REVIEW – I’m a big fan of lightweight travel, but hate to “go without” or pay exorbitant prices for water. Hydaway’s collapsible bottles solve both issues with Gadgeteer style.
What is it?
Hydaway’s collapsible water bottle is a liquid-carrying vessel that has accordion-like bellows that enabling it to be compressed into a space-saving flat disk.
Hardware Specs
8 x 4 inches when expanded, 1 x 4 inches when compressed (1-1/4 inches using the carbon filter lid option)
25-ounce capacity
Weighs 6.2 ounces empty
What’s in the Box?
Hydaway bottle
Cardboard display and information “card”
Optional:
Carbon filter flip-type spout lid
Three carbon filters
Instructions
Design and Features
I previously reviewed Hydaway’s original bottle and 18-ounce bottles and have been sufficiently pleased with them to make them go-to travel companions. Easy to clean, top-rack dishwasher safe and expertly crafted, I was thrilled to give their largest size 25-ounce bottle a test ride.
The bottle arrived in a sturdy box with plenty of biodegradable packing material.
Included was the carbon filter lid pack in a separate box.
The bottle is sold with just an informational cardboard display.
Hydaway’s 25-ounce bottle is virtually identical in function to the previous version. Accordion folds in the rubbery body allow the bottle to be compressed into a very compact form.
The lid is wide enough to fill the bottle with ice cubes, or alternatively, crackers or snacks, however, Hydaway states the bottle is not designed for hot beverages. The wide-mouth opening makes cleaning easy.
Not being insulated, cold drinks will cause the bottle to form condensation on the outer surfaces.
The standard lid has an integrated handle, making it easy to carry, but like the previous versions, a good jolt would separate the handle from the lid so use caution.
I appreciated the inclusion of the carbon filter lid pack. The lift-up spout is easier to drink from and much more secure than the standard lid.
Carbon filters fit into the underside of the lid. They help eliminate funky tastes and odors from water for up to three months. I sometimes travel to exotic locations with questionable water and would be thrilled if Hydaway would offer a bacteria and virus filter option!
The standard lid has no spout so the lid needs to be loosened or removed to let air in and out to expand or collapse the bottle. For this reason, plus spill prevention, I wholeheartedly recommend the pop-up spout lid.
On one occasion, my fast-food soft drink cup was defective, dripping soda as I walked. I was able to transfer my cola into the Hydaway bottle and carry it onboard my flight with no additional mess! If I didn’t have the Hydaway bottle with me, I would have needed to discard my beverage.
What I Like
Small size
Eliminates the need for disposable bottles
Easy to clean
What I Would Change
Include the pop-up spout as standard equipment
A purification filter would be outstanding!
Final Thoughts
I’ve included a Hydaway bottle in my backpack since my first review in October 2017 and have probably saved hundreds of dollars. It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Hydaway bottles, particularly the new 25-ounce size. The design is innovative, well-constructed and ideally suited for travel.
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REVIEW – Hydration is important and although the old adage of needing 8 glasses of water a day may not be 100% valid, it is true that plain water is better for your body than sodas, and other sugary drinks. Can you make plain water even better for you though? Some people believe that alkaline water is more healthy for your body than regular tap or filtered water. The vast majority of people believe that bacteria free water is healthier for you (duh!). Is there a way to turn your ordinary water into both more alkaline and free of bacteria? That’s where the Spectral Body Alkaline Blue water bottle comes in. Let’s check it out and take a swig.
What is it?
The Spectral Body Alkaline Blue water bottle is a 420mL (14.2 oz) glass water bottle that has a built-in filtration system that purifies and alkalizes water within 3 minutes with a touch of a button.
Is alkaline water better for you than regular water?
Regular water is supposed to be neutral with a pH level of 7.0. Alkaline water should have a pH level in the 8.0 – 9.0 range.
I’m not a doctor or a scientist. So I can’t tell you one way or another if the claim that alkaline water is better for your body than regular water is true. But if you Google “benefits of alkaline water”, you’ll come up with many opinions on both sides.
