I bought three of these bottles in different colors, and had to return all of them. I bought them for my kids to give them hot tea to school in winter, and also figured it would be great to use them in summer for ice water. One of the bottles was obviously defective as it didn''t keep the tea hot even for two hours. The other two were slightly better but not even close to keeping it hot for 6 hours, as indicated in the features. The remaining tea was barely warm when my kids came home from school. I also need to note that these bottles came with a nasty chemical smell inside, and although after a thorough washing it went away from the bottle itself, because it''s steel, I think, it didn''t go away from the plastic cap. I found a great alternative though that I would highly recommend HydroFlask bottles. They work wonderfully for hot (still hot after six hours!) and cold drinks, come without a smell whatsoever, and are also "hand-crafted in meticulously chosen factories that practice social responsibility, fair labor and strong ethics" as the tag on the bottle states. Hope this helps!
I bought the Thermos first and used it for about a year before realizing I wanted another insulated water bottle for iced tea. I bought the Eco Vessel this Spring. Here are my observations:
Volume: The Eco Vessel is advertised at 25 oz; however, after three measurements without the strainer, I could only fit barely 24 oz of water in the bottle. The difference is noticeable between 26 and 24 is noticeable (I didn''t think 25 oz would be that noticeable, but since it''s actually 24 oz, this is problematic). I noticed after a couple of uses when I first received the Eco Vessel that it seemed that I ran out of fluids significantly sooner than with the 26 oz Thermos bottle. The measurements I conducted confirm that the Eco Vessel holds less volume than advertised.
Capacity to hold temperature: while I have not conducted scientific controlled observations, through my experience, the Eco Vessel holds the temperature for a shorter period. The Thermos is advertised as holding water cold for 18 hours (accurate within + or a few hours from my experience). Eco Vessel provides no information about its bottle''s capacity to hold temperature and would not give me this information when I contacted them. Here is my experience: In the summer, I could leave the Thermos bottle in the backseat of my hot car on a 95 degree day and the water would still be ice cold in the evening; whereas, with the Eco Vessel, though it retained temperature for a while, the water was not as cool. This reasons are obvious from the construction of the two bottles (as well as because the Thermos holds more volume). The Thermos uses a hardened, thick heavy duty plastic with rubber rings for the cap. The thick sides of the cap, which is not at all impeding to the user, cover the top of the bottle and about two inches of the sides of the bottle''s top, which is itself thickened some. Whereas, the Eco Vessel has cheaper, thinner plastic with a steel metal strip on the lid that covers a smaller portion of the top of the bottle when screwed on. The top of the Eco Vessel bottle is not thickened or reinforced and is about .4 inches shorter than that of the Thermos bottle. The Thermos bottle does not produce condensation at the cap nearly as much as the Eco Vessel (evidence of better insulation for the Thermos). Also, the vacuum appears to be noticeably better designed by Thermos, as it is wider at the base and body and gets skinnier closer to the top (this creates a slight issue in another category; center of gravity), reaching its smallest circumference at the mouth. The Eco Vessel is wide right before the mouth and base and skinny in the body, meaning the vacuum is not as good in the middle. If they had not made the bottle this way, however, it probably would not be very easy to grip because of its girth. In general, the Thermos works better. I found the lack of information about the Eco Vessel water bottle''s capacity to hold fluid temperature to be unfriendly to the consumer. Combine this with the false advertising regarding the amount of fluid the bottle holds and the consumer is left with an uneasy feeling.
Lid construction: The Eco Vessel lid and cap, as mentioned previously, is made of a cheaper plastic. The plastic strip that attaches the cap to the lid is somewhat inflexible and has to be held out of the way when drinking, while the Thermos cap easily falls out of the way. The cap is not attached to the lid on the Eco Vessel, rather it is attached to the bottle top by a plastic ring, like a nalgene. The cap on the Thermos is attached to the lid by a durable rubber strip, meaning when you take the lid off, the cap goes where the lid goes; whereas, with the Eco Vessel, you have to wash the cap while it is attached to the bottle and the lid separately. The lid could be lost and the bottle would be useless. The Eco Vessel lid has a slightly wider though shorter mouth than that of the thermos. I personally found the plastic construction of the Eco Vessel lid and cap to be a let-down when I purchased it after using the Thermos for a year.
Height: the one category in which I think the Eco Vessel succeeds. The height of the Thermos makes it somewhat susceptible to falling. I have placed it on the roof of my car a few times where it has fallen and dented. I had to tap out the dents in the bottom of the Thermos with a hammer so that it would stand up again (the sides of the bottle do not appear to dent with any significance). The base of the Eco Vessel is wider and the bottle has a lower center of gravity, thus its lower susceptibility to tipping over and falling. I have not seen the Eco Vessel fall or tip over yet, so I do not know how easy it is to get dents out if necessary. Because the Eco Vessel still must hold 24 oz of water and it is shorter, the base and body of the Eco Vessel is wider, making it more difficult for people with smaller hands. The Thermos will likely fit any adult''s hands.
