Klean Kanteen Bottle

Klean Kanteen produces stainless steel water bottles. They were quick to market their product as a "safe" choice once reports suggested that polycarbonate plastic bottles might leach toxic BPA into the water. The interior is unlined, highly polished food-grade stainless steel. They promise it is non-leaching and toxin-free. The sports cap is made of BPA-free plastic.

Klean Kanteen Bottle Features

One big drawback to metal water bottles is that they seem to heat or cool faster than plastic. Fill either with cold water, and the metal water bottle feels colder. They also tend to sweat in humid climates. These factors can make the bottle unpleasant to carry in your hand when walking. That's not a big drawback, since I advise against carrying a water bottle in your hand as it can lead to repetitive stress injuries.

There is a definite metallic taste when the water is left in the bottle for awhile. A swig of it the next day screams "metal." However, Klean Kanteen says that nothing is leaching into the water.

The Klean Kanteen bottles come in a variety of sizes. At my local outdoors store, only the smaller 12-ounce version came with the sports cap. The clerk helpfully suggested I buy the bigger 27-ounce version (which I would have preferred) and switch the cap for the sports cap. You can buy replacement caps online.

Look for the sports cap. Otherwise, you'll need to remove the loop top completely in order to drink. Since the loop-top cap doesn't have a leash, I am sure it would end up on the ground quite often and soon be lost completely. The sports cap has a standard pop-up mouthpiece, with a cover attached with a leash. That doubles as a finger loop or loop to clip the bottle on a hook.

The mouth is big enough for you to add ice cubes. The bottle is dishwasher-safe, but they recommend not washing the cap in the dishwasher.

Do You Need a BPA-Free Water Bottle?

Many walkers are concerned over reports that damaged clear polycarbonate water bottles might leach bisphenol A (BPA) into the water. While many research studies show the polycarbonate bottles to be safe, manufacturers are moving swiftly to provide BPA-free versions.

Many water bottles have always been BPA-free, as they are made of opaque or semi-opaque squeezable plastic rather than the rigid, clear polycarbonate. If your clear plastic water bottle has a 7 inside a triangle on the bottom, it might be polycarbonate, although it could still be BPA-free.

The stainless steel used in the Klean Kanteen bottles is 100% recyclable. The plastic used in the lid is pp#5 and is BPA-free.