Common materials that water bottles are made of include plastics, metals, and glass. Each of these materials has advantages and disadvantages when making a safe water bottle.

Plastic

Most water bottles are made of plastic. Plastic is a petroleum-based resin that is popular with water bottle manufacturers because it is easily molded or extruded. Most of today’s water bottles are made of synthetic, inorganic materials such as poylethelene and thermoplastic poymers such as polycarbonite.

Unfortunately, plastics may be the worst choice for safe water bottles. Plastic is light but can leach harmful chemicals into the water or liquid stored in it. Leaching is acceletrated when the plastic is scratched. It can also be accelerated by boiling and the use of harsh detergents.

Some of the chemicals that leach from plastic interfere with hormones and have been linked to increased risk of birth defects, cancer, miscarrage, decreased testosterone in men, and developmental problems in children.

Glass

Although glass is an excellent material for a safe water bottle because it is inert and doesn’t react with liquids, it is heavy. The obvious shortcoming of glass as a water bottle is that it is fragile. This problem can minimized by a zippered foam wrapper.

Metals

The two main metals that water bottles are made of are aluminum and stainless steel.

Aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth. We get a lot of aluminum from aluminum cookware, over the counter pain killers, anti-inflammitory pain killers and antiacids. It can also be found in baking powders, antipersperants, bleached flour, table salt, beer and tap water. This abundance of aluminum is the biggest problem when it comes to safe water bottles.

Aluminum is a toxic metal that can impair liver and kidney function, accumulate in the brain, and can cause dizziness, tiredness and balance problems. Most aluminum water bottles have an epoxy inner liner. Some of these liners may be toxic as well.

A better choice for a safe water bottle is stainless steel. Stainless steel doesn’t leach, doesn’t easily stain and doesn’t interact with the products stored in it.

Another advantage stainless steel has as a safe water bottle is that it is difficult to break. It is recyclable, lightweight, durable and doesn’t alter the taste of its contents. It is chemical free and safe to use with hot liquids. Although some people complain of a metallic taste with a new stainless steel water bottle, it can be soaked in a distilled vinegar and water solution overnight to remove the taste. Stainless steel can be cleaned with baking soda and distilled vinegar or by shaking vinegar soaked rice in the water bottle.

So your best choice for a safe water bottle is stainless steel. Glass comes in a close second. You should stay away from aluminum or plastic as they are the worst choices if you are looking for a safe water bottle.

Review

• Comes in two sizes: 12oz and 22oz
• Comes in 3 colors: stainless steel, white and black
• Made of 18/8 marine grade stainless steel
• Top is made of 100% BPA-free plastic
• Top has loop for easy carrying
• Measures 9.5″ H x 3 W
• Mouth opening is 1 3/8 wide
• Weighs about 8oz
• Dishwasher safe but recommended to hand wash lid
• Is 100% recylable
• The suggested retail price will be $16.99
  

  

What we know for sure about SIGG water bottles is that the exterior is made of aluminum while the interior is lined with a “water based epoxy resin.” The liner is added to prevent the aluminum from leaching into the contents of one’s water bottle since consuming aluminum has been proven to cause such health problems as Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

This liner is what makes it very difficult to answer the question, are SIGG water bottles safe? due to many unknowns about the liner. According to SIGG’s website “the ingredients (like the formula for Coca-Cola) remain secret and unavailable to 3rd parties so as to ensure SIGG retains its competitive advantage. The key of course is that the SIGG liner is FDA approved and independently tested to be taste and scent inert – and resistant to any leaching (0.0%) so 100% safe.” There are three problems with these statements: 1) the last time I checked, the ingredients for Coca-Cola are right on the can; 2) the FDA has approved many plastic and canned food products that contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical which simulates estrogen and in animal studies has been shown to cause a wide range of health problems; and 3) the 0.0% leaching they are referring to is from an “independent” study in which SIGG paid Alliance Technology LLC, a for profit company, to conduct.

In this study, the testers used an LOQ (limit of quantization) of 2 PPB (parts per billion) which basically means that they didn’t attempt to detect BPA below this level. In the scientific world, the LOQ can be considered zero. This allowed SIGG to legally (or should I say, deceptively) claim that their bottles leach no BPA.

This liner, which was the focus of the study, at one time was described as a “water based epoxy resin” by SIGG. Those words have now been removed from their website, but it continues to be displayed on product web sites such as Amazon.com. According to Wikipedia “most common epoxy resins are produced from a reaction between epichlorohydrin and bisphenol-A.” Another interesting fact is that BPA epoxy resins were co-invented by Dr. Pierre Castan of Switzerland, the same country in which SIGG bottles are manufactured. Dr. Castan’s work was then licensed by Ciba, Ltd. of Switzerland which is now one of the three major epoxy resin producers in the world.

In summary, we have learned: 1) the liner is made of a “water based epoxy resin”; 2) most epoxy resins contain BPA; 3) BPA epoxy resins were co-invented by a Swiss scientist; 4) one of the three largest manufacturers of epoxy resins is a Swiss company; 5) SIGG bottles are manufactured in Switzerland; 6) SIGG paid a for-profit lab to do an “independent” study where not all levels of BPA were tested; 7) SIGG has deceptively used this study to claim their bottles do not leach any BPA; and lastly 8) at one time they described the liner as a “water based epoxy resin” on their website, but it has since been removed. At this point you may still be asking yourself, are SIGG water bottles safe? The reality is that there isn’t enough information to say for sure. Until SIGG releases more information, you are going to have to use your best judgment to decide if you want to believe what SIGG is marketing and take the risk of your water bottle leaching a dangerous chemical such as BPA. In my opinion, I would rather go with a stainless steel water bottle, such as Klean Kanteen, which has been proven to be safe and doesn’t leach any chemicals.

Facts taken from Wikipedia