The 8 Best Flasks, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Stanley Classic Flask

$26 at Amazon $39 at Walmart $26 at Dick's

The vintage look of this flask is a throwback to the days of the thermos lunch, and the design is simple but classic. At 7.5 inches high and 2.5 across, it's slightly too large for a pants pocket, but would slip nicely into your jacket pocket and perfectly into a golf bag.

We found this flask to be well-constructed and attractive, yet rugged enough to get knocked around in a cooler or backpack and remain in great shape. While no funnel is included, we still found it relatively easy to fill, though a funnel would have minimized any spillage. The wide-mouth, which did make for easy drinking, could accommodate a regular-sized funnel. Lined with stainless steel, it’s rustproof and features a cap mounted to a hinge so you can’t drop or lose it. With the flask cap screwed down, the Stanley did not leak. Thanks to the wide mouth, the flask was both easy to pour and drink from.

While this flask is not dishwasher safe, it was still easy to clean. In the end, we chose this to be our best overall flask, as it is well constructed, easy to use, and a near-perfect size.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 6.4 ounces | Dimensions: 7.5 x 2.88 x 1.25 inches

Best Budget

Rabbit Discreet Flask

$11 at Amazon $28 at Walmart

This sleek flask was made for the elements. It’s made from Tritan, the ultra-durable shatter-resistant plastic resistant to breaks, drops, and whatever else the world can throw at it. The exterior of the flask is wrapped with a silicone strap that doubles as a bumper to protect the Tritan—drop it, bump it, throw it, it’ll be okay—and a strap to keep the lid on. 

Unlike most flasks, the lid of this flask can be removed at the cap and the entire top, so if you’re funnel-less, you can refill your flask without spills. The clear exterior means you can see just how much booze you have left in your flask before you need to refill. There are plenty of other benefits too to this flask. The biggest being the lack of metal materials, so it won’t set off sensors at concerts or other stealthy drinking occasions. 

But we noticed the lid is a bit tricky to stay on unless you really screw it on tightly. Several times the flask was tightened as much as possible, but still started to leak. The removable top can also slips off the flask quite easily, so this flask does risk spilling if you’re not careful.

Material: Stainless steel, silicone | Capacity: 6 ounces | Dimensions: 3.25 x 1.2 x 6 inches

Best Ceramic

Misc. Goods Co Ceramic Flask

View on Goop.com View on Fieldandsupply.com View on Misc-goods-co.com

While metal flasks are typically quite durable, some variations of steel can impart a bit of flavor into any spirit they hold. A ceramic flask like this one from Miscellaneous Goods will help preserve the taste of your drink as intended when it went into the bottle.

We thought this flask was beautiful and a very cool conversation starter. Made from ceramic, which we worry might be fragile, the quarter-inch thick porcelain made this flask hefty in the hand—something you want when you’re holding 11 ounces of spirit.

A cork stopper bound in place by a leather strap should help to keep the hooch from spilling in your pocket or pack, so you won’t reek of booze. However, our cork cap was defective—it had a hole that liquid flowed right through. We replaced it with an old wine cork and it sealed well, but, that made us worry about the longevity of the leather closure. The flask did not include a funnel, and we would recommend buying one separately, though it was easy to fill. No issues pouring or drinking, though, as it was easy to do both.

Cleaning was easy but there seemed to be no way to clean the flask without getting the strap wet. We're concerned that water would damage the leather over time.

Material: Ceramic | Capacity: 11 ounces | Dimensions: 4.5 x 6.5 inches

Most Classic

Bormioli Rocco Pocket Flask

$13 at Amazon $20 at Walmart $10 at The Container Store

This glass flask from Bormioli Rocco is a nice option for those with a classic aesthetic. It’s super affordable, holds 8.5 ounces of liquid, and the glass won’t impart any unwanted flavors.

Of course, glass is fragile, so we recommend that if you’re hiking, popping it into a golf bag, or even a picnic basket, you might want to make sure to provide adequate padding to prevent breakage. That said, we appreciated that this glass flask was so nicely made, noting its shape and the useful hinged cap, and we could pour and sip with ease. It was on the heavier side, at hefty 12 ounces empty, but it is a large vessel that will hold about a third of a standard bottle of booze.

There wasn't a funnel included, it was easy to fill, though we would still recommend using a funnel to prevent mess. The seal worked well and we didn't experience leakage. We did note that given the design, this would work perfectly for storing homemade syrups or vinegars.

You could put this in the dishwasher for cleaning, though, we'd still recommend washing the seal by hand. A bottle brush would also be useful to clean the interior if you were using it to transport a sweet cocktail. But otherwise cleaning was a snap.

