REASONS TO BUY
Highly accessible price
Helpful dust cover on mouthpiece
Low profile
REASONS TO AVOID
Plastic taste for some
Less secure bite valve
Harder to dry
Cherainti Reservoir Review
If you need a hydration bladder at the lowest price possible, this option belongs in your shopping cart
Credit: Zach Lovell
By Zach Lovell ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ June 26, 2025
RELATED: The Best Hydration Bladder of 2025
Our Verdict
With a price far below that of much of the competition, the Cherainti Reservoir caught the attention of our review team. While it isn't the highest-scoring hydration bladder on the market, it offers tremendous value with decent performance across key metrics, such as weight and packability. We loved the dust cover on the mouthpiece, which was particularly helpful when recreating in dirty environments or simply throwing a backpack in the back of the truck. With modest dimensions, we were also easily able to fit the Cherainti in any of the backpacks used in testing. While some of our team members reported a more plastic or chemical taste, it somewhat improved with use, and some of our testers didn't even notice. Additionally, the sliding on/off switch on the bite valve leaked occasionally when other gear sat on it during transit, although it was easy to operate while hiking. See how the Cherainti scored against other models in our top hydration bladders article.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Cherainti Reservoir underwent several weeks of rigorous, real-world testing, spanning from alpine hikes to arid deserts. We found this model to be a worthy hydration bladder for budget shoppers who aren't too picky about the classic “bladder plastic taste” that's been a common phenomenon for years.
We were impressed with the performance of the Cherainti through testing, particularly when considering its price point.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Ease of Use
The simple design of the Cherainti offers an overall user-friendly experience. While it isn't the easiest option to fill or dry, it offers modest dimensions that allow it to fit in a variety of packs. Compared to the rest of the lineup, it came in about average.
The Cherainti uses a sliding on/off system for the bite valve, which was easy to turn on while hiking and can even be operated with one's teeth. We found this valve to be almost too easy to slide open and experienced a few minor issues with the valve accidentally opening when other bags pressed against it in the car, causing some water leaks. Fortunately, the dust cover came in handy to reduce the likelihood of this from happening, and we appreciated the cap's ability to keep the mouthpiece cleaner. The dust cap did make it a bit slower to drink from the hose, but our testers simply kept the dust cap off while on the move.
We were big fans of the dust cap, which is rarely seen in a hydration bladder.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Ease of Care
The Cherainti, as a simply designed hydration bladder, lacks suspension that allows it to stay open unless it's filled with water. This ultimately caused it to score fairly average in this metric, although many may not find its performance to be a deal breaker.
While cleaning the Cherainti with a brush, the no-frills interior of the bladder was easy to scrub down, with no plastic or rubbery parts to work around. However, it did make it harder to dry, and our testers ultimately needed to prop the bladder open with a cup to improve airflow and speed up the drying. This wasn't a huge concern when doing a light rinse of the bladder between back-to-back days, but it took a few hours to completely dry the Cherainti if storing it for a longer period.
Ease of Filling
As previously mentioned, the Cherainti doesn't have any suspension inside the bladder to prop it open. This eventually led to a more average score in this metric, though it was certainly doable to fill this bladder from a faucet, hose, or drinking spout.
The Cherainti features a standard circular wide-mouth opening towards the top of the bladder. With a three-fingered handle, it's possible to hold the bladder with one hand while the other operates the water faucet or hose, but we wish they had placed the handle on top instead of the bottom of the opening. Most of the competition with a wide-mouth opening has a handle underneath the mouth, which we found far easier for filling.
The handle at the top of the mouth made it harder to fill the Cherainti, but it got easier as water expanded the bladder.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Quality and Durability
The Cherainti is made with a standard BPA-free thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) construction, which is commonly found in the world of hydration bladders. However, some of our testers noted a more “plasticy” taste than others, and there were a few durability concerns that brought the score down a bit below average.
The Cherainti lasted throughout our testing process, although the build quality received a few asterisks. As previously mentioned, this model features a sliding open/close system for the bite valve, which is arguably too easy to open, potentially causing unintentional water flow, especially when the dust cap is removed. The lid of the bladder also comes detached fairly easily while filling or emptying the bladder, though we didn't experience any lid leakage if screwed on properly. Outside of the chemical taste, the lid, and bite valve, we suggest exercising general caution with this budget model around abrasive rocks or sharp equipment to keep the polyurethane reliable.
We found this budget model to offer fairly good durability, though we wouldn't recommend putting sharp gear against it in your backpack.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Weight and Packability
We were impressed with the modest dimensions of this three-liter bladder, and its weight came in around the middle of the pack. Similar to other metrics, the Cherainti came in about average in this metric.
With a measured weight of 7.3 ounces, this isn't the lightest option out there, but many shoppers looking for a casual-use bladder won't mind the slightly bigger numbers on the scale. We were also able to fit the Cherainti in a variety of backpacks, including smaller sizes, making it a fairly packable option.
While it isn't the lightest, the Cherainti was fairly easy to fit in a variety of backpack shapes and sizes. Pictured here is this bladder in a 20 liter backpack.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Should You Buy the Cherainti Reservoir?
While the age-old adage “you get what you pay for” holds true, the Cherainti carries your hard-earned dollar very far as a portable and easy-to-use hydration bladder, even if we experienced minor issues with the water's taste. It's made from BPA-free materials and only costs a fraction of the price of other leading models. Bottom line, if your wallet is tight and you need a bladder right here and now, keep this one on your final list.
What Other Hydration Bladders Should You Consider?
If weight is a big concern, consider the Hydrapak Contour, which boasts great all-around scores in a low-weight package. If you want something more durable, the Gregory 3D Hydro is a robust model with a number of helpful features.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Cherainti Reservoir versus top competing products:
—Zach Lovell
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