Polar Bottle puts a new “twist” on the outdoor water bottle
By David Shelby
Stainless steel water bottles are great until the lids begin to leak. Fortunately, Polar Bottle created a new style of lid to its line of stainless steel and plastic water bottles that prevents all that. The Half-Twist is a innovative lid that you simply twist it a half turn to open the valve and drink from it. Twist it a half turn back and it creates a tight seal.
The Half-Twist cap uses a silicone gasket that prevents leaks and spills. A carrying strap is also included, making it easy to carry and the 28-ounce stainless steel and 24-ounce plastic bottles fit perfectly into your backpack’s water bottle pocket. The stainless bottles resist corrosion and dents while the plastic bottle is manufactured from recyclable materials and is BPA and Phthalate free.
The thing we liked best about the Polar Half-Twist bottles is the convenience. You can easily pull it out from the side of your daypack or backpack, twist it open and start drinking. The plastic bottle is lightweight and fits perfectly on a mountain bike water bottle carrier if you have one. We’re used to carrying stainless steel 1-liter bottles and have found that over time, the threads on the tops can strip and you end up with a leaky useless bottle.
But the Polar Half-Twist bottles are easy to tighten and open. We also liked that you can disassemble the lid and put the bottle, lid and silicone gasket in the dishwasher. We also liked that the bottle openings are large enough to fit ice cube into, making them perfect to use as sports bottles for your kid’s soccer game.
Although at some point we’d like to see larger bottles that can be used for longer backpacking or day hike distances, we liked the abuse the bottles took in a pack and banging around on the ground. The lids are a hard-durable plastic that seems like it won’t easily crack. But you need to be careful where you place the bottle in your pack or when its out. Because you drink directly from the lid, it can easily get contaminated if you have it just dangling from your pack or in a daypack pouch with the lid exposed.
The 24-ounce plastic bottles come in a variety of colors and retails around $12. The 28-ounce stainless steel bottles come in a wood-grain, or clear stainless and retails around $24.00. For more information, visit www.polarbottle.com
I got one of the stainless bottles from the Polar Bottle guys at a bike race a few weeks ago. I have to say, I absolutely love this thing! The cap they made is so cool, it takes a little bit to figure out but once you do it works great. The drinking holes are small enough that you can fit your mouth all the way over them, so you can easily drink while walking, riding, etc without it spilling all over you. When you close it, it doesn’t leak at all, ever. The fact that the gasket can be removed makes it really easy to clean, which is good because the mouthpieces can get a little gunky after a while. I use it all day when I’m at work and after I get home. It’s so convenient to have around to keep me hydrated. Highly recommended!!