When it comes to looking for the perfect stainless steel reusable water bottle, it can be hard to know which water water bottle is going to be completely safe for you and your family’s health.

All of the stainless steel water bottles found on StainlessWaterBottles.com go through a rigorous approval process with Dr. Ben to ensure that each and every one will be 100% safe for your health. Dr. Ben does not approve of selling any stainless steel water bottles from companies that do not provide full testing reports on their products. Until Dr. Ben sees the safety facts with his own eyes, the stainless steel water bottles will not be deemed ready for approval.

Stainless Steel Water Bottles Safely Made in China

Klean Kanteen is an excellent example of a stainless steel water bottle company that provides all of the specifications and facts pertaining to the safety of their stainless steel water bottles.

All stainless steel water bottles are made in China, which many consumers wonder about. Klean Kanteen is one of the only company that specifies exactly WHY their bottles are made in China, rather than other companies that just state, “Made in China.” The Klean Kanteen website says,

“When we created the very first Klean Kanteen, our goal was to promote healthy living and respect for the environment by giving people an affordable alternative to plastic bottles. From the get go, we shared some of the concerns our customers have expressed about manufacturing in China. However, after much time and research into manufacturing options, we found that by making Klean Kanteens in China we could provide a handcrafted product of exceptional quality at a reasonable price. So, before a single Kanteen was ever crafted, we set about placing prudent checks and balances in place to ensure that our products are produced safely and sustainably, and that the people making Klean Kanteens are treated well and paid fairly.”

Klean Kanteen is also particular about making the information on the processes that they go through to ensure the safety and integrity of their stainless steel water bottles as absolutely transparent as possible. Klean Kanteen’s website states,

Klean Kanteen representatives visit the manufacturing facilities several times a year and perform audits every six months to make sure all their products are produced with respect for the environment and that the workers in the factories are safe, protected and paid a living wage.

Not only does Klean Kanteen uphold strong design and manufacturing standards, they also regularly test the metal in their bottles. Every three to four months the science division of EMSL Analytical, Inc., a lab based in Westmont, N.J., tests the elemental composition of metal in Klean Kanteens for hazardous substances.”

Stainless Steel is Naturally Safe for Your Health and the Environment

Stainless steel is an iron-containing alloy made from some of Earth’s most basic elements such as chromium, silicon, nickel, iron ore, carbon, nitrogen and manganese. The varying amounts of these elements result in different properties of the final metal. Over 57 stainless steels exist today and are sold on the market as standard alloys.

Stainless steel is easy to clean, durable, inert, and very sanitary. Which is the main reason why it is the material of choice among the food processing, dairy, and brewing industries.

Stainless steel is naturally safe to eat or drink out of and does not contain BPA, phthalates, lead, or toxins. You’ll never have to worry about your stainless steel water bottle having a potentially harmful liner that can retain flavors or leach BPA into your drink.

Stainless Steel is 100% recyclable, which makes it a great environmentally-friendly choice and helps you reduce your personal carbon footprint. Stainless steel is also very durable–many stainless steel reusable water bottles can last for up to years. According to Wikipedia, an average stainless steel product is “composed of about 60% recycled material.”

What Do the Stainless Steel Numbers Mean?

There are many different grades of stainless steel that are used in a wide variety of our common household products such as furniture, silverware, tools, and so on. In terms of stainless steel reusable water bottles, a good rule of thumb when choosing a reusable water bottle is to make sure that it is made from 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. The “18″ stands for the percentage amount of chromium and the “8″ stands for the percentage amount of nickel found in the stainless steel. Chromium is an essential ingredient to the stainless steel because it increases the metal’s hardness, while the nickel content gives the metal strength. Together, these two elements make the stainless steel in reusable water bottles highly resistant to stain or rust spots.

Approximately 10-15% of the population has a sensitivity to nickel. The health effects for those with a sensitivity to nickel vary depending on the manner and degree of exposure. Food-grade stainless steel with 8% nickel content is still very low, but if you have any concerns we encourage you to speak with a doctor before using a reusable bottle with any nickel in it.

Non-nickel reusable alternatives: There are some reusable water bottles that are made from 18/0 food-grade stainless steel. We also recommend that if you have a strong sensitivity to nickel you might want to consider using a glass reusable water bottle to limit your nickel exposure.

What is the Gauge?

A stainless steel reusable water bottle’s durability depends on the thickness and quality of the metal. The gauge is the thickness of the metal. The higher the number of the gauge, the thinner the metal is, so you’ll want to look for a gauge that has a small number when choosing a stainless steel water bottle.

Make Sure Your Stainless Steel Water Bottle’s Cap is Safe

Fortunately, many companies are jumping on the BPA-free train, but as consumers, it’s always good to double-check on all of the ingredients included in both your stainless steel water bottle and the bottle’s cap. Klean Kanteen features caps that are made from both stainless steel and polypropylene #5 (pp#5). The polypropylene caps are just as safe stainless steel, containing no BPA, lead, phthalates, or toxins.

Is the Paint on Your Stainless Steel Water Bottle Safe?

All of the Klean Kanteen Classic Stainless Steel Colored Water Bottles feature a nontoxic, acrylic, lead-free, resin-based paint that you’ll never have to worry about in regards to you or your family’s health. However, if you have a small child that loves chewing on things, you may want to consider getting an uncolored stainless steel reusable water bottle rather than one that is colored, to avoid any paint from being swallowed.

Klean Kanteen: A Great Example in Stainless Steel Water Bottle Safety

We like to use the Klean Kanteens as a prime example for high standards in stainless steel water bottle safety since they are and always have been completely transparent with all of their company practices and ingredients used in their products.

Like noted earlier, all of Klean Kanteen’s products are completely safe for you and your family’s health, and not to mention, for the environment. The Klean Kanteen bottles and caps are made from only the highest standard of 18/8 food-grade, BPA-, lead-, phthalate-, and toxin-free stainless steel and polypropylene #5. Plus, they’re extremely durable and 100% recyclable.

Stainless Steel Water Bottle Safety Checklist

While shopping around for a reusable stainless steel water bottle, here is a great list of 10 key ideas to keep in mind while looking at different brands.

• Make sure your bottle does not contain an inner liner that could potentially leach BPA.
• Make sure your stainless steel water bottle is 18/8 food-grade stainless steel.
• Check for the gauge of the stainless steel or ask for information on the bottle’s durability.
• Is the bottle colored? What is the paint made out of?
• What kind of material is the cap made out of?
• Do you have a nickel sensitivity?
• Does the stainless steel reusable water bottle sweat?
• What are the best cleaning methods?
• Does the stainless steel water bottle come with a warranty?
• How has the stainless steel been tested and proven to be safe?

Dr. Ben and StainlessWaterBottles.com are Here to Help!

If you have any questions or comments regarding the safety of stainless steel water bottles let us know, Dr. Ben and the staff at StainlessWaterBottles.com are here to help! Feel free to call us at (800) 594-4916, comment down below, or email us at any time.