Material: Glass | Capacity: 8.5 ounces | Dimensions: 7.4 x 6.6 x 1.7 inches

Best for Outdoor Adventures

Vssl Wilderness Navigation Flask & Flashlight

View on Amazon

This flask is built for adventure. VSSL’s flask is not just for drinking, it’s a legit multitool. The cylindrical design incorporates not just a space for liquid, but storage for two shot glasses and a bottle opener, a compass on the lid, and an LED flashlight with four modes on the base. Pick up a good travel bar set with some additional bar tools, and you are ready to make cocktails on the go! Built from military-grade aluminum and food-grade stainless steel which is lined with shatterproof, non-permeable glass, the VSSL is as adventure-ready as they come. We appreciated just how sturdy this flask seemed to be, noting that it could easily be dropped on a rock while hiking and still be fine.

We thought the VSSL looked great and especially liked that a compass was built directly into the screw-top lid—which sealed very well. Zero leaks were experienced during testing! The VSSL Flask poured easily, and drinking from it wasn't difficult. There wasn't a funnel included but the opening is extremely wide so it wasn't needed.

The VSSL was quite easy to clean thanks to the large opening. But we definitely recommend taking the flashlight off to avoid water coming into potential contact with the batteries.

Material: Aluminum exterior/glass-lined stainless-steel interior | Capacity: 9 ounces | Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 12 inches

Best Gift

Barbour Hip Flask

$52 at Amazon View on Endclothing.com

Not only is the Barbour's tartan wrap stylish, but it also makes gripping the flask a little less slippery. While tartan is traditionally Scottish, you aren’t limited to storing single malts exclusively, and the leather-trimmed design will please even the pickiest of recipients. A 6-ounce capacity makes this vessel perfect for pocketing a few nips, and the hinged arm prevents the cap from falling off or getting lost.

We loved the plaid tartan design and found it to be a sturdy pocket flask. The hinged screw cap worked easily and well. The mouth is the traditional size and a bit small to pour liquid into without a funnel. But the cap sealed well and didn't leak, and the small mouth poured and sipped well during testing. We did take extra care to prevent water and soap from saturating the leather and fabric that wraps around the flask, but otherwise, it's easy to clean.

Material: Stainless steel | Capacity: 6 ounces | Dimensions: 4 x 4 inches

Best Design

Rabbit Hip Flask

View on Amazon $22 at Walmart

This sleek flask offers everything you want from a classic flask: curved to hug your hip, leakproof, and sturdy. Rabbit, the famous wine and barware brand run by drink and design nerds in Seattle, updated the design with a few smart details.

The exterior is made from brushed stainless steel, the same material most high-end cookware is made with. It’s durable, near indestructible, and resistant to scratches, plus the brushed finish and stainless steel construction won’t add odors to your favorite Islay Scotch or bourbon. The lid is screwed on via stainless steel threads and gaskets that allow it to twist on with ease without the worry of leaking.

Around the exterior of the flask is a silicone strap that doubles as a way to keep the flask from slipping in your hand and a strap to keep the lid in place when the flask is open. (Have you ever tried to find a flask lid after dropping it on the forest floor? You’ll appreciate this.) You can also loop the strap around a backpack trap.

We found this flask was the perfect size—big enough to carry a fair amount of spirits but not too cumbersome to slip into a pocket or purse. The only downside was this do esnot come with a funnel and the opening is too small for a standard kitchen funnel.

Material: Stainless steel, silicone | Capacity: 6 ounces | Dimensions: 3.25 x 0.96 x 4.91 inches

Best Insulated

S'well Stainless Steel Roamer Bottle

$55 at Amazon $51 at Walmart $55 at Wayfair

For anyone who wants to bring a big batch of cold cocktails to a tailgate or backyard get-together, the Swell Roamer is a top-notch option. The stainless-steel, 40-ounce jug is vacuum-insulated, so cold drinks like a Negroni or Manhattan stay cold for up to 48 hours and hot drinks like an Irish coffee keeps its heat for up to 16 hours.

We liked that the Swell's construction felt solid and looked great for being such a large vessel. The screw-top worked perfectly, was easy to seal, and no leaks were experienced. With such a massive mouth, a funnel wasn't necessary to fill it up. This also made it easy to pour out a cocktail, but the large mouth made sipping a little challenging to do neatly. While the Swell is not dishwasher safe, it was easy to clean. For sticky cocktails, we might choose to use a bottle brush to make sure it was cleaned thoroughly.

Material: 18/8 stainless steel | Capacity: 40 ounces | Dimensions: 4.7 x 8.9 inches