Choosing The Right Water Bottle for Your Adventures

Reusable Cycling Water Bottles Are Handy

We know being a parent means always being prepared, and our bags will have all kinds of snacks, spare nappies, random toys and that leaf our little one found which could not be left behind.

In this world of single-use plastic, the humble water bottle can be an easy sustainable addition to any nappy bag, nursery bag or rucksack. Although disposable water bottles can be more convenient they can take up to 1000 years to decompose and at the Bike Club, we want to help reduce our waste.  

So, we have a few helpful tips to consider when buying a cycling water bottle for your thirsty adventurer.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MATERIALS THAT WATER BOTTLES COME IN:

• Plastic
• Stainless steel
• Glass
• Aluminium

Plastic is the lightest, cheapest option and can have a variety of colourful designs which are exciting for little drinkers. It is a great choice. It will not last as long as Aluminium, and definitely not as long as Stainless steel or glass. So, if you are wanting something that stands the test of time,  choosing a more durable material might appeal, but this will come with a higher price point

However, there are a number of factors to consider depending on what you want to use it for:

WEIGHT

Consider how heavy the water bottle will be when filled and if your little one will be able to lift it and hold it. If it is too heavy it can cause serious damage if dropped on tiny toes.

DESIGN

While crazy designs can be fun, if longevity is the plan, think of buying a design which will appeal as your little one gets older as we know how quickly kids can change their minds over their favourite cartoon character.

CAPACITY

Keep in mind that children’s water bottles come in different capacities so consider how active they are, and how much space there is in their lunch box/rucksack. If they are doing lots of cycling trips on their Bike Club Bike, they might need something a little bigger!

IS IT LEAKPROOF?

The last thing anyone needs is water being spilt in bags, over furniture or over our loved ones. Many water bottles come with a range of leak-proof solutions. For our members with younger kids, it is worth thinking about the spout or straw, if there is one. A softer spout is enjoyable for a good chew! It also is best to learn with and won’t damage developing teeth.

INSULATION PROPERTIES OR DISHWASHER SAFE?

A notable difference between Metal and Plastic is that metal can have thermal insulation qualities- keeping drinks either hot or cold for a number of hours. However, because of this, they have to be hand-washed to keep their insulation powers. While it is recommended that only room temperature water be used in plastic bottles, they can usually go in the dishwasher (that dear friend of parents everywhere.) To save yourself time, check that all the parts of the bottle can be taken apart for this purpose. You don’t want the straw harbouring nasties. On that point, always check that the plastic is BPA free.

Check out the government website about BPA plastic.

As you can tell there are lots of useful features out there and hopefully we have flagged a few helpful points to help you make the right choice for your family.

 

A winner for us at the Bike Club is:

the CamelBak Kids Water bottle

 

DESIGN: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CAPACITY: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WEIGHT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DISHWASHER PROOF: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EASE OF USE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

NEGATIVES: THE STRAW CAN COME AWAY FROM THE SPOUT SOMETIMES.

 

OUR REVIEW OF THE CAMELBAK KIDS WATER BOTTLE

This colourful BPA free plastic bottle is spill-proof, and all the parts come apart to go in the dishwasher. It has a soft spout which attaches to a straw and has a sensible capacity for day to day life, as well as a good bike ride (0.4L). It comes in a range of fun designs from dinosaurs to unicorns to keep kids happy. The designs are also varied enough that you can generally tell them apart from all the other bottles at nursery/school. It appeals to a whole range of ages but if your little one is transitioning from a sippy cup they may need to practise a bit, as you don’t need to tip the bottle up to your face to drink. It ranges in price from £11 to £19 on amazon depending on design and date of manufacture. Other reviews have pointed out the newer versions have a faster and better flow rate. 

CamelBak also provides a number of insulated options in the same style on their website but we have not tested these.

Do you have a bottle you rave about which you can review to help other members? We’d love to hear from you and share your knowledge to benefit others in our community 💡😃

For another informative blog, you can read about cycling to school.