Product Selection: Finding the Right Reusable Bottle for you
In my previous article (https://medium.com/utree/finding-the-right-water-bottle-for-you-bc9c360d1f94), I discuss what you as a consumer should consider when thinking of buying a reusable water bottle. I want to consider what type and temperature of the beverage you will put in your reusable drink; and second, I want to consider price and material. I focused on three types of material: Plastic, stainless steel, and glass. I now want to suggest some products for you to consider.
For these reusable water bottles, it is important to read the manufacturer’s instructions for handling and cleaning. Some water bottles suggest hand cleaning, while others mention dishwasher safe. I find that it is best to hand wash the water bottle, even if it safe for dishwasher use. For my initial search, I began to examine articles that listed their best products. I wanted to see what authors were suggesting and why. I also found it important to examine the product’s website. For example, Yeti products suggest a temperature, when using the lid, not exceed set limits for hot coffee and hot water. I also found that the product’s FAQ page to be helpful in exploring their product and brand. Next, I found two articles to use as a starting point for my search. These articles were to see what people were suggesting, and then I began my own search. One article I found is by Maria Cassano, where she suggested some products that I found to be important, while others I would not suggest for purchase. Maria Cassano focused on products that were BPA free and also seemed to be specific to Amazon. I also examined a Medium article by David Cornthwaite. He was important for my original Medium article, but I also found his details about each product to be very relevant.
Bottles for Hot Beverages
I find that the only water bottle for hot beverages would be a glass bottle. Most of the glass water bottles were protected by a type of sleeve. I first want to suggest Lifefactory glass bottles. The website does mention not to put the bottles in the freezer and take caution during the winter months. This is due to glass breaking under extreme temperatures. According to their website they offer a variety of water bottles and even food storage. Their lid is a polypropylene (PP #5). According to Little Acorns to Might Oaks, this plastic is considered safe and the best for hot liquids (2008). It is recommended by Lifefactory to hand wash their product.
Another product I want to suggest is Miu Color. It is similar to Lifefactory, and has several types of sleeves, ranging from silicone to nylon. According to their website, they suggest that their product can have a wide range of beverage temperature. Their cap is made from a stainless steel with an inner ring made of silicone.
Reusable Water Bottles (only room temperature/cold beverages)
The next few products I want to suggest, I only recommend for beverages that will be room temperature or cold. These products will be made from plastic or aluminum/stainless steel. The previous products mentioned are also a safe alternative. Most of the concerns of consumers were that the beverage keeps the right temperature, but they should also consider the lining and cap/lid.
Metal
I find that metal is the next best choice after glass, but should be a stainless steel with no lining. The first product I want to suggest is Klean Kanteen. They offer insulated bottles, cups, and tumblers. They also offer food canisters and metal straws. The water bottle also offers an interesting lid, bamboo-filled screw top that is also stainless steel. This is something that can be seen in the picture below. Their products are made of stainless steel. They do offer other types of caps, but I only want to suggest the bamboo screw top. This product is recommended for hand washing only.
There are few more metal water bottles I want to suggest, S’well, Yeti, and Hydro Flask. S’well is a stainless-steel product with a BPA free bottle. https://www.swellbottle.com(add picture) They offer more than a typical water bottle. They also offer different types of lids, so for cold liquids make sure to use the correct lid. Only the Sport cap and S’ip Adventure cap are recommended for cold beverages, while the Swing Cap does not have this suggestion. Their lids are stainless steel, BPA-free plastic, and have a silicone ring. There are also specific instructions for where the S’well bottles cannot be placed. They recommend not placing in the refrigerator, microwave, or freezer.
Next, I had to suggest Yeti because there is a store in Austin, but also because their product stainless-steel and BPA free. They also offer a huge variety of products, but I want to focus on their drinkware. These products are able to hold a variety of beverages according to their website. Yeti is also dishwasher safe, but I would always recommend hand washing. As for their lids, they recommend two max temperatures, one for coffee and one for hot water. According to Yeti, their drinkware, lids, and other products are BPA-free.
Finally, I want to suggest Hydro Flask. This is another metal water bottle that are like S’well and Yeti is stainless-steel. They offer a lifetime warranty on their product. Their product is stainless steel and they are BPA and Phthalate free. They offer a variety of mouth sizes for their product. Something that Hydro Flask has that is different is a proprietary powder coat, which is similar to the silicone cover on glass bottles.
Reusable Water Bottles (only room temperature/cold beverages)
Plastic
There are several types of plastic water bottles, but I want to only suggest one, Nalgene. This is a BPA. BPS, and phthalate free water bottle that comes in a variety of colors and styles. They are made from Tritan. Something this company does that I find unique is that if your bottle is ever damaged or broken and you reach out to the company they will replace your bottle free of charge. This is because the company claims that Nalgene is indestructible. They are also dishwasher safe, but I still recommend hand washing. This is recommended only for cold or room temperature beverages, never hot beverages. I want to recommend to not use this water bottle during outdoor activities and this product be a last resort for you to purchase.
There were a few problems I faced. These problems were that the product’s website and the amount of information they made public to the consumer. After examining some product’s website that were suggestions or products I knew about, I felt that I could not suggest the product either. Another problem, was the suggestions in Cassano’s article were mostly for products only found on Amazon and very little information about the product other than what was included on Amazon. This is why I did not include these products in my suggestions. The choice is up to you, but I strongly recommend glass or stainless-steel products.
References
Cassano, Maria (June 14, 2017). The 13 best BPA-free water bottles. Bustle. Retrieved from https://www.bustle.com/p/the-13-best-bpa-free-water-bottles-64088
Cornthwaite, Dave, (January 9, 2015). The best reusable water bottles in the world. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@DaveCorn/the-best-reusable-water-bottles-in-the-world-11bb04a079c6
Hayden, Kelly (November 5, 2018). Finding the right reusable water bottle for you. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/utree/finding-the-right-water-bottle-for-you-bc9c360d1f94
Lifefactory frequently asked questions (2018). Retrieved from https://www.lifefactory.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions
Rambler frequently asked questions (2018). Retrieved from https://www.yeti.com/en_US/rambler-faq.html#bottle-warning
MUI glass water bottle with silicone sleeve (2018). Retrieved from https://miucolor.com/collections/water-bottle/products/glass-water-bottle-with-silicone-sleeve-27oz
Introducing klean coat (2018). Retrieved from https://www.kleankanteen.com/pages/klean-coat
S’well frequently asked questions (2018). Retrieved from https://www.swellbottle.com/help
Yeti frequently asked questions (2018). Retrieved from https://www.yeti.com/en_US/rambler-faq.html
Nalgene 32 oz. wide mouth (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nalgene.com/product/2178-2025/
Toxic plastics and how to avoid them. (2008, December). Retrieved from https://www.littleacornstomightyoaks.co.uk/blog/2008/12/01/toxic-plastics-and-how-to-avoid-them
