Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Probably like many of you, I’ve been searching for the perfect water bottle for a couple of decades now. Every time I think I’ve found one, a glaring defect emerges. It leaks, it doesn’t hold enough, the opening is inconvenient, it’s too wide for the cup holder, etc. etc. etc. I began to think I was searching for a unicorn, something that doesn’t exist in my reality. And then Prime Day came along. I wasn’t planning to buy anything, but I browsed anyway. And there, among the rest, was the Simple Modern Summit water bottle. Eighteen bucks normally, and even cheaper on Prime Day? Eh, I’ll give it a go. The worst that could happen is that it’ll end up in the cupboard I call Graveyard of Disappointing Water Bottles, like all the rest. I chose the 22oz, which is the largest capacity that will still fit into my Toyota Corolla’s slightly-too-narrow cup holders. It’s actually a really good size, as it’s enough water for a few hours out and about, without being too heavy to carry comfortably in one hand. The double insulation is extremely effective: it’ll keep fridge-cold water cold for 24 hours in a car sitting in direct sun during a ridiculous heat wave. Maybe even longer, but I ended my test at the 24-hour mark, because let’s not get ridiculous. I also often have tea in it, which will stay hot—very hot—for many hours, including overnight. Be careful with hot beverages: I leave the lid off for ten or so minutes to let it cool enough that I won’t burn my tongue (again) before closing it up. I like the different lids that come with it, including the chug lid you can get from the company for only the cost of shipping. Unfortunately, there were no lid colors other than black available when I ordered, but whatever. I did get a bottle washer (I chose OXO’s water bottle washing kit, which is cheap and comes with three pieces for all the parts of the bottle), because it’s almost impossible to effectively clean it otherwise. The bottle body is NOT dishwasher safe, though the lids are. Okay, I’ve rambled long enough. In closing, I’ll say that, not only is this bottle The One, I appreciate it so much that I bought a second for myself in blue and recommended it to several people. All this, and I’ve only had it for less than a month! As always, I’ll update if my opinion changes, or it suddenly explodes on me. ~~~~~~Update after seven months~~~~~~ Amazon sent me an email about this review, so I thought I’d update my thoughts. I still use one or both of my bottles daily, and I’m still super happy with them. In fact, I was extolling the virtues of the bottles to a friend just yesterday. One of my chug lids broke, but I had a tendancy to hold it at its weakest point, so I’ll count that against both me and the lid. Other than that, everything is still great. ~~~~~update after over two years (December 2020)~~~~ These bottles are still The One (cue Shania Twain earworm for fellow GenXers)! I’ve dropped each a few times, so they no longer look pristine, but they still work exactly the same. I still recommend them to anyone looking for a water bottle or travel mug, and the wide variety of available colors mean you don’t have to be boring. Still five stars!