Are Klean Kanteen Reusable Bottles Worth the Investment?
Did you know that March is B Corp month? ‘B’ stands for “benefit for all” and companies who become B Corp Certified operate with more transparency and run more ethically and sustainably (learn more here!). One B Corp I’ve been following for a while is Klean Kanteen, a reusable cup company! From eco-friendly water bottles to insulated thermoses, Klean Kanteen has been helping people divert from disposable cups for over 20 years. In this article, we’ll talk about the history of Klean Kanteen, their products, and whether or not they’re worth the investment!
The History of Klean Kanteen, a Reusable Bottle Company
According to Klean Kanteen’s website, this reusable bottle company was founded in 2004 by Robert Seals who “prototyped the first reusable stainless steel water bottle in the United States.” Initially, the bottles were marketed at music festivals, environmental fairs, and outdoor recreational events. In 2005, Seals passed his business onto a brother and sister team, Jeff Cresswell and Michelle Kalberer, who have continued to change the reusable industry with their cups, straws, food boxes, and more.
Photo of Jeff & Michelle: https://www.kleankanteen.com/pages/about
Klean Kanteen is still family-run and headquartered in California. Cresswell and Kalberer grew up around a large community park, which encouraged them to be environmentally aware from childhood. Since taking over the company, the company's mission has been to “provide safe, high-quality products that encourage a lifestyle of health, sustainability, and environmental stewardship (bwork.com).”
Klean Kanteen Products | Water Bottles to Food Boxes
Klean Kanteen has products ranging from mugs, food boxes, kid's items, straws, and more. Their products are designed in Chico, California, and manufactured in China. They’ve been B Corp Certified since 2012, are Climate Neutral Certified, and are a 1% For the Planet member (donating over $4.1 million to environmental non-profits since 2008.) Across 95% of the company's product line, Klean Kanteen has committed to using 90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel.
18/8 stainless steel = composed of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, and contains ~50% iron and 0.8% carbon. According to Made In, chromium helps prevent rust and corrosion, and nickel creates durability.
I own two Klean Kanteen products: the TKWide Insulated Coffee Tumbler (and the Reflect Water Bottle.
Photos: https://www.kleankanteen.com/
The TKWide (thermal Kanteen, $29.95 USD) comes with a leak-proof cap and claims to keep liquid hot for 11 hours and cold for 38. It’s BPA-free, chip-resistant, leak-proof, and dishwasher-safe. It also comes in multiple colors! The Reflect Water Bottle ($29.95 USD) is a single-wall, non-insulated bottle made from these three materials: sustainably harvested bamboo, stainless steel, and food-grade silicone. It’s also BPA-free and leak-proof.
When you purchase a reusable bottle from Klean Kanteen, it comes with their Strong as Steel Guarantee; if you’re not satisfied with their products once you receive it or it doesn’t perform to your satisfaction, you can contact them for repair parts, a replacement, or a refund (read more here).
Should You Buy an Eco-Friendly Water Bottle from Klean Kanteen?
Overall, if you’re looking for a reusable bottle that’s built to last, I would recommend Klean Kanteen. When I was living with my parents, they loved my coffee tumbler so much that they each bought one!
I own several of their straws and caps. I like that their caps are interchangeable — you can use a thermos with a straw cap for smoothies or with a café cap for hot beverages.
Photo of lid types: https://www.kleankanteen.com/collections/caps/products
Pros: family-run, ethical production, fairly priced, sturdy product, lots of style and color options, interchangeable lids
Cons: for the water bottle, the lip of the mouth is exposed. I’m waiting for them to create a cap that fully covers it so when traveling, I don’t have to worry about it getting dirty!
I always recommend researching products before purchasing because ideally, whatever you buy will last you a while! One of my favorite blogs is “the good trade.” They made an article with eight different tumbler and travel mug brands, including Klean Kanteen, here!
TLDR — Article Actions & Takeaways
In our world today, more than one million bottles of water are sold every minute worldwide. Klean Kanteen is a California-based, family-run business on a mission to reduce that number. They sell reusable water bottles, thermoses, food boxes, and more. If you’re looking for a long-lasting, durable product, they’re worth checking out! And if you haven’t joined the club yet, you can do that here: