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Updated: January 20th, 2020

What are the Best Coolers Like Yeti?

So, you love Yeti coolers — Yeti being a renowned brand name in the world of coolers, perhaps the biggest.

That said, if for whatever reason you don’t like this brand name, whether it’s the price, style, or anything in between, there are other coolers that are just as good.

Today we have put together a list of the best coolers like Yeti in 2020, so let’s get right to it.

Best Coolers like Yeti Reviews

RTIC 20 Cooler

This is a nice little cooler that’s more than ideal for personal use, whether you want to take your lunch to the jobsite or a few cold ones to the beach.

It might not be the cheapest option of all coolers out there, but if you’re looking for a cooler like a Yeti, one for a lower cost but with the same level of quality, this RTIC 20 Cooler is a great option.

One of the standout features of this particular cooler is the roto-molded construction, which is something that automatically makes this an extremely durable cooler.

The special construction, as well as the heavy-duty T-latches, combined with the integrated locking system make the RTIC 20 Cooler bear-proof.

That’s right, this is one of those coolers that you can take camping in the woods, and you don’t have to worry about animals getting into it.

Another standout feature of the RTIC 20 Cooler is that it comes with 3-inch insulated walls combined with a freezer grade gasket.

Thick walls and strong gaskets also make it durable, but at the same time, you can be sure that anything put inside of it will stay cold for at least 12 hours, if not longer.

Speaking of what you can put inside of it, the RTIC 20 Cooler can fit up to 24 cans along with some ice, so it’s more than large enough for most basic purposes.

Now, the RTIC 20 Cooler might not be the largest of all coolers out there, but then again, the compact size also helps maintain a certain level of portability.

This is also true thanks to the molded side handles, as well as the lift-top handle.

What’s also nice about this particular model is that it comes with a no-sweat exterior, so condensation won’t build up on the exterior and cause a mess.

To make sure that it stays in place, the RTIC 20 Cooler also features non slip feet.

Related Article: Review of Yeti Tumbler, always have a drink on-the-go!

RTIC 20 Cooler Pros and Cons

The good part about the RTIC 20 Cooler is how it is the perfect size for most single-person needs.

It’s the kind of cooler that’s ideal for a trip to the beach, the park, for bringing lunch to the jobsite, or just for keeping some beers cold for your backyard BBQ.

It’s small enough to be portable, yet large enough to fit a decent amount of food and drinks. 

One thing that needs to be noted about the RTIC 20 Cooler is that the non-slip rubber feet tend to just fall off, which is true of the side handles as well.

• Ideal size for most needs
• Durable shell
• Bear proof
• Very portable
• Decent amount of space
• Some issues with the rubber feet
• Side handles lack longevity

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Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler

If it’s a very large cooler you are after, something that can fit enough beers to last you and the gang, the Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler is a great option to keep in mind.

It may be big and heavy, a bit low on the portability side of things, but it’s also tough as nails and has a heck of a lot of interior space.

One of the biggest highlights here is that the Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler is a 58-quart cooler, with dimensions of 14” deep, 13.5” wide, and 19.5” long; in other words, yes, it is quite sizeable.

It has more than enough interior space to fit around 50 beers plus ice, if not more.

Due to its large size, this is the kind of cooler you might use for a large family BBQ, a full day at the beach, or for a weekend camping and fishing trip.

That said, it’s not something you would use to take your lunch to work.

Now, what is definitely worth noting about the Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler, is that it is a very tough cooler.

The roto-construction and the hard shell makes for a tough customer no doubt.

It also comes with secure T-latches.

It’s a kind of cooler you can bang around without fear of denting or breaking it.

That said, unlike the model reviewed above, this particular model is not advertised as being bear-proof or bear-resistant, so just be aware of that.

However, what we can say about the Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler is that it does an exceptional job of keeping everything on the inside about as cool as can be.

People have reported that their cooler still has ice in it after more than a full week.

The super thick and well-insulated walls, as well as the sealing lid gasket are to thank for this.

Ok, so the great part about the Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler is that it can fit a lot of food and drinks, and it can keep them super cold for days on end.

In terms of performance and doing its intended job, this is absolutely one the best coolers out there and an excellent alternative to the Yeti brand name coolers.

Something which is not too great about the Orca Hard Sided Classic Cooler is that it is really big and heavy, well over 30 pounds, and it doesn’t even come with any wheels or carrying handles.

For the price, which is huge by the way, not having a handle seems a bit ridiculous.

For such an expensive cooler, it lacks portability, which for many people might be a deal-breaker.

• Fits a lot
• Keeps contents cool for days
• Very durable
• Made in the US
• Not very portable
• Very expensive
•  

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Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler

When it comes to coolers like Yetis, one of the best alternatives is the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler.

Now, this is a pricey cooler, and while there is no hiding the fact that it is quite expensive, it also has plenty of awesome features that make it well worth the investment.

It keeps contents cool for days, it’s super durable, and it’s portable to boot.

First off, the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler is a 45-quart cooler, so it is somewhere between the first two we reviewed, in terms of size.

This cooler can fit ice plus at least 30 beers, probably even a few more yet.

It’s not the largest cooler in the world, but more than large enough to take some brews on a day-long fishing trip or for a night of camping.

It’s a good cooler for a few people and a few dozen beers, or whatever else you plan on putting inside it.

Although it’s not huge, the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler is on the other hand very portable.

It’s not overly heavy and it comes with high-quality side handles for easy carrying.

It’s also worth noting that this model comes with an easy push water drain system in the bottom so you can quickly and easily drain off melted ice.

Perhaps one of the most impressive features of the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler is that it can keep ice frozen for up to 10 days.

This is thanks to the thick and well-insulated walls, as well as the marine-grade lid gasket for a 100% solid seal.

The latches are solid too, and they even lock to ensure that the cooler stays closed at all times.

Let’s not forget that the exterior of the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler is about as tough and durable as it gets.

This particular model is actually regarded as one of the toughest coolers out on the market at this time.

Now, it’s not rated as being bear-proof, but unless a hungry grizzly is involved, this cooler should stand up to some rough treatment.

The good part about the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler is, well mostly everything as far as we are concerned.

This cooler is large enough to fit a substantial amount of contents, yet is still compact and lightweight enough to be portable, thanks to the integrated handles.

Let’s not forget just how tough this cooler is, plus it can keep your beers frosty for 10 days.

Something we don’t appreciate when it comes to the Pelican Products Progear Elite Cooler is the price tag.

When all is said and done, you’ll spend over $400 on this cooler.

• Keeps contents cold for up to 10 days
• Extremely durable
• Quite portable
• Easy to drain
• Marine-grade gasket
• Very big price tag

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Igloo Yukon Cold Locker Cooler

Ok, so here we have what is so far the largest cooler on our list.

This one is absolutely massive, it’s made tough, and it’s designed to keep contents frozen for days.

Considering how large and high quality this cooler is, it’s quite surprising that it doesn’t have a higher price tag, especially when compared with the other models reviewed.

When it comes to highlights, one of the big ones here is that this cooler features a whopping 70-quart interior.

It also comes in a 50-quart model, but who wants to talk about that?!

The 70-quart model is huge, and it’s got enough room to fit a couple dozen pounds of ice and somewhere around 75 beers.

Now, what’s interesting to note is that the lid comes with a fish size scale on it, which implies that this cooler is designed for fisherman who need to keep their fresh catches cool and fresh.

Whatever your preferred use for it might be, one thing that you can rest assured of is that this unit has tons of interior space.

What is also worth noting is that the Igloo Yukon Cold Locker Cooler is made of very durable polyurethane.

It’s fairly durable, although maybe not quite as tough as some of the others we have looked at so far.

That said, this cooler features a 360 degree freezer grade lid gasket, complete with its own insulation, 3-inch thick heavily insulated walls, and a special tech known as Cool Riser Tech, which helps cool air flow under the contents.

All in all, you can expect this cooler to keep contents cold for around a full week.

The T-latch lid locks ensure that the lid only opens when you want it to, and this unit even comes complete with 2 spaces for padlocks, so you can lock it shut, although we would not qualify this as being bear-proof.

The great part about the Igloo Yukon Cold Locker Cooler is that it’s the kind of cooler that works well for big occasions.

Whether for a large family gathering, a weekend fishing trip, or a week-long camping trip, this cooler has the space you need to fit a lot of food and drinks, and the ability to keep everything cool for a long time.

Let’s not forget that the price tag isn’t even that high, all things considered.

What needs to be said is that the Igloo Yukon Cold Locker Cooler is of course very large and heavy, both things which definitely limit portability.

On a side note, the drain is not the best and has been known to leak at times.

• Tons of space
• Keeps contents cool for up to 1 week
• Carrying handles
• Quite durable
• Comparatively affordable
• Some drainage/leakage issues
• Limited portability

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ENGEL ENG65 High Performance Cooler

Here we have what is by far the most expensive cooler on the list today, nearly $500.

That said, in terms of ice retention and keeping the contents cold, you can expect about 2 weeks out of this cooler, which in this regard makes it one of the very best out there, plus it has some other nice features worth mentioning as well.

One of the things worth mentioning right off the bat is that the ENGEL ENG65 High Performance Cooler is certified bear-proof.

This unit has been rotationally molded with 2 inches of high-density polyurethane insulation, and an outer shell that is about as tough as it gets.

It comes with solid dual latches, and it can be locked shut with 2 locks as well.

All in all, when it comes to dealing with hungry animals, the ENGEL ENG65 High Performance Cooler is your best bet at keeping them away from your food.

The ENGEL ENG65 High Performance Cooler also features marine-grade adjustable compression latches and a totally airtight silicone gasket, both of which work towards keeping the contents as cool for as long as possible.

It comes with carrying handles, and surprisingly enough, considering its size and capacity, it’s not all that heavy.

We also appreciate the non-marking and non-slip rubber feet.

Not only is this cooler super tough and nearly indestructible, but it is also one of the best in its class for overall ice retention.

Thanks to the special closed-cell construction, you can expect ice to stay completely frozen for up to 10 or even 14 days.

In terms of size, this is a 58-quart cooler, so it can fit quite a bit, up to 90 cans of beer plus more than enough ice.

It’s too large to make it a lunch cooler for work, but it comes in at the perfect size for a full day beach or fishing trip, or even for camping too.

Without a shadow of a doubt, when it comes to quality and functionality, the ENGEL ENG65 High Performance Cooler is by far one the best options your money can buy.

Being fully certified bear-proof and being able to keep contents cool for nearly two weeks are its standout features.

What could definitely use some improvement here is the price.

Let’s face it, $500+ is a lot to pay for a cooler.

Other than the steep price, there’s really nothing critical we can say about the ENGEL ENG65 High Performance Cooler.

• Awesome ice retention
• Incredible durability
• Bear proof
• Very nice feet
• Adjustable pressure latches
• Very expensive

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Cooler Buyer’s Guide

Before you buy any old cooler you can get your hands on, there are a few important aspects to keep in mind.

Insulation and Wall Thickness

One of the most important features to look for with any cooler is what the insulation is like.

Most high-quality coolers are often made with high-density polyurethane insulation, or something similar, which is what you should be looking for.

Here, you also want to make sure that the walls are at least 2 inches thick, if not 3 inches.

The thicker the walls and the higher quality the insulation, the longer the contents will stay cool.

Cooler Outer Shell

Another important component of any cooler is the outer shell, which is going to provide the durability.

All of the coolers we reviewed today are made out of high-quality polyethylene or something similar, and they all feature a roto-molded construction.

If you want a cooler that will stay in one piece for years, this is what you should look for.

Handles, Weight, and Portability

The weight, the type of handles, and whether or not the cooler in question comes with wheels are all aspects to pay attention to as well.

Simply put, if you are in the market for something smaller and highly portable, make sure to get a lightweight option, possibly with wheels.

However, keep in mind that high-capacity coolers with top-notch insulation are often going to be quite hefty.

Cooler Capacity

Another important factor to look out for is how much the cooler in question can fit.

If you need something to bring lunch to work, a 15- or 20-quart model should do.

For a full day trip to the beach, maybe a 40-quart model would be ideal.

If you need something for a week-long camping trip, you will probably want to look for something that can hold 60 quarts or more.

Sealing, Locking, and Bear Proofing

An important aspect to look for is that the cooler in question comes with a high-grade gasket that seals the lid 100%, thus making it airtight and allowing for maximum ice retention.

On that same note, you should also look for something that has locking latches, even locking and adjustable pressure latches combined with holes for padlocks — anything and everything possible to ensure that the unit is sealed.

The best models will be labeled as bear-proof, which you want if you plan on camping in the woods.

Drainage

On a side note, a cooler with a drain in the bottom is always ideal.

You need to drain melted ice, and the easiest way to do this is a with a handy drain located at the bottom of the cooler.

Price and Warranty

Finally,  pay attention to your budget, because as you can see, some of these coolers can cost as much as $500 or more.

Also, if you spend that much on a cooler, ensure that it has a good warranty.

Some of the models we reviewed today have warranties that last as long as 10 years.

What are the Best Coolers Like Yeti

Ozark Trail Tumbler Review – Walmart’s Version of Yeti Tumbler

When all is said and done, it’s hard for us to make an exact recommendation here.

Which cooler you choose to go with is going to depend on the capacity you require.

In terms of ice retention, all the models reviewed today will retain ice for 8 or 10 days at the least, and they’re all quite durable too.

What is going to be the deciding factor for you is how large of a cooler you require to meet your needs.

Updated: January 20th, 2020

So, you plan on going on a fishing trip, hunting trip, camping trip, a day at the beach, a picnic at the park, or anything in between.

Of course, to keep all of your drinks cold, to keep your food from spoiling, and to keep those beers frosty, you need a good cooler.

One of the biggest and best brand names out there right now when it comes to the world of coolers and ice chests is Yeti.

Yes, you have probably heard of the Yeti brand name before, and yes, the name is quite fitting seeing as Yetis are ice monsters, also known as abominable snowmen.

