Quick list
1. Best overall
2. Best value
3. Best side entry
4. Best for storage space
5. Best eco-friendly
6. Best multi-tool package
7. Best strong grip
8. Best dependable
9. Best classic design
10. Best cageless
How to choose
How we test
They might not seem like the sexiest components to think about, but the best MTB bottle cages do actually serve an important purpose. After all, you need to stay hydrated while whipping around the trails, and there’s nothing worse than reaching the bottom of a descent, only to find your best water bottle for MTB is no longer attached to your bike.
Perhaps you prefer to opt for one of the best hydration packs instead, and think “a bottle cage is just a bottle cage”. Of course, you’re right to some extent, but the best MTB bottle cages will make life easier in the long run, and it saves you from carrying extra weight on your back or around your hips.
They’ll not only keep your bottle secure, but they’ll also be easy to access while riding, and they won’t add a load of weight to your setup. And if you’re really lucky, they might even come with some added storage for other useful accessories.
Depending on your budget, there are bottle cages ranging from simple resin designs to futuristic carbon options. There are some that aren’t even a cage at all. Each option has been designed to hold your bottles firmly in place, but which ones are the best? Our expert testers have been putting them through their paces and our top choice is the Arundel Mandible, with the Bontrager Bat Cage our great value pick.
Continue reading for our complete list of the best MTB bottle cages, or skip to the guide at the bottom for how to choose your bottle cage.
The quick list
Best MTB bottle cage overall
Totally trustworthy grip in a beautiful, super-light design for a premium price.
Best side entry MTB bottle cage
A side entry cage that's pliable for easy to access your bottle.
Best MTB bottle cage for storage space
A modular bottle cage design with storage space for accessories.
Best eco-friendly MTB bottle cage
Solid, dependable cage made from an eco-friendly castor oil-based plastic.
Best multi-tool package MTB bottle cage
A bottle cage that carries a multi-tool and a pump as well.
See the next 4 bottle cages ↓
Best strong grip MTB bottle cage
Stylishly modern cage with a strong grip and tons of color options.
Best dependable MTB bottle cage
A reliable, secure hold side loader that comes in a range of colors.
Best classic design MTB bottle cage
A classic, much-imitated design that still holds its own.
Best cageless MTB bottle holder
A clever cageless design that uses magnets, but it's designed for proprietary bottles.
Best MTB bottle cages
Why trust BikePerfect Our cycling experts have decades of testing experience. We'll always share our unbiased opinions on bikes and gear. Find out more about how we test.
1. Best overall
Arundel’s popular Mandible cage is made fully from carbon and weighs a mere 28g, making it an excellent choice for XC weight-weenies. It may cost a fortune, but there’s a reason that it’s a regular kit choice for the pros.
Don’t take its featherlight weight to mean it’s flimsy; it’s got such a firm grip that you actually need to use a bit of muscle to insert the bottle in the first place. If you’re sick of losing bottles on the trails and don’t want to add a load of excess weight to your frame, then this is by far one of the best MTB bottle cages we’ve used, and it’s pretty easy on the eyes too, which never hurts.
Read more about it in our Arundel Mandible review.
2. Best value
While the injection-molded plastic Bat Cage has been around since 1997, Bontrager now makes this time-tested bottle cage from recycled fishing nets. This comes thanks to the brand’s membership in NextWave, a cross-industry coalition of companies working to reduce plastic in the environment.
Beuro, a company specializing in collecting and recycling fishing nets, processes the nets into tiny plastic pellets which can be used for injection molding, perfect for the Bat Cage.
3. Best side entry
The Prism cage is a side entry cage made from 65 percent recycled plastic. It is designed for standard 74mm diameter bottles, but as it's predominately an MTB or gravel cage, it has a slightly tighter fit than a standard road bottle cage would. It has a reassuringly solid-looking construction and comes in at 47g weightwise.
We found the Prism really excels with bikes where there is limited space – as the bottle goes in at an angle it's much easier to get to when riding. The plastic and fiberglass blend also gives the cage a degree of flexibility.
The cage is robustly built and over the course of testing we never lost a bottle despite some serious tests on rocky trails in the wet and mud of winter, and dry, dusty summer trails.
For more info, see our full Elite Prism review.
4. Best for storage space
A bottle cage can do more than just carry your bottle, as Topeak’s modular Ninja design demonstrates. This very simple bottle cage can be bought either as a central loader or side loader, and in the case of the latter, it’s easily reversible so you can choose which side to make accessible.
What makes this bottle cage particularly nifty is the adaptor that comes with it, which is compatible with an array of Topeak accessories. Depending on your needs, you could have an attachment for carrying a multi-tool, two CO2 cartridges or a mount for a spare inner tube.
Find out more about it in our Topeak Ninja Master+ bottle cage review.
