Ocean Bottle Original and Peak Insulated Water Bottle

Review by Erin Trail

Ocean Bottle offers a line of insulated leakproof water bottles that are ready to go for any adventure.  I’ve been testing both the Original and the Peak line of bottles.

The main improvement from the Original to the Peak is the ability for a larger size to fit into a cupholder (which can be important), and a re-design of the threading (now inverted) for tighter sealing.  I also tested out the new Peak bottle on a bike ride – the bottle fit into the bottle cage on a mountain bike and it was secure.

I’ve been using the Ocean Bottle Original bottles for over a month and the Peak for a few weeks.

All of the bottles are well made and easy to use and clean.  Both designs have a top drinking lid (that screws completely off) and a midline threaded opening that makes adding ice or cleaning a breeze.

The carry loop is a nice touch (and is removeable if you don’t want it).  When I need to go hands-free, I can just thread the strap of my (unbuckled) crossbody bag thorough the carry loop. The material and thickness of the carry loop is also comfortable enough to hand the bottle by the crook of your finger for longer periods of time.  It’s also sized so that you can lash it to packs or bags easily.

To test out the insulation properties of the Ocean Bottle Original and Peak lines, I did a very unscientific experiment.  We’ve had a streak of VERY hot weather in Denver recently, and my back patio, with full sun and western exposure, can get pretty warm.  I filled each water bottle with 200 g of ice (no water) and then observed how quickly the ice melted.  I set the bottles out at 3 PM on a Friday afternoon (just before peak temperatures) and brought them in a night, then left them out all day on Saturday (with a high if 86).  The first evening, I was very impressed to see that NONE of the ice had melted in any of the bottles.  I left the bottles on my kitchen counter overnight, and still, barely any of the ice had melted.  I then put the bottles back out on my patio that morning and went out on a long bike ride.  That bike ride cracked me and I totally forgot about the bottles and my experiment.  When we grabbed the bottles Sunday morning (about 36 hours later), the water was cold but the ice was long gone.

On a basic level, the Ocean Bottle Original and Peak water bottles do exactly as advertised: provide a reliable, leak free way to carry cold or hot liquids around for drinking. But Ocean Bottle offers many nice touches that makes their line more than a basic water bottle.  I really appreciate the dishwasher safe element.  I hate hand washing things and I appreciate the simple design that makes dishwashing easy and effective. The plastic outer layer of the water bottle feels nice in your hand, not feeling slippery.

During my testing of the Ocean Bottle Original and Peak Insulated Water Bottles, I used them as water bottles in the following scenarios:

• Long car rides
• Gym sessions
• Yoga
• Sauna
• Mountain bike riding
• Post-mountain bike ride cold drinks
• Daily drinking at my desk

Out of the places I’ve used the Ocean Bottle Original and Peak Insulated Water Bottles, I prefer them in the car or during hot yoga.  The insulation is enough to keep your cold drinks cold for plenty long, even with sitting in my all black interior SUV for 3 hours on a 85+ degree day. My surprise use success was figuring out that the Ocean Bottle Peak fit into a bike bottle cage, meaning I could have cold water with me on a hot mountain bike ride.

I was really excited to use the Ocean Bottles in the sauna as I’ve begun my heat prep for a hot triathlon next month.  Each day, I spend 20 minutes cooking in a dry sauna.  Hydration is hugely important, both during the heat session and afterwards.  I usually chuck a cold water bottle into my gym bag before I leave the house, swim for an hour (leaving the water bottle on the pool deck in warm air), and then hit the sauna.  Traditional plastic water bottles heat up pretty quickly in the sauna and I’m drinking warm water by the end of the 20 minute session.  Both versions of the Ocean Bottle kept the inside contents plenty cold, but the steel exterior heated up within the first 5 minutes, making drinking from the bottle a little uncomfortable for my fingers.  The workaround is that the 17 oz Original bottle (and only that version/size) fits into a koozie, providing a protective layer for your fingers.

My only minor complaint is the screw-top lid.  I wish there was a way for the lid to stay attached to the bottle when you unscrewed it to drink (i.e. attached to a “leash”).  The lid becomes something I need to keep track of or manage as I’m working out or driving.  I’m super worried about dropping the lid on the gross gym floor or it getting lost between my seat and console of my car.

The Ocean Bottle insulated bottles are available in a wide array of colors, to suit your preferences and mood. The bottles are also customizable (engraving) to add personalization.  Each bottle offers a 10-year warrantee with free replacement parts, so you can feel confident that these water bottles will keep up with you for many adventures.  And finally, each bottle sold funds the collection of the equivalent of 1,000 plastic bottles in weight, supporting coastal communities with access to healthcare, education, and financial security. To date, Ocean Bottle has prevented over 2 billion plastic bottles (about 53 million pounds) from entering the ocean.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race