I think the problem with aluminum [aside from being overblown] is actually in the heating of acidic foods in cookware, aluminum containers aren't likely to result in intake of aluminum .... but regardless of that, stainless steel is the thing to use, and there's many stainless water bottles available, including that vintage standby, the Thermos bottle

Bill

A friend of mine has scleroderma (sp?) and has had many different tests. A hair sample showed too much aluminum in her system. Her Dr. told her not to drink out of anything aluminum and buy SS cookware, etc.

I congratulate you for wanting to rid the world of plastic bottles. Below is a little blurb on a SS bottle I got. I couldn't find a website to buy it, but I got mine at Nature's Pantry in Independence, MO. It was $20, and holds 12 oz. Part of the sale goes to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The stainless lid screws off & you push down on a button and the drink mechanism pops up. You screw the whole top off to fill it. It's very light. I carry it everywhere.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Thank you both for your input and information you provided me with. I will begin searching for ss water bottles. :-)

What about the plastic cups with lids? The sports bottles that they sell for a few dollars at Target or Wal-mart. Are those just as good, or is there a benefit to the Sigg bottles that those cheap plastic ones don't have? I've seen those Sigg bottles for around 20 dollars on Amazon. Christy :)

You're welcome, amycj.

I haven't heard of Sigg bottles, but if you can get a SS bottle for the same price, why not buy something you know is safe?

I did a little search that stated Sigg bottles are made from aluminum with a polypropolene cap. There may be different models.

Christy - the benefit of aluminum is plastic may be leaching Bisphenol A into your water, the benefit of stainless steel is it's not plastic or aluminum, which might also be a hazard .... plastics are petroleum products and have a short useful life [including limited real recycling], even if they don't include hazardous substances .... stainless lasts until you purposely destroy it or it's recycled into more stainless

Bill

Thanks squeeze. Those Sigg bottles I saw on Amazon are aluminum (thanks gram999). I didn't realize that. So another question, does all plastic leak the Bisphenol A? I've heard about the #7 being the ones with the Bisphenol A, am I wrong? I found a bottle called Nalgene at the grocery store the other day, is it worth purchasing? It is not stainless steel, but it was a $5.00 bottle as opposed to the $20.00 SS bottle. I've also heard that plastic leaks the Bisphenol A when heated (for instance, leaving it in a hot car), is that true? Does that mean plastic is okay to use in the winter, or without hot beverages? Sorry there are so many questions, I'm just confused as to what is the right thing to do. Thanks :) Christy

Here is a link that might be useful: Nalgene Link

I have nalgene bottles (anything plastic with a number 7 on it may leak Bisphenal A) however I am not worried.

I only drink water out of my plastic bottle and if any is leaching into the water it would be very low.

You are correct, the amount leaching into the liquid would be greater if you used hot liquids and/or acidic liquids.

Hikers have been using these bottles for years and years and not had any problems with them.

Alzheimer's was thought to be caused by aluminum pots/pans ect at some point but people have changed their thoughts on this. I think this is one reason why people were told not to use aluminum.

If I didn't want to use plastic I would choose the SS one because aluminum dents easily and it smells funny to me. (maybe the smell is just in my head, but it bothers me still!)

If you use stainless steel, or aluminum for that matter, wouldn't the water get hot in the summer? Couldn't the bottle get hot enough to be uncomfortable to hold?

I use the hard plastic water bottles just for water. Exactly what kind of danger am I putting myself into? Especially when you consider that I drank soda for 50 years before giving it up last year and was fed junk and processed food when I was young? Are the plastic bottles really a large danger?

I often wonder about the plastic mouthpieces and plastic rims that the stainless steel bottles have, together with their lids. I like to put hot drinks into them. Presumably this is unsafe, too.

Ashita

There is no problem with aluminum bottles, it is extreme temperatures (cooking) that can cause problems. I prefer them over SS because of the weight, aluminum is lighter.

I see a lot of people excercising walking jogging etc, and alot of them have there water bottle . Seems to me its like a status symbol thing kinda like the cell phone. Heres a novel idea drink water at home before and after excercise. If you are traveling how about a cooler with glass bottles of water from your tap. Drink water at restaraunts from a glass. Just a thought!!

What about the plastic bottles you have right now? Reuse them instead of throwing them away and when they spring a leak recycle them. HELLO!
I've been reusing plastic water and gatoraid bottles for years, even freezing them after refilling. Just don't fill them all the way if you are going to freeze them.

caution: I read about using empty plastic bottles as fill in large flower pots as makes the pots much lighter and reuses the plastic, well it makes them lighter and easier to move but causes the soil to dry out much faster and the roots don't go down to bottom of pot I'll stick to rocks thank you and plants that don't need watering twice a day