5. Best eco-friendly
Elite's Bio-Based version of its Cannibal XC bottle cage is made using an innovative plastic derived from castor beans instead of traditional oil-based methods, making it a great eco-friendly choice. It also uses fiberglass to reinforce the cage and deal with the vibrations and stresses of off-road riding.
The Cannibal has a wide window for bottle entry from either side, and has good grip with an angled band that holds the bottle in place, and elastomer in the middle of the arms which allows the cage to adjust to differently shaped bottles. It comes in at a feathery 34g.
We tested the cage on various full suspension, hardtail, and gravel bikes, and it did an admirable job of keeping our bottles in place. Over several months of riding, there are very few signs of wear, too.
Check out our full Elite Cannibal XC Bio-Based review.
6. Best multi-tool package
Another bottle cage that doubles up as a useful storage space, the Syncros Tailor IS 2.0HV is a fiberglass-reinforced nylon cage that accommodates (and includes) a handheld pump and comprehensive multi-tool. The multi-tool includes a chain breaker, a magnetic chain link holder, valve core remover, disc pad wedge, spoke key, an array of hex and Torx bits and more.
It’s an excellent way to have all your essential tools onboard even when you have limited frame space, and offers exceptional value for money.
Read more in our review of the Syncros Tailor IS 2.0HV bottle cage, tool and pump.
7. Best strong grip
This modern-looking and stylish bottle cage comes with several color options, making it pretty easy to match with your frame and/or accessories, and offers a strong grip as well. In terms of performance, we found it definitely leaned more towards retention rather than easy release, so while it takes a bit of effort to get to your bottle when you’re on the move, you can rest assured that even when tackling the really rough stuff, your bottle will stay put.
For more details, check out our Lezyne Matrix Team Bottle Cage review.
8. Best dependable
The Zee Cage II is a side loader made from a reinforced composite material that weighs about 43g. This cage is compatible with Specialized’s SWAT system, which means you can connect the brand’s EMT Cage Mount Tool for quick repairs on the trail. The cage is also compatible with the Specialized MTB XC Box, a small box that attaches to the cage for storing a tube and other tools.
It’s available in a range of colors, comes in both left and right varieties and has kept bottles attached to this writer’s XC bike for years.
9. Best classic design
Handmade in Durango, Colorado, King Cage has a long legacy of being a cage that just works; the design hasn’t changed since the 90s. However, it continues to be one of the best you can buy.
Available in stainless steel or titanium, both versions weigh less than 50g and won’t chew up your bottles. The design has attracted plenty of knock-offs and copy-cat versions, but the King Cage is known for little if any bottle ejections and worry-free riding.
10. Best cageless
Fidlock makes magnetic clasps for everything from backpacks to helmet straps, and it has used the same technology for this cageless water bottle holder. It works with either a proprietary 400ml or 600ml bottle, and also a Boa-based bottle connector.
When you need a drink, you twist the bottle, and it releases from the plate; to reconnect just pop it on and let the magnets do their magic. The downside to the system is that you’ll either need the proprietary Fidlock bottles or the Boa Connector, which also limits how much you can squeeze the bottle.
How to choose the best MTB bottle cages
What material is best?
Bottle cages come in carbon, plastic, fiber-reinforced resin and metal. There are pros and cons to each, however, the material will influence the price and weight. Carbon and titanium cages will cost a pretty penny, while plastic and resin cages are cheaper.
Is lighter better?
When looking at bottle cages, counting grams should be pretty low on your list of priorities, as even the heavy ones aren't all that heavy. Especially for mountain biking, a bottle cage needs to have oodles of grip strength so as not to send your bottles flying the first time you hit a bump. There are great lightweight cages out there, but don’t expect a cheap cage to deliver low numbers on the scale and have much holding power. At the same time, the cage needs to release the bottle when you pull on it.
Top load or side load?
Bottle cages come in top load and side load versions, and what’s best for you will depend on your frame. If there is tons of room in your front triangle, a top load cage will work just fine. However, as most full-suspension frames possess tight clearances, a side load cage will make your bottles more accessible. However, you’ll only be able to access from one side.
How we test the best MTB bottle cages
All the bottle cages tested here have been used during several months of riding on various bikes, over different types of terrain, so we can assess the cages for their grip, ease of access, and durability.
Meet the testers
Guy Kesteven is Bike Perfect’s tech editor. He spent a few years working in bike shops before starting writing and testing for bike mags in 1996. Since then he’s written several million words about several thousand test bikes and a ridiculous amount of bike components and riding gear.
Neal has been riding bikes of all persuasions for over 20 years and raced them, from town center criteriums to the Megavalanche and pretty much everything in between. Neal has worked in the bicycle industry his entire working life, and has built an in-depth knowledge and love of all things tech.
