As a ~responsible~ adult, I try never to leave the house without three things: my phone, my keys, and my . As you can imagine, this can sometimes limit my options. So, when I saw that TikTok was buzzing over the Béis Sport Sling and the Calpak Water Bottle Holder, I knew there was only one thing for me to do: try them both! 8.
2" x 6.7" x 2.7" 6 3 Nylon 9.
5" x 4" x 4" 16 2 Nylon, polyethylene, polyester I got my hands on the internet's most beloved water bottle bags and put them to the test, taking them (and my trusted water bottle) with me to the movies and to brunch. I also tested them with my my to see if they could handle hydration accessory. Let's get into it.
The Béis Sport Sling Béis The Sport Sling in Olive I got the —the brand's newest color!—and can confirm that while it is sporty, it's also super sleek. I love that the hardware is all the same color, which makes it look more sophisticated than your average sporty sling bag. It also has an adjustable strap, so you can move it from left to right depending on how you want to wear your bag.
What I liked: It has two big main compartments featuring zipper closures—one with card slots and another equipped with a mesh pocket and a key leash. There's also a hidden zipper pocket on the back, where I put my face mask and Metro card for easy access, and an open pocket in the front. Originally, I tried to put my phone in there, but it kept falling out when I bent over and I didn't feel safe with it there.
Instead, I mainly divided my belongings—my keys, paper fan, glasses, lip balm, gum, phone, headphones, and cards—into the two main compartments. I love that everything was organized and had a place. And I still had room for more, though I think adding another item would have made the thin bag look bulky.
The water bottle pocket folds out from a hidden compartment in the back and is the perfect size for an average plastic water bottle (16.9 fl oz), so if you love to stomp around town with a giant water bottle, this might not be your ideal bag. The elastic pouch is very stretchy but tight, so it really holds your water in place and helps prevent any unwanted spillage.
What I didn't like: This sling is designed to lay flat against your chest, and my water bottle did hang slightly tilted when secured. This is where I ran into some issues with the design. As a plus-size woman, it just felt like this sling bag was not really made for me.
Even with the crossbody strap fully extended, it still felt a little tight and awkward, especially since the water bottle pocket opens at the back (aka between your chest and the bag). This was fine when I was just carrying a light, plastic water bottle, but anything bigger caused the bag to awkwardly push the drink into my chest in a way that made me a little nervous. Who it's for: The Béis Sports Sling is a purse first, water bottle holder second.
Because of that, I think it would make the perfect travel bag. If you're going abroad and are worried about keeping your belongings safe, the shorter crossbody strap and narrow bag design helps keep everything close to your chest, and the zip closures add security. And, if along your travels you need to grab a bottle of water, you'll still have a place to put it! Calpak Water Bottle Holder Calpak Water Bottle Holder The comes in a lot of colors and cute patterns—a major departure from Béis' monochrome designs—so I took advantage and got the cute purple floral pattern.
Yes, it's sporty and will go with less outfits, but given that this bag is less purse than, well, water bottle holder, it's not much of a concern. I like the idea of having a pop of color to brighten my day. What I liked: Unlike the Béis bag, the Calpak Water Bottle Holder doesn't have multiple zippered compartments or space in general.
Instead, it has one main compartment with a drawstring closure, which is great for carrying around small and big water bottles because you can just adjust the drawstring to your preferences. The compartment is lined with wipeable insulation that keeps your beverage cool and is easy to clean in case of accidental spills (another plus). I also like that it has three elastic pockets—one in the back, two on the sides—in which I was able to store my sunglasses, hand sanitizer, and lip balm—and a front pocket with a zipper closure that is big enough to fit my iPhone and a couple of cards.
Finally, I love that the strap can be expanded to a true crossbody bag, so I can have my water bottle rest on my hip or my chest, whichever I prefer. It made it more comfortable to carry around, especially with a full bottle of water. What I didn't like: My main issue with the Calpak Water Bottle Holder is that it doesn’t have enough pockets with zipper closures.
When I went out with this bag, I didn’t want to put my keys in the front pocket with my phone for fear they’d fall out every time I wanted to check my texts. Instead, I put my keys in the bottom of the main compartment, below my tumbler, and you couldn't even tell by looking at it. (I swear, my bright pink tumbler is in the photo below! Look for the pink straw peeking out the top.
) This is totally fine, but was also kind of annoying later when I had to dig under the bottle to fish my them back out. I also wish that the zipper pocket had card slots. Who it's for: Because the Calpak Water Bottle Holder is a water bottle holder first, purse second, I think it’d make a great accessory for those who spend their free days going on a nice long walk or leisurely hike.
It also works as an everyday bag—as long as you don’t like to carry an entire pharmacy in your purse. The main compartment is super roomy, so if you don’t feel like using it for hydration, you can also just use it as a regular crossbody bag. Just know that your things won’t exactly be organized since there are no inner compartments.
Why trust ? As you probably know, s lifestyle team spends all day, every day scouring the internet, testing products, and reading reviews so we can bring you the type of high-quality content we’d want for ourselves (and our standards are preeeetty darn high, TBH). It’s also really important to us that each of our shopping articles adheres to the , and we try to make sure the products we feature are good for both you and our planet. If we wouldn’t buy something for ourselves, we sure as heck won’t recommend it to you—and we’re always gonna keep it really, really real.
Pinky swear. Olivia Truffaut-Wong is an editor at , where she covers beauty, entertainment, and lifestyle. She loves finding and testing the best skincare products to recommend, like the , and is always researching the best for her fur baby.
She has over 10 years of experience as an entertainment and culture writer and editor, and her work has been featured in , , , , and more..
