Alex Bottle

An easy-to-clean metal water bottle.

The Alex Bottle is a stainless steel water bottle that splits in the middle for easy cleaning and storage. I backed this project when they first appeared on Kickstarter and have been very happy with the results.

CONSTRUCTION

The Alex Bottle is made primarily of 304 stainless steel (food grade) with a polypropylene (BPA-free) lid and mid-body-band. The mid-body-band is threaded to connect to the lower half of the bottle itself.

When the two halves are screwed together, a silicone O-ring on the bottom half ensures a water-tight fit with the mid-body-band. I have tossed these in my bag and carried them around all day without any leaks.

The bottom of the bottle is covered in a silicone sleeve. This can be removed if you want, but I found it provides a more comfortable grip than holding onto a bare metal water bottle. It also ensures the bottle sits securely on more surfaces than it would without said sleeve.

The construction seems very solid based on the last month or so of daily use. I have carried this bottle with me almost everywhere and have yet to see any issues at all. If anything, the seams between the various components can sometimes get too tight as a result of the metal heating or cooling with the internal liquid / external air.

My only complaint with regards to construction is that the Alex Bottle is currently only available with single-walled construction. This means that it sweats like crazy if you add ice to your drink.  

FEATURES:  

• Cleaning: Being able to split the body of the bottle makes cleaning VERY easy. When my two bottles arrived in the mail, I took one and immediately filled it with coffee and cream. I then set it out on my porch (in full sun) for a week. The smell when I opened it again was horrifying. Cleaning the bottle was as simple as removing the lid and separating the two halves, then scrubbing with soap and water. Once the bottle had dried, there was no residual smell or taste. This is something I haven't been able to achieve with any other metal bottle to date without some sort of carbonated cleaning tab.
• Packing: The bottom half of the Alex Bottle nests inside the top half and screws into the mid-body-band for easy packing / storage. I haven't had much need of this myself as I have been using both bottles almost daily, but I can easily see this being a benefit when packing your carry-on for a flight, for instance.
  

• Customization: The split design of the Alex Bottle also makes it possible to mix and match colors. In fact, the bottle is really only sold in split-colors to begin with.
• Beer Smuggling?: Another interesting and possibly unintended side effect is that you can place a beer bottle inside the Alex Bottle and seal it back up. I can't think of many practical uses for this beer-smuggling feature, but it is there nonetheless.
  

USES

Due to the weight of steel bottles, they aren't really practical for backpackers. A plastic water bottle will weigh a fraction of what a steel bottle will weigh. However, the Alex Bottle is right at home on canoeing, kayaking, car-camping, etc. trips. Lately, I have been using my two as water and iced-coffee storage for kayak trips and daily use.

The Alex Bottle is great for cold drinks, but the single-walled construction means it wouldn't be good for hot drinks. While the silicone sleeve might protect somewhat from the heat, the steel body would heat up to match the temperature of the liquid inside and make the bottle difficult to handle, let alone drink from.

While both of my Alex Bottles have proven to be leak-free, there is still a problem with condensation caused by the single-walled construction. If I don't use ice in my drink, I have little to no issues. However, if I add any ice at all, the bottle tends to sweat like crazy (this is dependent upon the ambient temperature). As a result, I do have to be careful when I place the bottle in my bag to take this into account.