Green Product Review: Klean Kanteen Water Bottle
July 13, 2008 by Jennifer
Being that this is water month Peggy and I discussed writing water bottle reviews. This will work well for you guys because we have different water bottles. Peggy has a SIGG; which I almost went with, but I decided on a Klean Kanteen.
About half a year ago, the water bottles at our house died. We’d had them for years, and the lids were leaky, the plastic on one cracked, and so on. It was time for new water bottles. I thought I wanted a SIGG, but then couldn’t decide because the SIGG bottles have a lining I’m not crazy about, but Klean Kanteen products are made in China. If you start researching water bottles be prepared – there’s a lot of info to take in.
Kean Kanteen and SIGG are the two most popular choices; with literally online wars between the SIGG and Klean Kanteen camps. Seriously; it’s like people are discussing which college to choose. Beyond these two popular brands there are a whole slew of other water bottles to choose from too, so it’s a process.
I finally decided on Klean Kanteen because it didn’t have the lining and also I heard more talk of mold developing inside SIGG bottles.
Our bottles:
I got the 27 ounce stainless steel bottle with the loop top. My son Cedar got the 18 ounce bottle with a flat top. We both got basic stainless steel color; but had it been up to us we would have gotten colored bottles – they were out. The color choices are very cool though – take a look:
Pros of the Klean Kanteen:
Stainless steel and completely BPA-free – so no toxic chemical and nothing to leach.
Wide mouth so easy to clean and you can pop ice cubes right in.
Keeps drinks icy cold. No joke. Cedar and I go on pretty long walks and our drinks stay cold the entire time. If I put ice cold water in mine before bed the water is not warm even after sitting out all night. My son loves how cold his drinks stay; he always mentions it. I haven’t used mine for hot drinks though.
No weird taste. Our drinks taste just the same after hours in the kanteen.
Good size choices. I like the 27 oz because I know that I need to drink a few a day and I’m good. Also, it’s the perfect size for say an hour workout. I fill it, workout, and the water runs out in just about one hour. My son’s bottle is perfect for his smaller hands, and he drinks about five a day.
Nice design – not too loud. I don’t love logos on anything, but the logo on the kanteen is not so obnoxious. Super slim too. My kanteen fits right in my bike drink holder and when on a walk, it’s slim, so easy to hang on to. It’s also lightweight – (8oz)
Dishwasher safe.
No weird smells like some water bottles.
100% recyclable.
Decent price – I paid about $30 for both bottles.
Cons:
You can’t walk and drink. This is my number one complaint. The mouth is a little too wide, and a bit tilted, and the water comes out soooo fast. It’s a toss up issue though. If the mouth was smaller, it would be harder to clean, and you couldn’t fit ice cubes into it. As is though, I’m having issues. I like to jog, skate, bike, or walk and not stop to drink. Thus far, if I don’t stop I spill water all over. I should have ordered the Sport Drinking Spout when I ordered my kanteen. The problem here is that the cap is plastic, so why have a cup that won’t be toxic if the lid is? I don’t know what I want, but I guess it’s a non-toxic lid that’s like a spout.
When I hand wash, the bottle gets so hot; you could really burn your hand.
If you put icy liquid in it, then leave it out, the water of course starts to evaporate all over the outside of the bottle and gets everywhere – like on a table. This doesn’t bug me too much, but if you have fancy furniture and kids, it might be an issue for you.
The bottle is too slender for some bike drink holders.
Some people around the web note that their bottles are all dinged up and look scratchy. This sort of thing does not bother me. It’s a water bottle, not a flipping painting to look at. My bottle looks fine by the way, no dings yet.
Overall:
I think I made the right decision. I really like the Klean Kanteen. My son loves his bottle as well. We give the Klean Kanteen:
Five out of five happy trees. Mainly because it’s so earth friendly and keeps drinks icy cold and tasting fresh. Visit Klean Kanteen to learn more. Look for Peggy’s review of her SIGG bottle soon; then you can decide which bottle is right for you.
[Images via Klean Kanteen]
Hello SIGG Internet Customers,
Due to the incredible demand for SIGG bottles, we are forced to close down the MySIGG shop. We are also unable to supply any other Internet business for Sigg Brand. Our Swiss factory is working around the clock to produce and ship more bottles to us, but the demand has currently and for the near future – exceeded the supply.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/are-sigg-aluminum-bottles-bpa-free.php
Thanks for this post. I myself have be looking for something to become my continual hydration companion. My others are like yours were… wearing down, cracked, missing lids and etc. I was seriously considering the Sigg until I read this post. I hadn’t seen the Klean Kanteen before. Thanks for the info.
Shawna, Come back tomorrow for my SIGG review. : )
Wendy, I’ve quoted that same paragraph in my SIGG post for tomorrow. It’s OK though. They’ll be back around again soon. And I do think they are safe.
Wendy, I’ve noticed that message on the SIGG website. However, you can get SIGG through Amazon, reusable bags, and other places.
@Shawna I really like the Klean Kanteen, I just need the right top. You should read Peggy’s review though too – she did get the SIGG bottle and likes it.
I bought a SIGG hot/ cold for my husband. I was really surprised and upset to see “Made in China” on it! I had read on their website that they are Swiss-made, but there it was, right on the bottom of the package: “Made in China.” Uhg. I don’t get it.
On their website, Klean Kanteen has a defense of their production China. At least they’re upfront. My husband is sensitive to the taste of metal, so the “made China” aspect was not the deciding factor that eliminated Klean Kanteen.
Otherwise, the SIGG bottle is working out fine so far. I’m saving up and looking around for bottles for myself and the boys, too– not necessarily SIGG.
Jennifer, you can’t get SIGG through reusablebags.com right now. They have nearly the same message. But I think you can still find them at a few places online like REI.
Katherine, is it possible just the packaging was made in China? Mine didn’t come with packaging of any kind, but I didn’t get the hot/cold one. Mine also didn’t say Made in China. I believe it said “Swiss made.”
An alternative to Sigg and Klean Kanteen (hate the spelling!) is Thermos-brand hydration bottles. There are several models and they keep your cold drinks cold for 12 hours!
They, however, are also made in China.
Klean Kanteen has reached Sngapore.
Aluminium Siggs are sold everywhere, but, these stainless steel Klean Kanteens are a rare find.
We are indeed lucky to be able to buy it online in Singapore. Thanks to technology and proximity, my friends in Hong Long, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei buy their Klean Kanteens from Singapore. Of course, with a wait of 3-9 days.
l have a few Klean Kanteen Water Bottles. The only problem is the water does not stay cold even with ice. We live in the SW and have most days over 100. I’d love to find a bottle wrap with shoulder strap.