There’s a slew of new water bottles hitting the market. Features and design make each bottle stand out. But which bottle wins? It’s personal preference. The Simple Hydration Water Bottle solves a problem experienced by many runners: how to hold the bottle while running. The solution is a 13-ounce BPA-free bottle that’s got an interesting shape.
The water bottle is quickly becoming a statement of style and personal choice. Though we still like to see function trump fashion in this case with some technical elements, those elements are usually what determines those preferences. The Relaj water bottle brings its own look and technical details to the shelf.
We’ve seen no shortage of water bottles that make all sorts of promises when it comes to getting, and staying clean. Last year we even did a round-up of water bottles but now there is a new product that has us giving greater though to the problem. What if there was a way of ensuring a clean bottle every time, even if we couldn’t wash it? This is the concept behind FLEXR Sports’ BPA-free sports bottle with disposable and fully biodegradable liner. It promises to keep the bottle as clean and fresh as the first day.
The concept is simple enough. The bottle features a fully biodegradable liner that eliminates bacteria and hence unpleasant aftertaste. It also means an easier bottle to drink from while running or biking as the liner compresses as fluid is squeezed out thanks to a patent pending one way jet stream, and when empty it makes for an easier to clean bottle as well. Additional caps can be purchased as well without the need to buy a new bottle.
The FLEXR Sports bottles are available in four sizes, from 28 oz. aerodynamic bottle for cycling to 21 oz. bottle with neoprene insulating sleeve for runners, as well as 16 oz. and 8 oz. versions for other activities. This could be a new way to stay hydrated and not worry about cleaning a dirty bottle ever again.
With the Fourth of July just around the corner, most of the U.S. is entering into the hottest months of the year, yet some of us forget the importance of staying hydrated. Our bodies can survive for weeks without food, but deprive us of water for a few days and our outlook is bleak. There are plenty of water bottles and hydration packs on the market, but the Platypus bottles from Cascade Designs, Inc. have the unique feature of being able to be stored flat when empty.
Originally designed to conserve space while backpacking, the Platypus bottle was introduced to the outdoor market back in 1996 as a lightweight option to the bottles that were then available . Over the years the line of bottles have grown to include three different types of bottles; three different bladders for hydration backpacks; a number of reservoir packs for transporting larger quantities of water while camping; and a wine preservation bottle – all made in America. Each of these products store flat for transportation when empty, are BPA-free and typically weigh 80% less than a hard-sided bottle of the same volume. The bottles start at a suggested retail price of $7.95 and top out at around $35 for the largest Platy Water Tank.
Since the Platypus bottles are essentially flat, flexible, durable bags, they can actually be frozen and used as ice packs. As they start to melt, the user is treated to ice-cold water, but remember that these bottles should only be filled up halfway with water as expansion occurs when the liquid becomes ice causing a possible bottle burst if they are overfilled.
Not all of the products that Platypus sells are made in America, but the do a very good job on their website labeling where each product is made. Platypus bottles are easily available from local retailers, online retailers and directly from Cascade Designs.
Before a ride, run or other outdoor activity, I often fill a bottle or two with water from my filter at home then set out on the road. If I need a refill I either buy a bottle of water, defeating the purpose of bringing bottles, or fill from the tap and don’t always appreciate the taste.
CamelBak has taken its Better Bottle design and added an internal filter to create the Groove. This bottle is made of CamelBak’s BPA-free Tritan plastic, and also available in stainless steel. The Groove uses the CamelBak Big Bite Valve where you bite down on a silicon seal and sip from the straw inside. It doesn’t let water out if the bottle falls or is left on its side. The filter is a cylinder of charchoal that’s placed in the straw. Read the rest of this entry »
KineticShift.com concludes our hands on test of water bottles.
All good things come to an end, including our hands on test of water bottles. We wrap things up with the Nalgene bottles, which use Tritan copolyester plastic. The line includes the All-Terrain Bottle made from low density polyethylene, the On the Fly (OTF) and the On-the-Go (OTG). Here is our test.
Nalgene Bottles Made from Tritan Plastic Description: Each of the bottles tested (unless noted) are manufactured using Eastman’s Tritan copolyester plastic.
Everyday Tritan
BPA-Free High impact resistance
Resistant to staining
Won’t retain odors
Withstands sub-freezing to boiling temperatures
Dishwasher safe away from the heating element
Max temperature: 100 degrees C/212 degrees F
Min temperature: -40 degrees C/-40 degrees F
Bottle Sizes: Varies - 16oz to 32oz
Plastic: Eastman’s Tritan copolyester
Country of Manufacture: USA except for the flip tops - those are made in China
Retail Price: Varies – $6.75 to $14.99 Read the rest of this entry »
KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.
Time for another dash to the finish line, and this one might just be the water bottle to help you on the long ride to the podium and beyond. And we hear it’s good for the casual group ride too.