The name itself already tells you just what these products are all about.

However, all things considered, this is a fairly new brand name, one which many people have questions about, which we are here to answer.

Let’s go over a Yeti company overview, talk about what makes Yeti coolers so special, where they are made, and a whole lot more.

Yeti Company Overview and History

When it comes to coolers and anything to keep your drinks and food cold, Yeti is one of the most popular brand names in the world today, particularly in North America.

First and foremost, Yeti is an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products, as stated by the official website.

This includes products such as soft and hard coolers, insulated drinkware, and ice chests.

The Yeti company was started back in 2006 by two brothers, Roy and Ryan Seiders.

Both brothers were avid fisherman and outdoorsmen, and in fact, one brother, Ryan, started the Waterloo Fishing Rod company, which was then sold 9 years later in 2015.

However, being avid outdoorsmen, both brothers at the time were frustrated with the lack of quality coolers out on the market.

There was nothing that could retain ice and keep food and drinks cool for a prolonged period of time, which is why the brothers then founded Yeti.

In 2006, Yeti began manufacturing its first high-end coolers.

In 2012, two-thirds of the company was purchased by the Cortec Group to the tune of $67 million.

What is interesting to note is that the Yeti company stayed privately owned until October 2018, when it became a public company traded on the stock market.

Initially, there were 16 million shares available at a price of $18 USD per share.

In 2018, Yeti posted a revenue of nearly $800 million. At this time, nearly one-third of Yeti products sold are through Amazon.

Where Can Yeti Coolers and Related Products Be Purchased?

If you are looking to buy a Yeti cooler, an insulated drink container, or an ice chest, one of the best places to do so is on Amazon.

There are also other locations where these products can be purchased.

This includes Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, West Marine, and Cabela’s.

Now, something that should be kept in mind when it comes to Yeti coolers and related products is that they are not cheap.

Yeti is known for its super high-quality products, and that quality comes with a price.

It’s like they say, you get what you pay for, and with Yeti you do get a whole lot.

Although some of the coolers cost well over $500, with some of the largest and most advanced models coming close to $1,000, they are also some of the best in the business when it comes to ice retention, the length which they can keep drinks/food cold, durability, portability, and overall quality as a whole.

What Makes Yeti Coolers So Special? How Are They Made?

What makes Yeti coolers so special has to do with how they are made and what they are made of.

Yes, there is a good reason why these coolers are known to be the best in the business in terms of ice and cold retention.

Yeti coolers are made with roto molds, or in other words, through the rotational molding of plastic.

The cooler bodies are made by injecting hot plastic into a mold being rotated, thus forming the outer shell — a solid outer shell with no seams.

Now, this roto molding process is similar to injection molding, which is how most plastics are made, just without the included rotation throughout the hot plastic mold injection.

The reason why Yeti uses roto molding as opposed to normal injection molding is because roto molding is seamless, and therefore allows for much greater durability and strength, especially in edges and corners, where seams would otherwise be.

Therefore, due to there being no seams, there are no weak points in the shells of Yeti coolers.

Yeti coolers are also made with especially thick walls, often around 3 inches thick, and they always come with high-quality insulation, particularly polyurethane.

At the same time, the exterior of these Yeti coolers is usually covered in polyethylene to assist with cold retention and to keep outside heat from creeping in.

Most Yeti coolers also come with special freezer-grade sealing gaskets in the lid to ensure an airtight seal.

So, the reason why Yeti coolers are so popular and in demand, and yes, why they also cost so much money is because you would be hard-pressed to find a cooler that is stronger and can keep ice frozen for longer.

Simply put, in terms of overall quality and functionality, Yeti coolers and related products are some of the, if not the very best out there.

Related Content: Best Coolers Like Yeti, detailed analysis and review!

Most Popular Yeti Products

As is the case with all brand names, Yeti has some coolers and related products which are better and more popular than others.

Here is a list of the most popular Yeti products which have rave reviews.

• Tundra Cooler Series (75, 105, 110, 125, 160, 210, 350)
• Yeti Tank Series (45, 85)
• Yeti Hopper (M30, Flip 8, Flip 12, Flip 18)
• Yeti Roadie
• Yeti Rambler Drink Coolers

Where Are Yeti Coolers Made?

To answer the question of the day, it appears as though Yeti coolers are made in a variety of locations.

In fact, the information out there in this regard is slightly conflicting and confusing.

Yes, there are many people out there who choose to purchase Yeti coolers because it is assumed, or even advertised, that they are mostly made in the US. However, this is only partially true.

According to the official website, the Yeti Tundra coolers are manufactured in US facilities, specifically in Iowa and Wisconsin, but also in a facility located in the Philippines.

However, what is important to take note of here is that the facilities located in the US are mainly retailers more so than manufacturers. Most of the manufacturing and assembly does indeed occur in the Philippines.

The official website also states that the Yeti Hopper Coolers, as well as Rambler Drinkware, are both made in China.

So, as it seems, there are a few products, or at least parts of final products which are made in the US, but there is also a good deal of manufacturing which takes place overseas.

This is primarily due to costs and cheap labor, as it is much more cost-effective to manufacture goods overseas in less developed countries such as China and the Philippines.

What is also important to note is that while some Yeti products are manufactured in the US, this is actually all done by third parties, not Yeti itself.

Some of the companies which Yeti outsources its cooler manufacturing to include Plastics Professionals (California), Hedstrom Plastics (Ohio), Centro Incorporated (NC, Iowa, Wisconsin), Dutchland Plastics (Iowa), and Solar Plastics (Minnesota).

So, while some Yeti products and components are made in the US, it is generally done by third-party manufacturers.

Yeti National and International Manufacturing

What is actually very interesting to note about these Yeti coolers is that the company took a very odd approach in terms of outsourcing and the location of manufacturing plants.

Generally speaking, most companies begin by manufacturing and producing products locally.

Then, to cut labor and manufacturing costs, companies will outsource the work to other countries.

Here we are talking about North American and European companies who choose to manufacture mostly in Asia due to lower costs.

However, Yeti did things in reverse, as the vast majority of their products, mostly coolers, were built overseas in low-cost countries right from the beginning.

This brand name then became increasingly popular, with demand skyrocketing.

The demand for these quality coolers became very high in a limited amount of time, but there were many people who would have preferred if the products were manufactured locally.

It was thought that local manufacturing in the US could serve to further improve the quality of the products.

Therefore, over the course of a few years, the Yeti Company decided to source the manufacturing of its coolers to various US-based third-party manufacturers, the various companies listed in the final paragraph of the above section.

Advantages of Yeti Coolers

Let’s just quickly cover why exactly these coolers are as popular as they are and what makes them the best in the business.

Yeti coolers are well known for their great ice and cold retention abilities.

Even the lower tier of Yeti coolers will keep ice frozen for at least 5 days.

The best Yeti coolers out there can retain ice for up to 10 days, and in some cases for up to 2 weeks.

There are few, if any other coolers out there which can match the durability of Yeti coolers.

Due to their special roto molding manufacturing process, along with the high-quality materials used, these are some of the toughest and longest-lasting coolers out there.

Although there are some very large Yeti coolers, for the most part they are all made to be portable, usually always coming complete with handles and other useful features, such as rubber feet and drains.

There is also the fact that Yeti coolers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, types, as well as hard and soft shell versions too.

Whatever your needs might be, there should be a Yeti cooler to meet them.

Yeti Coolers Conclusion

The bottom line is that there are very few, if any other brand names out there that can match the overall quality and efficiency of Yeti coolers.

Sure, they might be a bit pricey for some, but with the ability to retain ice and keep goods cool for 10 days or more, with a solid shell, and a great level of portability, Yeti coolers seem to be well worth the investment.

They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, they last for years, and don’t forget that Yeti also makes other products such as cooler bags, insulated drinkware, and more.

Related Articles:

• Ozark Trail Tumbler Review – Walmart’s Version of Yeti Tumbler
• Review of Yeti Tumbler vs Ozark Trail: Which is of Better Value?

Updated: January 21st, 2020

EcoVessel Water Bottles – While there are many excellent reusable water bottles available, EcoVessel water bottles stand out for many reasons.

Living in the dry southwest, our family brings water bottles everywhere we go.

It’s a habit, even in the winter months.

We choose stainless steel, rather than reusable BPA-free plastic ones, 98% of the time.

During the school year, this also means our kids bring a stainless steel water bottle in their backpacks each day.

They also pack water for their lunch bags.

They need water bottles that are reliable and easy to use for 180 days each school year.

We own many water bottles and have tried many through the years.

We have various ones for different circumstances.

In the summer and for outdoor adventures, we carry water bottles that hold 25 or more ounces.

For school, our kids bring water bottles that are at least 16 ounces.

For their lunches, they need something much smaller.

EcoVessel water bottles

We owned The Surf, and now we own two EcoVessel water bottles.

We wanted a smaller one for lunches and a larger, all-purpose one for everything else.

EcoVessel Scout review

One of our biggest problems has been finding an appropriately-sized stainless steel water bottle to fit in our kids’ lunch bags.

We had tried a competitor to EcoVessel in the past; however, the lid broke after a few months.

Additionally, while it was BPA-free plastic, we preferred stainless steel. It was also 16 oz and took up a lot of room.

Our goal was to find something smaller.

What we like about the EcoVessel Scout: 13 oz

The bottle’s size fits well in taller lunch bags as well as shorter ones.

It holds 13 oz which is an ideal amount to bring for lunch.

Easy to use

It’s easy to lift and open the drinking spout.

You can keep the straw in for no-tilt drinking or choose to remove it.

EcoVessel Scout Materials and design

This water bottle is made from 18/8 single layer stainless steel.

It’s not insulated but for our purposes, this isn’t a problem.

It’s suited for cold drinks, not hot.

Again, this meets our needs.

There is a wide-mouth which makes it easy to fill.

We like the wide mouth also because it makes it very easy to clean as well as dry out completely.

It’s hand wash only.

We are used to this with water bottles.

We empty them when the kids are home from school and rinse them out and wipe them down.

Like with all reusable water bottles, we air them out completely overnight to inhibit mold growth.

The Scout is easy for kids to hold and carry with the loop in the lid.

EcoVessel Scout Colors and designs

They have cute, unique designs which are suited for children.

What could use improvement: Lid handle

The lid handle is wide.

It’s four inches which takes room in the lunch bag but it’s not a deal-breaker.

Some may view this as an attribute as it’s handy for kids to carry it.

However, for our purposes, we just wanted something our kids could use at lunch.

Designs and patterns

The EcoVessel Scout comes in artistic, appealing designs.

However, being our kids are older, it would be great if EcoVessel would offer the Scout in bright solid colors — even more than one color, with stripes, etc. — to appeal to tweens and teens.

EcoVessel The Boulder review

This is EcoVessel’s triple insulated water bottle.

They advertise you can carry any drink, any time.

This water bottle has fast become one of our favorites.

It’s ideal for many outings.

What we like about EcoVessel’s The Boulder: 20 oz

Many insulated stainless steel water bottles that hold 20 oz (600 ml) are bulky and much larger.

This one is sleek and narrow.

EcoVessel Boulder Colors

There are many choices of bright, solid colors.

We own the Hudson Blue which is rich and vibrant.

We also like you can choose Silver Express which is not painted.

It’s stainless steel which means there isn’t paint to chip.

EcoVessel Boulder Triple insulation

The Boulder has triple insulation.

It will keep your drinks cold for 36 hours.

Being we live in such a hot, dry climate, this is a benefit.

It will keep drinks hot for 8 hours.

EcoVessel Boulder Materials and design

The Boulder is slim and fits in our car drink holders easily.

It also fits in our bikes’ water bottle holders.

It’s made with 18/8 food grade stainless steel.

There’s also a strainer for ice, tea, fruit, etc.

The top is easy to unscrew to drink from.

It also has a wide enough mouth which makes it easy to fill as well as to clean.

Like the Scout and most water bottles, this is hand wash only.

It’s easy to clean with a bottle brush, and the wide mouth allows enough air to come in for it to air dry completely.

We love that it doesn’t contain a straw.

However, if that is your preference, you can interchange lids with one of EcoVessel’s other water bottles.

EcoVessel Boulder Strainer

If you like using strainers to keep ice at bay or to use with tea or fruit, you will find this one easy to use and remove.

The stainless steel strainer comes with a handle that folds down.

Easy to use

It’s leak-proof and condensation free so you can carry it in your bag without worrying about anything getting wet.

It’s narrow and easy to hold.

There’s also a loop to make it easy to hold while hiking, etc.

What could use improvement:

We love everything about The Boulder.

It will be interesting to see how long the plastic handle holds up.

This is a flaw on many other water bottles we’ve owned: After a few months, the strap breaks.

The Boulder’s appears to be very sturdy.

We also like that it’s wider and thicker than other handles.

EcoVessel stainless steel water bottles

While we’ve only reviewed EcoVessel’s Scout and The Boulder, the offer other quality drinking vessels as well.

EcoVessel’s designs make it easy for you to enjoy a green lifestyle.

They also support Water for People, an international nonprofit.

(EcoVessel sent us the Scout and The Boulder for review. The opinions are our own.)

Related Articles:

• EcoVessel Water Bottles for Your Drinking Pleasure
• Best Travel Water Bottle for Kids
• Eco Vessel Kids Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Review
• EcoVessel Surf Recycled Glass Water Bottle vs Zulu Glass Water Bottle
• Best Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle ~ Top Picks & What to Know
• Best Insulated Water Bottle: Guide to the Best Bottles

Updated: February 14th, 2020

Bring your own water bottle – On average Americans buy 36.5 gallons of bottled water each year.

If we multiply this number with the number of American population it’s easy to see that we consume an incredible amount of bottled water each year.

According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, total bottled water volume continues to grow.

It increased from 11.8 billion gallons in 2015 to 12.8 billion gallons in 2016.

That’s an increase of 9%!

Despite people bringing their own reusable water bottles with them, consumption grows each year.

