CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Bite Valve

I love these bottles. My kids love these bottles. They are AMAZING. We drink more water with them than we ever did before.

However, you need to know that the blue bite valve needs to be removed often for washing. I didn''t realize this for the first few months I used the bottle! When I finally took it off, there was black mold all inside the bite valve and on the white straw! I was mortified! We had to bleach everything to get it clean again.

Now, I keep a slim toothbrush handy for the purpose of cleaning out the inside of our bite valves. It fits snugly inside of the bite valve and scrubs off the inside ridges.

If you have been looking for a great water bottle, this is it!!! I am not a hard core workout person I just want to drink more water for my health. I use this bottle at work, going from meeting to meeting and bring it with me when I am on the go in the car. I never thought I would be so excited about a bottle, but I am Camelbak really thought about useful features and it shows.

The bottle holds quite a bit of water (25 oz, 750mL). The bottle is leakproof. I like drinking from the straw no tipping the bottle required. No unscrewing a cap, just flip up the valve and drink. I removed the flexible bite valve cover and just drink normally from the hard plastic straw piece since the bite valve seemed a little weird to me. I have had no problems with leaking with the valve cover removed just flip down the valve when I am on the go and there is no leaking. The valve system seems very well designed. I generally sit the bottle on its side on the car seat or throw it in a bag with no leaking, just like a regular screw-cap bottle. The carry loop is nice fits in your finger. It is easy to fill, with the wide mouth. It comes in lots of colors.

As for minuses, there is only one minor annoyance and that was mentioned by a previous reviewer the straw does not reach the bottom of the bottle. Note that this size bottle does not fit into the car cupholder would need the 16oz=0.5L for that. Also, the plastic has scratched slightly from rolling around on a sandy car mat.

I have decided to purchase another bottle so that I can have one at home and one at work. I highly recommend!

Updated 12/24/07:

I still love this bottle, although I am now accustomed to it and it is not quite as exciting as when I first got it :-) I fill it every morning and bring it to work with me and also fill it when I get home from work. It has really helped me to increase my water consumption. The plastic has scuffed up a bit, but there is no change in function. I wanted to mention that water will come out when the bottle is opened after a pressure change like going from air conditioned space and leaving it in a hot car. Physics at work.

Updated 6/28/08:

Yes, I STILL love this bottle and purchased another (the BPA-free version). I was pleased to find that the straw in the new bottle does reach nearly the bottom of the bottle, so that annoyance has been corrected. If you already own the previous (BPA) version of this bottle, note that Camelbak makes the BPA-free bottle with a "classic cap" that can be swapped with your previous straw assembly (classic cap version is slightly cheaper but does not come in as many fun colors).

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This is just about the perfect water bottle. The polycarbonate is shatter proof, it holds three cups of liquid, and it has a built-in carry loop. The nozzle is easy to flip down with a built-in thumb tab, and the nozzle works by opening when you bite it. This makes the bottle pretty much leak-proof even when the nozzle is down, and since it is meant to be bitten, you don''t end up with ugly teeth marks on it. The included straw makes it convenient to use, but it can be used without the straw if you prefer to tip it. I also like the vivid translucent color (I got a blue one). The only thing that would make it better is if the straw went all the way to the bottom; it stops about 1/4 or 1/2 inch above the bottom.

Read Best Reviews of CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Bite Valve Here

''Made like they used to''! This is an extremely well-made, high tech yet basic, highly functional, durable water bottle. Super easy to use & to clean! VERY durable thick-walled polycarbonate does NOT impart any plastic taste to your water. Other reviewers have commented amply on the drink nozzle method, so I''ll mention some of it''s other features. My favorite is the finger loop holder. There''s a very sturdy/solid ring, which you just hook your finger through to carry the bottle. Great when your hands are full with sports bags/shopping bags/keys/whatever, & all you can spare is a pinky or thumb to carry one more thing. Also, I''ve gone back & forth in my mind about this 16 oz size vs. the next size up (24 oz.). I imagine that hard-core excersizers would opt for the larger bottle. I like this smaller (16 oz.) size because:

A) The bottom/base of the bottle is tapered to fit into car cupholders; and fits easily into my handbag &/or my child''s backpack/sportsbag, whether for LaCrosse, Soccer, or Skiing/Skating etc. (& is not so heavy as a filled 24 ouncer)...With absolute confidence that it''s truly leak-proof!

B) 16 oz. is plenty of water or juice to start with & can be refilled when neededhonestly if I''m physically active for several hours, 24 oz of water isn''t going to be enough anyway! I bring along an entire extra 1/2 gallon sized thermos of water if I''m going to be out/away from water access for an afternoon (ie hiking);

C) This 16 oz size works well for both adults & children. ALSO a big plus not mentioned often enough, is that these amazing water bottles are made to hold BOTH hot & cold liquidsso it''s great during the winter as an absolute no-slill coffee cup, hot cider, etc. Certainly nowhere is this water bottle advertised as capable of holding boiling liquid temps, but a hot cup of coffee, broth, hot cocoa, & cider have all worked just fine! The wide mouth of the bottle makes it easy to fill & easy to clean. The easiest way to clean this water bottle is to just rinse it out thoroughly immediately upon getting back home.

Also not empahzised enough are the incredible huesthe colors are very vivid & great for men & women (obviously with the exception of the pink). I''m ordering a bunch in preparation for the summer...it''s turned out to be my entire family''s favorite water bottle, so rather than having everyone argue over who gets the few CamelBak today, I''m just buying a bunch. Buy now while they''re available, whatever size you select (it comes in even larger sizes too32 oz). One size is already out of stock. I think the 24 oz is the most popular size, but for personal reasons outlined above, we prefer the 16 oz size. Lastly, this is the ONLY TRULY LEAK-PROOF water bottle I''ve EVER owned! Just flip the spout/nozzle entirely closed to make absolutely sure. Bottom lineBest water bottle EVER!

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I loved this bottle till I found green moss in my bite valve. Bad and not so bad, it had been sitting on my counter for a week unused. The problem was when I tried to clean it (I scrubbed it with a little brush, I even soaked it in a bleach solution as a last resort) I could not get all the green stuff off.

Also I have not had it that long, maybe about 6-8 months and the plastic at the base of the thumb tab is starting to go white, showing that it is stressed (and will break at some point).

I still really like this bottle but will not get another.