Choosing the Right Water Bottle: A Guide
Quenching your thirst without reaching for a $1.00 bottle of filtered (ahem… municipal) water at your neighborhood convenience store isn’t exactly rocket science. In order to entirely avoid one-time use plastic containers, all you really have to do is saddle up to the sink and stick your favorite cup underneath the faucet. Unfortunately, it seems that our modern day need for hydration continues to be so fierce and frequent that using washable open-mouthed glasses, mugs and cups — precisely when the craving for blissful H20 strikes — is seriously inconvenient, particularly if you’re commuting to work, fitting in some all-too-important exercise or running errands.
Who wants to deal with all of that sloshing, anyway? Runners certainly can’t clasp the handle of a mug with the greatest of ease while pounding the pavement and even if they gave it the old college try, they’d probably lose 50% of their liquid refreshment in the first few yards. When you’re on the go, there really is only one option for portable hydration – toting a reusable, resealable, planet-friendly bottle. Lucky for you, we’ve analyzed the good, the bad and the ugly in order to bring you the cream of the water bottle crop!
REUSABLE GLASS WATER BOTTLES
Pros
- Glass is a non-reactive material, meaning that it won’t absorb beverage flavors or chemicals.
- Not lined with potentially harmful sealants! In other words, you won’t be exposed to Bisphenol A, phthalates or other plastic-derived toxins.
- Easy to clean with a bottle brush or you can just pop it in the dishwasher.
- Many companies fit their glass water bottles with protective sleeves to reduce the possibility of breakage.
Cons
- Somewhat heavier than plastic versions.
- If you’re cursed with butter finger syndrome, there’s a good chance that your bottle could shatter, which could cause injury.
- Often more expensive than 100% plastic versions.
Brands To Consider
- Love Bottle: A stainless steel/ceramic/silicone sealing swing top lid crowns this sleek glass bottle with a tapered neck – plus it’s spruced up with an eye-catching array of patterns that appeal to both men and women, all of which can be customized by YOU!
- bottlesUP: These North American-made beauties are composed of a minimum 75% recycled glass content, the mid section of each is wrapped with thin silicone bands that facilitate a better grip (while reducing the likelihood of shattering if they hit a hard surface), and they’re adorned with a BPA and PVC-free plastic cap.
- Life Factory: Of all the glass water bottles on the market, this brand secures their product in an especially durable silicone sleeve, making it really appealing to the accident-prone. Other features of Life Factory’s eye-catching design include its wide mouth opening (making it a snap to clean) and looped cap (facilitating easy-breezing toting while taking care of errands or hitting the gym).
- Takeya: The design of this Japanese-manufactured water bottle is decidedly minimalistic and modern, and with its flexible exterior silicone sleeve, there is a reduced likelihood of breaking the solid glass container within.
REUSABLE STAINLESS STEEL WATER BOTTLES
Pros
- Made out of one solid piece of stainless steel, it’s ideal for those who are tough on their water bottles.
- Seems to keep water cool for an extended period of time.
- Non reactive, food-grade material — major thumbs up.
- Not lined with sealants — another huge bonus!
Cons
- Dents and scratches easily if you constantly drop it.
- Among the more expensive reusable water bottle options in the marketplace.
Brands To Consider
- Kleen Kanteen: Known as one of the original BPA-free reusable water companies on the market, their increasingly extensive range of stainless steel containers keeps getting better in terms of design and practicality. Their Kleen Kanteen Reflectis the shining star of the eco-set thanks to a 100% plastic-free design and sustainably harvested bamboo/stainless steel screw top.
- Earth Lust: Kind of like the Sigg water bottle of the stainless steel market, this incredibly stylish offering – imprinted with an ever-changing array of dazzling graphics – sports a BPA-free plastic cap connected to a carabineer, making it easy to attach to a backpack or belt loop.
REUSABLE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES
Pros
- You can repeatedly drop a plastic bottle without worrying about breaking or shattering it.
- Lightweight and easy to tote around.
- Affordable!
- As readily available and ubiquitous as sliced bread.
Cons
- Seriously bad for the environment! Petroleum-derived products – plastics included – are incredibly resource-intensive and responsible for generating copious amounts of environmental toxins throughout the manufacturing process and during their entire lifespan and disposal.
- Plastic chemicals such as Bisphenol A compromise the human endocrine system, resulting in immune, neurological, reproductive and developmental issues. When you’re exposed to these compounds, your likelihood of succumbing to diabetes, obesity and various types of cancers is significantly increased.
Brands To Consider
- Fit & Fresh: For those who habitually reach for one-time-use bottles because they rationalize that they’re chugging healthier, purified H20, this company has got your back. Their 20 ounce, LivPURE bottle is fitted with a filter that bestows the user with 500 fresh and clean refills, plus the design of the container also happens to be easy on the eyes.
- GOBIEH20: Quite like the previous manufacturer, this company has designed yet another great-looking BPA-free portable hydration system with built-in cap filter, but their model boasts a few extra perks such as a rubberized finger loop, an unscrewable neck opening for easy refilling and a non-slip base.
- Reduce Hydration: Among their colorful BPA-free plastic offerings, their 5-pack 16 ounce bottles with a handy-dandy refrigerator tray (dubbed ‘WaterWeek’) is designed to ween people off of one-time-use versions for good.
Image: Capeside
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