Strainer or no strainer: The Eco Vessel comes with a strainer; the Thermos does not. I thought the strainer would be nice when I bought the Eco Vessel because sometimes ice comes through the mouth of the bottle and can lead to choking if you are not careful. So, you have to drink more slowly to avoid this, depending on the size of your ice. But, the strainer also significantly impedes the flow of water. When I am thirsty, I want to drink the water, not sip it. Using the strainer produces a sipping experience. I stopped using the strainer, but now, since the Eco Vessel has a wider mouth, MORE ice comes through while drinking than does with the Thermos. So, if you really want to put something in the strainer or otherwise need a strainer, the Thermos does not have one and you might consider the Eco Vessel. But, otherwise, the Thermos produces a better drinking experience.
Staining and mold: the Eco Vessel lid will stain and I have seen some rust on the rivets that hold the lid on. This is surprising to me because I have never seen rust on the Thermos. I treat the bottles the same and wash them together. This leads me to believe that the treatment of the steel on the Eco Vessel was not as high quality as that of the Thermos. The thermos will occasionally stain on the steal near the top of the mouth of the bottle and somewhat and slightly on the lid, but the lid is black and this is easily not very noticeable. I have been able to wash away any stains on the steel of both bottles and the rust on the Eco Vessel (using stainless steel remover), but I cannot get the stains out of the plastic lid on the Eco Vessel. One thing to beware of with the Thermos, because it has some rubber inside the plastic lid, you must be sure to wash this occasionally, as mold can build up. It''s good to wash your water bottle every day, no matter which one you get. Once a week at minimum.
The Thermos is a better constructed water bottle than the Eco Vessel. The Eco Vessel looks nice, but has some serious flaws. The Thermos company has been making "thermoses" forever and has a good grasp of what they are doing. This Thermos bottle is evidence of that knowledge. Eco Vessel appears to be a company trying to market a water bottle as environmentally friendly, with a logo, and "pretty". I do think the Eco Vessel looks hipper, but I am not sure the looks make up for the product''s failings.
On the whole, if you would like a bottle that is useful and well-constructed, which also consistently keeps your fluid''s temperature, by a well-known maker of insulated water bottles, then the Thermos is for you. If you prefer a smaller bottle with a strainer and are willing to sacrifice a few ounces and the quality of the product, then the Eco Vessel may be for you. Personally, I wish I had bought another Thermos instead of an Eco Vessel this Spring because I do not use the strainer and because of the bottle''s failings elucidated above. However, the Eco Vessel bottle works, meaning that it does not leak (except for sometimes noticeable condensation on the lid) and can hold temperature decently enough to not be entirely frustrating. That said, I think the Thermos is the superior bottle and will probably last the longest and provide the best user experience. The Thermos simply works better and achieves the utilitarian objectives of producing an insulated water bottle.
Buy Eco Vessel Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Now
It is a great quality product for hot drink.(have not tried for cold.) After boiling water was put in the bottle for hot tea, the bottle has to be cool off before being carried away in my bag pack. Otherwise, it can be too hot to drink even several hours later. The bottle has been with me every day when out since the purcahase in Jan. 2010. I have not forgotten to take the bottle with me even though I do often with my Cellphone. Love all: quality, price and quantityRead Best Reviews of Eco Vessel Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Here
I liked this bottle so much, that I ordered a second one for my wife.It keeps drinks cold all day, with no sweating. The outside of the bottle never gets cold. And the ice filter works great.
The diameter of the 25 oz. bottle (86mm x 77mm x 86mm) is too fat for standard size bicycle water bottle cages, and also too fat for the water bottle pockets on the outside of our back-pack book bags. We are shopping for new bicycle water bottle cages, and I will update this review when I find one. Since the bottles do not sweat, they can go inside the book bags (as long as there is room). Or we can carry them with a couple of fingers by the bottles'' sturdy cap-straps.
As one reviewer noted, the bottle''s mouth is large enough to drink from easily, with no sucking and no whistling bird noises.
:-)
The caps seal effortlessly and completely, so the bottle (when capped) can lie on its side without leaking.
Want Eco Vessel Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Discount?
I have bought stainless steel water bottles before, but they were not insulated. I searched Amazon and the Eco Vessel was insulated and in nice colors, so I ordered two. We brought them to the beach during our two week vacation and they performed as well as we expected them too. I read other reviews of bad tasting water in stainless steel water bottles and was concerned because my bottles from kleenkanteen.com never smelled. These are great do not smell and keep the liquids cold. We really like the mesh screen keeps the ice out of our faces. Well made.8/13/10just noticed that my blue water bottle color is chipping. I anticipate that it will look bad after a while and now wish I ordered the bottle in plain stainless steel. Otherwise, my husband and I still really like them. I do not understand why people would think there was an off taste there is definitely not. Could be they left them closed up with water in them for a long time.
