As you may have read in my previous post Going BPA-free. How About You? I have eliminated all of the number 3, 6, and 7 plastics from our kitchen cupboards. Mike and I have drunk from the same Nalgene bottles (#7 plastic WITH BPA) since 2004, and 
after finally catching on to the anti-BPA movement we decided that it was time to toss those and start fresh with non-toxic drinking implements.
We wanted to stick with either aluminum or stainless steel to avoid plastic altogether, and our two main choices were Sigg and Klean Kanteen (mostly because we had a gift certificate to REI, and these are the top of the line bottles sold there). Sigg makes an aluminum bottle and Klean Kanteen a stainless steel. While the Sigg bottles have awesome designs, their small opening looks as if it would make it difficult to clean them, and I wasn’t a big fan of the baked-in lining to the inside of the bottle. So we went with the Klean Kanteen (big mouth opening and there is nothing but stainless steel to the bottle – no lining).
After two weeks of using our new fancy Klean Kanteen bottles, we are happy as well-hydrated clams!
Klean Kanteen 27 oz. blue
Here are the things that tickle us pink about our new Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Bottles:
1. BPA, phtalate, and toxic chemical free! I did love my BPA-laden Nalgene bottles, but these are a clear win over those toxic babies… I like the purity of stainless steel!
2. Lightweight, at only 8 oz, for the 27 oz. capacity bottle. The water makes it a little heavy when full, though =)
3. Fits in car and stroller cupholders and bike cage (27 oz. or smaller).
4. Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottles are cool! They come in cute colors with a simple design. No going out of style here! Blue is my current favorite, but I’m going to order the orange one which will overtake the #1 spot. Mike prefers the unpainted stainless, of course.
5. Easy to clean. Bottle is dishwasher safe, but I just handwash mine about once per day. We just use them for water, so they get more dirty on the outside than inside.
6. Wide mouth is not too wide. I was afraid of the “splash” potential with the wider mouth, but wanted to be able to fit ice cubes in it and wanted it to be easy to clean. The mouth is just wide enough to allow the cubes and dishcloth without allowing a gush while taking a drink on the move.
7. Being stainless steel, so really is safe for any non-hot liquid (including citrus, alcohol, or carbonated).
8. A size for everyone. Mike loves his “Big Daddy” size, 40 oz., but I prefer the daintier, but not wimpy 27 oz. They also come in 18 oz. and 12 oz. for short trips or even for kids.
9. Cap screws on and off easily. One of the problems I had read about with some of the aluminum or stainless bottles is that you really had to line the cap up just right in the bottle top to get it to screw on. Imagine being a hiker or rock climber dealing with this issue, or a mom carrying a 6 month old around all day, for that matter! Well that is not an issue with these bottles. Easy on, easy off.
10. No leaking. I’ve had this in the diaper bag, in my purse, and laying on the floor and not a drip has come out of it.
11. No metal taste to the liquid that comes out of it. I read about other aluminum and stainless bottles that there usually was a slight metal aftertaste until after a few washes. I’ve never tasted a hint of it.
Well, if you are in the market for new water bottles for home, office, or adventurous use, I think you can tell what our suggestion is. REI.com had pretty much every color, size, and top type available, however it was nice to see the bottles in person before buying at the REI store. You can also check out www.kleankanteen.com for other retailers.
