Nalgene OTG Tritan Bottle

BPA-Free Sports Water Bottle

Nalgene was one of the companies hardest hit by fears about polycarbonate bottles, as they have long made their excellent line of outdoor bottles of the clear plastic polycarbonate Lexan polymer. They swung into action to replace Lexan with Eastman Tritan copolyester, which is BPA-free.

The OTG Tritan Bottle has a flip cap to close off the mouthpiece. I didn't find it as easy to open as I would like, which is why I give it less than 5 stars. But the mouthpiece is easy to drink from, you can really gulp down the water versus being stuck with the slow flow that you get from squeezable sports bottles.

The side has graduations in ounces and milliliters to help you keep track of your intake. The clear plastic also allows you to get a good view of what you are drinking.

The wide mouth of the bottle makes it easy to add ice cubes or powdered sports drink mix. It's dishwasher-safe.

The Nalgene OTG Tritan is made of clear, hard, impact-resistant Eastman Tritan plastic. Don't fear your Nalgene. It still has a 7 in the triangle on the bottom which denotes its recycling stream, but you can look for the BPA-free or Tritan designation.

The top of the OTG Tritan Bottle has a handy loop you can use to hook the bottle on a clip or hook, or dangle it from your finger. The bottle itself is a little too large for my small hand to grip comfortably. But I do not recommend carrying a water bottle in your hand for walks of more than a few minutes, as that can lead to repetitive stress injuries.

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 2008 version of the Nalgene OTG Tritan is BPA-free even though it has a numeral 7 inside the recycling triangle on the bottom of the bottle. Look for labeling on the tag that says it is made of Eastman Tritan plastic, which is manufactured without BPA.