Bring your own water bottle

While drinking a lot of water is a good thing, we have to pay attention to what type of water we actually drink.

Buying a bottle of water might be convenient at some times but we shouldn’t make it a habit.

Each bottle of water we buy we harms our environment.

There are so many excellent water bottles available.

It’s easy to bring one with you.

It’s also convenient to have cold water whenever you want it.

The insulated water bottles keep water cold for up to 24 hours.

The packaging

The main issue with bottled water is the packaging.

Most bottled waters are sold in plastic (PET) bottles which have an alarming characteristic.

Once they are produced, they’re here to stay.

Through the production process, the components of plastic become unrecognizable.

This makes plastic non-biodegradable.

In the U.S. alone, we generate 79 million plastic bottles each day.

The majority of them end up in landfills, incinerators or even worse, in the ocean.

Why recycling is not the solution

Although recycling is the best waste management option, it is still not a solution.

During recycling, plastic is made into a new product.

It is reused but this process also requires a lot of resources.

Also, usually during the recycling process, plastic is down-cycled.

This means it can only be reused as a lower grade plastic than it was originally.

If we really do want to live a more sustainable lifestyle our only option is to reduce our plastic consumption.

What you can do

Living a totally plastic-free life is possible.

It will take some effort and determination.

On the other hand, we can still significantly reduce the plastic we use.

The first step should be stop buying bottled water.

Drink more tap water.

You can filter it if you need to.

You will be helping the environment and also save a lot of money.

While it is inexpensive in a case, bottled water can cost 2,000 times more than tap water!

Want to know more?

Take a look at the following infographic to learn more about how using your own water bottle and drinking tap water can benefit everyone.

Brincatti Travel Bottles Review

I’m always in the market for gear that makes green travel — and green living — easier.

The folks at Brincatti were kind enough to send me their travel bottle kit and a refillable spray bottle to try out.

So far, I’ve loved them both.

Here’s why I enjoyed using the Brincatti Travel Bottles.

Brincatti Travel Bottle Kit: Green Traveling Made Easy

It’s so wasteful to use the tiny bottles of shampoo that hotels supply, so I always want to bring my own.

Unfortunately, I’m usually reusing the tiny hotel bottles, which are difficult to fill up and end up making a mess.

Plus, they don’t hold enough shampoo for a long trip.

The bottles in Brincatti’s travel bottle kit are much bigger at 3 oz. each and have wider mouths, which makes filling them a breeze.

They even come with adhesive labels that you can add to each bottle for shampoo, condition, lotion, sunscreen, etc.

Each kit contains four bottles, three of which have flip caps and one of which has a spray top.

The kit comes with a TSA-approved plastic carrier, too.

The only downside to the plastic carrier is that there’s no room for other liquids, so if you want to bring toothpaste or deodorant, you’ll need to bring a different TSA-approved plastic bag that can hold everything.

These days, I have been using regular Zip-lock bags instead of buying a special clear travel bag.

Overall, though, Brincatti’s travel bottle kit is great.

You can buy one for less than a bottle of shampoo.

Brincatti Travel Bottles

Refillable Spray Bottle: Green Living at Home

Next, we tried Brincatti’s refillable spray bottle.

If you make your own cleaning products, you’ll love Brincatti’s refillable spray bottle.

Unlike many spray bottles, this one has a wide-mouth opening that makes filling it up simple and mess-free.

I love using it around the house.

It is 22 ounces.

I use cloth diapers for my 10-month-old son and had been looking for a way to make using cloth wipes easy.

I ordered handmade wipes from Etsy, but needed a simple way to get them wet right before I used them.

The Brincatti refillable spray bottle is the perfect solution.

I made a homemade cloth diaper wipe solution and was able to mix it right in the bottle.

And because of its wide-mouth feature, it is very easy to refill without having spills.

The bottle would also be great for homemade household cleaners, vinegar, or even a marinade for meat or veggies.

At under $5, the refillable spray bottle is a worthwhile investment for green living at home.

Brincatti Refillable Spray Bottle

These Brincatti Travel Bottles are an easy way of going green while traveling and while at home.

You will conserve and save on plastic bottle waste.

When you use the refillable spray bottle, you can be helping your own environment by filling it with earth-friendly cleaning products that you can make yourself.

Or you can buy in bulk and dispense it yourself.

Either way, by bringing your own toiletries on vacation with TSA approved bottles and by refilling bottles at home, you will become more economical and be earth-friendly at the same time.

Updated: February 14th, 2020

Best Water Bottle with Filter – Of course we need to think about what’s in our water.

It’s supposed to be the best drink for us, yet it’s often filled with harmful bacteria, viruses, lead and heavy metals.

The great news it’s fast and easy to filter contaminated water and drink it safely.

There are many times you will benefit from a water bottle with a filter:

• At home, work, school, gym
• Traveling abroad, local travel, hotels, motels
• Outdoor activities: hiking, backpacking, camping, RVing, Scouts
• Emergency preparedness and prepping
• When you refill from a drinking fountain
• If you live in areas with severe weather, such as tornadoes or hurricanes
• Basically, use it anytime you want to know you’re drinking clean water without harmful pathogens.

Best Water Bottle with Filter Review

• LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle with LifeStraw Filter
• GRAYL Ultralight Water Purifier
• Runner up as it’s not as versatile for travel but is the best for kids and good for everyday use Brita Water Bottle with Filter

LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle with LifeStraw Filter

This is a great leak-free, BPA-free plastic water bottle with filter.

• Best use: Great for traveling, hiking, camping, etc., as well as work and around town.
• Why: I like the option that you can drink water from a stream or pond as well as tap water. It’s lightweight.
• Capacity: 23 ounces
• Best feature: The filter will stop taking on water when it’s time to be changed, which is fantastic so you will know for sure when it isn’t working anymore.
• Also great: You won’t need to replace the filter for awhile. It will work for 264 gallons of water.
• Lightweight: 5 ounces

LifeStraw is an industry leader, known for quality products.

Their portable water filter and water bottle filtration system eliminates 99.99% of waterborne bacteria and waterborne protozoan parasites.

The LifeStraw Go Water Bottle is one of the only water bottles with filters that can filter water from ponds and streams as well as regular tap water.

It’s light and it’s leak proof too which make it ideal to bring on hikes, camping, and while traveling.

I love how light it is when empty, just over 5 ounces.

Like most plastic water bottles, this is hand wash only.

GRAYL Ultralight Purifier Bottle

This is the latest and greatest in purifying and filtering water.

It’s also BPA-free and doesn’t leak.

• Best use: Easy to take anywhere.
• Why: Purifies and filters water fast. I like that I can change out the water filter to a water purifier to use when adventuring outdoors in nature. It will work with any freshwater source.
• Capacity: 16 ounces
• Best feature: Takes just 15 seconds until you can drink clean water.
• Also great: This is essential when you travel internationally.
• Lightweight: 10.9 ounces
• How does it work? Think of a French press — you use your body weight to press down on it.

We love it because it offers great filtration and water purification (easily change it to a water purifying filter).

It does a great job of filtering silt and particles.

You can filter 40 gallons of water before needing a replacement cartridge.

GRAYL products are also exceptional at removing 99.999% of what you don’t want in your water, including bacteria, viruses and protozoa.

It also will filter dangerous heavy metals, particulates while removing odors.

This is also hand-wash only.

GRAYL redesigned this bottle to be very lightweight while offering the superior ability to remove contaminants.

Just a filter: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

LifeStraw also offers an essential item — the filter on it’s own.

This small filter is great because it’s:

• Lightweight: At just 2 ounces, you can bring it anywhere.
• Ideal for outside activities: It eliminates 99.99% of parasites and bacteria.
• Lasts a long time: One filter can filter 1,000 liters of water.
• Best feature: It’s just so small and handy and easy to take with you. There really isn’t a reason not to own one, even just for an emergency situation.

You won’t need iodine tabs or batteries or anything to eliminate toxins from any freshwater source.

This is truly a must-have item but know that this is just the filter, not the water bottle too.

Keep it in your car, bring it when traveling, RV-ing, hiking, camping or keep it as part of your emergency-preparedness planning.

It can be absolutely invaluable and possibly lifesaving should you ever need to use it.

Best water bottle with filter — other bottles we reviewed

Brita Water Bottle with Filter

• Best use: The gym, for toting around town, and for your kids at school.
• Best kids water bottle with filter: This is perfect for children who refill water using drinking fountains.
• Why: These would be fine for work too but have a more sports-look to them. Also good for hiking because they are lightweight but you have to bring your own water, not source it from nature.
• Capacity: 20 ounces or 24 ounces
• Downside: This isn’t geared toward outdoor activities or international travel

We like Brita products as Brita is a long-time recognized name in water filtration for the home.

One of their water bottle filters can filter the equivalent of 300 of the standard 16.9 ounce sized water bottles.

They are made from BPA-free plastic.

Great for kids at school water fountains

I like that I can throw this bottle in my gym bag and not worry about it leaking.

I typically fill it up at home and once again after my workout from my gym’s water fountain.

Who knows how often places service their water fountains, so this is a great bottle to choose if you or your kids refill at water fountains at school, the gym, at work, etc.

These Brita water bottles filter out lead, chlorine, and other contaminants for fresher tasting water.

They come in a set of two.

My kids use these in the hotter months during the school year, and say they are easy to refill at their school’s water fountain.

Bobble Bottles

We love products made in the USA and Bobble bottles are.

• Best use: The gym, work and toting around town.
• Why: Easy to take with me.
• Capacity: Vary in size.
• Downside: Can also take hiking and biking but need to have your own water source. You can’t use this to purify water from rivers and streams.

The Bobble with water filter is meant to filter tap water, and they do an excellent job of filtering water to make it free from chlorine and other common organic contaminants.

These filtered water bottles comes in a wide range of colors.

The filter lasts for 300 bottle refills.

Plus it has a recyclable carbon filter.

Bobble Bottles are so fun, cute and colorful.

I always get a compliment when I use one of the two I own.

Best water tumbler with filter

ZeroWater Portable Filtration Tumbler

You can also use it without the filter.

ZeroWater Portable Filtration Tumbler

This tumbler isn’t leak-proof but we love it all the same.

• Best use: Taking it from your home to the office, around town, toting in your car’s drink holder, etc.
• Why: I like drinking from a straw in the car instead of tilting my head back — eyes-off-the-road hazard — with the traditional water bottle.
• Best feature: What I love about the ZeroWater tumbler is that there is a color-changing indicator right on the filter so you know when it’s time to change it.
• Capacity: 26 ounces

The ZeroWater Portable Filtration Tumber can be used with or without the filter.

The only downside to this for traveling is that it has a removable straw that doesn’t seal.

You wouldn’t want to take this hiking, etc.

Otherwise, we love it.

It quickly filters water in 5-stages to remove 99.6% of dissolved solids.

Note, this is a water filter for a tumbler.

It beats other brands filters for tumblers for eliminating the contaminants typically found in tap water, including:

In organics:

• Chlorine
• Nitrate
• Chlorite

Metals:

• Arsenic
• Lead
• Mercury

Pesticides: Removes 14 prevalant pesticides

VOCs volatile organic compounds: It removes these as well.

So many times you don’t know if a filter is still working and effective.

This tumbler comes with the filter.

There’s also an option to buy a set that comes with two additional filters

Best Water Bottle with Filter Guide

When buying a water bottle with a filter inside of it, there are a few important features to consider:

What is the water bottle made from?

All of the water bottles we’ve featured are BPA Free.

Many people prefer stainless steel water bottles because they trust stainless steel more than unknown chemicals in plastic.

I always prefer stainless bottles or glass water bottles when available.

What exactly can the filter, filter?

Does it only remove chlorine?

Or also lead or other toxic chemicals?

Note that the majority of water bottles with filters are for potable water, like you get from your sink or a drinking fountain.

Before you fill your water bottle from a lake or stream, check whether it can be used to filter microorganisms and toxins.

And be sure to double check the claims and do your own research before taking risks with unclean water.

If you’re going somewhere and you want to ensure you have safe, clean water, we recommend a Steri-Pen.

How long will the filter last before you need a new one?

There’s a big difference if a filter has to be changed after 150 uses compared to 300 refills.

Best filtered water bottle for personal water filtration

There are many filtered water bottles to choose from, but these remain our favorites.

You will be glad you have it whether you use it everyday or are looking to use it just occasionally.

If you are looking for the best portable water purifier for travel or for several people, there are many great ones as well.

We love the fresh, clean taste of water and like to feel good about using a reusable water bottle so using a water bottle with a filter is a good idea.

Eliminate the dissolved solids and other contaminants and enjoy water again.

Filters eliminate odors and improve clarity as well.

All of these are great choices.

When you consider:

Where you will be using it most often

Where you will be sourcing the water

Then you will be able to choose the best water bottle with filter.

Some will be more practical for you, depending on where you see yourself using the water bottle most often and where you will be sourcing the water from.

Maybe you want to use it everyday; it’s essential for traveling.

Or maybe you want one to be prepared in case of emergencies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have this in-depth guide for using a water filter to avoid Cryptosporidium.

Whether you live in a tornado or hurricane-prone area, are prepping, backpacking, or just want to drink safely, it’s important to have access to clean water.

These water bottles with filters are effective and convenient.

Best Portable Water Purifier for Travel

Last year, my husband and I took three months to road trip through Africa.

Visiting over a dozen countries in our 4×4 was no small feat and there were countless hours of planning.

While I am happy with how we planned and stayed on budget, there is one piece of equipment I wish we would have had with us: a portable water purifier for travel.

Instead, we carried 5 liter bottles that we bought along the way.

Thankfully, we were able to refill them when we stayed in places with water purifiers so they didn’t end up breaking the bank.

However, we saw so many water bottles littered in ditches along the way, we knew that we would choose a more eco-friendly option for our next trip.

Best Portable Water Purifier for Travel

We have been talking about another African road trip, so it’s a great time to start looking into the best portable water purifier for travel.

There will be four of us next time, so we’ll need something that can purify larger amounts than the water bottle size purifiers that are perfect for backpacking.

