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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bottle Keeps Beverages Cool

Michael Hodgson Special To Outdoors

Product: The Polar Bottle

Description: A plastic sport water bottle which holds 24 ounces of fluid with an internal layer of foil to reflect heat.

Pro: The double-wall construction acts like a thermos, keeping cool drinks cooler longer, even in a direct sun. The bottle will fit any standard bicycle bottle cage. The wide mouth opening makes it easy to mix powdered drink additives and ice cubes. Dishwasher safe. No funny plastic taste in the water. Molded bottle indentations for added grip and easier handling.

Con: The lid is too soft and the nozzle is not secure enough. When stored in my pack, the pressure of other items in the pack, pushing against the bottle, caused the nozzle to open and the inside of my pack to get soaked. The screw-on lid, when snugged down tightly, strips the threads and pops off. The solution is a more rigid plastic lid give the nozzle a little lip so that when it is pushed down into the closed position, it locks.

Comments: I filled several bottles, including the Polar Bottle, with 24 ounces of water and two large size ice cubes each. In addition to the Polar Bottle, I used one white and one clear bottle. I left all three bottles out in the sun for two hours on a cloudless 82-degree day from high noon on. Not surprisingly, the clear bottle delivered very warm and disgusting water after the test - I spit it out. I noticed only a slight difference between the water temperature of the white bottle and the Polar Bottle, both being pleasantly cool with the Polar gaining a slight edge. What was the Polar’s undoing was the dark purple logo, which absorbed the sun’s rays like a solar panel - it was actually hot to the touch. When I taped a white piece of paper over the logo, the beverage inside the Polar stayed appreciably cooler. Since the logo was only taped on, I stripped it off in a hurry and am drinking cooler water as a result. Is it worth the extra few dollars for a slightly cooler drink? If they solve the lid problems, I would say unequivocally yes.

Suggested Retail: $10

Company: Product Architects, 2325 13th St., Boulder, CO 80304; 800 440-0358