Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Edit/Update March, 2014: Some have asked about insulation. Sadly this is not very insulating. Ice added will melt at about the same rate as it would in a glass of liquid. The speed of this obviously changes based on the ambient temperature you're in. This means you're dealing with all the condensation on the bottle, so I seldom bother with ice. I've started crocheting bottle covers for these which definitely helps with that. As for hot liquids, I've never tried this, as I use the bottle exclusively for water. I don't imagine it will do well. As someone mentioned in the comments though, they make an insulated version of the same kind of bottle, which I also have. I got it specifically because of the hot Georgia summers (I don't mind room temp water, but draw the line at hot - bleh). Thermos Vacuum Insulated 18-Ounce Stainless-Steel Hydration Bottle It has all the things I love about this bottle I reviewed (spout, comfort, no spills, etc) and works as advertised. Some downers are that it only holds 18oz, vs the 24oz of this bottle and it doesn't have a loop at the top (for me this means I can't hook the bottle on a finger while carrying something else in the same hand, or hook it to something with a carabiner). If you need insulation though (hot or cold), it's the one to choose. Back to the bottle at hand... As for washing, seeing as I only use it for water, a quick hand wash with warm soapy water and bottle brush and it's all good. I've washed it in the dishwasher several times (main bottle in bottom tray and lid in the top) and it came out perfectly every time. I know others have mentioned problems with the little silicon seal in the lid that comes out. I've never had this seal fall out on it's own, even in the dishwasher, so it hasn't been an issue for me. I imagine the hand washing aids in this as well. I still love this bottle after 5 years of use! I've gone through a few due to the small plastic lip in the lid that clicks it closed breaking when dropped on pavement. This is the only place I've ever had a break, so it seems to be their main weakness. I'm also pleased to see the price has stayed relatively the same through the years. If the price is much great than 10, rather look for it in target. I also have the new version (The Tritan Thermos Tritan Hydration Bottle with Meter, 24-Ounce, Teal) I'm a little torn on this one as they have changed the bottle shape and footprint to round, the lid is smaller, and so is the spout! The lid flips open better, but now relies on a silicon ring for this. Also the water meter/bottle count is on the top of the lid and improved, but still not great. Overall it feels like a more streamlined bottle, but the spout change is verging on unforgivable. The clearest way to distinguish the bottles from each other is the gray button on the front. The one I love best and have reviewed here has a tear drop shaped button, the new one is a trapezoid shape. On to the original review... ------------------------- Being pregnant I've been trying to up my water drinking. There are so many cool looking water bottles out there with fun features, but I found I just never drank the water with them. The sucking, squeezing, sipping thing was more annoying than convenient to me. I eventually just stuck to the good old glass for home use and I'd have to get bottled water for on the run. ...Until I came across this beauty in target!! Before I noticed any of the other features, I was already sold by the spout design. It's an open spout like a water bottle - perhaps I haven't looked around enough, but I've never seen this design before. It is almost an inch in diameter, which means it feels like I'm drinking/gulping out of a glass and can control the flow of water simply by how far I raise the bottle. Then I discovered the other features: A Feature Packed Lid Here is where the best features of the bottle are. I'll list them quick... - You click the teardrop shaped button in the front and the lid pops open, revealing the spout (which sticks up about an inch from the bottle). - No need to worry about the lid whacking you in the nose, as it clicks back and stays there while you drink. In fact, I noticed they designed it to flow in one motion. Hold the bottle, then use your thumb to push the button and there is enough force in it flipping open to flip back and click into place on it's own. - You'll need a bit of pressure (but nothing uncomfortable) to click the lid back down, which is what ensures the leak proof factor and the flipping and clicking back thing. - There is an additional metal loop you can choose to put over the button which 'locks' it down and prevents the button being pushed by accident - so no worries leaving this free floating in a bag. - There is a plastic loop on the top edge that flips up or down which you can either use to carry the bottle by or attach a carabiner clip to for hooking onto anything you need to. - There is an adjustable ring and numbered markings at the bottom of the lid to help you keep track of how many bottles you've drunk. It has up to 6 numbers, so once you've finished your first bottle, simply twist the ring to point to the number 2, etc up to 6 bottle re-fills (I personally can't see drinking that much water or any liquid in one day!). Big Size, But Not Awkward Being 24oz means that if I drink the daily recommended amount of water, I'll only need to refill the bottle 3 times a day (or you could just buy 3 bottles and fill up once a day, but I'm happy with just one bottle). Despite it's size, I never feel burdened carrying or drinking from it. Ambidextrous Shape The shape of the bottle fits nicely in your hand (without those annoying finger indents that my fingers never fit in on other bottles and also makes this one ambidextrous!) There is a textured pattern on the one side of the bottle to add just the right amount of grip. On the other side, there are measurement markings which would be great to use with say powdered sports drinks that you need to measure out. They have liter and oz markings. Easy to Re-Fill With the nice big, open spout I don't have to unscrew the lid to re-fill it. If I do decide to take the lid off though, it's just a simple screw lid - not spring loaded or something weird making it hard to put back on. There is a rubber seal on the inside to ensure the 'leak proof' really does work. Easy to Clean There are no hidden crevices here anywhere which makes it easy to clean and no problem tipping and drinking out the last drop. From the outside, you'd expect there to be place for water to get trapped, but when you open the lid, it's a simple screw on lid, flat at the top, opening only for the spout which goes straight up. If you're only using it for water, I wouldn't even unscrew the lid to clean it. Overall Look I love that it's transparent so I can clearly see the liquid level. The option of different colors is also fun and an obvious 'color name tag' if there is more than one bottle around. Slight Downers: - The footprint shape of the bottle is close to an egg shape, as apposed to the normal round shape - which is actually why it's so comfortable in your hand. The reason this is bad is that it fits in a cup holder, but not snugly like a round bottle would. Depending on the cup holders you'll use it in, this can decrease the stability. Combined with the height of the bottle, it's possible it could fall out of a cup holder (I haven't had this happen yet) - which is not a big issue if you have the lid on, as it's leak proof. - It feels a bit top heavy, even completely filled up. When I first got it, I was nervous the bottle would fall over when the bottle was half full and the lid clicked back. This is a needless concern however as I have not had it even come close to tip that way once. - The bottle re-fill count on the lid is a great feature, but feels like the only flimsy part of the bottle. As you twist the ring to a different number it sort of clicks, but adjusts way too easily. I'm not sure how this would hold up if it's sitting loosely in a bag, but I know that this feature is rendered useless when my kids drink from the bottle and inevitably end up moving it accidentally. While it's an awesome feature I haven't seen anywhere, it's not really important to me, so this downer doesn't bother me. All in all, I love this bottle! I expect all feature packed bottles to be a high price, but immediately felt the price was reasonable for this much coveted spout design. It certainly works out to be much cheaper than buying bottled water. However when I discovered all the other features, I was shocked at how low cost it is. This is a wonderfully featured and priced bottle to stock up on and a worthy investment. Mine goes with me everywhere - I even have it next to my bed during the night!