I’ve been using a reusable 36oz/1L plastic “flip lid” bottle from Bezos’s market - this is my third one (sadly replaced almost on a yearly basis) since I keep accidentally breaking the lids.
It practically comes everywhere with me - walking, cycling, in my backpack. This lid is starting to crack at the hinge and the latch though, but don’t really want to replace it with the same thing again.
How long have you had you had your current bottle, and how are you finding it so far?
Back in 2009, I went disc golfing with a friend and while walking back to the car, I saw a dark blue nalgene in the grass. I was poor and in college and had always wanted a nalgene bottle, so I took it.
Today at work, I filled that dark blue nalgene up with water and drank the whole 32 oz over the course of the day.
its been a great water bottle for these past 14 years.
I have nalgene bottles older than my kids!
I have bought 5 in my lifetime, the first 3 were lost (stolen) over the course of several years of use. Even though they had my name in sharpie, stickers making it clearly unique… they just seemed to get lost at events with lots of people. Then I bought two bright pink ones and somehow have not “lost” them since!
I promise I didn’t steal yours! It was completely bare haha
Get a good stainless one. Something with a wide mouth so it’s easy to clean, and from a good name like HydroFlask, Yeti, or Simple|Modern.
They are (mostly) dishwasher safe and they hold up forever. My yeti tumblers get used nearly every day for almost three years, get loaded into the dishwasher, and just show a little finish wear from scraping it with my keys or my wedding band.
My kids use Simple|Modern bottles and they hold up quite a bit more. The kid-style prints don’t last as long, especially with kids that drop and scrape them all the time. I have a SM one too (larger one) that has held up pretty good so far (and uses the same lids as the kids, but I’ve only got a year or two on it.
I buy aluminum exclusively, no plastic.
Plastic doesn’t age well and isn’t as recyclable.
Nalgene for life. Lifetime warranty, BPA free, and durable as all hell.
Nalgene sounds like something you shove up your bottom to cure piles
My only problem with them is that the little rubbery plug in the lid trap water. The trapped moisture is perfect for black mold to grow.
Example
Gross. I used the widemouth, so there’s now rubber gasket to trap water.
I have a free one I got from the Library that’s also BPA free and seems to last forever. I’ve had it for… 7-ish years maybe?
I bought a Silo once, like twenty years ago. Dropped it on asphalt and they replaced it. Dropped that on asphalt and they sent me two. Dropped one of those on concrete and they sent me two more, one in Tritan and one in polypropylene.
Apparently I’m not allowed to not have a Nalgene. I lose them all the time, but never for long.
Buy a hydroflask or other similar double walled insulated metal water bottle. They last forever (albeit with a few dents), you won’t be ingesting plastic, and it’ll keep your water cold for at least a full day.
And a company like Hydroflask offers replaceable lids. So if you do lose it or break it, you can replace just the lid rather than the entire bottle.
They also sell sippy straw lids if you lose the lid a lot
I use an insulated Contigo Autoseal bottle that I’ve had for at least ten years. It keeps water cold for quite a while. Its big virtue is that it closes itself automatically if I let go. I’m not all that clumsy, but I have dogs that sometimes decide to poke my hand unexpectedly.
Nalgene covered in stickers, as was the style at the time. Somewhere around 5-6 years old at this point? Been through quite a lot.
This. I bought a 32oz Nalgene when I was in high school. Lost it on a camping trip in my early twenties, and replaced it with the exact same one. I’ve had it and used it daily for over 15 years now.
I got an aluminium one off Ali Express with a metal unscrewable lid, because my previous metal water bottle which was meant to last me forever, had a plastic lid which broke. I’ve had it for many years now, and it’s fine. A bit dented.
I recently bought a Sistema 500ml vacuum flask for like, $10 on a ridiculous special. It has plastic parts in the lid, but seems to be of decent strength. I really like it, I fill it with boiling water and then top up my tea for a few hours with hot water.
Have had my 330ml insulated bottle from a mystery brand for 7 years now. Paint is chipped and looks quite sorry in general, but I love it. I carry it around everywhere.
I also have a 630ml one from Quokka for very hot Summer days.
Lastly I have a 500ml Chilli’s for my job, which I also use daily.
For cleaning the bottles, I suggest using those tabs that are sold for cleaning dental accessories like retainers. If you use something to scrub them from the inside you can create little lines that end up catching bacteria.
Maybe six months. I had a flip-top one for a few years, but I wanted a wide mouth
I have many water bottles, most of them had at a great price from Costco. There is a some variety but they are mostly Takeya/ThermoFlask 40 oz vacuum insulated stainless steel bottles. I also have a couple gallon stainless steel vacuum insulated water bottles that are great for camping and travel. Those were sold as growlers, I think. I’ve had most of these for >5 years. This is one area where I’m doing buy it for life and it’s going well so far.
I also have a 10 year old 1 liter un-insulated steel water bottle that I keep in the fridge. I should probably replace it but it still works.Please stop using plastic water bottles. Especially, but not only, disposable plastic. Not only is it bad for you (microplastics), it is bad for the environment.
ETA: I just went to Costco tonight and those Thermo Flask bottles are on sale: 2 for $20, which is a great deal.
7 years I think. Big chunky metal thing.
I’ve been using a Nalgene 1L daily since receiving it last Christmas. It has the screw on widemouth lid, I’m typically leery of any plastic, but I feel safe with this particular brand that is made in the US (where I foolishly believe that material sourcing is better researched).
I didn’t even think about it until now but I think it’s been about 4 years on my work water bottle
It’s metal and has lost a lot of paint and gained and lost a lot of stickers
Edit: At this point I don’t even know the brand as that has also worn off.
At least 15 years. It’s kinda dented but it still works, what do I care. Mountain Equipment Coop has really good products.
Unfortunately the co-op no longer exists. It was purchased by some American investment firm. Capitalism baby.
