Plastic and stainless steel water bottles are hard for parents to choose between. Both have their benefits and are commonly used. Let’s look at the benefits of each.
Plastic
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Less expensive so they can easily be replaced if lost.
- More common in stores, with fun designs
- Recyclable
Steel
- Durable and can last many years
- Has less chemical additives than plastic
- Can be cooked in, for emergency situations
- Comes with more creative designs
They also each have drawbacks. Let’s consider the following.
Plastic
- Contains chemicals, could cause health problems due to chemicals.
- Break more easily than stainless steel.
- Can’t be cooked in.
Steel
- Heavier than plastic
- More expensive and not easily replaceable
My choice
My family picks stainless steel for many reasons. The first reason is the fact that they will last years if treated right.
The first reason is the fact that they will last years if treated right. My first grader’s purple stainless steel water bottle survived being dragged on the ground every day during her 4k year.
The second and most important reason is that you can cook in it. If an emergency comes it could be very useful. Heavy snowfalls affect Wisconsin. If a vehicle breaks down, we could be stranded for hours and we need to provide food for our girls. This will allow us to do just that, along with freeze dried food placed in our emergency bag.
I hope you can now make a wise water bottle choice for you and your family. It is just another choice in the long list of decisions that need to be made at the beginning of the school year. It is a very important one though.
I love it that I can cook with steel bottles. Love this post! I also use them. Thank you for sharing!
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That is awesome that you also use them.
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I am trying (but like most things we are going slow) in switching out our plastic stuff and replacing them.
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It took me a while too. As long as you make forward progress it’s all good.
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I feel so silly about this, but I can NOT drink from something unless I can see what I’m drinking. I’m not sure if I’ve even drank anything that was spoiled or gross, or even WHY. I can’t drink any liquid unless the bottle or cup is clear lol. I’m so crazy.
But I totally agree, if you are stranded, a stainless steel water bottle would be absolutely awesome! And very smart. I wish I didn’t have such a hangup about my cups LOL. Great post, thank you for laying out the pros and cons of each!
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It is ok that you are worried about your cups. Maybe just keep a stainless one with you just in case anyway. You won’t be so picky if there is actually an emergency.
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I had no idea you could cook in stainless steel water bottles! That’s amazing and makes them a big bonus.
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Yeah it is really cool!
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I agree with you! We use stainless steel as well! Great post and a good way to break everything down !
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Thank you! It is awesome that you use stainless steel as well.
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We do use Steelware in our house. Its durable easy to clean and yes if kids throws its unbreakable as well. Lols loved reading your post thanks for sharing.
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Your welcome! I am glad you liked reading the post.
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I would have never thought to use it to cook! Clever idea. Thank you for sharing with #StayClassymama
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