Some people believe that alkaline water is good for your skin, increases energy, helps reduce inflammation, helps prevent cancer, helps prevent osteoporosis, cures acid reflux, and more.
People who don’t believe in the claims cry BS and many health professionals say there isn’t enough research to support the many health claims.
Hardware specs
Type: Ionizer / Small water filtration system
Material: Stainless Steel
Average Alkaline Content: 9.2 PH
ORP Reading: -650
TDS Reading: 47 (contaminants) Parts Per Million
Water temperature: 5-40℃
Charging: USB charge
Bottle capacity: 420ML
What’s in the box?
Spectral Body Alkaline Blue water bottle
USB charging cable
Design and features
The Alkaline Blue water bottle is made of a double walled glass cylinder with a screw on top and a screw on base that’s a self-contained battery-powered filtration system.
The base contains an ionizer which puts the water in the bottle through the process of alkaline water electrolysis. The water runs over positive and negative electrodes emitted from the ionizer and when this occurs it will create alkaline water while flowing through the alkaline minerals and ORP water purification beads in the bottom in the reservoir.
The built-in filtration system has a rechargeable battery and comes with a proprietary USB cable that is used to charge it. A full charge will allow for multiple 3-minute filtration sessions. Depending on how much water you drink a day, the battery should last at least a day or two before requiring a recharge.
I asked Spectral Body about the lifespan of the Alkaline Blue bottle’s base unit and was told that it has a 2-year life span because the built-in battery does eventually die. This 2-year figure is based on using the bottle multiple times every day. They are developing a better battery replacement solution.
When the bottle is charging, an LED in the base glows red.
There’s also a Blue UV light that glows when the button on the base unit is pressed to start the purification and alkalizing session.
Note that the bottle can be washed, but the base should not be submerged in water. It’s best for cleaning that you remove the top cap and the base and just wash the glass tube.
Does it work and what does the water taste like?
The first time I tried the Alkaline Blue bottle, I just filled it with cold water, put the cap on, and pressed the button. The base emitted a blue glow and after 3 minutes, the bottle beeped and the blue UV light turned off to let me know that the alkalizing and purification process had ended.
I drank the water and didn’t notice any significant difference in the way it tasted or the way I felt after I drank it. However, when I sniffed the water, the smell reminded me of the way it smells when you walk outside after it’s rained. Kind of a fresh clean smell.
The second time I tried the bottle, I paid more attention to it and noticed a cool lava lamp effect while the water was going through the purification session. I took a quick video to show you what I mean. Check it out.
Wild right? I drank the water and again, didn’t really notice much of a taste difference when compared to un-purified water from the same source. I continued to use the Alkaline Blue water bottle for a couple of weeks once or twice a day and except for the fact that I was actually drinking more plain water instead of my usual drink of choice – tea, I didn’t notice any effects on my body, mind, etc.
So was anything really happening to the water beside the interesting bubble show?
To find out, I used a bottle of pH testing liquid from Think Alkaline that Spectral Body included with the water bottle review sample. I tested multiple water samples at a couple of different locations with water right out of the tap, through a house filter, from my day job tap water, and day job water filter machine.
For each test, I tried as best as possible to use the same amount of water and the same number of pH testing drops. I drew the water for each test at the same time by filling the Alkaline Blue bottle and a cup with the same water. Once the 3 minute filter session in the bottle was completed, I put 5 drops in each cup and waited a few seconds to see the results.
The image above shows the Alkaline Blue water on the left and plain unfiltered tap water from the faucet in my home on the right. According to the pH test bottle colors, the water on the left (from the Spectral Body bottle) is more alkaline than the tap water. The water on the left is more blue which means it has a higher pH level than the more green / neutral pH level water on the right. So the Spectral Body water bottle’s filtration base did make raise the pH level of the water.
But when I tried the same test at my office using the tap water there, the results between the two water samples were the same. There was no discernable change between the treated and untreated water that I could tell.
