You’re planning a biking trip in the desert. You’ve packed sunscreen, biking gear, and camping supplies. But, you suddenly realize you’ve almost forgotten to pack water!
How much weight can you expect the water to add to your load? How can you calculate how much water bottles weigh?
Keep reading to find out!
Contents
Water Bottle Weights Quick Guide
| Water Bottle Size in Ounces | Weight in Pounds | Weight in Grams or Kilograms or Grams |
| 24-Pack of 16.9 oz (500 mL) | 27 lbs | 12 kg |
| 40-Pack of 16.9 oz (500 mL) | 44 lbs | 20 kg |
| Gallon | 8 lbs | 3.8 kg |
| 5-Gallon | 40 lbs | 19 kg |
| 12 oz (354 mL) | 0.78 lbs | 354 g |
| 16 oz (453 mL) | 1 lb | 453 g |
| 20 oz (591 mL) | 1.3 lbs | 591 g |
How Much Does a Bottle of Water Weigh?
Let’s learn how much water bottles weigh!
Note that these measurements may fluctuate slightly depending on the brand since manufacturers use different types of bottles which may vary in weight.
If you don’t see the water bottle size you’re planning on carrying with you, have no fear! Skip to the next section, which will teach you how to calculate the estimated weight of any water bottle you come across!
A 24-Pack of Water
A 24-pack of 16.9 oz (500 milliliters) water bottles will usually weigh 27 pounds (or 12 kilos).
A 40-Pack of Water
A 40-pack of 16.9 oz (500 milliliters) water bottles will weigh around 44 pounds (or 20 kilos).
Note: Packs of water will weigh slightly more than individual bottles because of the thick plastic packaging.
A Gallon Water Bottle
Most gallon water bottles (or 3.8 liters) will weigh about 8 pounds (or 3.8 kilos).
A 5-Gallon Water Bottle
We know one gallon of water weighs 8 pounds, so using this logic, we also know that one 5-gallon bottle of water (or 19 liters) usually weighs around 40 pounds (or 19 kilos).
12 oz Bottle of Water
A 12 oz (or 354 milliliters) bottle of water often weighs around 12.5 ounces, which is 0.78 pounds (or 354 grams).
16 oz Bottle of Water
A 16 oz (or 453 milliliters) bottle of water weighs one pound (or 453 grams).
20 oz Bottle of Water
Most 20 oz (591 milliliters) bottles of water will weigh about 1.3 pounds (or 591 grams).
How Can I Calculate How Much a Bottle of Water Weighs?
Let’s learn how to do the math and calculate how much a bottle of water weighs by ourselves!
Googling how much a bottle of water weighs is easy enough, but why turn to the internet when you have the math skills to calculate it yourself?
Here, we’ll be calculating how much water weighs, but we will not account for the weight of the packaging, since this varies depending on the brand, type of bottle (recycled or new), and whether you’re buying a pack or individual water bottles.
We’ll review how to do the math for the imperial and metric systems.
Get out your calculators (or prepare yourself for some mental calculations) because it’s math time!
Imperial System
The easiest way to calculate water weight in the imperial system is by remembering that 16 oz of water weighs one pound.
With this knowledge, you can calculate the weight of almost any water bottle.
For instance, we know that one gallon is equal to 128 oz. So, we can divide 128 by 16 to figure out how many pounds a gallon of water weighs.
128 divided by 16 is 8. So, one gallon of water is 8 pounds.
It’s that easy!
Metric System
Calculating how much water weighs using the imperial system can be a little complicated. So if you’re a European resident like me, you’ll be grateful that you can use the metric system.
One milliliter of water (this does not apply to other liquids) weighs exactly one gram.
So, all you have to do is find out how many milliliters of water is in a bottle, and presto! You know how much the water weighs.
If the bottle of water is marked with centiliters (cL) instead, multiply that number by 10 to find how many milliliters it equals.
So, a 500-milliliter bottle of water weighs 500 grams or half a kilo.
What’s the best part? There’s virtually no math involved!
Wrapping Things Up
Don’t let the anxiety of not knowing how heavy water weighs weigh you down!
Calculating how heavy water is couldn’t be easier, especially if you use the metric system!
Remember, one pound of water is 16 oz! With that knowledge, you’re on your way to calculating water mass in no time!
Packs of water will be slightly heavier due to their packaging, so keep that in mind when packing!
What’s your experience weighing water? Has this article helped you plan your packing for your next mountain biking adventure?
Let us know in the comments below! (And stay hydrated!)