The 10 Best Bike Water Bottle Holders for Any Ride, According to Cycling Experts

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collage of the best bike water bottle holders of 2024 on a teal background
Planet Bike Aluminum Water Bottle Cage on a teal background
Topeak Modula Cage II on a teal background
Elite Custom Race Cage on a teal background
Topeak Modula Java Cage on a teal background
Portland Design Works Very Good Dog Cage on a teal background
Fidlock TWIST 590 Bottle and Bike Base on a teal background
Specialized S-Works Carbon Rib Cage III on a teal background
Profile Design Aero HC System on a teal background
SKS-Germany Anywhere Bicycle Mount and Cage Adapter on a teal background
XLAB Delta 400 Seat-Post Mounted Water Bottle Holder  on a teal background
The best bike water bottle holders come in a variety of mount types and sizes.
Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative

Bike water bottle holders, also known as cages, are an essential bike accessory for keeping your H2O close at hand. And they appear pretty straightforward: Attach the holder to your bike's built-in cage mount, slip in your bike water bottle, then you're good to go, right?

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In reality, there are a lot of features to consider when selecting a bottle cage. The best bike water bottle holder for you depends on what kind of cycling you do, what type of bottle you use, how you want your bike to look, where you want your bottle to be positioned and more.

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We spoke with competitive cyclists, coaches and industry experts to find the 10 best bike water bottle cages of 2024.

The Best Bike Water Bottle Holders

How We Chose

We chatted with cyclists and biking experts to better understand what makes a good bike water bottle holder how to find the one that's best for you and your bike. We chose our top picks based on their recommendation and criteria. You can learn more about how we cover products here.

  • Quality
  • Price
  • Type of mount
  • Materials

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1. Best Basic: Planet Bike Aluminum Water Bottle Cage

Ellen Spann, a cycling industry professional at Kozy's Cyclery in Chicago, says the best bike water bottle holder for most casual riders is a simple one — just like this aluminum holder from Planet Bike.

"Most bikes are standardized to fit cages like this one, so you really can't go wrong with a low-cost metal cage," she says.

This pick is reliable and easy to mount on most bike frames.

  • Mount: ‌frame
  • Material: ‌aluminum
  • Colors: ‌4

2. Best Adjustable Size: Topeak Modula Cage II

If your water bottle isn't specifically designed for cycling, you might have trouble fitting it in a standard water bike bottle holder. The Topeak Modula solves this problem by letting you adjust its size.

It fits a wide variety of bottle sizes, and Spann says this is the best bike water bottle holder for cyclists who use large reusable water bottles.

  • Mount: ‌frame
  • Material: ‌aluminum and engineering-grade polymer
  • Colors:‌ 1

3. Best for Competition: Elite Custom Race Cage

Elite's Custom Race Cage is a lightweight bottle holder for competitive cyclists. It's designed for easy bottle retrieval, so you don't need to slow down to stay hydrated during exercise. It also adjusts to hold different sized beverages.

It's eye-catching design is also not to be missed. "This is the perfect cage if you want a sportier look for your bike," Spann says.

  • Mount: ‌frame
  • Material: ‌fibre-reinforced plastic
  • Colors: ‌15

4. Best for Hot Drinks: Topeak Modula Java Cage

Topeak's Modula Java is designed to securely store warm beverages. Spann says this makes it the best bike water bottle cage for commuters who like to bring coffee with them on their ride to work.

Unlike most holders, this one uses a top strap to help you lock in your bottle or container so it doesn't bounce around while you ride. The pick is adjustable, and you can use its top strap to secure a Bluetooth speaker — in case you want to also bring some tunes along for your ride.

  • Mount:‌ frame
  • Material: ‌engineering-grade polymer and rubber
  • Colors: ‌1

5. Best for Animal Lovers: Portland Design Works Very Good Dog Cage

Portland Design Works makes animal-inspired bicycle gear, and we can't get enough of it! You can buy PDW bike water bottle holders that look like dogs, cats, birds and even otters. The brand also sells matching animal print bike water bottles if you want to complete the look.

They're the best bike water bottle cages for cyclists who want to stand out on the road or trail. It’s the perfect buy if you like to rock a loud, unique or quirky style.

  • Mount:‌ frame
  • Material: ‌aluminum
  • Colors: ‌2 (and 4 animal shapes)

6. Best for Security: Fidlock TWIST 590 Bottle + Bike Base

Not all holders keep your bottles securely locked in place when riding on bumpy roads and trails. Jen Kates, CPT, a health and performance coach for mountain bikers and other cyclists and owner of Shift Human Performance, says urban commuters, gravel bikers and mountain bikers need to make sure their water bottle isn't going to fly off their bikes.

Kates recommends the Fidlock system as one of the best water bottle cage for mountain bikes, because it uses a magnetic snap case to lock your water bottle into place and prevent it from getting knocked off your bike.

To use this system, you’ll need to purchase both the TWIST bottle and the magnetic base which attaches to your bike frame. Don't worry: You can get them together for a perfect fit.

  • Mount: ‌frame
  • Material: ‌polyamide compound
  • Colors: ‌3

7. Best Lightweight: Specialized S-Works Carbon Rib Cage III

Most cyclists don't need to worry about the weight of gear on their bikes. However, top-level competitors may want a holder that's as light as possible.

"Saving ounces where you can —- while also keeping with aerodynamic placements —- is definitely an advantage at the elite level," says Michelle Stratton, CSCS, owner and head coach for Strive Human Performance.

