Kitchn Love Letters

This $30 Organizer Finally Helped Me Wrangle My Water Bottle Collection

published Jun 2, 2022
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

I have a water bottle problem — and I blame my college friend’s father, who liked to repeat this particular mantra: All you need is water. Nursing a headache? Drink water. Bummed about an exam grade? Reach for that old Nalgene bottle. Somewhere along the way, I came to believe that while not everything could be solved by more water, a great many benefits come from staying hydrated. 

Now I take hydration so seriously that I find myself in possession of dozens of drinking implements for our family of three. Some are nice Yetis swiped from swag tables at conferences; others, plastic behemoths with bendy straws from outdoor festivals. There are sippy cups for my daughter, bedazzled Starbucks cold cups, and a Thermos (or eight!) for road trips.

After opening our cabinet where the water bottles are stored and getting knocked in the head by a falling Thermos one too many times, I decided I needed a solution. I browsed organizers online, until I landed on these stackable, acrylic water bottle organizers from mDesign.

They come in a set of two, and each row holds three water bottles. I liked the clean design, as well as the fact that it could sit nicely in a standard cabinet. I ordered two sets of the clear version (they also come in gray or blue, if you prefer).

Credit: Thao Thai
Each row holds three reusable water bottles.

With the new organizers in place, one shelf in our cabinets could comfortably hold 12 water bottles — which was more than enough. I whittled down my collection to my very favorite water bottles, donated the rest, and got to organizing.

Credit: Thao Thai
Ta da! Look at this organized collection now!

Everything fit nicely — even the ones with straws. I loved being able to reach in and grab a water bottle without having to push through the mess (or worry about suffering from a concussion). These stackable organizers are a perfect space optimizer and have already made our lives a little simpler. Now when we decide on a spontaneous bike ride or trip to the pool this summer, we can easily reach in for our bottles before heading out for adventures. 

Parent pro tip: If you have kids, you can pre-fill water bottles and place them in the fridge on a low shelf, so they can quickly grab their own bottles on the way out the door to summer camp or any number of activities that require hydration.

Do you have a good organization system for your water bottle collection? Tell us your ideas in the comments below.