3 of our favorite Water Filters:

First Need XL Water Purifier

We used this while traveling with Peace Corps members in Namibia.

While living in rural Uganda, they used the First Need Water Purifier to purify rainwater that they collected outside of their hut.

After getting stuck in Dead Vlei and running out of drinking water, we were thankful that they had their purifier with them.

I like that this is chemical-free water purification and is certified to EPA Guide Standards.

It also removed dirt and unpleasant tastes, which is a huge plus for drinking water.

It purifies quickly, which is helpful while traveling.

The original purifier will clean 150 gallons of water before needing to be replaced.

MSR SweetWater Water Purifier System

This MSR purifier uses Chlorine-based purification, without the iodine taste.

This is probably one of the easiest pumps to use—it’s quick, which is helpful when you are pumping drinking water.

This would be great for an overland trip, but it is also pretty lightweight, so it could be used for backpacking as well.

This is a little bit different than the First Need Water Purifier because it uses drops to treat the water.

So, each filter can treat up to 200 gallons, and each 2-ounce bottle treats 80 gallons of water.

The MSR SweetWater Water Purification System comes with the drops.

Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Filter

Unlike the first two purifiers, this Katadyn water filter is not a purifier.

So even though the water will be safe to drink, it may still have some unpleasant taste.

However, I like this particular water filter because does have a glass-fiber element inside that does help to improve the taste of water without chemicals.

This Katadyn water filter is easy to clean — you just have to swish the filter in water.

It also has a handy water bottle adapter, which can be really helpful.

I appreciate that this filter does not use any chemicals so there is no chemical aftertaste.

It also can filter the most water per filter — depending on the water quality, the Katadyn Hiker PRO can filter up to 1150 liters.

LIFESAVER Systems Filtration Water Bottle

This is my all time FAVORITE!!!

Any of these portable water filters can be lifesavers and are great to have, even if you’re not planning a trip out of the country.

Mavea Water Pitcher Review: Stylish and Effective

Carbon filter pitchers are one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to eliminate harmful contaminants from your tap water.

For years, I relied on my trusty Brita pitcher, but when it cracked, I decided to branch out.

The folks at Mavea were kind enough to send me an Elemaris XL to try out.

It’s attractive, effective, easy to use, and holds a lot of water.

As we all know by now, it’s a good idea to avoid bottled water — it’s terrible for the environment and is often just tap water in disguise.

A countertop carbon filter pitcher like the Mavea Elemaris XL is an excellent, sustainable way to avoid bottled water and make sure your water is healthy.

My green Mavea Elemaris XL pitcher

Mavea Water Pitcher Review : Elemaris XL

I’ve been using my Mavea Elemaris XL pitcher every day for a few months and I really like it.

Here are my favorite features and the one downside I’ve found.

Removes Many Harmful Contaminants

As you know if you’re a regular reader, we’re all about healthy water and healthy water bottles.

Tap water sometimes gets a bad rap, but the truth is, many of the harmful chemicals and pollutants in your water can be easily removed with an inexpensive carbon filter like the one in the Elemaris XL pitcher.

The Mavea pitcher carbon filter reduces:

• Chlorine taste and odor
• Heavy Metals (mercury, cadmium, copper)
• Agricultural Chemicals (atrazine, simazine)
• Industrial Pollutants (benzene, tetrachloroethylene)

Holds 9 Cups of Water

I drink a ton of water every day and it’s a hassle to constantly have to refill a pitcher, so I appreciate that the Mavea Elemaris XL holds 9 cups (just over 2 liters) of water.

It’s big enough to hold a lot of water, but not so big that it takes up too much space on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Easy to Refill

It may seem like a no-brainer for a water pitcher to be easy to fill up, but not all water pitchers are simple to refill.

The Elemaris XL has a pour-through lid, which makes filling it up a cinch.

It even has a flap in the pour-through area that automatically closes when it’s full.

My recently retired Brita pitcher didn’t have this feature, and I’m really glad my new pitcher does.

Comes in 6 Great Colors

One of my favorite things about the Mavea Elemaris XL pitcher is that it comes in 6 fun colors: white, black, purple, green, orange, and red.

I generally care much more about function than aesthetics, but I use my water pitcher constantly throughout the day, and it’s fun to see that splash of color in my kitchen.

Part of a Filter Recycling Program

It may sound crazy now, but for many years the filter pitcher giant Brita didn’t recycle their filters.

After successful lobbying by environmentalists, the company finally started to take back their filters.

Fortunately, Mavea has a great filter recycling program.

They’ll even pay for shipping when you send your used filters back.

Learn how to recycle your Mavea filter on Mavea’s website.

Downside: Price (Especially of Filters)

The one negative I’ve found with the Elemaris XL is that both the pitcher and the filters are a bit more expensive than similar items from other brands.

I’m willing to spring more for a pitcher I really like, but the price difference in the filters will add up over time.

These filters are a bit more expensive than some other brands; Brita’s filter, which also filters 40 gallons.

Is price a deal breaker?

I don’t think so.

I really like the Elemaris XL’s features and, for me, they outweigh this one negative.

Interesting Tidbit: Why Haven’t I Heard of Mavea?

While Brita has become a household name, Mavea may not ring a bell. So why haven’t you heard of Mavea?

The short answer is you have — sort of.

There’s some interesting history with Mavea and what it boils down to is that Mavea is the current incarnation of the original BRITA brand.

Clorox bought Brita in 2000, so current Brita products are owned by Clorox.

The Brita parent company, though, retained its name — BRITA Gmbh — and now sells its American products under the Mavea brand.

A confusing, but interesting, piece of filter pitcher history.

The Bottom Line

The Mavea Elemaris XL is a nice, solid carbon filter pitcher.

It comes in great colors, is easy to use, and eliminates a number of harmful contaminants from tap water.

The one downside is that it’s a bit pricier than some competitors, but I think the features outweigh the slightly higher price.

Mavea Elemaris XL is an excellent alternative to bottled water and I would highly recommend it.

Glass Brita Pitcher

Glass Brita Pitcher

I’ve long been interested in finding a Brita pitcher made from glass.

You can’t buy any glass pitchers with a built in filter in the United States, but Brita makes a version sold in the UK.

You can buy the glass Brita pitcher on Amazon.

While expensive, it’s the only place you can buy one, unless you’re headed to England.

Photo credit: brianandjaclyn

Related Contents:

• How to Choose Healthy Water Bottle – 34 Resources
• Best Water Bottle with Filter
• Filtered Water Bottle Review
• CamelBak BPA Free Better Bottle Water Bottle Review
• Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle Review

Updated: February 14th, 2020

Fruit infused water bottles – Fresh, refreshing drinks that are actually healthy.

Yes, please!

Learn about the best fruit infused water bottles and why they are awesome.

I never knew what a difference owning a fruit infused water bottle would make!

Prior to owning one, I thought that I could just put some fruit in my glass or reusable water bottle if I wanted some extra flavor.

I had been “off” of diet soda for over a year. Instead, I (unfortunately) switched to vitamin water and also started adding those sugar-free powders into my water for flavoring.

But when I finally stopped to think about all the chemicals I was adding unnecessarily to my body, I never bought them again.

Best Fruit Infused Water Bottles Review

Being I use reusable water bottles every day, it’s essential the bottle is easy to manage, won’t break, and won’t ever leak.

I also like when they are lightweight, and in the case of fruit infused bottles, easy to fill with fruit.

If they can be cleaned in the dishwasher, that’s a huge plus as well.

With all of these fruit infused bottles (), I love that I can create different great tasting concoctions based on what produce I have on hand.

Overall, I am thrilled with using a fruit infused water bottle and feel good about being so much healthier than I was before.

People use them for detoxing and cleansing as well.

All of these I tried have a twist top, not a flip lid.

Savvy Infusion Water Bottle

This was the first bottle I tried, and I absolutely love it.

Here’s what makes it one of the best infuser water bottles:

• Easy to put fruit and vegetables into it
• Holds 24 ounces
• Made with Tritan plastic so won’t break
• Easy to carry with the handle
• Twist on lid, so it closes securely. I’m never concerned about it leaking when I put it in my purse with my smartphone.
• BPA-free
• It’s dishwasher safe

It also comes with a digital fruit infused recipe book but I did not access it as I was making up my own recipes when I first bought it.

Downsides to Savvy Infusion Water Bottle

Something people may consider to be a disadvantage is that you have to unscrew and take off the lid completely in order to take a drink from it.

But of course, this is what makes it leakproof!

I use this while walking so it hasn’t been a problem but for those wanting to take a fast sip while working out on a treadmill, bike or stepper, or driving, etc., it might be a negative.

There are slots at the top which help to regulate water flow, which means water doesn’t spill out when you take a big drink from it.

The only real criticism I have with the Savvy Infusion Water Bottle is that I wish the fruit chamber went a little lower in the bottle so that water at the bottom can be more flavored and infused before I finish it.

However, this is typical with several other fruit infused water bottles I tried, that didn’t make this top 3 best fruit infused list.

The Savvy Infusion Water Bottle is a great bottle overall.

Advantage of The Savvy Infusion Water Bottle

The screw on/off cap works well and is leak-proof.

Love the bright lid.

There are even Fruit Infused Recipe Books now.

Design for Living Tritan Infuser Water Bottle

This one holds 24 ounces of fruit-infused water, and it too has a twist-on/off lid.

It also was completely leak-proof, and like the others, the lid has to be completely untwisted and removed to take a drink from it.

Overall, it is much more sanitary to drink this way in that you don’t have to worry about cleaning the spouts and straws like other reusable water bottles often have.

So I consider this a plus.

At the time I ordered the Design for Living Tritan Infuser Water Bottle .

This would be a great fruit infuser to try if you are not sure if you will really stick with using it.

Like the others, it is also dishwasher safe in the top rack.

Downsides to Design for Living Tritan Infuser Water Bottle

My criticism of this one is that the fruit chamber isn’t low enough to infuse the water at the bottom.

When I used this bottle, I found myself filling it up the night before and putting it in the refrigerator so that the water had time to become fully flavored.

It wasn’t that big of a concern though because it ended up saving me time in the morning.

The only downside then became that I use the bottle in the day and then often run my dishwasher at night.

So for the several weeks I tested and used this bottle, I found that I just ended up hand-washing it and then refilling it right away for it to infuse overnight.

Design For Living Tritan Infuser Water Bottle

Also made of Tritan plastic, this one has a rather narrow fruit chamber.

Depending on what type of fruit or vegetables you are putting in there, it may or may not be a problem.

I tend to cut up my fruit into smaller pieces to get more of the juice out but if you would want to put a large whole strawberry into it, it may not fit.

Advantage of this bottle: Best value!

FruitFused Infuser Water Bottle

Here is what I liked about this the FruitFused Infuser Water Bottle:

• Easy to put fruits and vegetables in it
• Twist cap that seals completely
• 28 ounces, larger than the others
• Not bulky
• BPA-free
• Made with Tritan plastic so don’t worry about it breaking

What’s unique about the FruitFused bottle is that it offers a lifetime guarantee, which is rare.

Downsides of Fruit Fused Infuser Water Bottle

Some might not like the very wide mouth of this bottle which makes it difficult to use in the car… not that we should!

However, it might be a negative for some who want to use it at the gym because you have to unscrew the lid to drink from it.

But it was fine for me and makes it that much easier to clean.

It also means that you can drink from any part of the rim; there isn’t a “spout” area from which to drink, so it’s like you are drinking right out of a cup.

I think it’s a great design.

Cleaning fruit infused water bottle

This one is also able to be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher.

It is important to rinse out the fruit chamber before putting it into the dishwasher.

Sometimes I wipe it with a paper towel or scrub brush, just to get all the fruit out.

I like that the fruit chamber sits lower so you can enjoy the fruit more.

It’s great for the water that is still in the bottle to get some additional flavor.

There was supposed to be an e-book with fruit infused water recipes but if I did get it, I didn’t see it in my email.

I’m sure in time I will be looking for some fruit infused water recipes, but until then, I’m happy using whatever I have on hand.

I just love feeling like I am drinking something healthy.

Advantage of Fruit Fused Infuser Water Bottle

Dishwasher safe.

The fruit chamber sits lower enabling the last of the water to capture more flavor.

Cleaning a fruit water bottle diffuser

What is very unique to these types of bottles is that they are dishwasher safe!

I absolutely LOVE this feature because I use my infuser water bottle most every day and really dislike hand washing something that gets such heavy use.

I also want to know it is cle

Usually, only a glass water bottle would be dishwasher safe, so this is really a plus given these are made from plastic.

Cleaning tip for fruit infused water bottle

It’s best to rinse out the fruit chamber first so the fruit that might be stuck to the bottom or sides doesn’t get “baked” on from the heat of the dishwasher.

I always rinse whatever I put into my dishwasher so this is a habit already and not a concern, more just a tip.

Fruit infused water bottles smackdown

The results: The three of these are great products, all of which I would recommend.

I’ve used them with tea bags also, and they all worked well.

Any of these fruit and vegetable infused water bottles are a simple way to add extra flavor into your water without all the chemicals.

I love knowing they can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Sometimes I bring one of these bottles and one of my reusable stainless steel water bottles with me.

Fruit-infused water bottle for kids

I also think they make great gifts and that kids would enjoy using them as well.

So many times kids are drinking sports drinks and sugary juice boxes.

Using these could be the start of your kids drinking more water and getting used to drinking something without added sugar.

Why get a fruit infused bottle?

Good hydration is one of the most important factors for overall health.

Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to maintain a good rate of hydration.

The reasons are many.

Some people simply forget to intake liquids.

Others are too hooked on sodas and coffee to think of drinking several glasses of boring water.

Drinking fruit infused water is a great way to increase your water consumption.

When I finally stopped buying soda and powdered packets, I started noticing flavored water at the grocery store.

I thought, “It’s water! It’s got to be good for me.”

Some were citrus flavored, some strawberry and others were mango.