That's exactly why the S-Works Carbon Rib Cage III earns a spot as one of best water bottle cage for road bikes. Made from carbon fiber, it's nice and light. Plus, this product keeps your bottle low on the frame, so you can keep an aerodynamic position during races, Stratton says.

  • Mount: ‌frame
  • Material: ‌carbon fiber
  • Colors:‌ 2

8. Best Aero Mount: Profile Design Aero HC System

Most bike water bottles cages are mounted to your bike frame. However, if you're a competitive triathlete or road racer riding with attached aero bars to help you stay low and reduce drag, a frame-mounted bottle will be difficult to grab.

So Stratton recommends an aero-mounted bottle. The Profile Design Aero HC System is one of her top picks, because "it allows riders to stay low in aero position while sipping through a straw that can be set to an adjustable height."

The Profile Design Aero HC System comes with a both a cage and bottle. This pairing is more affordable than other aero mounts, without sacrificing quality.

  • Mount: ‌aero
  • Material: ‌injected nylon and glass fiber
  • Colors:‌ 1

9. Best Seat-Post Mount: XLAB Delta 400

If you're looking to bring extra water on your rides, you can use a seat-post mounted cage to store an additional water bottle.

"Seat-post mounts are fantastic for those needing to carry multiple bottles of fluids [like on particularly hot and humid days or long rides]," Stratton says. The XLAX Delta 400 is her top pick for best water bottle holder for riders who need additional fluids.

It attaches just behind your seat, and its aerodynamic placement in line with your body is perfect for competitive riders who want to reduce drag. And you won't need to worry about your bottle flying off your bike, because the included XLAB Gorilla Cage tightly grips your bottle to keep it secure.

  • Mount: ‌seat post
  • Material: ‌stainless steel and carbon fiber
  • Colors: ‌1

10. Best for Mountless Bikes: SKS-Germany Anywhere Bicycle Mount and Cage Adapter

Most bike frames contain built-in bolts known as bottle cage mounts that make it easy to install your water bottle holder. However, if your bike doesn't have these, Spann recommends an SKS-Germany adapter. It'll allow you to securely attach a holder anywhere on your bike.

We love this option from Anywhere Attachment, because it includes a bottle holder along with an adapter. If you prefer another holder on this list, you can also purchase the adapter by itself.

  • Mount: ‌adjustable
  • Material: ‌plastic
  • Colors:1

4 Things to Consider When Shopping for Bike Water Bottle Holders

1. Mount Type

Frame:‌ The majority of bike water bottle cages mount to the downtube of your bike frame. This is the long, diagonal tube that runs from your handlebars to your pedals. Most bikes come with a bottle cage mount in this location.

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To install your bike water cage holder on your frame, unscrew the bottle cage mounts, or bolts, position the holder on your frame so the openings match the holes on your bike, then screw the bolts back into your frame.

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Seat Post:‌ Some bikes also provide the option of mounting a second bottle cage on the seat tube, below your saddle and facing the main triangle.

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Seat-post holders are ideal for when you want to bring multiple bottles on your ride. Depending on which seat post mount cage you buy, you can store one or two additional bottles on the back of your bike.

Adjustable:‌ If your bike doesn't come with built-in screws to mount a bottle cage, or if you want to install yours in some other location, you'll need an adjustable-mount water bottle. These typically use straps to wrap around your frame to secure the holder in place.

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Aero:‌ If you're a competitive triathlete or road racer, it's possible that you're riding with aerobars, a special type of handlebars that let you stay low to your bike. If that's you, you'll need to purchase an aero-mount holder.

These attach directly to the aeros so you can stay low and drink through a straw without taking your arms off the bars.

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2. How You Ride

Despite their similarities, different types of water bottle cages work best for different types of cycling. For example, bike commuters' needs are different than those of a competitive cyclist or mountain biker.

Commuter:‌ Commuters can purchase any bike water bottle holder that mounts to their bike frame. If you plan to travel with a hot beverage, stainless steel water bottle or any container that's not designed for cycling, you should purchase a holder that can adjust to fit different size bottles.

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Competitive:‌ Competitive cyclists who ride with aero bars will need an aero-mount water bottle cage. If you race with drop bars, you can use a frame-mounted product. Consider purchasing a lightweight, carbon-fiber cage if you're concerned about excess weight on your bike.

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Mountain:‌ Security and ease of access are key for people who ride on bumpy mountain-bike trails. Consider a frame-mounted bike water bottle holder that also has top marks for keeping bottles locked in place.

Road:‌ Road cyclists can also use any bike water bottle that mounts to their bike frame. If you plan to ride for long distances, you may also want to use a seat-post mount bottle holder to bring along extra water.

3. Water Bottle Size

Here's the good news: If you already own a bike water bottle, it should fit in just about any frame-mounted water bottle holder.

Bike water bottles are standardized to have the same diameter — bigger bottles are taller, but not any wider. Water bottle holders are designed with bike bottles in mind, which means you can select a cage based on other factors without needing to worry if it will hold your drink.

You're not out of luck if you want to use a different water bottle. However, it's important to purchase an adjustable-size product. Large stainless steel water bottles, blender bottles or recyclable plastic water bottles will not fit in standard bike water bottle holders.

4. Holder Material

Bike water cages are made from a variety of materials including aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber and specially engineered materials.

Aluminum:‌ Many standard holders are metal, making them more durable.

Plastic:‌ You'll find some of the most creative designs in plastic but not as much durability as with other options.

Carbon Fiber:‌ If you're specifically looking for an ultra-lightweight product, this is your go-to.

Engineered:‌ These materials, like injected nylon and glass fiber, open you up to some cool shapes and features, while keeping things relatively light and seriously sturdy.

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