Water Bottle Review

Given all the recent concern over BPA in plastics, I decided it was time to get rid of the old plastic water bottle and switch to something that was safer for me and for the environment. (If you’re not familiar with the potential dangers of BPA, please do yourself a favor and read this article on the EcoKaren website, or check out this information on the Klean Kanteen website.) After doing some research, I chose the new Klean Kanteen wide insulated bottle. This bottle is made from stainless steel, inside and out, which means no worries about BPA seeping into the beverage. The plastic caps are made from BPA-free polypropylene. If you want to completely avoid plastic of all kinds, there are even stainless-steel caps available, too.

Klean Kanteen has obviously put a lot of consideration into their product. The design of the bottle is sleek, and even the wide-mouth insulated bottle I purchased fits right into the cup holders in the car without any trouble. The loop cap that came with my bottle is really easy to hold onto (even for my arthritic fingers), and doesn’t have any hard edges that might rub on fingers. I also purchased the optional Café Cap, and have found that it works well, without dribbling. The Klean Kanteen company also takes their business practices into consideration, working to ensure that their factory in China maintains fair labor practices and high environmental standards.

When I read about the insulated bottle on the Klean Kanteen website, they estimated that it would keep beverages cold for 24 hours, but my bottle has exceeded that thus far. The first afternoon I filled it with ice and water, and at lunchtime the next day there was still enough ice left that I just added more water. That evening, there were still a few small pieces of ice floating around in there, so the water was still quite cold. If I hadn’t added more water earlier, I imagine there would have been quite a bit of ice still. Granted, it is still winter here in Iowa, so my results may change come summer, but I have certainly been impressed with the insulating properties of this bottle.

Another advantage of this bottle is that every sip of water tastes fresh, like it was just poured. The water never tastes like its been sitting in the bottle for 24 hours, even when it has been. The bottle itself imparts no taste to the water, due to the stainless-steel interior. Whatever you’re drinking will taste as it should.

Basically I’m saying that I am in love with this water bottle. I take it with me everywhere now. When it’s time to clean it, I just pour a little baking soda in the bottom, add some lemon juice, and let the two interact for a while. With the curved edges inside, there don’t seem to be any places that need to be scrubbed. I just swish around the mixture, rinse out the bottle, and I’m ready to go again. This way I only have to be without the bottle for a few minutes, and I can wait that long.

One more note: one evening, right after I had filled the bottle with ice and water, my cat knocked it off the counter. To my great relief, the bottle just bounced around a little bit (although it made quite a clatter), and the lid stayed on perfectly. Phew! There is a tiny little dent in the bottom of the bottle, but you really have to look for it. So yes, I would say it’s durable, too.

If you are looking for a new water bottle, I would highly recommend the Klean Kanteen. Be safe, be green, and go for the Kanteen!

(Just so we're all clear on this, Klean Kanteen has not paid me or even sent me any free product. My review is based purely on my personal experience.)