What the Heck Is an Emotional Support Water Bottle?

Most of us grew up with a special item or keepsake that made us feel safe and secure—and perhaps some of us even still have this memento. I still have a stuffed Piglet (from Winnie the Pooh) I got as a child sitting on my nightstand. Year after year, life-changing moment after life-changing moment, simply knowing I have this stuffed toy nearby provides comfort, a visual reminder that as life feels frantic, I still have this little guy to keep me grounded.

Items that make us feel assured and protected aren't limited to childhood items. On social media—TikTok in particular—thousands of creators are opening up about their emotional support water bottles, a specific water vessel that many carry with them throughout the day. The term might seem glib at first, but the growth and popularity of emotional support water bottles reflect just how difficult the last few years have been and how much we as a society, and Gen Z in particular, have evolved to be more open about mental health.

What Makes a Good Emotional Support Water Bottle? 

Does an emotional support water bottle have to check off certain specifications? Stanley water bottles—specifically the Quencher H2.0 Flowstate Tumbler—dominate social media and have ascended as the current monarch of water bottles, out-ruling the Hydro Flasks and Nalgene bottles of eras past. Some believe an emotional support water bottle has to have specific attributes, like it has to have a straw or be able to fit into the cup holders of a car. Others look to their fellow community members for recommendations. "I chose my emotional support water bottle based on TikTok recommendations," says Cassidy Cook, host of the Messy Momma Podcast. "I had a few requirements of my own (straw, keeps ice for the whole day, easy to clean, etc.), but TikTok helped me find mine!"

Cook doesn't just have one emotional support water bottle but instead changes out her bottle based on her daily needs. "I also think that having one that is perfect for your individualized day is important," she says. "Some days, I switch up my emotional support water bottle for what my day is going to look like." Along with her Ello Hydra Half Gallon water bottle, she has a Stanley and the Owala FreeSip, which holds 32 ounces of water.

For others, a water bottle transforms into an emotional support water bottle through time, memories—and stickers. "I really wanted a Hydro Flask back in 2019 when they were super popular, but they were so expensive I was in college and couldn't afford one," says Madison Sheeran, a digital creator based in Denver. "My mom got one for free from her job, so she gave it to me (nepo baby vibes), but it had this massive corporate company logo on the side, so I figured I would buy a sticker to cover it up...Buying one sticker turned into 50, and the next thing I knew, that bottle had seen several years, multiple falls down mountain hiking trails, four layers of stickers, three different apartments, and two scares of having lost it."

For Sheeran, an emotional support water bottle is as much a reflection of her life and adventures beyond the actual brand or type of bottle. "A good or bad emotional support water bottle is subjective, but for me, it was all the memories I made with it. It was a journal of all the places I had been and adventures I'd had, and the dents and scratches made me laugh every time I looked at them because they were reminders of hikes I got a bit too ballsy on and times my lack of coordination truly came to the surface."

But, of course, the water bottle itself still matters. "The Hydroflask's ability to keep water ice mf-ing cold for hours on end is a major plus. I still have that bottle and tried expanding out into the Stanley cup, but it's just not the same. It's too pretty. I'm scared to customize it because of how pristine it looks, therefore, I don't have an attachment to it," she says. "If I lost my Hydroflask right now, I would probably cry, but if I lost my Stanley, I would shrug it off.

When Did Emotional Support Water Bottles Become a Thing?

It might be easy to look at TikTok and assume that emotional support water bottles are new. Perhaps this exact combination—social media, water bottles, and emotional attachment to inanimate objects—is novel. But we've always been inclined to form attachments to things at all stages of our life.

"Most young kids have a security item of some sort, whether it's a blanket, a favorite toy, or a stuffed animal,” says Dr. Autumn Soliz (who goes by Dr. Autumn), a Florida-based licensed psychologist. “I think this continues throughout most of our life, but obviously changes forms into items deemed more socially acceptable.  For teens, it might be a favorite sweater, a cell phone, a piece of jewelry, a lucky pair of socks, or maybe a favorite water bottle,” she says. “I think it's the same idea for adults as well; most of us have something that we carry with us most days that we would find upsetting to lose."

Soliz is also interested in why it feels like water bottles are having a moment. "I'm a ‘90s baby, and while I assume I carried around water bottles in high school and college (or maybe I was just severely dehydrated), I can't remember having the attachments I have to mine now,” she says. “I know it was inconvenient when I was without them, but now I have a whole collection of water bottles meant for different situations, and if I lost one of them, I would be devastated."

What Can an Emotional Support Water Bottle Offer?

Regardless of the reason, Solizhopes that water bottles can provide comfort, particularly to younger people and members of marginalized communities. "Although water bottles certainly aren't changing legislation or offering physical protection, they can offer a small amount of familiarity, comfort, and sense of control in a society where at times, we feel like we have very little control," she says.

"For those who are part of the neurodivergent community," she says, "especially individuals who are autistic or have ADHD, having emotional support water bottles can reflect a special interest, hyper fixation, or simply a comfort in using a specific item, which are all common characteristics among those who are neurodivergent.” Maybe, Soliz continues, the labeling of water bottles as emotional support items is a reflection of people owning and celebrating their differences, “by acknowledging just how important choosing and carrying around a water bottle can be to a person."

Cook agrees that her water bottle gives her a sense of protection in new situations. "For me, I definitely think having an emotional support water bottle is a form of security," she says. "I sometimes struggle with interacting with new folx I meet right off the bat and never know what to do with my hands—my water bottle solves my problem!"

An emotional support water bottle also connects mental well-being with physical care. "I think it's the intersection of the self-care renaissance and desire for self-expression," says Sheeran. "Often we use water as a way to show one another we care (if someone is feeling sick, we may suggest they drink some water, offer them some of our own, etc.), so it's only natural that as a generation so much more focused on taking care of the self than previous, we leverage the importance of having water with us wherever we may be."

Despite trending videos and popular brands, emotional support water bottles can come in all shapes and sizes—but what makes a regular ol' bottle an emotional support water bottle is how it makes you feel. For Sheeran, it boils down to one sentiment: "Safe, as dramatic as that sounds. I always know I have water with me if I need it."