List of bottle types, brands and companies facts for kids

A bottle is a special container, usually made of glass, plastic, or metal, that has a narrow neck and a small opening. Bottles are mostly used to hold liquids like water, juice, or milk. People have been using bottles for thousands of years, with some of the first ones found in ancient China, Phoenicia, Rome, and Crete.

Many bottles today can be recycled. You might even get a small refund for returning some bottles to a store, which helps encourage recycling!

Types of Bottles

Common Bottles You Might See

Examples of milk bottles from the late 19th century.

• Aluminum bottles: These are light and strong, often used for drinks.
• Baby bottles: Used for feeding babies.
  • Sippy cups: A step up from baby bottles, designed for toddlers to drink from without spilling.
• Beer bottles: Special bottles for beer.
  • Growlers: Large bottles used to carry fresh beer from a brewery.
• Bobble water bottles: Water bottles with a built-in filter.
• Borosilicate bottles: Made from a strong type of glass that can handle heat changes well.
• Boston round: A common bottle shape, often used for medicines or chemicals.
• Bota bag: A traditional Spanish leather bag used to carry wine or water.
• Bottle garden: A mini garden grown inside a sealed bottle.
• Calabashes: Also known as bottle gourds, these are natural gourds (like a squash) that can be dried and used as containers.

Calabashes are used to collect and store palm wine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Canteens: Flat, portable bottles for carrying water, often used by hikers or soldiers.
• Carboys: Very large bottles, usually made of glass or plastic, used for storing liquids in labs or for brewing.
• Coca-Cola bottle: The famous curvy bottle shape, recognized worldwide.
• Codd-neck bottle: An old type of bottle with a glass marble inside that sealed the drink.
• Decanters: Decorative glass bottles, often used for serving wine or spirits.

A double spout and bridge drinking vessel from the Nazca culture.

• Double spout and bridge vessel: An ancient type of pottery bottle with two spouts connected by a handle.
• Fiasco: A traditional Italian wine bottle, often covered in a straw basket.

Chianti wine in a Fiasco bottle.

• Gas cylinders: Strong metal containers for storing gases under high pressure.
• Glass bottles: Bottles made from glass, used for many different liquids.
• Growler (jug): A large jug or bottle, often used to carry draft beer from a pub or brewery.
• Hydro flask: A popular brand of insulated water bottles that keep drinks hot or cold.
• Hot water bottle: A rubber or plastic bottle filled with hot water to provide warmth.
• Impossible bottle: A bottle that contains an object that seems too big to fit through the opening, like a ship in a bottle.

An impossible bottle – Nelson's Ship in a Bottle by Yinka Shonibare.

• Jerrycan: A tough metal or plastic container, usually for fuel or water.
• Laboratory bottles: Special bottles used in science labs.
  • Wash bottles: Squeeze bottles used to rinse lab equipment.
• LifeSaver bottle: A water bottle with a built-in filter that can make dirty water safe to drink.
• Milk bottle: Bottles specifically designed for milk.
• Nalgene bottle: A brand of tough, reusable plastic bottles, popular for outdoor activities.

A 1000 ml wide-mouth Nalgene bottle.

• Perfume bottle: Fancy bottles designed to hold perfume.
• Plastic bottles: Bottles made from various types of plastic.
  • PET bottle recycling: The process of recycling plastic bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate).
• Prescription bottle: Small bottles used to hold medicines from a pharmacy.
• Seltzer bottle: Also called a soda syphon, it's a bottle that dispenses carbonated water.
• SIGG: A brand known for its reusable aluminum water bottles.
• Snuff bottle: Small, decorative bottles used in China to hold snuff (powdered tobacco).

Snuff bottles in the American Museum of Natural History collection.

• Soap bottle: Bottles that hold liquid soap.
• Spray bottle: Bottles with a pump that sprays liquid as a mist.
• Squeeze bottle: Flexible bottles that you squeeze to get the liquid out.
• Thermos: Also known as a vacuum flask, it keeps liquids hot or cold for a long time.

A disassembled thermos container. The vacuum flask is in the mirror-like container in the center of the image.

• Two-liter bottle: A common size for soft drinks.
• Water bottle: A general term for bottles used to hold water.
• Wine bottle: Bottles designed for wine.
• Witch bottle: An old type of bottle, sometimes found hidden in old houses, believed to protect against evil.

See also

A 1970s glass genie bottle.

Bottle Landmarks

Images for kids

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  Plastic bottles