Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Poly Sports Cap (12-Ounce)

These canteens are a good deal for the price. A friend tells me he paid $60 when these first came out, however they probably were not made in China back then. The machining is fairly good (not perfect) and they are made from food grade stainless steal although the question of the quality of the stainless steal has been raised. KK says a representative visits the factory 5-6 times a year and an independent lab in the US is regularly testing samples.

It seems people are finally starting to learn that SOME plastics that come in contact with food and drink are harmful. In their product literature, Klean Kanteen mentions other "lined metal containers" which almost certainly refers to SIGG bottles. If you are considering a SIGG bottle, I would advise against it: they are aluminum with a proprietary lining that more than likely contains BPA.

I recently bought four of these for my family for Christmas, so we could stop using the plastic bottles. After drinking from the 40oz. steel loop cap bottle I had an allergic reaction where the bottle comes into contact with my mouth. I researched their website to realize there is Nickel in the steel, of which I am allergic. I just wanted to make others aware of the potential allergy. I only have had an issue with jewelry before and didn't think twice about drinking from a metal bottle. The rest of my family has had no reaction and they love their bottles!

I recently purchased the Klean Kanteen Stainless with Poly Loop Cap and also the Enviro with the sports cap. The poly loop cap is easier for a child to use, whereas the sports cap is tight and difficult to open. I like Klean Kanteen better than Enviro because the steel is thicker. I've also tried the Sigg bottles, but for the price Klean Kanteen is the clear winner for me. Hope this helps you. Happy New Year!

I bought the 27oz colorless (metallic) KK with the steel flat cap. Note that the top of the cap is still plastic, but underneath, where the groove is cut, is metal. Here are some Cons and
Pros.

Cons
1. 27 oz is a little heavy when fully filled. I would not carry it to the gym.
2. The deep cylindrical design causes you to have to crane your neck a bit. It felt a little odd, but I am getting used to it. This is one factor, more than the weight, that made me decide to get a smaller one for the gym (most probably an 18 oz KK). This one stays next to me to drink during the night.
3. The mouth is a little wide and again gets a little getting used to. But this is not an issue.
4. There is a vertical (weld?) band that runs down the length of the interior (like in thermos bottles). This is ok. There is another line that seems to run around the diameter in the interior near the bottom. I think that may be a separate lower piece that gets welded to the main cylindrical tube. That bothers me a bit - I am not sure if the joint will rust. Only time will tell.
5. The cap, when the bottle is dry, does make a lot of noise while screwing on. The noise is nominal (and acceptable) when there is liquid and there is natural condensation on the cap bottom. I am fine with this - its to be expected of any steel cap rubbing on a steel thread. I don't know anything about the polyprop cap.

Pros:

1. Looks very sturdy. Had a minor drop on my hardwood floor - no sign of any denting whatsoever (neither on the bottle, nor, thankfully, on the floor!)
2. Water tastes like it should when stored in any standard 18/8 SS container. I mean, it tastes fresh with no smell.
3. I have used it to store carbonated beverages and water. If the cap is screwed properly, I did not see any leakage even when I shook the bottle (moderately, as when its inside a backpack while hiking, perhaps) upside down.
4. Polyprop may be good as well, but I like the fact that it comes with choice of a steel cap.
5. Diameter of the bottle is well-thought-of, for average to large hands.
6. The cap threads are aligned well with the body thread. Cap screws on easily.
7. Seems to have one of the best-finished, rounded sipping lips. Sigg bottles came the closest during my research. The cheaper ones have narrower lips, while the worst ones are almost jagged.


Gripes aside, from all my window shopping at REI and my research done online, this seems to be the best stainless steel bottle in the market. It definitely has advantages over the Siggs - in terms on sturdiness of construction, with the Siggs apparently being more prone to dents. Although they claim the Siggs are safe, the thought of a separate aluminum interior held to the exterior using some polymer (which is what I wanted to avoid in the first place) doesn't make me feel comfortable.

I love this bottle. I was very surprised to find that water tastes better! (and I am not a big fan of drinking water)
I feel that I am doing something good for myself and the environment when I use it.