I tried quite a few more tests and most of the time I was able to tell that the Alkaline Blue water bottle raised the pH level of the water usually from a neutral 7.0 level to around 8.0 just using the colors on the pH testing bottle
Note: I didn’t have a way to test how effective the Blue UV light was on killing bacteria in the water.
What I like
Only takes 3 minutes to purify the water
Rechargeable
What needs to be improved
Not sure how effective the alkalization process is
The longevity of the product
It would be nice to offer a larger capacity bottle
Final thoughts
The Spectral Blue Alkaline water bottle is a nicely made bottle and I like that you can remove the cap and the base for easy cleaning.
As for using it to make your water bacteria free and more alkaline, the jury is out on those claims. The bottle may be able to effectively kill bacteria in the water using its UV light but I wasn’t able to confirm or deny that claim because I didn’t have a testing method.
Regarding the claim that the bottle can raise the level of alkalinity in water, most of the time I could see that the Spectral Body Alkaline Blue water had an elevated level of alkalinity. But having said that, I was not able to feel any benefits from drinking the alkaline water. If you’re a believer in alkaline water, I think the Spectral Body Alkaline Blue water bottle is the only bottle on the market that will let you raise the pH level of ordinary water. Whether or not there are benefits to consuming alkaline water is a question for which I don’t know the answer.
Price: $69.99 Where to buy: Spectral Body Source: The sample for this review was provided by Spectral Body.
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REVIEW – I drink coffee every morning on the way to work and while I’m at work. Given this, it’s important to me that a thermal bottle do two things well: maintain temperature and not leak. The Purist Collective Mover, 18-ounce bottle does both of these things well quite well.
What is it?
The Mover is one of three bottles available from the Purist Collective. The other two, the Maker and the Founder, are smaller (10oz.) and larger (56oz.) respectively. Each bottle features a self-cleaning glass lined interior that’s designed to not retain odors. You can also choose from three muted colors such as gray, beige or, as in the case of the one that I received, black, or one that’s unfinished. No matter what bottle you chose a selection of three types of lids are available: one that allows for sipping coffee and other hot beverages, and another more suited to drinking water.
What’s in the box?
The Mover bottle
The Element Lid
Hardware specs
18 oz capacity
8″ H x 2.9″ W without lid
8.56″ H x 2.9″ W with Element lid
0.58 lbs without Element lid
0.73 lbs with Element lid
Design and features
The Mover feels well built and has a nice heft to it. The outside coating is slightly textured and provides a good gripping surface when held. The lid screws on tightly and the integrated handle allows you to hook your fingers through it for carry or use a clip to hang it off your bag. The wide mouth and minimal threading make the Mover a great bottle to drink from directly. It’s as cup/mug-like as a thermal bottle could be.
The issue I have with the lid is that there is no way to drink from the bottle unless it is completely removed. As I like to drink on my way to work, this makes it all but impossible. The other lid designed for sipping would probably help with this, although it isn’t available as of this writing.
Performance
In order to see how well the Mover held temperature, I filled it with 204-degree water, screwed on the lid and then checked it every two hours over an 8 hour period to monitor the temperature drop. On average, the Mover lost 20 degrees per two-hour block. This was slow enough to keep the water (or coffee) pleasantly warm after eight hours.
I also carried the Mover to and from work every day for a week. I stored it inside my backpack and didn’t experience any leaking. The finish held up well after being knocked around with the rest of the stuff in my bag.
After a week I switched out coffee for water and used it around the house. No previous odors or taste from the coffee were detected. I would note, however, that the bottom of the lid is plastic and I could still smell a bit of coffee on it even after rinsing it in the sink. This did not impact the flavor of the water.
What I like
Easy to drink from
Good temperature stability with hot beverages
Well made and durable
What needs to be improved
Have to completely remove lid to drink
Expensive
Lid did retain some odor
Final thoughts
The Mover is a well-made bottle that feels solid and has good thermal retention properties. Having a lid that would allow you to drink directly from the Mover would be a great addition.
