... The two most important things I look for in a water bottle is that it has to be absolutely leak proof and that where my lips go needs to be 100% protected when I'm not drinking out of it.
This Laken bottle fits the bill perfectly. (Note: This article is in reference to the Hit model which has a sport cap, NOT the Laken Classic bottles which have regular screw-on caps.)
The design of the bottle itself is fairly straightforward: just a cylinder with a perfectly-placed ridge toward the top to help gripping. I have this in green which wasn't my first choice but it still manages to look beautiful. The green isn't paint, it's more like silvery green. Very beautiful, especially in the light. Like the description says, the inside is coated with a food-safe epoxy. I've never drank out of a metal water bottle without any lining but I've heard that water can taste a bit metallic after a while. The opening is 1.5" wide, plenty big to fit even the largest ice cubes. Also, the big opening means that it can actually get clean in the dishwasher.
The top is where it's at. Closed, it looks like the similar Sigg cap. This one also has a little metal loop if you want to attach a clip to it. Even if you don't use the loop, it tucks away so well you'll forget that it's even there. You flip open the half dome to get to the mouthpiece. To open the mouthpiece, you use the two nubs and twist it halfway around. (The cap will not close unless the top is twisted back down, a great feature which ensures you'll never have any accidents.) Another feature I never expected was that the top disassembles into two parts: the mouthpiece and the bottom which screws onto the bottle (and the attached cap). I appreciate any water bottle which you can thoroughly clean because the parts can actually come apart.
All in all:
-This is a beautiful water bottle.
-It does NOT leak.
-The mouthpiece is protected by a cap.
-The mouthpiece dissassembles for through cleanIing.
-The wide opening is big enough for ice cubes and to be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Ten out of five!
P.S. For those of you who fear that aluminum water bottles dent easily, I don't think that applies to Laken bottles. Perhaps it's because of the lining which helps strengthen the bottle. Perhaps they're just better quality than Sigg bottles. (Gasp!) I am extremely clumbsy and rough with my possessions. Even I haven't managed to so much as nick this baby.
(I hope this review is helpful for those of you on the hunt for your perfect water bottle. It would have taken me considerably less time had others posted detailed reviews like this one.) ...
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