I bought a small case of each and enjoyed them almost as a special treat over the next few weeks.

But I really don’t want to fill up recycling centers with cans and bottles.

And these supposedly healthy drinks were made in a factory with added chemicals for flavoring and color.

Plus, it would be cheaper and healthier to do it at home.

Finally, for once and for all, I stopped buying what I refer to as “chemicals with water.”

Fruit infused water recipes

I started with adding some mint leaves and whole fresh raspberries to just a regular glass of water.

It was tasty, and I did it for about a week.

It made my water a lot more special: I felt like I was at a spa!

And I also felt good about myself for treating my body to real fruits and not chemicals.

Then I started experimenting with other combination of fruits.

Most of them just didn’t work well or I felt like I had to almost blend them ahead of time because the fruit was more than flavoring the water… I was eating it!

I didn’t want to be drinking whole pieces of fruit so I stopped adding fruit to my water altogether.

A few months later I noticed my friend had a fruit infused water bottle on one of our walks.

I had never noticed her using it before.

She raved about it and told me some of the combinations she tried, even with vegetables.

So I went home and ordered one on Amazon that night.

I was excited to try it to see if and how a fruit infused water bottle would be better than just adding fruit to a glass.

I already knew I loved the taste of fruit in my water and was excited at the thought of adding vegetables too.

And I was really looking forward to not having the fruit slide down the glass into my mouth.

I’m glad I tried these fruit infused water bottles because they made it a lot easier to enjoy the fruit flavor.

Overall, they were convenient, easy to use, easy to take with me or to drink at home, and simple to clean.

I’m hooked.

Trend toward fruit infused water

The recent craze for fruit infused water bottles is exciting as it means people are getting away from the chemicals in manufactured drinks.

These flavored waters are a wonderful alternative to syrupy sodas and diet drinks, and they are just as good for you as plain water.

Best of all, there are many fruit infused water bottles on the market which make it easier than ever to make your own delicious water and carry it with you everywhere.

No more boring plain water

One of the problems with plain water is that it isn’t always that exciting to drink nor is it something most people look forward to drinking a lot of.

Flavored water is much nicer.

It is somehow more refreshing and is something you actually look forward to rather than feel like you “have to” drink it.

Hence our recommendation of a fruit infused water bottles.

Healthy, chemical and preservative free, low calorie fruity water

Fruit infused water bottles allow you to add fresh fruit to your water.

It is really simple to use.

You just chop up the fruit and/or vegetables of your choice and put it in a plastic reservoir that is screwed into the lid of the water bottle.

Once you have screwed the lid onto the bottle, the fruit is suspended in the water.

Within minutes, the flavor of the fruit begins to infuse the water.

It is tastes wonderful, clean, crisp, cool water with a hint of strawberry, lemon, kiwi or any other fruit is divine.

You can enjoy flavored water that is not loaded with unnatural sugar, E numbers or preservatives.

Naturally that means the infused water you are making is very low in calories.

It really is good for you without chemicals.

It turns plain water into an even healthier drink.

Benefits of good hydration

Simply put, the better your level of hydration, the better you feel.

Your body needs liquids to perform essential functions.

In fact, practically everything your body does depends on hydration in some fashion.

Most of the time, you aren’t even aware of the important role hydration plays in the quality of your life – until you’re dehydrated.

Even a minimal amount of dehydration can mean big problems.

Dehydration may be the reason you feel sleepy in the middle of the day and it might be the key factor behind that pounding headache.

It might also be the secret behind digestive issues and irregular bowel movements.

Some studies have even linked dehydration and obesity.

With that extra weight comes joint problems, but dehydration can cause joint pain even if you’re not overweight.

In certain dry and arid parts of the country, it is essential to drink water often so that you don’t dehydrate.

When your body is hydrated the way it should be, all of its systems can function optimally.

You’re not plagued by constant thirst.

You may even experience a reduction in appetite, as consuming sufficient amounts of water helps you to feel full sooner.

Best of all, you feel energized and ready to meet life’s challenges.

It sounds good, doesn’t it?

Making a habit out of using fruit infused water bottles can get you there.

What is fruit infused water?

People have been making their own fruit infused waters for centuries using mason jars and pitchers.

The basic concept is simple.

Combine slices of fresh fruit with water and soak.

The longer the mixture soaks, the stronger the flavors are.

However, the flavor never becomes overpowering and could be described as subtle instead.

Fruit infused water is not particularly sweet, so it may be something of a change for devotees of soda and commercially produced juices.

Nonetheless, its natural ingredients and low sugar content make fruit infused water a nutritionally smart choice.

Best fruit for infused water

There are so many recipes for fruit infused waters.

Some of the most popular varieties include citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and limes.

Others feature delicious strawberries and raspberries.

Some innovative recipes combine fruit with fresh herbs like mint, sage and rosemary.

People who have an insatiable sweet tooth can look for ways to sweeten the drink by adding honey or agave syrup.

Tried and true recipes can be found on the Internet and in recipe books.

Of course, it’s also fun to experiment by making your own mixture.

Why drink fruit infused water?

There are so many benefits of using a fruit infused water bottle.

A lot of people have developed poor drinking habits thanks to the widespread availability of soda and coffee.

A caffeinated beverage might provide the jolt of energy you’re looking for, but it doesn’t last long and can leave you drowsy when the effect wears off.

Moreover, many popular colas and coffees have an abundance of sugar.

They’re bad for your waistline and your teeth.

Even diet sodas aren’t a particularly good option.

With the presence of chemicals and artificial sweeteners in their formulas, they often do more long-term harm than good.

Realizing the detrimental effects that cola and coffee can have on their health, many consumers made the switch to commercially produced juices and flavored waters.

The problem with these beverages is that they aren’t as healthy or as natural as they seem.

Many juices contain very little authentic juice, and many flavored waters contain as much sugar as a can of soda.

Moreover, no matter what your beverage of choice may be, chances are good that it’s expensive.

Whether it comes in a can, a bottle, or a cup, you may be spending a lot of money each day.

None of the drinks that are mass produced is as good for you as the flavored water you can make yourself.

Also, consider the container it came in.

You don’t want to cause more waste in our landfills.

Negative impact of bottled water on environment

These days most people know the importance of drinking enough water and staying hydrated.

This fact is borne out by the fact that sales of bottled water in the US have soared over the past five years.

Sales continue to climb with an increase of 6.7%.

From a health point of view, the fact that people are drinking more water is a good thing but from an environmental point of view it is not good.

All of the plastic bottles used by the industry have to be produced then either disposed of or recycled.

This consumes a lot of energy, precious raw materials and causes a lot of pollution.

Best infuser water bottle

Fruit infused water is the healthy, natural alternative.

It’s one of the easy ways to go green at home.

You will be better hydrated as you are likely to drink more.

Many fruit infused water recipes can help cleanse your system.

Maybe the real question should be, “Why aren’t you drinking from a fruit infused water bottle?”

Safe Fruit Flavored Water the Easy and Green Way

Fruit Infused Water Bottle – BPA Free.

Add Your Favorite Fruit to Enjoy Great Taste and Health Benefits.

Flavored Water At Its Best.

Get This Cool Flavor Infuser Today and Receive a 30 Day Love It Guarantee!

If you are looking for a safe, environmentally friendly way to drink flavored water, you should consider buying one of these water bottles.

This BPA free water bottle allows you to use fresh fruit to flavor the water you and your kids drink while on the go.

Learn more about water bottles here:

• Best Water Bottle with Filter
• Filtered Water Bottle Review
• CamelBak BPA Free Better Bottle Water Bottle Review
• Glass Water Bottles: BPA Free Water Bottles

Fruit infused water bottles make great gifts too

Ways to get more vegetables in your diet

As a side note, another way to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet is to get a NutriBullet.

At my house, we consume more produce than ever before after getting one.

We are wasting a lot less and getting healthier in the process.

These are all good things!

Drinking a vegetable and fruit-packed smoothie a few times a week is easy to use, easy to clean, and fast to prepare.

You can put vegetables in your fruit infused water bottle too, though you have to pick the right ones.

What more can we say?

Very rarely do we come across a product with so many plus points and so few cons.

Using fruit infused water bottles can help you to save money, help the environment, stay hydrated, eliminate chemicals, and be healthier.

Start enjoying healthy, environmentally friendly water at a fraction of what you would have to pay for sugar loaded flavored water and drinks.

Once you find the best fruit for infused water to suit your tastes, you will want to drink it everyday.

Also checkout our Review of the Yeti Rambler Tumbler vs Ozark Trail Tumbler

Updated: February 14th, 2020

Best Insulated Water Bottle – Insulated water bottles are great because they don’t sweat on the important documents on your desk, and they keep your water cold in the summer heat.

The best ones are light and not bulky so you can take them with you while hiking or on day trips.

Best Insulated Water Bottle

Here are our top picks for the best insulated water bottles.

My family used all of these for weeks or months, and some for over a year.

Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottles

Hydro Flask Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottles

I’d heard so much about Hydro Flask’s stainless steel water bottles and loved their vivid colors.

There are so many sizes, lids and colors to choose from.

I ordered the 21 ounce size for the kids and the 32 ounce size for myself.

Had I realized how sleek and streamlined they are, I would have ordered the 24 ounce and 40 ounce water bottles too.

Each water bottle is surprisingly small for holding so much water.

Ozark Trail Tumbler the Walmart Version of Yeti Tumblers

We ordered and are reviewing:

• Hydro Flask 21 ounce Standard Mouth with Flex Cap
• Hydro Flask 21 ounce Standard Mouth with Sports Cap
• Hydro Flask 32 ounce Wide Mouth with Flex Cap

Hydro Flask review

There are many great things about Hydro Flask’s double-walled, insulated water bottles.

They keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot for hours. Ice cubes fit in easily.

Living in the southwest, this is a big deal.

We carry water bottles everywhere.

In the summer, most people’s water comes out warm-to-hot out of the faucet.

Ice cubes are essential.

With many other water bottles, only crushed ice fits.

With the Hydro Flask, it’s easy to fill them with ice cubes.

This is especially great for when my kids take them school.

The water stays cold all day.

Even more than that, they are one of the few water bottles which seal completely without needing a plastic ring.

The lids screw on/off so there is only the cap, with no extra plastic.

Extra plastic is hard to clean and difficult to dry out completely.

There’s always the risk that mold will grow.

For our family, the fewer the “parts” to a water bottle, the better!

The lids interchange as well, so you can buy the Standard Mouth with Flex Cap and purchase the Standard Mouth Sport Cap separately.

Both caps/lids are easy to use.

Hydro Flask 21 oz standard mouth review

The 21 ounce water bottle is only a little bit wider than an aluminum can, which makes it fit in most car drink holders.

These bottles fit easily in their backpacks.

My kids have loved taking these bright water bottles to school.

They said they are easy to refill at the drinking fountain too.

They enjoy using both lids.

The 21 oz Hydro Flask is smaller than some water bottles they’ve used that were 17 – 18 ounces.

Again, if I could do it again, I would have ordered the 24 ounce size instead of the 21 ounce because the Hydro Flask is very streamlined and lightweight.

You can interchange the lids

Flex Cap:

This cap has a great handle which can remain upright or fold down.

It’s very easy to carry the water bottle by its looped cap.

Sports Cap:

This cap enables you to drink from it without having to remove the lid.

My kids like them equally well but the Sports Cap is more convenient for them at school.

It’s also convenient to carry the water bottle from the loop.

FYI, the sports cap shouldn’t be used for hot beverages.

Hydro Flask 32 oz wide mouth review

Hydro Flask’s 32 ounce water bottle also offers a wide range of colors to choose from.

It is available in the Flex Cap (which I ordered) and the Sports Straw.

Given this holds a lot of water, I expected it to be a lot larger than it is. I’ve owned 24 ounce water bottles that were larger than this one at 32 ounces.

The Flex Cap twists on and off easily and offers the same handle which can remain up or down.

The wide mouth measures just over two inches wide from the opening.

It’s great for adults; kids could use it but they may prefer the narrower bottles for their smaller hands.

The bottle itself measures approximately 3.5 inches wide.

Great insulated stainless steel water bottles

Now that we own these Hydro Flask water bottles, I see them everywhere.

It’s hard to miss the unique, bright colors, and the quality is undeniable.

These keep water cold for longer than I need them to, which is a good thing.

Hydro Flask’s stainless steel water bottles are made with 18/8 pro-grade stainless steel.

They are also sweat-free and BPA-free.

Like all insulated water bottles, you need to hand wash these.

It is important to always air dry the water bottles completely, including the lids, to prevent mold growth.

Hydro Flask focuses on the community as well by donating 5% of the net proceeds to the charity of the customer’s choice.

Hydro Flask offers great sizes too.

They have smaller sizes from 12 ounces all the way to 64 ounces.

We love the bright, matte colors.

They haven’t chipped or shown wear after using them for over three months.

Two of my mom friends bought Hydro Flask water bottles for their kids as gifts.

A third mom friend bought them and saved them as something special for when her kids began the new school year.

Klean Kanteen Classic Double Wall Vacuum Insulated

The Klean Kanteen bottle we love is 20 ounces.

It is stainless steel and has a loop cap. It has a streamlined body which makes it easy to hold while drinking and while toting it around.

Like the others, it keeps drinks cold for 24 hours and the bottle remains “sweat-free.”

It’s easy to open and close the leak-proof cap.

While we love a water bottle that doesn’t sweat, this one is great for several other reasons too.

What’s great about Klean Kanteen is the variety of caps and lids you can interchange.

You can make your insulated water bottle safe for drinking hot liquids with a special cap.

There is even an all-stainless steel cap that you can purchase, making it the only lid that doesn’t contain any plastic.

Klean Kanteen offers the choice of the best cold water bottle or hot water bottle.

Thinksport Insulated Bottles

Thinksport makes a 750ml and a 350ml insulated water bottle that is double walled and one of the more attractive bottles on the market.

These bottles are durable, and as long as you keep them forever out of the dishwasher, they will last for a long time.

