Laken Thermo Classic Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle Wide Mouth

I did several hours of research before making this purchase. I also considered hydroflask, healthy human, klean kanteen, eco vessel, s'well, yeti, stanley, camelbak, contigo, and numerous other brands. Included in this review are detailed descriptions of this product and everything I like/dislike about it, and a summarized list of pros and cons. I will do my best to tell you everything you need to know. This bottle has become an everyday carry for me, and though it isn't quite perfect, I still highly recommend it and think it beats the competition for reasons I'll detail below. The Laken Thermo is very well made and I love that it's made in Spain! Just about every other stainless bottle sold on amazon is manufactured in China (including the ever-popular hydro flask!). The Laken brand, as it turns out, is over a century old. This review is of the 34oz Laken Thermo Classic bottle, though most of it is certainly applicable to the other sizes as well.A note on insulated bottles:First of all, if you've never owned an insulated bottle- it's seriously a game changer. Because of the double-walled construction, the external temperature of this bottle is largely independent of the internal temperature. You can throw this bottle in your bag loaded with icewater and not worry a bit about condensation ruining everything else in your bag. You can leave it in a hot car and it will still have ice in it when you return hours later. You can put hot coffee in it and it'll still be just as hot hours later, while the outside remains cool to the touch. Though there might be some quality differences, these are generally features of all insulated bottles. You will notice that most of the insulated bottles on amazon have very close to 5 star review averages. I attribute this to the fact that people who have never owned an insulated bottle, upon buying their first, are amazed by the insulating properties and think their bottle must be the best one in the world. While I'm glad people are discovering the wonders of insulated bottles, it's hard to make an informed decision based on reviews when everyone just says their bottle is "the best I've ever owned". For the sake of this review I'm going to try to focus not just on the fact that the bottle is insulated, but the qualities that make it stand out from the competition.Insulation: 10/10Disclaimer aside, we'll start here. Insulation is at least as good as the competition, this will keep your hot drinks hot and your cold drinks very cold for quite a while. This 34oz bottle actually weighs 0.3oz more (17oz vs 17.3oz) than the larger 40oz hydro flask bottle. While practically this isn't really a noticeable weight difference, it leads me to believe that the Laken uses thicker steel and therefore likely has both greater durability and better insulating properties.Appearance/Durability/Form Factor: 10/10This is a nice looking bottle. Even at first glance it appears well made, and it is. The powder coat on the outside is of very high quality. It is durable, evenly applied, and provides a nice matte feel that improves grip. Despite several drops on pavement my bottle only has a couple minor dents and scratches. I got the yellow color and it looks really good. It also is easy to spot and hard to forget. This encourages me to keep it with me and reminds me to stay hydrated. The Laken logo on the bottle is both stylish and unobtrusive (perfect for those of us who don't like to be walking brand names).Possibly my favorite thing about this bottle, and what makes it stand out most from the competition, are its dimensions. Unlike the relatively "standard" 32oz hydro flask/nalgene bottles which are somewhat short and stout, this bottle opts for a taller and narrower design. I really prefer the dimensions of this bottle for several reasons. First, the bottle actually seems smaller. Even though it has double walled insulation and a larger capacity, this bottle actually feels more compact to me than the 32oz nalgenes I've owned in the past. It is also much easier to grip due to its smaller diameter. I have medium-sized hands (about 7.2", if you're curious) and this bottle is comfortable to grip and feels secure in my hand, which means you only need one hand to hold the bottle while drinking. That all said, I've found it's still too large to fit in many cup holders (though it will fit in more than the competition). The mouth is wide enough to fit two ice cubes at a time, but still significantly narrower than that of a wide mouth nalgene or hydro flask type bottle. This makes it easier to drink out of without spilling all over yourself. The bottle has external threads which are easy to clean, and the mouth of the bottle is well rounded and feels good to drink out of. I'm a 5'11" 200lb guy who likes to stay hydrated, and this bottle is the perfect size, in my opinion. It's not so large that I mind terribly carrying it around all day or look ridiculous doing so, nor so small that I need to constantly and frequently refill it.The Cap: 8/10As many others note, the lid does get cross-threaded quite easily (aka when you put a cap on and it goes on sort of sideways and doesn't seal properly) and while this isn't ideal I've found that it's really not a problem once you get used to it. It is very obvious when it is cross threaded, and once you get used to putting it on the right way it happens less and less. The lid unscrews in about one and a quarter revolutions (~450 degrees), which is just about the maximum mobility of my wrist. Generally I find it more comfortable/convenient to do two shorter turns of the wrist to open & close this bottle. The lid seems very durable, seals very well with no worry of leaking, and protects the part of the bottle you put your mouth on from dirt. Lack of proper insulation in the lid is a common problem with insulated bottles, but this lid seems well insulated and I have had no problems with it forming condensation, even in the hot 90F summer weather. The handle on top is rounded and very comfortable to hold with one or two fingers; I find it most comfortable to hold it with my middle and ring fingers. The handle also makes screwing and unscrewing the cap easier. If you prefer or don't mind having a screw cap, this one is good. The only things I don't like about it are the cross-threading, and I would slightly prefer if it had a stainless insert similar to the healthy human and some other bottles. That said, polypropylene (the material used for this cap) is certainly very safe for hot beverages so there's no reason to be paranoid. It might be worth noting that I have a degree in biomedical engineering so I feel qualified to make this assessment.I also purchased the Jannu (sport) lid, and find it adequate, though I have some concern for its durability based on other reviews. Despite the mixed messages that both Laken and reviewers give out, the Jannu lid does fit the 34oz bottle, but the straws they sell are not long enough to reach the bottom of the 34oz. It is also annoying that the straws don't come with the lid and must be ordered separately. I measured the inner diameter of the hole where you put the straw in the jannu cap with a calipers and it was roughly 0.32", so I am planning to buy some food-grade tubing with about 1/3" outer diameter and cut that to size for use as a straw. The cap does sometimes spray you a little bit due to the fact that it opens with a spring-loaded mechanism. This is easily avoided by turning the bottle slightly away from you when you press the button. It is no more than a couple drops. The handle on the Jannu cap is not as comfortable to hold as that on the screw cap, but I find it adequate and would work well with a carabiner. It's nice that drinking is a one-handed operation and that you don't have to deal with the cross-threading every time you want to take a drink. It is also nice that the silicone part you put your mouth on is protected by a piece of plastic when closed, and you do not have to touch the silicone mouthpiece to close it. Sanitary. Overall the Jannu cap has exceeded my expectations based on the harsh reviews, but personally I think I prefer the screw cap (I also like to chew my ice). I kind of wish they made a narrow spout cap like the humangear capcap, but I still am happy with the options Laken provides.Value: 10/10Considering that it is manufactured in Spain and of such high quality, this bottle is really a great value. I got this product as a lightning deal and it was only $20. Pretty sweet deal when you consider that a made in china hydro flask will run you at least twice that. Really makes you wonder what their profit margins look like. Though amazon lists a number of other brands of insulated bottles that are comparably priced or even cheaper than this Laken, essentially all of them are made in china hydro flask clones and I doubt that they are of this high quality. Even though I was willing to pay pretty much anything up to $100 for the right bottle, the price was really the final factor in my pulling the trigger on this one.Let's summarize:Pros:-Made in Spain-Great insulation-Perfect Size/Shape-Looks/feels great-Very durable-Seals well-Sport cap option available-Half the price of the competitionCons:-Cross-threading is a minor annoyance-Sport cap not idealOverall, this is a great bottle and I highly recommend it. Since I bought mine, I've gotten a number of compliments and people telling me they're going to order their own. I am in no way affiliated with Laken. I promise. Just a dude with too much free time. I will update this review if I run into any issues with my Laken, but I do not expect to. I hope this info helps you make an informed decision whether or not the Laken is right for you. If you found this review helpful, please press the button that says so! Also, if you actually read all the way through this review, props to you. Seriously.

For years I'd been using a Klean Kanteen. It traveled the world with me and was one of my dearest possessions. During one of my many moves it somehow went missing and I decided to give a Nalgene bottle a try. I was really disappointed with Nalgene, because every time I filled it with water, the water would have a plastic taste. When I decided to ditch the Nalgene and go back to a Klean Kanteen I discovered....IT IS MADE IN CHINA! My personal stance is that I do not trust anything that comes into contact will my body (cutlery, plates, cups, etc...) to come from China. There is just such a lack of regulation and so much corruption that there is never any way to know how something has been made or what it really contains. Thus began my epic quest to find something not made in China. After so much research that I couldn't see straight, I finally stumbled upon this brand which is MADE IN SPAIN (hallelujah!)I ordered one for myself and immediately fell in love with it, as did my wife, so we ordered a second. It is double wall insulated, so when I fill it with ice cold drinks there is no sweating on the outside, and when I fill it with hot tea, it stays hot for HOURS. No joke.There is absolutely no taste imparted in whatever fluid is inside. When you are screwing the lid on, you do have to take a moment to make sure you are doing it right - this is probably due to the fact that the threading is somewhat 'soft' or 'rounded'. I actually love this because it makes it feel really comfortable to drink from. Other bottles I've used had much 'sharper' threading and never felt great to drink from. I greatly prefer this design. Everything about this bottle feels so well made and high quality. I can't believe I was futzing around that that darn Nalgene bottle when I could have been using this.Lastly, the color my wife ordered was 'yellow' but it's really more of a vibrant light orange (check out the pic below). I'm not usually a fan of bright colors (my bottle is black) but even I was impressed with how great this looks.It also fits perfectly in my bicycle cage, and I've already taken it on a bike ride. It also fits perfectly in the car cup holder, though since I drive a stick shift, it is in my way a bit, but I'm able to maneuver around it. If you drive an automatic, then it shouldn't be an issue at all.Let me know if you have any questions, I'll do my best to help. And please consider leaving me feedback below if you found this review helpful.*I have noticed that several reviews I have written on items purchased through Amazon have had the "Verified Purchase" removed incorrectly and as a result are no longer visible, which is likely happening to other people as well. When you read reviews, be sure to sort by 'All reviews' since there is obviously a bug in the system and many helpful and detailed reviews are now hidden.

This is an excellent product. I have been searching and searching for a smaller insulated water bottle with a wide mouth. Why a wide mouth? Many reasons, actually:- Much easier to clean. This may be the number one reason I think. Not having to use a bottle brush, and being able to directly scrub the inner surfaces of the bottle is so much more convenient and gives me much more confidence that it is actually getting clean.- Easier to put ice in, regardless of cube size.- More comfortable to drink from than a narrow-diameter opening, and actually can be used for soups/stews that require a spoon- Shorter overall height (although Laken could have really minimized height by removing the handle on the top of the cap)The 12oz size is perfect for milk for my kids lunches, and the color on the outside of the bottles have held up well.The only nit to pick is that putting the caps on requires some care, as it is easy to cross-thread. We have started to always begin the tightening process by turning in the opposite direction (counter clockwise) until the cap "seats", and then tightening. No leaks since we started using this technique (not that there were that many to begin with - just a few isolated instances).