CamelBak Podium Description: Step up to the Podium. The New CamelBak Podium Bottle incorporates Jet Valve, a revolutionary self-sealing valve into a taste-free bottle with a high flow rate.
CamelBak is the official hydration sponsor of Team Garmin-Transitions, and proud to support the team’s 100% Clean initiative for untainted sports performance.
Bottle Sizes: 21oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $8 (21oz) and $9 (24oz)
KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.
It is time to come clean about a sad fact about water bottles. Some bottles just never get clean when used with energy drinks, and even water can transform bottles into something that you’d never want to drink out of – but the Clean Bottle might just have the solution.
Clean Bottle Description: Flat tires. Getting dropped. Bad drivers. Stinky, moldy water bottles.
We can’t help you with the first three, but we can do something about the fourth.
Introducing Clean Bottle, with a patent-pending, leak-proof , screw-off bottom. Gone are the days of trying in vain to wash out that funk at the bottom of your bottles. With Clean Bottle, cleaning and drying are easy.
Clean Bottle is made with 100% non-toxic, BPA-free plastics, making it safe to use over and over. Clean bottle is also top-rack dishwasher safe, so you can run it in the dishwasher without fear of it breaking down.
Bottle Sizes: 22oz
Plastic: Polyethylene (body) and Polypropylene (caps)
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $9.95 (22oz) Read the rest of this entry »
KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.
The Polar express is up and running. Polar Bottle returns with its latest insulated water bottle that is thinner, making it easier to squeeze, yet still keeps water comfortably chilled.
Polar Insulated Bottle Description: Polar Bottle is the original insulated plastic sport bottle. It keeps liquids colder longer than other water bottles. We innovated the industry back in 1994 by creating a bottle that would actually keep water cool during any outdoor activity. The bottle has evolved in the years since with brightly colored foil liners and patterns and an innovative removable valve system. Made in America, Polar Bottle is popular throughout the world.
Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Low Density Polyethylene
Country of Manufacture: USA
Retail Price: $10.99 (20oz) & $11.99 (24oz) Read the rest of this entry »
KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.
Hydrapak is the bottle to pack if you’re looking to carry water and an energy gel. It can help you keep fueled up and hydrated at the same time.
Hydrapak Gel-Bot Product Description: No more sticky fingers. No more wrestling with foil packets. Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials in one easy-access bottle. Load the chamber with energy gel, fill the bottle with water. Gel-Bots patent-pending technology lets you fuel or hydrate without slowing down. The Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials, fuel and hydration, in one easy to use sport bottle.
To USE:
Load the inner chamber with energy gel.
Fill the bottle with water/fluid.
When the nozzle is pulled open, you get water and water only.
With the nozzle pushed down, squeeze to get the gel out of the center valve.
This patent-pending design lets you fuel or hydrate with just one hand. Perfect for racing or total gel addicts.
Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: Taiwan
Retail Price: $13.99 (20oz) & $14.99 (24oz) Read the rest of this entry »
The Purist bottle is the next best thing to glass.
Ever since Interbike we’re hooked on water. That’s because we found a bottle that you can sip clean, pure tasting water (at least as pure as our local water department supplies). Specialized introduced its Purist water bottle. It’s made from silicon dioxide, a material that allows it to mimic the natural behavior of the lotus flower. It doesn’t absorb the liquid contained inside. That means it leaves all the taste, flavor, smell and other properties of your drink for you to enjoy when you’re drinking it, not the next time you have another drink. Read the rest of this entry »
With all the eco bottles on store shelves, you expect to see stainless steel or BPA-free plastic for the newest offering. Bamboo? Does it hold water? Glass? Won’t it break? Together they make a sturdy and attractive bottle to tote around your non-potable.
The Bamboo Bottle Company combines sustainable bamboo and glass to make its new bottle. The 17 oz. “original” bottle is BPA-free. It is constructed of a bamboo tube with a glass insert and top and bottom caps. Bamboo was selected for the outer because of the species’ stability, hardness and strength. Phyllostachys Pubescens bamboo, also known as Moso and Mau Tzu bamboo, are grown and harvested, then hand selected and hand cut for the bottle. While bamboo is sustainable, the hand harvesting allows for maturing and flowering strands of the plants to remain flourishing to their full 90 feet, which takes about nine months. It also avoids the use of heavy machinery to minimize impact on the ground soil. The cut bamboo continues to grow as it is a type of grass. Read the rest of this entry »
CamelBak Better Bottle
What do you get when you go for a bike ride with just any water bottle? Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phalates, a chemical that has been linked to obesity, neurological disorders, cancer, and a number of other health problems.
CamelBak makes BPA-free bottles from a material called Tritan, that doesn’t allow properties to leech in the water and compromise taste and health. KineticShift took a look at three of CamelBak’s bottles, two made from BPA-free materials, and one stainless steel. Here’s what we found.
