US Canteen: Ultra Stylish Water On-the-Go

US Canteen is the new word in reusable water bottle bling. US Canteen makes reusable water bottles for the hipster set, which is good news because currently only about 23% of plastic disposable water bottles are recycled in the U.S. Not cool.

I recently got a Como US Canteen (shown above) to try out and here’s the scoop.

US Canteen makes the most stylish reusable water bottles (uscanteens) and carriers I’ve ever seen and while some aspects of their bottles bother me (can you say leather) I like their water bottles because I think they’ll appeal to another whole group of water bottle users – the ones who want more style than what you’ll find in most basic bottles or who think a Klean Kanteen is a little too granola.

THE USCANTEEN:

They carry extra awesome Polished Stainless Steel Single-Walled Canteen, a Brushed Stainless Steel Single-Walled Canteen and a Brushed Stainless Steel Double-Walled Canteen along with a wide array of carriers for said canteens. All uscanteens are made of state-of-the-art 100% recyclable stainless steel. Stainless steel is hands down the BEST material for water bottles because they don’t require lining, they’re BPA free, chemical free, and won’t taint your beverage with any weird flavors. The single-walled canteen holds 50% more of your drink but the extra layer of stainless steel in the double-walled maintains its temperature for 8 hours – so that’s a personal preference. The canteens have a stylish and sleek silhouette, look great, and are easy to hold onto.

US CANTEEN CARRIERS:

US Canteen makes many flavors of carriers (but too many to list here, so I think I’ll cover that in another post). As noted above, I got the Como in black. This carrier is perfectly sized to hold your uscanteen snug and safe, yet the canteen slips out easily when you need it. The Como is crafted with woven canvas with leather trim and wicked stylish metal grommets.  This carrier leaves the mouth and cap of the canteen exposed and easily accessible for fast sips of water on the go.  There’s a waterproof lining and a smooth adjustable nylon strap that you can sling across your body or wear over one shoulder.  The Como also has some handy extras like a zippered pocket in back to securely stash money and credit cards and an open pocket in front which keeps your blackberry or iphone at  the ready.  Lastly there’s an extra D-ring on the side to clip your keys.

The Como also comes in some other color choices, although a couple are sold out right now (like the Olive Camouflage which I think is super cute).

PROS:

• The set – an uscanteen and Como carrier cuts out plastic water bottle use! Yay.
• Ultra stylish. My boyfriend Dave LOVES this canteen (he’s been testing it out) and he’s barely taken it off since we got it. He’s in a band and notes that it’s stylish enough to wear at a show – so yeah, it gets the rock star approval. He’s also using it at his day job though, and takes it skateboarding and takes it to work out, so it’s a go anywhere bottle. Casual and more dressy. Dave further notes that people cannot keep their hands off this carrier. He says at work and band practice that everyone has commented on it, and wants to take a closer look.
• The pocket in front securely fits Dave’s cell phone.
• The strap is perfectly adjustable for a taller or shorter person. And the whole deal is lightweight to carry around.
• The canteen pulls in and out of the Como with ease and Dave said it kept his water cold and fresh tasting all day long. He also noted that the lid had zero leakage issues. And he’s a bouncy guy.
• The set looks very well made. It’s hard to give a full review here, because it’s not like we’ve had the products for years, but at first go-over it seems extremely well-made. There are no loose threads, or weird clasp issues going on.

CONS:

• I wish it didn’t have any leather. This carrier has leather trim, which is better than a whole leather carrier, but still. That tree hugger in me frowns on animals used for a product like this.
• The zippered pocket is really hard to get money or cards in and out of. In one way this is a pro because NO ONE is going to be able to grab your stash and go. However it’ll take some doing for you to get to your stash too.
• Some people hate drinking directly from stainless steel. I’m not one of those people, but some people do mind, and unlike other stainless bottles these uscanteens don’t have a mouth piece adapter option.

COST ISSUES:

Normally I’d say the cost is a little steep. You can get a stainless steel Klean Kanteen for about $20 but you won’t get a carrier. An uscanteen is normally around $60 while a Como carrier will run you $90. BUT right now US Canteen is having this amazing sale. Everything in their store is 33-45% off which is an awesome deal because that makes your uscanteen about $30 and the Como carrier $60. If you’re looking for style and substance, it’s a great deal. Especially when you consider how well made these products are – they’ll last forever. AND keep in mind, if you buy just one large plastic bottle of water daily you’ll be paying well over $500 a year. The uscanteen and carrier thus pay for themselves in a couple of months.

OVERALL SCORE:

Four out of five little trees. The uscanteen and Como carrier get a huge enthusiastic shout out from Dave, and an almost as enthusiastic shout out from me. I don’t approve of leather use in any bags, because there are other options, but I do approve highly of reusable water bottles and stylish ones that will last a long time to boot. I think this company is smart because they’re going to appeal to many people who may not have wanted to carry a less stylish water bottle in the past. I’d recommend this product to folks looking for a long-lasting, toxic-free, beautiful water bottle and carrier option.

Coming up, we’ll see some other carrier styles from US Canteen (they have lots, including some for kids!).

Visit US Canteen to learn more.