Personal note: My sons bring the smaller ones (17 oz) to school and they are able to easily drink from them as well as refill them on their own.

They like being able to hold the strap which connects the lid to the bottle.

It is also convenient for refilling at their drinking fountain as the cap is attached and they don’t need two hands to hold it while trying to refill it.

For adults, the 25 ounce Thinksport is perfect for hikes or even to leave in the car to refill our other bottles.

Water stays cold in it all day, even on 100+ degree days!

Our family has personally enjoyed the Thinksport insulated water bottles.

They are easy to carry by the handle when walking.

Update: Since moving to the very hot and dry southwest, my sons (8 and 10) bring the 750 ml (25 ounce) bottle to use at school.

It’s become my go-to water bottle since moving here as well.

I can carry it easily by its loop.

It holds enough for me to get through my errands, etc. when the sun is blazing.

Lately, I’ve been adding my teabag in it for extra flavor.

CamelBak Unisex Eddy Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

CamelBak was one of the first to make stainless steel insulated bottles.

The Unisex Insulated Eddy is a little smaller than some other bottles, which allows it to easily fit in car cup holders and in most bike holders.

It’s their traditional Better Bottle with bite valve so if you already have a CamelBak and like the straw, this may be your best bet.

You can pick one up on Amazon.

This is a great one to use for sports or while exercising (and even driving!) as you don’t have to remove the entire lid to get a drink.

This is really important if you like to drink water while commuting. It’s a great non sweat water bottle.

Thermos Insulated Water Bottles

Thermos has a number of highly rated stainless steel bottles – the Hydration (18 ounces)and the Nissan Hydration (26 ounces), and the Nissan Briefcase Bottle (34 ounces).

The Briefcase Bottle is one of the largest capacities of any of the insulated bottles on the market.

At 18 ounces, the Thermos Hydration bottles are a great size and design for kids to bring with them to school.

Personal note:

My kids used them for an entire school year when we lived in the Midwest, and I used mine whenever I brought a water bottle anywhere.

But then within two months of each other, all three of our lids broke.

This was after using them for approximately 11 – 12 months with almost daily use.

We haven’t been able to find replacement caps which is a downside to these bottles.

Otherwise, we really love them and love the small, easy-to-hold design.

Because we used them so much, I put the stainless steel water bottle (not the lid) in the dishwasher multiple times a week and never had any problems with it.

This slim bottle is very well designed.

It holds a lot of water and fits in car drink holders and in the outside pouches in kids’ backpacks.

It even fits in bike water carriers.

The only downside is they don’t sell replacement caps for Thermos.

Sporting-USA Insulated Bottles

This water bottle from Sporting-USA holds 25 ounces, and is made from 18/8 food-safe stainless steel.

It’s vacuum insulated and double-walled.

Your drinks will remain cold all day.

Drinks stay hot for 4 hours.

This brand is a newer entry to the market.

What is unique about this water bottle is that it comes with two lids, for hot drinks and one for cold.

This is nice because usually companies sell water bottles for use with cold or room temperature drinks, not hot.

Usually if a stainless steel water bottle is able to hold hot drinks, you have to buy the lid for hot beverages separately.

Both have screw-top lids and are leak-proof.

The “cold” lid is a sports type with a flip up spout with a plastic straw.

It would be great for using for sports.

I’m not a big fan of straws and extra plastic in general so I don’t use this feature, and it works just fine.

The “hot” lid is also a screw top.

You take off the lid and drink from the actual bottle.

What’s great is that it holds 25 ounces but isn’t bulky or exceptionally heavy.

We like the lifetime warranty the company offers but don’t see ourselves ever using it.

When a water bottle is easy to use, you will use it more

Update: This Sporting-USA water bottle has become my son’s new favorite water bottle.

It holds more water which he needs as he doesn’t like to refill his smaller water bottles while at school.

At first, I gave him the screw-on cap which he used and liked for weeks until I finally convinced him to try the flip lid which he now absolutely loves.

He is drinking more water than ever because it’s so convenient.

After using this for a few months, the paint has chipped off, but that’s typically expected with all water bottles, unless they are the non-painted stainless steel bottles.

My son has the white one, and my husband uses their black one.

UPDATE: We’ve used this bottle on and off for 18 months.

It’s holding up but the paint is chipping a lot.

I wish this bottle just came in stainless steel without paint.

Eco Vessel Insulated Water Bottle

Eco Vessel makes a triple-insulated stainless steel water bottle called EcoVessel Boulder.

It’s a great size at 24 ounce / 700 mL. They’ve designed it for hot and cold beverages, and it’s sweat-proof.

It includes a removable mesh screen which you can use for a tea bag or to block ice when you are drinking.

I generally don’t use the screen because I don’t add ice to my water but it’s a handy feature.

We also like it has a loop, like the Thinksport bottles, which make it easy and convenient to carry.

In addition, EcoVessel offers the benefits of the Boulder in larger sizes.

There are a variety of colors at different price points.

• EcoVessel Bigfoot at 45 oz (1300 mL)
• EcoVessel Boss at 64 ounces (1900mL)

Please note, we haven’t tried or ever used EcoVessel’s larger vacuum-insulated water bottles, Bigfoot and the Boss insulated water bottles.

They also make an insulated bottle with a flip straw top and a non-insulated filtered water bottle.

Eco Vessel has a strap on it which makes it easy to carry.

The screen is a nice feature and is also easy to clean.

This also is a water bottle that doesn’t sweat.

Downsides of all the insulated stainless steel water bottles

Unfortunately, most of the stainless steel bottles should not cleaned in the dishwasher.

Additionally, most of the caps, with the exception of purchasing the all stainless steel cap from Klean Kanteen, are made with some plastic (BPA, toxin and phthalates free) and cannot be placed in the dishwasher.

This Klean Kanteen stainless steel cap is magnificent.

It fits some of the other water bottles as well.

While we continue on our quest to find an insulated stainless steel water bottle made in America, none are.

These are made in China, responsibly.

Best Glass Insulated Water Bottle

If you’re in the market for a an insulated glass water bottle, this one might be just what you’re looking for.

Sun Tea’s Double-Wall Thermol Travel Mug glass bottle, holds 18 ounces of liquid, and has a screw-on cap.

What I love about this one is that you can wash the “body” in the dishwasher as it’s all glass.

Glass is generally my first choice but I only bring this with me when I’m not going to carry it around a lot.

Glass seems the cleanest to me. Given a choice, I prefer glass over stainless steel water bottles but worry about it breaking.

This is the best insulated glass water bottle we’ve used.

Most other glass water bottles are only glass with a plastic/rubber case/holder… the glass bottle itself isn’t insulated as in the case of Eco Surf Recycled Glass Water Bottle and Zulu Glass Water Bottle.

Best Plastic Insulated Water Bottles

The Big Chill 25 ounce bottle is a 25-ounce, BPA-free insulated plastic bottle that fits in bike bottle holders.

My kids take these when we ride bikes. I like that it comes in lots of colors so we know which bottle belongs to each of us.

My kids love that they can drink it or squirt it (to drink or at each other!).

Again, I’m not a big plastic water bottle person so I never grab this when I’m walking or hiking.

But because these are so lightweight, I often fill an extra one or two of them when we go hiking as a family so that we can refill our other water bottles if necessary.

Trudeau has a 24 ounce and 16 ounce plastic insulated water bottle with straw.

It is also BPA-free but doesn’t keep water as cold as all of the other bottles.

My water stayed cold for only about 4-5 hours.

This is fine for me as I don’t like drinking cold water all of the time but most people buy insulated bottles to keep things colder longer.

How to Pick the Best Insulated Water Bottle

We believe the best water bottles are insulated stainless steel and glass water bottles. Here’s what to consider when looking for the best insulated water bottle.

Actual Size of Bottle

Because insulated water bottles have a double wall they are larger than bottles that hold the same amount of water.

For example, the .5L CamelBak Eddy insulated bottle is the same size as the .75L CamelBak Eddy non-insulated bottle.

If you’re looking for a bottle of a particular size (like to fit in your bike bottle holder) I would recommend the .5L CamelBak or a Thermos brand bottle.

CamelBak also has a Big Chill 25 ounce bottle. It fits in most bike drink holders. It is made with 100% BPA-free plastic.

We like this one especially because it is lined with material that eliminates bacteria from growing.

Bottle’s Liquid Capacity

Generally, insulated water bottles have double wall construction.

The liquid capacity is less than you can get with a similarly sized, non-insulated bottle.

Thermos has some good, large capacity bottles.

You can choose from a 34-ounce or 26-ounce insulated water bottle.

EcoVessel has an excellent 25-ounce, all-purpose stainless steel insulated bottle.

Know that many of the best insulated water bottles only hold 15 – 18 ounces.

This is fine for when you’re sitting at your desk and can refill it but not ideal if you want to use it for hiking or other forms of exercise.

Some may view it as fine because they don’t want to carry the weight of extra water, but in the dry southwest, we need to carry more water on our hikes.

Cleaning Insulated Water Bottles

The manufacturers of most of these bottles recommend hand washing only.

We’ve learned the hard way to always wash by hand because of the seal on most of the lids.

You want to be sure your bottle stays 100% leak proof.

The best way to ensure they are clean is to use a water bottle cleaning brush.

They aren’t very expensive, and you can use the cleaning brushes to ensure mold doesn’t grow, especially in the lid.

So, in addition to using a special brush, how do you clean your water bottle when you can’t put it in the dishwasher?

It helps to have a detachable drinking spout/cap and a large opening.

Remember, you can only put an all-stainless steel bottle in the dishwasher.

You have to hand-wash them otherwise.

It is extremely important to allow your water bottle to air out and dry completely to prevent mold growth.

For this reason, we prefer when there is a larger opening.

Type of Material and Where Manufactured

Unfortunately, as we’ve covered extensively while talking about stainless steel water bottles, there aren’t any stainless steel bottles made in the US. They are all made in China.

Oh, how we have searched for a great insulated water bottle made in America!

Therefore, if you want an insulated stainless steel water bottled that’s not made in China, you may have to buy a plastic water bottle.

Just make sure it’s a BPA-free water bottle.

Another option is to buy a glass water bottle.

We highly recommend that you buy stainless or glass because they are safe water bottles.

There won’t be BPA, a hormone disrupter, that you will find in many plastics.

Straw or No Straw

When we first started reviewing stainless steel water bottles, we didn’t like straws in them because they are difficult to clean and rarely dry completely.

Straws need to dry completely to prevent mold growth.

The best we have found with a straw is the CamelBak Glass Eddy water bottle.

CamelBak also offers a stainless steel insulated water bottle with a straw.

Also, Eco Vessel is another great choice for an insulated water bottle with a straw, and they come in lots of colors too.

We were on the quest for the best reusable drinking straws for kids because sometimes straws are beneficial.

Even for adults, like at work, as using a flip top or a straw prevents spills.

Using a straw is also a lot safer to drink from while driving.

Insulated Carrier

If you already have a stainless steel water bottle but it’s not insulated, there are ways that help to make it insulated.

You can purchase an insulated carrier instead of buying an entire new bottle.

These are made with neoprene.

Think of them as a beverage cozy.

The downside is that if you don’t get the exact water bottle brand and size, it may be an improper fit.

Also, most of the insulated covers are expensive.

It may be more cost effective to buy a new insulated water bottle instead.

These are reviews of the best insulated water bottles on the market today.

All of them make excellent choices, depending on what is most important to you.

There are a lot of features to consider when you are looking for an insulated water bottle bottle.

Being BPA-free (if plastic) and the liquid capacity as well as how easy is it to actually use, are all important to consider.

Bring your insulated water bottle with you on your vacations, when camping and when hiking.

Keep your drinks cold for hours with one of the best insulated water bottle reviews above.

If you are only considering stainless steel, read our reviews on the best insulated stainless steel water bottles on the market today.

You should also checkout our Yeti Rambler Tumbler vs Ozark Trail Tumbler shootout to see which is the best tumbler.

Best Insulated Water Bottles are:

• Hydro Flask Double Wall Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel
• Klean Kanteen Classic Double Wall Vacuum Insulated
• Thinksport Insulated

Updated: February 14th, 2020

There’s been such great reviews about Ozark Trail Tumbler and how it is giving the Yeti Rambler a run for its money.

Is Ozark Trail just as good as Yeti?

We say, yes.

Here’s why we love ours.

Ozark Trail Tumbler vs Yeti Cup review

In the Yeti vs Ozark Trail competition, there are many factors to consider.

• Materials used to make them
• Keeping drinks hot and cold
• Lid
• Ease of cleaning
• Price
• Size
• Grip
• Warranty

Materials used to make Ozark Trail and Yeti Cup

Both stainless steel tumblers are made in China.

They are made with food-grade 18/80 stainless steel and are BPA-free.

They are equal on this point.

Ozark Trail Tumbler Keeps drinks hot and cold

Both the Ozark Trail tumbler and Yeti tumbler seem to have the same high quality, vacuum-insulation.

They are both double-walled.

They both keep ice from melting for hours.

Even in a hot car with the windows closed (and I live in HOT Arizona).

In both of these vessels, your drinks will stay hot for hours longer than you will need.

They both are superior on this point.

Yeti Tumbler Lid and Ozark Trail Tumbler Lid

Both tumblers come with a lid. These lids are designed to sip out of, not to use with a disposable or reusable straw.

You will be able to work certain brands and types of straws in it but the lids’ designs aren’t meant for straws as they aren’t circular.

Yeti has a great lid on Amazon.

It’s called the Yeti Rambler straw lid (see examples) and it fits the Ozark Trail tumbler too.

It comes with a shatter-proof lid and a reusable straw.

What’s great about this lid is it’s meant to fit a straw as it has a circle opening.

I like how having this lid adds more versatility to the Yeti and Ozark Trail tumblers.

There is a notch to stop the straw from coming out of the drink but it doesn’t make it leak proof.

We love using a straw to drink from, especially while driving.

