Return to Directory
About the Company
The stainless-steel Klean Kanteen was developed by California visionary Robert Seals, whose invention has bankrolled development of the Universal Life Church-affiliated Chico Serentity Center commune in Chico, California since Seals sold the design in 2005. (Seals continues to receive royalties on Klean Kanteen sales.)
Klean Kanteen is currently an independent company and underwent significant growing pains in 2007; after contracting with Avent to provide a sippy-style spout to sell small bottles to BPA-conscious parents, demand for the bottles far outstripped the small company's supply due to rising consumer awareness about Bisphenol-A, and Klean Kanteen lost months of potential sales due to being out of stock of its small bottles before getting back in the ring.
The young and still-small company has high hopes for 2008. Company representative Jeff Cresswell told us that Klean Kanteen's spring and summer 2008 agenda included the introduction of powder-coated color variations on its currently bare stainless-steel bottles, a logo redesign, and the perfection of a one-piece sippy spout that will eliminate the complex venting lid and potentially eliminating a leak seal.
BPA-Free Products
Cups: 12-oz Klean Kanteen with sippy-style lid
Products Containing BPA
Cups: None
Reviews
12-oz. Klean Kanteen with sippy-style lid
ContactMaterials: Stainless steel, polypropylene
Design: The extruded stainless steel Klean Kanteen's design, shape, and industrial sensibilities inspired love and scorn, depending on where you looked in our family. The toddler size is 12 oz. (sizes go up from there for adults) and lids come in three parts, which are too difficult to describe late in the evening but fit together solidly, if somewhat squeakily. Klean Kanteens outfitted for sippin' use Avent sippy inserts, and a sippy cup purchase includes two of them.
Price: $18
Dishwasher safe? Shell, but not lids
Z's Take: Z seems comfortable with the sippy lid, and the bottle's neck makes for a comfortable grip with no need for handles.
Observations: As with the aluminum SIGG, the Klean Kanteen's single-walled construction means the bottle can get quite chilly if you put cold water in it. The bottle also dents very easily, leaving pea-sized dents in the bottom edge when dropped at both 45- and 90-degree angles. The bottle's logo also faded significantly from gentle hand-washing alone, but then again, the logo is also ugly. The bottle leaked a bit when shaken upside down, but passed our side-rest leak test with no problems. Also like the SIGG, the Klean Kanteen can accept a variety of caps, and the shell's mouth is large enough to make drinking with no lid comfortable. Lids sometimes squeak when they're being screwed on, and the non-toddler sports lid we were sent squeaked a bit when we used it.
Ratings: Ease of Use and Care: 10. Durability: 7. Eye Appeal: 7. (Note: This is an average of Jenni's 9 and Jeremiah's 5. Different strokes.) Total points: 24/30. [Excerpted from ZRecs' Sippy Cup Showdown]
Phone: 530-345-3275
Website: www.kleankanteen.com
Last updated: 2/21/08
Return to Directory
