Insulated water bottles

[mikeys_mom]

I need to order some new water bottles for my kids. I had a couple of Thermos ones that were perfect. The kids lost them recently and I can't seem to find that specific model anymore. I'm looking for recommendations that have the following;

- Stainless steel
- Insulated - We live in a hot climate and my kids like their water cold
- No Straw
- Preferably a lid that is attached to the water bottle
- No "sports spout" (the type with the plastic piece that pulls up) or "chew spout"
- Needs to be very durable and made only of stainless steel and hard plastic (lid and spout). My kids are really rough on their water bottles and DS in particular will suck on it just because so it needs to withstand lots of use and abuse.

We have a few of these Thermos ones which are almost perfect but a little too big for my girls to take to school.

http://english.thermosbrand.ca/produ...1&CatCode=HYDR

The Klean Kanteen ones look interesting but the wide mouth and lid that needs to be removed concerns me a bit. I wish they would make a lid with just a basic spout to sip from. Anyone have these and based on what I need should I just give them a try?

Any other recommendations?

[lil_acorn]

My kids use that Thermos brand hydration one that you referenced in your post. Why do you think it is too big?

[MamaKath]

What about the Contigo travel mugs from Costco? A 2 pack is under 20$. All the Kleen Kanteens I have had have not been insulated.

[infomama]

We have those thermos ones and they are great but one lid did crack on a recent drop. I recently lost my insulated Thermos and am looking into Hydroflasks since they have a lifetime warranty and a ton of sizes/configurations. I can put my carbonated water in and I really like that. Here is a review. www.4alloutdoors.org/reviews/accessories/hydro-flask-18oz-narrow-mouth-insulated-stainless-steel-water-bottle/

www.hydroflask.com

[squimp]

I have the Hydroflask 18 oz bottle with the attached lid. It is awesome. Ice cubes are still frozen after several hours in a hot car. I also have their coffee mug and it is awesome and so easy to clean. I just switched from Contigo because they are so much simpler and easier to clean, very few moving parts to gunk up.

http://www.backcountry.com/hydro-fla...I-ARCWH-ONESIZ

Eta link

[PZMommy]

The hydro flask ones are amazing. In the morning I put some ice and cold water in it. At the end of the day, the ice is still frozen. They are pricey, but worth every cent!

[MontrealMum]

We have the wide mouth insulated KK that you mentioned, but I also bought the "coffee" lid which I then swapped with the original lid. Much easier to sip from for a kid, though I'm not sure if it's leakproof if it tips onto its side in a bag or something. I have not yet tested that aspect of it

[mikeys_mom]

Thanks for all the ideas. I think you have all convinced me to just stick with getting some more of the Thermos hydration bottles that we already have. They keep stuff cold all day even in the extreme heat here. Easy to clean and my kids know how to use them. No removable parts to lose. They are super durable and leakproof. I've never had one break and we have been using them for several years now. Plus, I can get them for $15cdn. I thought they might be too bulky for my 5 year olds because most kids here use disposable water bottles. In preschool they store all the kids bottles on these wooden carts with circles cut out for the bottles to rest in. I don't know if these will fit but I haven't seen any smaller insulated options other than 12oz ones which seem too tiny. I'm sure my girls will figure something out. They are currently using plastic Nalegene ones that worked fine when we were in a cold climate but now they complain that their water is too warm to drink by the afternoon.

We've tried Contigos in the past. Didn't like them. A pain to keep clean and my kids don't like the spout.

The Hydroflasks look neat and are much prettier but seeing how easily this stuff gets lost by my kids, I might wait and splurge on a pretty colour for myself at some point in the future

[anonomom]

Another option to consider. I think I found mine at Target, in a solid color, on clearance for $13

http://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-Twist-...n+water+bottle

[abh5e8]

op, any update? my dh has the same thermos you linked, but the bigger size. he loves it. I am ISO something to replace my kids KK with. i would like a covered spout but no inside parts to get moldy. I have that issue with the funtainer straw cups. I was looking for something a little smaller, but I love the top of this one, with the wide spout to drink from and the leak proof cover. thinking this may be our best option, but always wondering if there is something better?