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NEWS – The New Year is coming soon, and you may be thinking about your resolutions. If drinking more water is one of your goals, you need to consider one of the water-tracking bottles or tumblers from Zak Designs. The bottles and tumblers have silicone rings around them that help you keep track of your water consumptions. You can transfer a band to your arm for each glass of water you drink, or you can simply move the bands up to the top of the tumbler, as shown here.
Zak Designs offers the HydraTrak line as tumblers like the one above made of Tritan plastic or stainless steel, in a variety of colors. All are double-wall insulated to keep your water cold. Some have screw tops and some have straws. All are BPA-free. Sizes range from 16 to 32 ounces.
The Zak Designs HydraTrak line ranges from $8.50 to $20.00 at Amazon.
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REVIEW – Have you ever been in an airport and wanted some water, but refused to pay $8.95? Tired of lugging around a plastic or metal tube that occupies half of the volume of your backpack? If yes, Hydaway’s collapsible bottle might be for you.
What is it?
Hydaway’s latest incarnation is a liquid-carrying vessel that has accordion-like bellows that enable the bottle to be compressed into a flat disk.
Hardware Specs:
6 x 4 inches when expanded, 1 x 4 inches when compressed
18 ounces capacity
Weighs 5 ounces
What’s in the Box?
Hydaway bottle
Travel storage case
Design and features:
I reviewed Hydaway’s original bottle last year. I found them to be great for travel, easy to clean, and expertly crafted. I was aware of upgrades and looked forward to looking at the new H2.0 version.
The bottle arrived in a sturdy box with plenty of biodegradable packing material. Included was a travel storage case.
Retail bottle packaging is minimal – I always appreciate that. It’s similar to the original with just a card that fastens under the bottle lid.
Hydaway’s Version H2.0 is slightly smaller in diameter than its predecessor. Anything that saves size or weight is welcomed. The following picture shows the difference between original (green) and the new version (dark blue).
The new bottle sent to me is the 18-ounce version. At some point, I’d like to have a look at the larger 28-ounce version.
The storage case fits both the old and new versions.
Opening the accordion folds of the new bottle is the same as the previous version – loosen the cap (or on the original version, open the spout) to break the vacuum, and pull the upper and lower expansions in opposite directions.
Here’s the thing… The original version had a spout that could be opened to allow air to enter the bottle during expansion. The new version has no spout – the lid needs to be removed, or at least loosened enough to let air in and out to expand or collapse the bottle. The original version is definitely easier.
The new version has a folding handle built into the cap. My first attempt to open the bottle, I loosened the cap and pulled on the folding handle. It popped off. It goes back on easily but I certainly wouldn’t trust it to hold the bottle secure while jogging through an airport. I suppose that’s what the travel case is for.
The old version also had plastic molded into the base that could be grabbed with index finger and thumb to assist with deployment. The new design integrates a “lip” into the base. I’m sure it’s less costly to manufacture but makes the version H2.0 version a bit more difficult to open.
Now that it’s open, fill with your preferred beverage or snack and you are on the move.
The H2.0 version lid seals well. No spills but it lacks the spout of the original version. When I tried using the bottle while walking and found having to remove the lid makes it more prone to spilling. It also makes drinking a more involved two-handed process – one hand to open the bottle, the other to hold the lid. The original version needed one had to hold the bottle, the other to open the spout, once the spout was opened, the other hand could go back to what it was doing.
Please note: You CAN purchase a lid with a spout with the version H2.0.
What I like:
Small size
Great for travel
Eliminates the need for disposable bottles
What needs to be improved?
Sturdy up the handle
Final thoughts:
I love gadgets that reduce size and weight, so I’m a big fan of Hydaway bottles. Their innovative design, great construction, and features are top-notch. I suppose it’s clear that I prefer the original version to the H2.0. Still, I love this product and will continue using them.
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