Eco Vessel Frost Kids Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Flip Straw (13-Ounce)

The top is poorly constructed. You have to make it tight to prevent leaks but the top is not part of the unit, the plastic top will break off exposing a sharp metal lip. We went through two of these. The second we made an effort not to overtighten and had same issues. Our KleanKanteen is 100% better constructed, no chances of breaking.

After a lot of research, I bought this bottle in stainless steel finish for my son. We've had this bottle for a little over a week now and here's my feedback:* Colors or Stainless Steel finish:I bought the stainless steel finish after reading in several reviews that the other colors get chipped easily. I thought the stainless steel was a safer bet but little did I know how easily this bottle gets scratched!! My son doesn't bang it around or anything and yet this week old bottle is heavily scratched on the bottom just from placing it on the table after drinking. Ridiculous for a bottle that cost more than $20.* Insulation:True to the description, the bottle will keep liquids cold for several hours.*Durability:The bottle fell from my son's hand onto the carpet. I saw what happened and it was NOT a big fall nor did that bottle land on a sharp or hard surface. Yet the bottom of the bottle now has a big dent in it. I contacted manufacturer customer service and they were very polite but turns out the dent occurred as part of wear and tear and thus is not covered by warranty. I wasn't expecting a replacement as I understood my son dropped it but I was however disappointed at how flimsy the bottle is to be dented from such a silly fall. There is also no sleeve (I believe that's what they're called) that you can buy to protect the bottom half of the bottle from falls. Needless to say, my son now carries the bottle like a fragile egg when we're out and about.* Spout:As other customers mentioned in their reviews, the spout is difficult to clean and air out completely. I use the small munchkin brushes as I found the munchkin bottle brush set includes one that is thin enough to fit through this bottle spout to clean it in order to avoid the buildup of gunk that other reviewers complained of.That being said, the spout is still easy to scratch if your child is young and accidently bites down on it while drinking.*General Maintenance:Bottle needs to be hand washed and can not be put in freezer or microwave (just in case anyone was wondering).To sum up, I am back to searching for a durable insulated water bottle.

I was very hesitant to pay nearly $20 for a water bottle, but was also not happy with the condensation problem on our daughter's current cheap plastic bottle. She carries it in her backpack to school every day, and even when placed inside a plastic bag, things inside were often getting wet. This new water bottle has been an excellent solution. The insulation is outstanding -- so far there has been absolutely no condensation, and ice is lasting all day. Admittedly we haven't had a chance to test this yet in the hot and humid St. Louis summer weather, but I'm certain it will at least be much better than her old bottle. She keeps it on her bedstand at night, and there is still ice in the leftover water in the morning. We have not had any problems with leakage from the straw or cap as some other reviewers have reported. Our daughter (8 years old) finds it easy to use and absolutely loves it. We also bought one (different color and design)for our 10 year old son, and he is very happy with it as well. One minor complaint is that it doesn't hold a lot of liquid, especially after filling it up with ice. But, the size has been adequate for our needs. Despite the relatively high price, I'm very happy with the purchase and consider it a good value because of the high quality and expected long life.October 2, 2012 update:The top on my daughter's water bottle cracked. Eco Vessel customer service was excellent - received a new one in less than a week. Overall I still consider this a good purchase - gets used daily for school and bed-stand water bottle. After the top cracked, we did purchase an "adult" version without the straw, and that has the advantage of being larger (holds an extra 4 ounces or so) and the top will likely be much more durable. Insulation properties are similar for both, and are excellent for our needs.August 8, 2017 update:I'm less enthralled with EcoVessel than I was when writing the original reviews. We are in need of another top for this water bottle, and it appears that they are no longer available for purchase (the bottle designs have changed over time). I contacted Customer Service via email several days ago asking to be sure, and I'm still waiting on a response. I DID receive a reply from Customer Service on a request about a different water bottle. The lid on that one had also cracked, and I inquired about a replacement under the "Limited Lifetime Warranty". I was informed that the lids are only covered for the first year. Some "Lifetime" warranty! I was offered a 30% off coupon on a new purchase and was kindly sent a link to the replacement tops (they are still available for this model), so that was somewhat helpful. But, a similar discount coupon can be obtained on many occasions, since like many other places (did I hear someone say "Kohl's"?) their business model seems to be too start with prices way too high and always offer 20-30% or more discounts. I'm still impressed with the insulation quality of the water bottles, but far less impressed with their marketing and customer service.

I purchased two of these bottles. Upon receipt, I liked the look of the bottles and the simple design of the top (for ease of cleaning). However, some of the straws that extend into the bottle (2 straws are included for each) were split at the ends, and one of the bottles leaked water when turned upside down.On the positive side, calling customer service was a pleasant experience. Dialing their number, I promptly reached a customer rep who promptly sent me replacement caps and straws.Another potential issue with this bottle is the top straw or spout on the cap. It is made from a composite material that can be easily damaged from biting/chewing. One of my bottles has already been damaged (by a little brother who likes to "borrow" the bottle) but is still functioning.If I could, I would recommend that the company have all their plastic parts manufactured and the final assembly completed in the USA. I believe this would improve quality control and trust in the safety of their products.