This bottle is awesome! We've tried a LOT of different bottles for our 2.5 year old son over the past year+.
- Camelback: Wore through nipples from him chewing on it and splitting the edges of the spout, cracked two insulated b
ottles in a matter of weeks, one with a relatively minor drop from about two feet up onto tile. Not impressed, we simply stopped using them as they gradually fell out of favor in our house. Not to mention the plastic material. Mildly acceptable if the bottle is truly top notch functional over other options with better materials (glass, metal). Not the case here.
- Green Sprouts: Had two of the glass bottles with plastic outer protective sleeve. The outer sleeve was really solid, flexible, durable plastic. Well designed bottle, good nipple. But, lots of parts, so relatively more of a pain to clean. The big issue was that eventually, both glass inner bottles shattered (n the kitchen, no less - fun), and when they did, the mess and concern of lost glass shards to be found by a child's curious fingers later was enough to not purchase more. It's as simple as turning around for a second while the lid is off but assembled in the plastic outer casing. Kid picks it up, drops it on the ground, the exposed edge of the glass hits the ground first and you have a huge mess on your hands. The upside of these bottles didn't exceed the downsides.
Nuk bottles: We used these for a while, but the nipples wore out so much (split holes), we were ordering replacement nipples on the regular. Our son liked them, but again, the upsides didn't exceed the downsides (rapidly worn nipples, plastic material).
Thermos Funtainer: We got one of these when our son was 1 year old as a gift. We loved it, but the button was too stiff for him to open at that age, so we shelved it for a while, breaking it out occasionally to see if he liked it. I loved the R2D2 design on it, and preferred the metal/silicone materials. I also liked the plastic base to protect from dents. While we waited to see if this bottle would eventually become the go-to bottle, we tried other options (listed above). They all failed for one reason or another, leaving me wanting better options.
Eventually, my son's strength and dexterity improved to the point of being able to open the lid easily, so the Thermos came back into play. After researching other options (Pura, Camelbak metal, etc), I noticed that aside from the Bottle Rocket, none of the manufacturers seem to protect the base of the metal bottles, leaving them prone to denting, which makes them wobbly when placed on a flat surface. Pet peeve, I guess. Anyway, we decided to give the Thermos a shot at daycare, which is the perfect product test scenario. If a bottle can survive daycare, it wins. Camelbak failed the daycare test. Twice. Not only is the Thermos thriving amongst all the other bottles at daycare, but I've noticed that other parents agree. It's the only bottle in the bunch that is there in multiples. All others are single representations of a bottle brand. The teachers like them too because they're tough. And with all the bottles together in a basket or cooler, exposed nipples is not that cool. These kids are germ breeders extraordinaire, and the Thermos cap protects the nipple from the outside grime and germs of other bottles.
PROS:
- Cap protects the nipple from germs and general dirtiness.
- Plastic base protects from dents, so it stands up stable, no wobbliness.
- Huge range of graphics and lid colors means it's easy to spot which is yours when there are several of the same bottle together, which is the case with the Thermos, everywhere I go with other parents and kids around, when bottles are around, I always seem to notice lots of the Thermos brand. No confusion of who has which bottle is nice. Not everyone labels a bottle, and kids can't necessarily read their names yet. MY kid knows which is his by the graphic, and the other Thermos bottles are clearly different.
- The part that seals the bottle lid is silicone rubber, and it's one-piece with the nipple. So other than the straw there is no plastic in contact with the liquid (the straw doesn't need to be used if you're concerned about plastics), and it's super easy to clean.
- It's metal (win) and the insulation is really good. Stays cold longer than the Camelbak insulated bottle.
- Price is about the same as a plastic bottle, but way more durable and safer for fluids.
CONS:
- Minor quibble, but the nipple IS free-flowing, so if the top is open and the bottle is tipped over, it will leak. But for me it's a non-issue, since my kid loves to close the lid. He learned early on to close it as a habit. Good practice to prevent leaks, keep the nipple clean, and a side bonus is the lid is probably more vulnerable to breaking off if it's open. When closed, it's tough.
Of all the metal, glass and plastic bottles on the market, this one wins my business so far. No other bottle checks all the boxes like this one, and the parents around me seem to agree. My kid loves it, especially his new one with the train on it. The designs are fun and plentiful.
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