Seven in 10 Gen Zs carry a water bottle with them when they leave the house – with more than half claiming it’s an ‘accessory’.
A poll of 2,000 adults found the typical person owns two vessels for drink, but a fifth of the youngest generation (19 per cent) have four or more.
This includes 49 per cent of Gen Zs owning different water bottles for various places, including their workplace (65 per cent), the gym (64 per cent) and even on their bedside table (31 per cent).
And they’ll spend close to £20 on one – an average of £16.70 – but 27 per cent claim they have a reusable bottle to save money in the long run.
Of the 55 per cent who see it as an accessory, they do so because it’s from a brand they like (44 per cent), it colour matches their outfits (34 per cent) and is personalised with their name (29 per cent).
Other reasons for always carrying H2O include being sustainable (32 per cent) and for their overall health (30 per cent).
Michael McAuley, spokesperson for Culligan UK – provider of drinking water solutions for home and work – which commissioned the research, said: “If you look around when out and about, it’s rare to see someone without a reusable bottle.
“Whether it’s a personalised straw-style vessel or a stainless steel patterned bottle, people love to stay hydrated in stylish ways.
“The choice of water bottles is endless in terms of size and design and youngsters see it as a way of reflecting part of their personality and making their lives easier.
“But if there’s nowhere to refill them, the purpose of carrying a bottle around to stay hydrated is ruined, and with the weather only getting warmer, it’s important to have water to hand.”
The research also found Gen Zs consider the pattern and design (33 per cent), sustainability factors (33 per cent) and brand (24 per cent) when buying a reusable bottle.
Almost a fifth (17 per cent) claim the bigger the better when it comes to water carriers and a tenth even struggle to lift theirs sometimes as it’s so big.
But it’s also about hydration, for 55 per cent who set themselves a goal of how much water to drink each day and 91 per cent of them believe having a bottle on them encourages this.
During the typical working day, youngsters fill up their vessel four times.
A quarter claim carrying one has become a trend, but the same amount (25 per cent) feel there aren’t enough refill stations in their local town – only being aware of two.
As a result, 33 per cent have bought something in a café as an excuse to ask the staff to fill up their bottle and 25 per cent have even topped it up from a sink in public toilets.
But more than a third (35 per cent) said the quality of the water is important to them when they’re finding somewhere to refill it.
Culligan UK’s spokesperson added: “The research shows people are calling out for more places to top up their water bottle.
“Resorting to spending money on things in cafes to have theirs refilled defeats the object of saving in the long run with a reusable one.
“Youngsters seem to care about sustainability as well, suggesting why they own many bottles rather than buying plastic ones when out and about.”
TOP 15 REASONS GEN ZS CARRY A WATER BOTTLE:
1. To encourage me to stay hydrated
2. For convenience
3. To always have fresh water on me
4. To be sustainable
5. For my overall health
6. I know I’ll need a drink at some point
7. To drink more than I usually would
8. To save money in the long run
9. To avoid needing to find a shop and buy a drink
10. To keep me cool
11. To control my liquid intake
12. To always have temperature-controlled water on me
13. To avoid feeling anxious without having one
14. To reflect my personality
15. To be on trend
