Fit Gadgets: Camelbak BPA-free Better Bottle Review

Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to improve your health, as well as one of the most important. However, hydration has gotten a little confusing lately -- what bottles are okay, and which ones will cause cancer or defects or death? I just want some water!

Bev did a great post showing you some options of BPA-free water bottles, and now, Camelbak (one of the options Bev listed) was nice enough to send me some samples of their Better Bottles to review for Fit Gadgets. And so, aside from wanting a bottle that won't cause health issues, I sat down to think about the qualities a perfect water bottle would have:

• One-handed operation. If I have to hold the cap in my other hand, it's a pain to use running, driving, or talking on the phone.
• Large enough mouth for ice cubes. I live in Florida, and if there aren't ice cubes in my water when I go for a run, it's pretty warm by the home stretch.
• Also, large enough for plenty of water. I go through a lot of water at the gym, and I prefer to avoid refilling my bottle mid-workout.
• Easy to hold. There is nothing more frustrating that struggling to hold onto a bottle while running or walking, whether it's because of the size or the shape or the slipperiness.
• Halfway attractive. I mean, I don't need to want to make out with it or anything, but, I am putting my mouth on it -- I wouldn't mind a cute bottle.

The Camelbak Better Bottle meets most of these needs. Its bite-valve cap allows me to hold the bottle in one hand and open the valve without getting my other hand involved. And, I don't have to tip my head back to drink -- a bonus when you need to watch where you're going! Plus, it absolutely won't spill or leak.

The size of both the bottle and the mouth are great -- it holds plenty of ice and water, but I can still get my hand around it comfortably. As far as holding it, my only complaint is that it sweats a lot, so it gets a little slippery. However, Camelbak does offer an insulate bottle sleeve that would solve that problem. And, the cap has a loop that can easily be hooked onto a backpack or utility belt, or held by the crook of a finger so in many cases, it's not an issue.

Appearance is where I was really blown away. They've come out with 10 limited edition designs, including a pirate design and a preppy plaid, which is my favorite. There are still the basic colors if you're not into graphics, but having a fun design is a good way to keep your bottle from getting mixed up with everyone else's.

And then, because I am lazy, I was thrilled to find that it's safe to wash my Better Bottle in the dishwasher. Just disassemble it and keep it in the top rack, and you're good to go!

Over all, I'm really impressed. Before now, I was mostly aware of Camelbak because of their hydration packs, which are great, but of limited use. The Better Bottles are something I can carry around with me all the time! And coming soon, you can too -- we'll be giving away two Better Bottles to a lucky That's Fit reader next month -- be sure to keep checking in!