Review of the Laken ISO 70 Insulated Water Bottle

I’ve been looking for a water bottle that is stainless steel and that can keep my water cold when I take my long rides. (Soapbox time: Steel and other BPA-free water bottles are reusable and great for the environment). All of the steel bottles I’ve seen are single walled and only keep water at room temperature. My plan would be to use this bottle in my water cage, throw it in my bag and maybe take it into the office.

There is a Polar bottle (http://www.polarbottle.com/) that is squeezable and has some sort of flexy insulated material that keeps liquids cold, but I don’t like they way it looks. I’m also afraid that the kind of abuse that I would put the Polar bottle through may cause it to leak or maybe even tear. The Polar bottle looks like it’s made of some flimsy rubber/plastic material.

I thought I had found the perfect candidate in the Laken ISO 70 water bottle. It felt as lightweight as a regular steel bottle because it has some sort of insulating material (aerogel) to keep water cold. In addition, it had a “wide mouth” so I could easily drop ice cubes in there. I picked it up at my local hiking/camping store and the price was $30 (ouch!). For that price it should work.

I tested it out this past weekend by filling it halfway with ice cubes and the rest with water. It kept the water cold for about 2-3 hours. That’s it. I was expecting more like 8-10 hours. Very disappointing.

Bottom line: Save your money and don’t by the Laken ISO 70 bottle. Looks promising, but does not deliver.