This is not "huge" as one reviewer describes it. It is a 24-ounce water bottle, average for people who drink a lot, and actually smaller than two others that I have. It measures 10" from top to bottom. Nor does it spill all over me. I took the water cooler vortexy thing out as I don''t need my water super cold. But here''s why this is great: it doesn''t sweat! Normally, I would fill up a water bottle with ice cubes and some water, set it on a counter, and ten minutes later there''s a water ring and a sopping wet container. This does NOT do that! I''ve used it a dozen times now and the container does not sweat. Also, the mouth piece is ergonomical and fits my mouth well, it''s easy to drink from. It''s not top heavy (as some are) and it fits in the cup holder in my van. It''s not too round and easily fits in my hand if I''m carrying it around. It is sturdy and doesn''t fall over easily. The side of it is lightly marked with measurements so you can track how much you''ve had to drink. It also "shakes" well pour in your water and whatever powdered drink mix is your choice, screw on the lid, and shake away. This is a GREAT water bottle and I will be buying more... for myself and my friends. I really have been looking for 5 years for the perfect thing and this is it!
Design:
On the plus side, the drinking hole is the perfect size, and there''s a large airhole under the lid. That combo makes it very easy to drink however much you want, perfect for getting down a post-workout shake when you''re pooped.
On the bad side, it''s too big for post-workout protein shakes. Normally, that wouldn''t matter, but you have to fill the shaker for the ice stick to work, and if you do fill it, you end up with a very diluted protein shake.
For execution, that''s where it failed. Too many times I thought I had the top screwed on fully, only to start shaking and having protein and water go all over the place. But then once it''s fully screwed on so it won''t leak, it''s nearly impossible to get it off again.
But even all this was fine until last week. In the same day, the vortex snapped (I was drying it with a paper towel), and then I dropped the bottle, and the flip-top lid split on the edge. So now what was a 4-star product, because it doesn''t seal at all, is useless.
So this bottle lasted about 4 weeks. Now I''m back to the tupperware shaker I''ve had for over 10 years until I find one with the plusses of this item but without the minuses.
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This has the potential to be the near-perfect water bottle and other beverage/drink mix bottle! I say "potential" because of durability and quality problems.Since I only run a dishwasher load once or twice a week, if I want to carry anything other than plain water in a bottle then I want it big enough to fit my hand inside to reach the bottom so it''s quick and easy to clean by hand. The inside of the lid must be easy to clean too, and that eliminates a LOT of other travel mugs and water bottles. Especially if I use it to carry anything to drink that''s sweet or sticky, I want something that consistently seals tight so it won''t spill on the other things I take to work or in my car.
I found the Vortex Hydrator at Target for seven dollars and it was exactly what I was looking for! The lid is a large very smooth and rounded design with NO hard-to-clean nooks or crannies on the inside. A fantastic design! Several months later and I''ve still only used these to drink water (not sports drinks, smoothies, etc). But what a lot of water! As an added bonus, when you unsnap the cap on the spout it also opens a small hole somewhere to let air in as water runs out. If you are an athlete or there''s any other reason you want to be able to down water FAST, it''s AMAZING how quickly I can drain 12oz or more of water in just a few seconds! (not sure it''s always good to drink water THAT fast...but sometimes you''re in a hurry) Because of the clever valve there''s no unpredictable "glug glug" as air rushes back inside to replace the water the water flows out in a steady stream straight down your throat. I ride century rides, run half-marathons etc, so I drink a lot of water every day so my body will always be well hydrated, and I''ve filled a pair of these three or four times a day, day after day.
It''s like they thought of practically everything. There''s two lips that run up-and-down the full length of the bottle (for the recessed measurements) which give your thumb something to grip when screwing the lid on. Especially helps if the outside gets wet when you fill it up.
And you better screw the lid on tight, or it might leak. I have strong hands, and fingers that are about as long as average for a guy. If your hands aren''t as strong as mine it might be a little harder to get the lid on tight every time. It fits just right in the car cup holders in my car and it''s very stable for such a tall travel cup, so don''t find I''m knocking it over or anything.
Now for the big downside the durability and build quality. I bought three of these early in the summer. One of the three always seemed to leak out around the seal from Day One. There''s one return. This was probably an earlier version because it had a considerably shorter ice wand and "vortex" mixer attached to the lid, and all the others I''ve seen since go deeper than the one you see in the picture above (which means it does a better job keeping your drink colder even when it''s no longer totally full). I haven''t had trouble with any of the newer design bottles leaking consistently they seem to seal well if I screw them on tight. That''s evidence that the company listened to at least one user complaint and responded quickly.
