How to Order Custom Water Bottles in 4 Steps
Here's a 4 step guide about ordering custom water bottles tailored to your brand. Whether you’re looking to promote your company, enhance an event, or provide your team with eco-friendly drinkware, ordering custom water bottles doesn’t need to be complicated.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process, from selecting the perfect bottle style and customizing it with your logo, to approving a design mockup and receiving your order at your doorstep. By following these easy steps, you’ll ensure that your custom water bottles reflect your brand’s unique identity while staying within your budget and timeline.
Ready to get started?
Step 1: Choose Your Bottle
The first step in ordering custom water bottles is selecting the perfect style that fits your brand's needs. With a wide variety of materials, sizes, and features available, it’s essential to consider what type of bottle will best represent your brand and meet your users' expectations. Here’s what to think about:
Material Options
Stainless Steel: Known for its durability, stainless steel is an excellent choice for long-lasting, high-quality bottles. These bottles keep drinks cold or hot for extended periods, making them popular for sports teams, corporate gifts, and eco-conscious businesses. Stainless steel is also fully recyclable and doesn’t retain flavors, ensuring the best drinking experience.
Aluminum: Lightweight and cheaper, aluminum bottles are a budget-friendly option. However, they often require a plastic lining to prevent liquids from interacting with the metal (which is toxic), which can wear out over time. If considering aluminum, be aware of potential health concerns related to worn or damaged linings. Aluminium bottles also dent easily and look cheaper, so if you're looking for a premium option, choose stainless steel instead.
Plastic: While plastic bottles can be less expensive, they may not align with sustainability goals. BPA-free plastic bottles are a practical option for giveaways or large events, but they don’t offer the durability and premium feel of stainless steel.
For more info, see our guide: How much do custom water bottles cost?
Size Options
Custom water bottles come in a variety of sizes, typically ranging from 16 oz (500ml) to 32 oz (1 litre), each serving a unique purpose depending on how your customers will use them.
- 16 oz (500ml) bottles are compact and lightweight, making them ideal for giveaways, conferences, or indoor events where portability and convenience are key. Their smaller size is perfect for casual use, fitting easily in bags or on desks, and they are more cost-effective for bulk orders, ensuring you make a strong brand impression without breaking the budget.
- 32 oz (1 litre) bottles, on the other hand, are larger and better suited for active lifestyles, such as outdoor events, gyms, or sports activities. Their bigger capacity makes them perfect for customers who need to stay hydrated throughout the day without frequent refills, offering greater value and visibility for your brand over extended periods of use.
Choosing the right size will ensure your custom water bottles align with your audience’s needs, making them practical, regularly used, and appreciated.
Features
You’ll also want to consider specific features:
- Lids: Flip-top lids, straw lids, and screw-on caps are all available options, each catering to different preferences.
- Insulation: Double-wall insulated bottles are now the standard when it comes to a quality bottle. They keep drinks cold or hot for hours, while single-wall bottles offer a lighter, more economical option.
- Custom Colors: Match your brand’s Pantone color for a cohesive look or choose from a wide range of pre-existing colors to make your bottle stand out. This usually is only available with a higher MOQ (minimum order quantity) as it costs more to produce a custom color.
Once you’ve decided on the material, size, and features, you’re ready for the next step: customization.
Step 2: Customization
Customization is where your brand’s personality truly shines. From the logo placement to color options and additional features, creating a unique design is key to making your custom water bottles stand out.
Logo Placement & Printing Style: Decide where you want your logo or design to appear on the bottle. Do you want a simple, single-sided print or a full 360° wrap-around design? Both options create different visual impacts, with full-wrap printing allowing for more creative flexibility. You can also choose between screen printing for vibrant colors or laser engraving for a minimal, premium finish that lasts longer.
Colors & Finishes: Selecting the right colors can make your water bottle a powerful extension of your brand. You can choose from stock color options or go the extra mile with Pantone color matching to align the bottle with your brand’s exact colors. Matte, glossy, or metallic finishes also add a personalized touch, depending on the image you want to project.
Personalization Options: For higher-end custom orders or corporate gifts for small groups, you can offer personalized options, such as adding individual names or initials to each bottle. This makes the product feel even more special and is a great way to increase its value.
Customizing your water bottles in a way that reflects your brand and resonates with your audience ensures they will be used regularly, giving your logo the visibility it deserves.
Step 3: Finalize Your Order
Once you’ve chosen your bottle style, size, and customized design, it’s time to finalize your order. This stage ensures that every detail is correct and that your custom water bottles are ready for production.
Review Your Mockup: Before you approve the final design, you’ll receive a detailed 3D mockup of your custom water bottle. Take this opportunity to closely review the placement of your logo, color choices, and any other custom features. If any adjustments are needed, now is the time to request changes to ensure the design meets your expectations.
Confirm Quantity and Delivery Details: Double-check your order quantity to ensure it aligns with your needs, whether for a small giveaway or a bulk order for a large event. Confirm your shipping details, including delivery dates and locations, to guarantee your bottles arrive on time. For larger quantities, ask about potential bulk discounts that may further reduce costs.
Settle Your Invoice: Once the design and order details are finalized, you’ll receive an invoice that includes the cost of the bottles, customization, and worldwide delivery. Make sure all the information is accurate, then proceed with payment to get your order into production.
Production Timeline: After payment is confirmed, your custom bottles will enter production. Lead times can vary depending on the complexity of the order, but you’ll typically receive an estimated delivery date. Be sure to communicate any deadlines you have upfront, especially if your order is for a specific event or promotion. Normal lead times are around 6-8 weeks for bulk custom water bottles
Finalizing your order is a simple process, and once completed, your custom water bottles will be crafted to your exact specifications and delivered hassle-free, wherever you are in the world.
Step 4: Shipping and Delivery
Once your custom water bottles are produced, the final step is getting them to you safely and on time.
Global Delivery: Many suppliers offer worldwide shipping, ensuring your bottles can be delivered no matter where you are.
Secure Packaging: Orders are typically packaged carefully to prevent damage during shipping, ensuring they arrive in perfect condition.
Shipping is usually a seamless process handled by the supplier, ensuring your custom water bottles are delivered safely and on time for your needs.
FAQs: Ordering Custom Water Bottles
The production and delivery time for custom water bottles can vary based on the complexity of the design and the quantity ordered. Typically, production takes 4 weeks, with additional time for shipping. For the most accurate timeline, check with your supplier.
Yes, many suppliers offer samples of their water bottles, either pre-branded or in a standard design, so you can evaluate the quality before committing to a large order. For small orders, make sure you get a visual mockup.
Customization options often include printing or engraving your logo, choosing different bottle base colors, and adding unique design elements. Some suppliers also offer options for full-wrap designs.
Most suppliers offer tiered pricing or discounts for bulk orders. The more bottles you order, the lower the cost per unit typically becomes.
To ensure quality, choose a brand who only specialises in water bottles instead of a generic corporate gift company. Review detailed mockups before approval, and consider ordering a sample. Also, verify that the materials used are durable and meet your standards like stainless steel.
If you receive damaged or incorrect bottles, contact your supplier immediately. Reputable suppliers will have procedures in place for handling returns, replacements, or refunds.
Shipping costs are usually based on the size and weight of the order, as well as the delivery location. Many suppliers offer shipping estimates during the order process. Be careful when your receive a quote from suppliers that they include shipping and not just the bottle base price.