K&Rs Mom Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I thought the ones I had seen before were stainless steel, but everything I've seen lately is aluminum. Was I imagining the stainless ones? Has something changed? Or is aluminum just cheaper so it's everywhere? Is one better than the other? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 Kleen Kanteen. Love them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 SIGG is the big manufacturer of the aluminum ones which are on the market now. Their claim to fame is that they're made in Switzerland. They do have some sort of coating on them which some people don't like as who knows whether years down the road it will turn out the coating is some bad chemical. OTOH, European food dish standards are very high. I've spent months looking & all of the stainless steel ones are made in China, even Sigg & Kleen Kanteen. These 2 companies & many others claim that they monitor production, test independently, treat employees fairly, yada yada but still, the stuff is made in China. Have a look at this book review of the book "Poorly Made in China" & you'll see that there's a big bait & switch happening there. http://www.economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13642306 I really, really, really try to not buy stuff made in China anymore. Not even from companies who say they're trying to keep an eye on things, & definitely not from some 'any label' company. For our water bottles I'm going with Nalgene plastic, the ones Made in the USA:patriot: (I'd buy Canadian if I could but I can't find any Canadian manufacturer); the new ones are BPA free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 We don't have the stainless steel ones, but I love the ones we have. I bought Eddie Bauer ones from Target over a year ago. They are some sort of plastic that is supposed to be good. Can't remember what exactly. I love that they have a wide mouth and can be filled with ice. They are dishwasher safe which was a must for me. We have used these things everyday for about 18 months and they are awesome. We don't really drink anything but water now and don't have a bazillion water bottles to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildflower Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I know this is weird, but I just don't trust the metal. There was a time where aluminum baking pans were considered safe..... now, you never know what metals they put in their mix! Lead is in everything! I must look like a crazy person in public, but I use a quart size ball jelly jar. They could never have lead in them, could they? You can throw them in the dishwasher & with the exception of one fluke cooler failure, did I ever break one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I have a Laken made in Spain. I love it. Horribly pricey, but made to last for an entire lifetime. It is insulated and keeps water cold for hours. My youngest daughter had a little Sigg and it needs a new valve ring. I can't find one ANYWHERE. Siggs are cute, but have a lot of working parts. The Laken is just a screwtop lid with a wide mouth that you can actually fit fridge ice cubes through, unlike most of the Siggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainbows Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 we like the thermos ones (have a straw built in) Have some Kleen Kanteens but find the spout hard to open and they are squeaky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I'm very happy with Klean Kanteen. We've had a two 27oz bottles with Built NY neoprene sleeves for a little over a year now, and I just bought two more 18oz bottles and sleeves that will be a little easier for the kids to stick in the bottle holders of their backpacks and sports bags. There *are* other brands of stainless steel bottles out there, but I've been happy with Klean Kanteen, and their standards appear to be very high. I blanch a bit at spending so much, but over a year or two, it's not so bad. (And our bottles are still going strong.) The Built covers are extremely helpful. They keep beverages cold for several hours (or hot -- technically you're not supposed to put hot beverages into KKs, but I believe that's just because they're conductive and you'd burn your hands, though with the covers it's fine -- I've put a couple of tea bags and hot water in when going off to teach class with a sore throat), and they prevent/absorb any condensation on the sides, so you aren't left with a puddle anywhere. My one complaint is that, because the metal expands and contracts very slightly with changes in temperature, the lids are sometimes very tight and difficult for the kids to remove. I went ahead and got sports tops for their new bottles because of that. BTW, I love the 27oz size. It's perfect for most things. I just got the smaller ones 'cause they'll fit more comfortably in the bottle-holders for the kids' bags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted August 10, 2009 Author Share Posted August 10, 2009 Thanks for the comments, everyone. Another question to add - how spillproof are they? Mostly dc can keep them upright, but what if I wanted to throw one into dd's lunchbox for daycamp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 We have both Siggs and Kleen Kanteens and both are spill proof. I've never had a leak. I like the Siggs better - the water tastes better due to the coating. I haven't gotten used to the stainless steel taste. Also, the Siggs are lighter - which is why they used aluminum in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Building Up Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 We have several water bottles, but the Nalgene ones are far superior. They do not leak at all, and are virtually indestructable. We've had trouble with every other bottle leaking. Nalgene comes in several different colors and sizes. I recommend a wide mouth one, with a splash guard insert(is that what they are called?) - that way you can wash it more easily and add ice without trouble, but still drink it easily without spilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 We've never had a leak either. (And none of us have a problem with the stainless steel taste. I'm more comfortable with that than the coating in the Sigg bottles anyway...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 I have a KK and am very happy with it. I prefer glass but S/S is the next best thing for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 I've been looking for a reusable water bottle in a smaller size (ie 8 ounces) that will fit easily in a lunch box. The problem I'm running into is the smaller size ones I'm finding are too babyish or kiddish and this is for my junior high daughter. Has anyone found a smaller one without the decoration or sippy lid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 KK has a variety of them with interchangeable lids. Several that would be perfect for a lunchbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyR Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Klean Kanteen!!! We've tried Sigg but it was difficult to clean due to the small opening. Klean Kanteens have a wider opening (I use a baby bottle brush to clean) and I also prefer their stainless steel. We have one for each family member in different colors, sizes and spouts. On the website you can choose your preference for size, color and spout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 We are currently using some stainless ones that I picked up at Walmart *gasp* a few weeks ago. They were 6.00 each. They are too tall for a lunchbox, though maybe they have shorter ones as well? I like them, and they have wide mouths so they are easy to clean and fill with ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 We are currently using some stainless ones that I picked up at Walmart *gasp* a few weeks ago. They were 6.00 each. They are too tall for a lunchbox, though maybe they have shorter ones as well? I like them, and they have wide mouths so they are easy to clean and fill with ice. I found those and they work for keeping a water bottle in her locker, but not for the lunchbox. Thanks for the ideas, I'll check those out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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