Using the Yeti lid that is meant to be used with a straw makes it so much safer to drive and sip as you don’t have to tip the tumbler up. I also like it better for work, meetings and on-the-go in general.

The lids from both Yeti and Ozark are great.

Sizes of Ozark Cup and Yeti Tumbler

I have been using the 30 oz Ozark Trail tumbler and the 30 oz Yeti Rambler for a true comparison.

Ozark and Yeti tumbler are equal with the 20 ounce and 30 ounce tumblers.

These make great gifts, especially for couples.

We have several of each brand in our home.

Ozark Trail and Yeti both offer two packs in 20 oz and 30 oz sizes.

Yeti Cup and Ozark Tumbler Ease of cleaning

Ozark Trail and Yeti tumblers are made with stainless steel which is easy to clean.

They aren’t porous like plastic tumblers so they won’t stain or retain odors.

The cleaning instructions for the Ozark Trail say to only hand wash it.

I imagine this is because of the vacuum seal; however, the directions for the Yeti tumblers say they can be put in the dishwasher, including the lid.

Score one point for Yeti.

I love being able to use the dishwasher to be sure it’s clean and for the convenience.

Prices of Ozark and Yeti Tumblers

Overall, the Ozark is less expensive than Yeti.

Ozark tumblers definitely have the advantage on price.

Grip

The only complaint I might have is that in the 30 ounce size, both are a bit difficult to grip if you have small hands.

A petite person or child may find the 30 ounce size to be a bit of a challenge to use.

However, this is a non-issue for me and will probably be for most people.

You will be happy to know that unlike stainless steel water bottles of the past, these insulated tumblers won’t freeze your hands when you have cold drinks or burn them with your hot beverages.

Warranty

In the Ozark Trail vs Yeti showdown, Ozark Trail beats Yeti.

Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand has a lifetime warranty.

Yeti has a generous 5 year warranty, which is longer than I usually use any tumbler or water bottle anyway.

Disadvantages of these tumblers

Neither the Ozark Trail nor the Yeti are designed to be leak proof, unlike insulated stainless steel water bottles.

Also, they aren’t designed for people to take them hiking or for kids to put in their backpacks for school.

Stainless Steel Drinking Straws For Ozark Tumblers and Yeti Tumblers (free shipping)

Generic tumblers instead of Ozark and Yeti

Update: We just bought this other Yeti tumbler (30 ounce tumbler).

This set includes a 30 ounce Kitchen Leaders stainless steel tumbler, a sliding lid, straw, straw cleaner, and best of all — the handle too.

We wanted to review a generic version to see how it compared to the now-popular Ozark and the legendary Yeti tumblers.

This brand is made with the same type of 18/8 food grade stainless steel as the Yeti, RTIC tumbler and Ozark Trail.

It’s kept our drinks cold for hours. (We haven’t tried it for hot drinks yet.)

It seems to be the same quality tumbler as more expensive competitors; you just aren’t paying for the Ozark Trail, Yeti or RTIC name.

The handle makes it more convenient to hold, and the straw cleaner is great to be sure you are really cleaning the straw, not just running water through it.

Ozark Trail and Yeti review

When comparing the Walmart Ozark Trail vs Yeti brands, you basically need to consider the cost and whether having a “brand name” is worth the extra money.

It’s true, Yeti is a forerunner in making legendary products, starting with their flagship product, the Yeti cooler.

However, if you are simply looking to be able to tote your drink while keeping cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, without using dangerous plastics, the Ozark Trail tumbler(buy on Amazon) is the way to go.

Related Content:

• Best Coolers Like Yeti
• Where Are Yeti Coolers Made?

Updated: February 14th, 2020

Yeti Tumbler – We can all agree that nothing beats a cup of hot coffee in the morning.

But there are things that can come in the way that may prevent us from sipping that warm beverage, like an urgent staff meeting. During those instances, you’d really want to have a tumbler that can keep your coffee for a long time.

There are many tumblers available but two stand out for the quality of their construction, durability, and function.

Here’s the Ozark Trail vs Yeti Tumbler review which explains it all.

Yeti Tumbler vs Ozark Trail

So which is best, the Yeti Tumbler or the Ozark Trail Tumbler?

Read on and find out.

Our winners Ozark Trail vs Yeti

Both stainless steel tumblers kept hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold.

Other great things are that they both fit in drink holders and are easy to grip without condensation.

Their lids seal well. They are both BPA free, insulated and vacuum sealed.

There are two big differences though, so it really depends what is most important to you.

Which is best Yeti or Ozark Trail?

On cost: Ozark Trail 30 oz Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler

Dishwasher safe: Yeti 30 oz Rambler

Here’s the Ozark Trail 30 oz review to compare with the Yeti Rambler review so you can decide for yourself.

Ozark Trail Tumbler review

If you haven’t heard of the brand name Ozark, then you should know that it is a company that specializes in outdoor recreation products.

Aside from the tumbler, it also produces and sells tents, trail chairs, insulated jugs, and portable fans.

Features of Ozark Trail Tumbler

The Ozark Trail Tumbler is a 30 ounce, double-walled, vacuum-sealed tumbler that is great for both hot and cold liquids.

There are two other sizes available—20 ounce and 12 ounce.

It is very much capable of keeping your coffee and tea hot for an extended period.

Most Amazon.com users say that it can keep their coffee warm for 3 – 5 hours.

But when it comes to keeping beverages cold, the Ozark Trail Tumbler is more dependable.

In fact it can keep an ice block solid for over 12 hours.

The Ozark Trail Tumbler 30 ounce version is large.

You will appreciate how it is well-built, with a clear lid that seals in tightly.

Its exterior is also designed well.

Plus it fits a standard car cup holder nicely.

Although the Ozark Trail Tumbler is not dishwasher safe, it is very easy to clean by hand washing.

This vacuum-sealed, stainless steel tumbler will prove to keep your cold drinks cold longer than 12 hours, and hot drinks hot.

You will be stunned at how long your ice stays intact as well.

It’s also great for smoothies.

Changing beverages won’t be a problem as there will likely not be a residual taste in the tumbler as long as you clean it thoroughly.

Definitely, the Ozark Trail tumbler is the ideal companion for your morning commute or outdoor adventure.

Yeti Rambler review

Another tumbler that you can look for is the Yeti Rambler Tumbler.

Yeti is a brand recognized for its coolers, and it refers to the Rambler Tumbler as its personal drink cooler.

Yeti is well-recognized as it was the forerunner in these products.

Yeti Rambler features

It is made with stainless steel with vacuum-insulated walls designed for regulating ambient liquid temperature.

Like the Ozark Trail, it has 30 ounce and 20 ounce versions.

The Rambler Lowball is the mini version of the tumbler but unlike the Ozark Trail which is 12 ounces, it is only 10 ounces.

Yeti is dishwasher safe

The 18/8 stainless steel gives it a clean palate, and doesn’t leave behind any metallic taste.

The tumbler is also very easy to wash as both the cup and lid is dishwasher safe.

This is a huge advantage knowing you can save time by not having to hand-wash it.

As in the case of the Ozark Trail, you will also like that the Yeti doesn’t leave behind any residual taste, meaning you won’t taste the coffee you had in the morning when you drink water from the tumbler in the afternoon.

How long can the Yeti Rambler keep beverages hot or cold?

But the question that may be lingering in your mind is —how long can the tumbler keep your beverage hot or cold?

Let’s just say that the Yeti Tumbler can keep your favorite liquids hot or cold for hours longer than you probably need it to.

According to most user reviews, the Yeti Tumbler can keep hot coffee warm for five to six hours at room temperature.

It is very impressive when compared to your typical titanium mug.

The Yeti Rambler keeps ice for over 12 hours, which essentially makes it a mini ice chest.

Many reviewers keep raving about how durable it is.

Of course, neither of these will replace your best insulated water bottle, which can also hold more than water.

For one, you can’t expect to throw it in your backpack without spilling.

While the plastic lid fits securely on top, it may still spill its contents when the tumbler tips over.

The same goes for Ozark’s tumbler. While the lid seals in tightly, there are still complaints about the contents spilling over.

As such, you’d rather not use both the tumblers as replacement for your stainless steel insulated water bottle.

But again, these are different products for different purposes.

Yeti Tumbler vs Ozark Trail Tumbler

So the question is—what is better, the Yeti Tumbler or the Ozark Trail Tumbler?

While it cannot be denied that the Yeti Tumbler is a great tumbler for keeping beverages cold or hot for an extended period, it is also hard to deny that it is pricey.

It price starting at can be pretty steep especially for the budget conscious.

This is where the Ozark Trail Tumbler gets a lot of love, because it is very inexpensive.

You can basically get the same type of performance that Yeti Tumbler can give you but get two of them for the same price.

Walmart’s tumbler is strong competition, especially if you don’t concern yourself with labels and brand names.

In the Ozark Trail v Yeti face off, their design and performance are almost the same.

In fact, when you place the Ozark and the Yeti tumblers next to each other, you would have a hard time figuring out the differences.

The only difference is the logo. The shape and weight of both tumblers are very much the same.

Both have interchangeable lids

More surprisingly, their lids are interchangeable.

You can use the lid of the Ozark to seal the Yeti tumbler, and vice versa.

This is great if you want to have replacement lids.

You might as well get the less expensive lid.

Both keep drinks cold and hot

The two tumblers are also very good in keeping beverage cold.

Most online reviews indicate that it can keep ice for more than 12 hours.

When it comes to hot beverages, you can count on these tumblers to keep your coffee or tea warm for more than five hours.

According to The Wall St. Journal, in terms of maintenance, Yeti Tumblers seem to have an upper hand over its competition as the Yeti is dishwasher safe.

Ozark Trail tumblers are not dishwasher safe thus you will have to clean it the traditional way which is by hand washing.

Made in America?

Unfortunately, like most all water bottles and tumblers, they are made in China.

Neither win in the Ozark Trail vs Yeti decision.

Related Content: Made in America, is the quality better?

Tumbler Warranty

Yeti comes with a three year limited warranty but Ozark Trail tops it with a lifetime warranty.

After considering all those factors, it is easy to say that the Ozark Trail tumbler at Walmart provides users with more value.

The Ozark Trail can keep beverages warm or cold for an extended period in the same way as its pricier counterpart does.

It is also well-made with a heavy duty body and a nice, stainless steel finish.

Both tumblers look very much the same, so it is a no-contest in this area.

Benefits of stainless steel tumblers

You want hot coffee and cold soda, right?

Yet if you have a regular glass in the office, chances are you won’t be able to enjoy one after coming back from an hour long meeting.

That’s why tumblers are usually a fixture in the office.

Tumblers enable office workers to enjoy their beverages hot and cold.

Yeti tumbler

Brand recognition is a big one where Yeti tumblers. Brand names sell, right? Owning a Yeti tumbler Rambler is something of a status symbol.

In this case, Yeti products do have a positive reputation for their quality.

And while they became popular seemingly overnight, Yeti tumblers have also become the standard by which other tumblers were made.

This includes the Ozark tumbler.

Yeti cup

Yeti offers different products.

Perhaps most famous for the popularity of the Yeti tumbler, many people refer to their Yeti as a cup instead of a tumbler.

Whether you refer to it a Yeti cup or tumbler, it’s the same thing. On their site, Yeti refers to these as Yeti Rambler Tumblers.

If you are looking for more of a traditional Yeti cup with a handle, there is the Yeti Rambler Mug. Think of the Yeti mug as a stainless steel coffee cup.

The Yeti coffee mug has an easy-to-use handle much like a coffee cup does. These come in various sizes, including 10 oz, 14 oz, and 24 oz. The 10 oz sizes are stackable.

Note, if you want to change up your Yeti Tumbler, you can also purchase a Cup Handle for your 20 oz or 30 oz.

Ozark Trail

While Ozark Trail tumblers may not have the immediate brand recognition that Yeti tumblers do, but many consider them to be Yeti’s equal.

Ozark Trail cups now come in a variety of colors. When they were first released, the only option was stainless steel. Now, to be more competitive with Yeti, they have a wide range of colors and styles.

Yeti Pink Tumbler

Yes, Yeti makes a pink tumbler. It’s Yeti’s limited edition Harbor Pink.

This pink Yeti tumbler is to honor those battling and recovering from breast cancer. The Yeti pink tumblers are available in the 20 oz and 30 oz Ramblers.

Due to popularity, these are often sold out.

It should be noted, Ozark Trail sells a pink tumbler as well. It’s also available in the 20 oz and 30 oz sizes.

Which is better Ozark Trail versus Yeti

Okay, it’s Yeti vs Ozark Trail.

Because it is cheaper and practically does everything that the Yeti Tumbler does, it is not surprising that Walmart’s Ozark Trail tumblers are selling fast.

Whichever stainless steel tumbler you choose, you will likely find you carry it with you often.

Unless you really care about being able to wash your stainless steel tumbler in the dishwasher, the Ozark Trail tumbler is a more practical option than the Yeti tumbler.

FAQ about Yeti vs Ozark Trail

Is Ozark Trail the same as Yeti?

No. These are competing brands.

Ozark Trail offers a tumbler similar to Yeti for a discounted price.

Is Ozark Trail owned by Walmart?

Yes, Walmart owns this private-label brand name.

Why is Yeti so expensive?

Yeti has set the standard for insulated tumblers and coolers. In fact, they’ve set the bar very high.

Because of this, they’ve established themselves as the industry leader.

Yeti is more expensive because of the brand name.

How does a Yeti tumbler work?

These tumblers are vacuum-insulated.

What does that mean?

There is a layer of insulation between the inner and outer layer.

The tumblers are made from 8.8 food grade stainless steel.

They won’t corrode or rust.

People choose Yeti tumblers and Ozark Trail tumblers because they keep drinks cold or hot for hours.

They’re also leakproof making them easy to take with you throughout your day.

Can Yeti tumblers go in the dishwasher?

Yes!

This is what makes Yeti different from many other insulated tumblers.

You can put the Yeti tumbler anywhere in the dishwasher but the Yeti lid should always be on the top rack.