Even with a tight seal, a little water often seems to get into the screw threads and runs out. OK, so now I make it a habit to tip the bottle sideways over the sink or drinking fountain right after I fill it up, instead of waiting to take the first drink and have a little bit dribble on my front. No big deal, especially with a bottle that''s such a great design overall.
However I used the other two bottles several times a day for only two-and-a-half months when part of the cap on the spout broke off a second one. A second return. The very first day I went to use the replacement, IT had a broken spout cap TOO (in fact maybe it was even broke at the store and I didn''t notice it til the first drink). A third return. At this point I actually wrote a letter to the company to tell them it''s critical they fix the spout cap to make it more durable (I can''t remember the last time I wrote to a manufacturer).
I''m still using the third of the original three bottles daily, often several times a day. I hardly ever use the ice wand, and that''s a good thing because it lost it''s seal when I used it a few times to cool down hot cereal. After the third time it suddenly looks like it''s only about four-fifths full. So a word of warning definitely don''t use it to cool anything that''s not already room temperature or cooler!
I see Zyliss has a durable water bottle and a durable sports bottle out there. That''s a brand I definitely trust for good build quality. I just bought the Zyliss sports bottle a couple days ago to try it out, for a different purpose. It has these great recesses that will make it easy to grip when I''m on a really long run (I would probably never carry the large Vortex hydrator in a race anyway!) I can already see they aren''t as easy to clean inside the lid. It doesn''t hold as much water, and I don''t think either one has the air valve that makes it easy to drink water out of the Vortex Hydrator SO quickly and smoothly. I can''t fit my hand inside the Zyliss to clean the bottom easily by hand. But on the other hand, the Zyliss sports bottle says it fits most blenders, which is a FANTASTIC feature for making smoothies! Obviously it can''t both fit blenders AND have a large enough opening to fit my hand inside at the same time. So I would have bought both the Zyliss sports bottle and the Vortex Hydrator for different purposes even if the Vortex Hydrator had no problems. We''ll see.
Let''s hope Fit ''n Fresh responds and fixes the spout cap problem. It''s the one real Achilles heel on an otherwise GREAT drink bottle. They already fixed the length of the ice wand which is the only thing that gives me hope. I''m even more skeptical of the company''s manufacturing quality after reading the reviews of poor build quality on their smooth blend mixer. But then a drink bottle has no moving parts and making a plastic spout cap shouldn''t be so hard should it? If there''s one thing I can''t stand it''s planned obsolescence!
Read Best Reviews of Fit & Fresh CleanTek Vortex Hydrator Here
This is a good product for thirsty people! I''m sure it''s meant for creating protein shakes or breakfast smoothies, but it also works very well as a water bottle. The ice core and shaker are easily removable. Measurements are marked on the side in milliliters and ounces, great if you are mixing shakes or monitoring your intake. A textured oval provides the perfect grip for my thumb without changing the shape of the bottle or creating a hard-to-clean area.Great if you work in a dusty environment, if you''re klutzy and tend to knock things over on your desk at work, or if you have nosy kitties who hop onto your coffee table and try to drink from your water glass! The lid does seem bigger than necessary, but the design makes it very comfortable to drink from.
Finally, it''s important to know -this bottle, though it does fit in my cupholder, is NOT ideal for travel. It isn''t something you could comfortably carry on a walk, and I wouldn''t trust it in my backpack or gym bag. It may leak where the lid meets the cup, or the spout may pop open. You''ll want to keep looking for that bike ride or hiking trip... but the Vortex is perfect for home or work!
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This cup mixes very well... it gets all the chunks of protein powder broken up if you shake it vigorously.however... it fails is some major ways:
The lid for the spout is very hard to get closed all the way.
IT LEAKS!!! when you shake it up it seems to be fine but when you start to drink from it it drips. I have made sure that it is tightened all the way and it still drips.
Another annoyance is that they put a HUGE sticker on the cup that covers the measurements and it is one of those labels that DOES NOT come off in one piece. you have to pic and scrape at it to get it off. very annoying. I am not sure why you would put a sticker like that on an item that is going to need to be washed.
While it does some things well... I would keep looking.
