This Affordable Water Bottle Finally Makes My Hydration Easy

I’ve long struggled with proper hydration. Most mornings, eyes bleary and mouth parched, I reach for a strong tea — a gesture to hydration — chased with a black coffee. It’s not until my contact lenses have started to pucker and my skin assumes an uncomfortable tautness that I choose water. I teeter dangerously between plum and prune on the daily. But everything changed the day I fell in love with someone else’s water bottle. 

_{Prices are accurate as of September 23, 2024. Subject to change.}

Simple Elegance

I spotted it from across the gym, shimmering like green glass, its clarity enhancing the movement of the meniscus. Cézanne could have painted it. Where could I buy this exquisitely beautiful bottle? After interrogating the mildly confused owner, I headed straight to the website of Japanese tableware and lifestyle brand Kinto. The result? Thanks to an affordable, lightweight plastic bottle, I’ve boosted my hydration levels forever. 

I’ll start by saying this water bottle does absolutely nothing of note. There’s no fancy UV light, charcoal filter, or built-in straw. It is neither patterned nor has my name emblazoned across it. The binary opposite of an accessorized Stanley — the drinking vessel of the moment for maximalists — the pared-back, understated Kinto is very much the minimalist’s choice. And this is what I like. Everyone has a perfect water bottle for their needs — one Better Report editor swears by her Owala FreeSip — but I veer the other way, avoiding spouts, sports caps, and color. 

Before the Kinto, I enjoyed the Hip — it made me feel like an inferior John Wayne — but the unusual shape meant it wouldn’t fit into the cup holder in my car, or slot into the treadmill at the gym. I moved on to a lightweight stainless steel bottle that was fine, except the opening was so wide I kept dripping water down my front. But when I bought the Kinto bottle, I had a Goldilocks moment: it was just right. The bottleneck sweeps softly, mimicking the curvature of my bottom lip; it just feels nice to drink from. For the first time in years, I’m drinking water without laboring over it, even without thinking about it. A beautifully reflective, eye-catching bottle in my sightline as I work at my desk commands attention. 

This is perhaps the closest plastic could ever get to glass. Made from a type of BPA-free plastic called copolyester, it has the glass-like appearance and clarity I’ve gushed about, while being durable and scratch-resistant (though it’s not scratch-proof, so keep your keys away if you put it in your bag). 

Many of us worry about the nasties our bottles could be harboring and I just don’t trust a water bottle I cannot see through. The Kinto is fully transparent, and the opening is just the right size for internal cleaning as well as comfortable, splash-proof drinking. The screw lid, which doubles up as a handy carrying handle, contains a simple silicone gasket to prevent leakage which can be removed for washing. The rounded bottom surface prevents residue from accumulating, presumably because there are no crevices for microbes to lurk, without unbalancing the bottle.

So much Japanese design is a perfect marriage of simplicity, beauty, and functionality. Rather than attempting to convince people to buy things they don’t need and won’t use, Kinto’s entire lineup elevates the things we already use most. That’s refreshing in this day and age of overconsumption.

Kinto’s water bottle comes in three sizes — 10, 16, and 32 ounces — and five colors. I chose the largest version in green. Replacement lids are sold separately should yours get lost or broken, so this is a product that should outlast water bottle trends. Sometimes it just takes finding the perfect vessel to boost your hydration, and the Kinto is mine.

Feature Image Credit: Courtesy of Kinto