Is Ozark Trail made by Yeti?

No, Ozark Trail is not made by Yeti.

Related Contents:

• Where Are Yeti Coolers Made?
• Best Coolers Like Yeti

Updated: February 14th, 2020

Best Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle – It’s summer! With new products coming on the market often, it’s time to review the best insulated stainless steel water bottle available.

We chose the top brands to review: Thinksport and Klean Kanteen.

It’s best to choose stainless steel bottles — whether insulated or not — because of their all-around durability.

Best Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle wish list

• Made with 100% safe materials
• Leak-proof
• Clean them in the dishwasher
• No plastic components
• Drink stays cold or hot
• Easy to drink from
• It’s easy to carry
• Easy to refill
• Made in USA
• Not bulky

Unfortunately, we have yet to find a stainless steel water bottle that is made in America, although many glass water bottles are made in the US.

Additionally, most of the stainless steel bottles have some plastic in the cap, even if it is just the plastic ring which helps the bottle to seal.

Still, stainless steel is preferable to using an entirely-made-of-plastic water bottle.

Best insulated stainless steel water bottle review: Thinksport vs Klean Kanteen

We’ve tried many insulated water bottles and our favorites are Thinksport and Klean Kanteen.

Both of these companies give back with charitable contributions as well as offer superior products while making product safety a priority. Here are the pros and cons of each bottle.

Thinksport Insulated Sports Bottle review

We were excited to try these new Thinksport water bottles.

We wanted water bottles that were insulated and easy to refill so we tried the Thinksport Insulated Sports Bottles in the 17 ounce (500ml) size.

Pros of Thinksport stainless steel water bottles

Insulated bottle keeps it cold:

These bottles keep water cold all day.

Even on 100+ degree days, there is still ice in the water bottles hours later.

Now that it has cooled off and I’m not adding ice, it stays cold for hours.

When I used it for hot tea, the tea stayed hot for as long as I needed it to.

Made with safe materials

The bottle is made with food safe, 18/8 stainless steel (304 grade).

Thinksport performs extensive tests to ensure there aren’t toxic chemicals in their products.

No liner:

I love that this bottle does not have an interior plastic liner/coating over the stainless steel.

It seems safer and cleaner to drink from, and it is safe for hot liquids.

Two places to open it:

There are two twist on/off caps.

The drinking spout on top is smaller.

You can cover it with the mouthpiece/guard.

The second is the entire cap which has a wider mouth which makes it easy to refill and also to clean.

Easy to carry:

The contoured design makes it easy to hold while drinking.

When walking or hiking with it, we tend to carry it by the loop handle.

Leak-proof:

Both the drinking spout and the main cap are twist on/off so you can be sure they seal properly.

There is also a plastic ring inside the main cap to ensure it remains leak-proof.

The bottle comes with an extra plastic ring.

Double-walled; doesn’t sweat or burn hands:

I mostly use this to tote water, and I love that there isn’t external moisture like with many water bottles.

I have also used this a few times with hot tea and was stunned the bottle wasn’t hot.

Your hands will be happy!

Easy to refill:

While at home, I remove the larger cap and fill water directly into the bottle, not via drinking spout the way my kids do at school.

They need to refill their 17 ounce water bottles several times a day being out for recess when it is 100+ degrees.

It is easy for them to remove the covered mouthpiece/guard and refill it through the smaller hole.

This is great because they can use one hand to hold the bottle and other to access water from the fountain.

The mouthpiece stays attached to the bottle so they don’t have to hold it separately or put it on the ground while they are filling up.

Covered mouthpiece:

The mouthpiece can be covered when not in use.

It won’t be exposed.

Mesh ice screen/filter:

Until moving to Tucson we never needed to put ice in our water bottles.

Now we do.

This stainless steel mesh screen has proven to be a great asset.

You can drink without ice cubes falling out.

The strainer has also enabled me to put a teabag in my water bottle, as it doesn’t interfere with my drinking.

This is something I’ve never toted around before: iced tea and hot tea!

I love it!

Many sizes:

Thinksport has taken this successful line and varied the sizes.

Their Insulated Sports Bottle is available in 25 ounce, 17 ounce, and 12 ounce sizes and comes in a variety of colors.

Thinksport gives back:

10% of the purchase price of Thinksport bottles go to one of the following organizations: Pelotonia, Healthy Child Healthy World, Habitat for Humanity, and CureSearch.

Neutral point on Thinksport stainless steel water bottle

Putting in the dishwasher:

Our water bottles get so much use, and I believe it is easy to have bacteria build-up because it is difficult to thoroughly scrub out the bottles without a proper water bottle cleaning brush.

And who takes the time to do that thoroughly everyday?

Therefore, it’s a huge bonus when I can safely put water bottles and lids/caps in the dishwasher.

The care instructions that come with Thinksport state the bottles are dishwasher safe but to remove collar and strap.

We owned these bottles in the past and put them in the top rack of the dishwasher.

The paint chipped off of them.

If you buy one that is all stainless steel — no color, per se — this will be a non-issue.

But it’s near impossible to remove the collar and strap.

I have a hard time doing it so I haven’t put my new Thinksport bottles in the dishwasher.

I’m also not sure if it is advisable/safe to put the cap in the dishwasher being there is the plastic liner.

If you do, be sure to remove the silicone ring or it will melt over time.

We also experienced this firsthand from past experience.

What’s great is that Thinksport includes an extra plastic ring with each purchase.

Cons of Thinksport stainless steel water bottle

Plastic components:

While the cap is made from stainless steel, it is lined with plastic as well.

The mouthpiece is also made from plastic. (It is a BPA-free, safe plastic.)

Need two hands to open it to take a drink from it:

These bottles do not have flip-top lids which may or may not make a difference to you.

If you want to use this while driving or while exercising, you will need two hands to unscrew it.

Covered mouthpiece:

Even though you aren’t drinking from the mouthpiece cap, it comes in contact with the spout your mouth drinks from, so you have to worry about washing this piece too.

Paint chips if put in dishwasher:

If you opt for the stainless steel one without the color, this will be a non-issue.

You should wash the lid, mouthpiece, and mouthpiece cover by hand.

Made in China?

Unfortunately, aren’t they all?

Thinksport does perform extensive testing to ensure the safety of all of their products.

Klean Kanteen Vacuum Insulated Classic review

I love Klean Kanteen water bottles and their concern for the environment.

From their start, they offered high quality and safe products while encouraging health, sustainability and environmental awareness.

One of my favorite things about Klean Kanteen water bottles are the different types of caps that are available and compatible with their water bottles.

You don’t have to buy entirely separate bottles to take different drinks on the go.

Their Vacuum Insulated Classic comes with their Loop Cap.

It is also compatible with:

Sports Cap:

Easier to drink from when walking, driving, and exercising as you can access it with one hand instead of two.

Steel Loop Cap:

This is MY FAVORITE because it’s made from 100% food-grade stainless steel.

You can wash it in the dishwasher!

No plastic will touch your drink!

Therefore, this will be the first water bottle I own — and I own lots of them — that is made with almost no plastic (there is the silicone ring which helps seal it).

I love this cap!

Bamboo Cap:

This is my second favorite cap because only stainless steel, and not plastic, touches my water.

It is not dishwasher safe.

It is made from sustainable harvested bamboo.

Swing Lok Cap:

You can turn your water bottle into a beer growler.

Kid Kanteen Sippy Cap:

I wish I knew about Klean Kanteen water bottles when my kids were small as I always gave them plastic sippy cups; I cringe now thinking about it.

How I would have loved to buy a 12 ounce Klean Kanteen and used this child-appropriate lid!

I’ve enjoyed using the different Klean Kanteen water bottles I’ve had over the years but I never tried one of their insulated bottles.

Their Vacuum Insulated Classic is fast becoming one of my favorites.

I own them in the 20 ounce size.

It’s also available in 12, 32 and 64 ounce sizes and in lots of colors.

Pros of Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle

Some products are dishwasher safe:

Their website states the Loop Cap that it comes with it is dishwasher safe though I haven’t put mine in the dishwasher being it is made with plastic (polypropylene – pp#5, which contains no BPA or toxins.)

I’m excited to say that IF YOU BUY THE BRUSHED STAINLESS STEEL bottle, it will be dishwasher safe — my dream come true!

This means you cannot buy it in one of their awesome colors, but I really like to be able to put my water bottle in the dishwasher.

You can also put the Klean Kanteen stainless steel cap (sold separately) in the dishwasher too.

Vacuum insulation keeps it cold or hot:

Until moving here, I never cared about drinking very cold water.

During the summer months here now, I do.

I can attest that when I filled the water bottle with a lot of ice and then added water to take with me on a hike, I actually ran out of water because the ice didn’t melt!

So keep this in mind… the bottle will keep your water cold!

I used this to take coffee with me as well and it remained hot the entire time.

Made of safe materials:

They perform extensive testing to ensure their bottle are safe from toxins.

Klean Kanteen uses 18/8 food-grade stainless in their stainless steel bottles.

Ozark Trail Tumbler the Walmart Yeti Tumblers

No liner:

Because these bottles don’t have liners, they are more hygienic and easier to clean.

Only stainless steel touches your drinks so there isn’t an aftertaste.

Easy to carry:

This bottle comes with the Loop Cap which makes it convenient to carry with a finger.

It’s sleek, streamlined design fits in car and bike cup holders.

Leak-proof

I’ve tried their Loop Cap, Steel Loop Cap, and their Bamboo Cap with the Insulated Classic.

None of them leak as they all form a tight seal and easily twist on and off.

I’ve used their Sports Cap with another one of their bottles and it works well too.

Double-walled; won’t “sweat,” freeze, or burn hands

My older Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles are very cold to touch when I fill them with cold water.

I actually love this in the very hot Arizona summer, but I don’t like it other times of year.

These from Klean Kanteen now don’t feel cold or hot, no matter what the temperature is of my drink.

You drink from the bottle, not the cap:

Your mouth only touches the bottle, not the cap (unless you buy the Sport Cap) so it is much easier to clean and more hygienic in general.

More great things about Klean Kanteen water bottles

Easy to refill:

These bottles are very easy to refill, even when dispensing the water from my refrigerator door.

The mouth is wide enough to include ice (1.75″), and it’s wide enough to clean with a brush.

Lots of caps to choose from:

I absolutely love that I can have a stainless steel cap to house my water.

I strongly dislike plastic and so this stainless steel cap is a dream. It is dishwasher safe too!

Serves many purposes:

There is a size for every need, from your toddlers to the 32 or 64 ounce size for hiking or for your workplace.

And by switching out the caps, you can change your classic water bottle into one for hot beverages.

You can even convert your water bottle to a growler with their Swing Lok cap.

Recyclable:

I intend on keeping my Klean Kanteen water bottles a long time but it is nice to know I can recycle them in the future.

Lifetime warranty:

Their bottles are protected from manufacturing defects for life.

Eco-conscious:

Klean Kanteen created the #BringYourOwn campaign which brings awareness to the waste caused by single-use items like cups, plates, straws, disposable water bottles, etc.

It encourages people to “bring their own” and to refuse these disposable items when out and about.

Klean Kanteen gives back:

Klean Kanteen is a member of 1% for the Planet in which they make a commitment to donating a minimum of 1% of annual sales to non-profits that protect, preserve and restore the environment.

Cons of Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle

Plastic components:

The Loop Cap it comes with is made from polypropylene, a type of plastic (though it is safe).

Buy the stainless steel cap and this becomes a non-issue.

Need two hands to open it to take a drink from it:

Unless you buy the Sport Cap, you will need two hands to twist and open it.

Colored bottles are not dishwasher safe:

I love the colored bottles but they are not dishwasher safe. Buy the stainless steel water bottle if you want to put this in the dishwasher.

Made in China:

They are responsibly made in China.

We have yet to find a stainless steel or insulated stainless steel water bottle that is made in USA.

Safe materials in making water bottles

When we buy stainless steel water bottles I think most of us assume they are safe, but how do you really know?

You can be sure both Thinksport and Klean Kanteen test for the safety of the materials.

Through thorough testing, these companies ensure their products are free from: PVC, PET, polyester, lead, cadmium, bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, and estrogenic activity.

Yikes!

Who knew you could find all this in a water bottle?

Thinksport and Klean Kanteen have made it their mission to make products safe.

We’ve done many water bottle reviews as we are always using reusable water bottles.

Learn more about glass water bottles, best insulated water bottles and best fruit infused water bottles.

Looking for a water bottle with a filter?

Read about some great ones here.

Best insulated stainless steel water bottle

While trying to live green and make earth-friendly choices when possible, reusable water bottles are essential.

In some places of the country, like the dry southwest, people often carry water bottles everywhere they go.

We bring them everywhere during our usual routines, and we always bring them on vacation.

You never have to worry about stainless steel bottles breaking like with a glass water bottle.

It’s good practice to avoid reusable plastic water bottles.

Some reusable plastic water bottles, even when guaranteed safe from BPA, can deteriorate over time.

You should never leave a plastic water bottle in the sun.

The previous year, our go-to stainless steel water bottles were the Thermos Vacuum Insulated 18 ounce stainless steel bottles.

However, within months of each other, all of our lids cracked.

We weren’t able to find replacement lids, and I didn’t want to buy new bottles with lids that might crack again.

Best water bottle

I may have found my dream water bottles in Thinksport and Klean Kanteen. 

I’ve enjoyed using these brands before and wanted to see what products they have improved upon.

Both companies offer the best insulated stainless steel water bottle.

Read about Yeti vs Ozark Trail and easy ways to go green at home.

Best stainless steel water bottle

Hands-down, I think they make the best insulated water bottles.

We bring them everywhere we go, especially on vacation.

I can drink hot or cold liquids without burning or freezing my hands, and drinks stay hot and cold for as long as I need them to.

I can put both brands’ all stainless steel bottles (ones without color) in the dishwasher without worrying, and I can feel good knowing I am refusing single-use bottles.

Cheers to enjoying the best insulated stainless steel water bottle.