Favorite reusable bottle?

[sillynika]

What's your favorite water bottle for kids? I would like something durable, leak proof, and easy to clean...the 'easy to clean' part has been what's held us back in the past from using reusable drinking vessels more frequently...I've got a 2 year old and a 4 year old and if it can't go in the dishwasher it sits on the counter for quite a while before I get around to scrubbing it with a bottle brush. I would love to have a couple water bottles I could toss in the diaper bag and not worry about them getting dented/broken or leaking all over...

[theresa1]

kleen kanteen with a "built" neoprene cover. Mine aren't but I've been wanting a wide mouth one for the ease of cleaning issue. As they age or get frozen they may start to leak, or perhaps I forget to screw the lid on tight. 

[Nicole730]

I just got my 2 year old a Kleen Kanteen with a sport top and I like it so far.  We have one of those bottle brushes that fits in there quite easily.  I got one for myself too and it's by far my favorite reusable bottle I've used (random ones from stores and a Sigg)

[jimblejamble]

http://www.rei.com/product/792636

I really like these ones from Camelbak. I have the 32 oz one and Jude has the 13 oz. You have to bite the spout then suck the water out so it doesn't spill.

[RiverSky]

I was just coming here to ask practically the same question!

I hate using plastic, which is what we have been doing, because I freak out about chemicals and such. I require a dishwasher safe bottle of some sort, that doesn't leave an odd taste in the water, will fit ice cubes and have a wide mouth so it washes well in the dishwasher.  We live in Florida, so it'd be extra nice if it was insulated to keep colder longer during all of our hot weather, but that is not a must (because it's probably impossible to find).  Carrying thermoses around is what we have often done, but it's a pain to have only one cup per thermos for all of us (me and my homeschoolers).  I have used glasses jars with lids before, but it's quite inconvenient for when the kids need to carry something with them into the rink or onto the field for their sports.  

[IngaAnne]

It's not a bottle per se, but we love the Thermo Foogo for my toddler. We have the metal insulated travel cup with straw. It has an flip top lid that goes over the straw so there is zero leakage. Everything is attached so there are no loose pieces to lose. We keep one in my son's bag at all times. To wash it, I pre-rinse the straw and put all the parts in the dishwasher (straw goes in a bottle basket so it doesn't get eaten by the dishwasher).

Here's a link : http://www.thermos.com/product_details.aspx?ProdID=999&CatCode=Foog

[Lisoula]

We use our Siggs CONSTANTLY....but the rule is they can only be filled with water.  That way if they accidently sit for a few days, they aren't gross to clean out.  Each of my kids has a different spout that they prefer.

[JudiAU]

We like sigg. Water only.

And I loathed the fogo above. Horrible uncurable problem with mold.

In the house we use a gerber thingy without the valves so they spill some but the kids drink more when they don't have to suck as hard.  Older DS uses small glass cups from the montessory store. Hard to break.

[squeekybuddha]

Klean Kanteen all the way! I used them with my now 4 and a half year old son and bought a cute little pink one for my 2 year old daughter. We 'lost' one not too long ago and it turned up 3 WEEKS later under the couch. I was so happy that it was stainless inside and the top was easy to clean. 3 week old OJ is not a pretty site, but it cleaned right up and after some sterilization I was fine with using it again. 

[Arduinna]

Klean Kanteen here too, they are not water only. We have the regular and the insulated ones in various sizes.

[Astrid1024]

We've used Kleen Kanteen and other stainless steel water bottles - I like the Safe Sippy cup, but the bottle I love for both myself and my child is from Lifefactory - it's a glass water bottle wrapped in a silicone sleeve and the thing is unbreakable. It's awesome and SUPER easy to clean and I like that it  doesn't give off that stainless steel taste. They have special sipper caps for kids and I really want to invest in the bigger size for me. The 9 oz. size is perfect for him.

http://www.lifefactory.com/kids.html

[IngaAnne]

Originally Posted by JudiAU 

And I loathed the fogo above. Horrible uncurable problem with mold.

Really? That's surprising. Did you keep something other than water in it? My son's has water in it constantly and we've never had any mold.
 

[SuburbanHippie]

My DS uses a Sigg bottle. I got it on clearance at Target for $3.74!

[Astrid1024]

I try to only use glass or stainless steel - no liner like Sigg has (they'd said they didn't use BPA, then admitted they did and then reformulated their liner). A recent article/radio spot on NPR basically says science is finding what I've always feared was true - all plastics leach hormone-mimicking chemicals, even if they are BPA-free.

[grethel]

Originally Posted by IngaAnne 

Really? That's surprising. Did you keep something other than water in it? My son's has water in it constantly and we've never had any mold.
 

Same here. We have the Foogo and have never had mold, but we only put water in it. I just love how long the water stays cold - plus it never leaks and doesn't sweat like our non-insulated steel bottles do.

[marimara]

Klean Kanteen.  But we do water-only in them.  Any juice or milk goes in a bpa-free insulated spill proof sippy cup from playtex? ( I think)

[SuzyLee]

We have a water-only foogo get mold. Now it did sit in the garage for 4 months lol. The problem isn't the mold though- it's that with the plastic and metal parts, you can't get the mold scrubbed out of the cracks and joints.

We love the KKs bc you can switch up the spouts. Everyone in the fam has them in various sizes. If a lid gets broken or lost I just grab another lid from the cupboard. I fond them easy to clean in the dishwasher and I have bought neoprene covers from llbean to keep stuff cold.

[mamayogibear]

Ditto. I have a couple for my three year old and a foogo sippy cup for my baby. I have also used Sigg kids cups and didn't like it as much, I have had a total of three of them and my dog has hunted down and ate all three lids! I think they must be made from recycled tennis balls or something...
 

Originally Posted by IngaAnne 

It's not a bottle per se, but we love the Thermo Foogo for my toddler. We have the metal insulated travel cup with straw. It has an flip top lid that goes over the straw so there is zero leakage. Everything is attached so there are no loose pieces to lose. We keep one in my son's bag at all times. To wash it, I pre-rinse the straw and put all the parts in the dishwasher (straw goes in a bottle basket so it doesn't get eaten by the dishwasher).

Here's a link : http://www.thermos.com/product_details.aspx?ProdID=999&CatCode=Foog