reusable baggies, and a few recommendations for more sustainable dental hygiene products.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
-
Photograph: Owala
Find Your Forever Water Bottle
Owala FreeSip Water Bottle
If you’re still buying cases of water, it’s time to stop. Getting a water bottle you love will save you money and a whole lot of plastic waste. I use straw bottles, which help me drink more water. You should be able to find filtered water to refill at most offices or colleges.
Owala’s 40-ounce Free Sip is my desert island water bottle. Its genius spout has two openings, one for sipping and one for chugging. It has a nice lock mechanism, too, so no water will spill in your bag.
★ More Water Bottles We Love: Other factors might affect whether you like a bottle, like washability or whether it has a straw. Check out our guide to the Best Reusable Bottles for other recommendations. WIRED product reviewer Matt Jancer likes the Miir Narrow Mouth Bottle ($35). It has a rolled lip for comfortable drinking, and it’s nearly bombproof. Miir also offers a few straw lids.
-
Photograph: Miir
For Hot Drinks
Miir Flip Traveler (16 Ounce)
Whether you make your own coffee and tea and want to bring it out of the house or you’re stopping at a café on your way to work, an insulated mug will not only save the waste of a paper cup but should keep your drink hot longer. Miir makes our favorite here as well, with its Travel Tumbler taking the top spot in our guide. Its flip-top lid is leakproof—seriously, we couldn’t get it to spill.
★ Alternative: The Zojirushi 16-Ounce Mug ($29) is a favorite because it keeps hot contents super hot. Some of our reviewers say it works too well, so you might want to leave the lid open for a little bit before sealing and sipping.
-
Photograph: Amazon
A Sipping Assistant
Silicone Drinking Straws
I much prefer drinking out of straws. I drink way more water during the day when I don’t have to raise a glass to my face. While I’ve also tried metal straws, I prefer soft silicone. I use this pack of 12 straws that includes two cleaning brushes. They’ve lasted me a few years of daily use, trips through the dishwasher, and occasionally, ahem, chewing.
★ Alternative: If you’d rather have a metal straw you can easily bring with you anywhere, WIRED writer Louryn Strampe recommends the Final Straw ($24). It’s collapsible and comes with a case, so you can turn down the plastic or paper straws restaurants offer and use this instead.
-
Photograph: JESS DADDIO/Marley’s Monsters
An Alternative to Paper Towels
Unpaper Towels
Paper towels have their place, but it’s easy to use a lot while cleaning up a mess. WIRED writer Louryn Strampe recommends Marley’s Monsters Unpaper Towels in her guide to eco-friendly cleaning products. They’re super absorbent and durable, and they cling together, so you can roll them up like the towels you’re used to. The price seems scary, but again, how many packs of disposable paper towels do you buy a year? Instead of filling your house with paper products in bulk, you can throw these in the wash.
★ Alternative: If you don’t mind a rougher texture and a little more bulk, reviews editor Adrienne So uses bar mops ($18) as a paper towel substitute. They’re absorbent, affordable, and come in a variety of colors to hide stains.