If you are looking for a lightweight, single-wall stainless steel bottle that is built for outdoor use, take it to the gym or to the office, then this review of the Klean Kanteen 27oz Classic Flip Seal Sport Cap might be just for you. Enjoy the review!
- Weight: 236.9 grams/8.3oz (Claimed 238.1 grams 8.4oz)
- Packsize: ⌀ 73 x 274 mm/⌀ 2.87 x 10.78 inches (Claimed inches)⌀86.6 x 273 mm / ⌀ 3.41 x 10.75
- Volume: 754.2 ml / 25.5 oz (Claimed 800 ml / 27oz
- Price: € 18.90 / $ 21.95 / £ 16.50
I came across the Klean Kanteen 27oz Classic Flip Seal Sport Cap about a year ago when I was looking for news on the ISPO tradeshow and it immediately had one thing I really liked: the big loop. This big loop looked clever; good to secure the bottle on my backpack and nice to hold on too. At that time I did not think that much about its real feature, the Thumb Flip Drinking Nozzle. So I got that bottle in my favorite color blue, or to be more precise: Corsair blue.
Weight & size
The bottle has, according to Klean Kanteen, a capacity of 27 fl oz or 800 ml. The bottle dimensions are specified as ⌀3.41 x 10.75 inches or ⌀86.6 x 273 mm. The size that Klean Kanteen states is not totally correct: I measure ⌀2.87 x 10.78 inches or ⌀73 x 274 mm.
The weight they state at 8.4 oz or 238.1 grams for the bottle and the Flip Seal Sport cap together. I put the bottle on my precise calibrated scale and measured a weight of 8.3 oz or 236.9 grams.
In comparison to some other single wall bottles that I have, the Klean Kanteen is a fair bit heavier. Not so strange because most of them are made out of plastic or aluminum. All my other steel bottles are double walled insulating ones and the Flip Seal Sport Cap is far lighter than those vacuum bottles but of course doesn’t keep liquids hot or cold.
Volume
While using the bottle I somehow had the feeling that the claimed volume of 27 oz or 800 ml was a bit funny. So I measured with my scale the amount of water that I could get into the bottle. Yes, I could get 800 grams – equals 800 ml / 27 oz – in the bottle. But… it is filled to the brim and the sport cap pushes water out when screwing it on, giving quite some mess. I measured again and the volume is maximum 754.2 ml / 25.5oz. Filling it with tap water and not getting a mess gives a more realistic volume 700 ml / 23.6oz.
Materials
The bottle is made of 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. The good news is that the Classic bottles use up to 90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel. The finish on the outside is a Klean Coat that is a chip-resistant paint on all the colored models. There is also a brushed version and that one is without any paint on the outside.
On the inside there is no coating whatsoever. This makes the bottle quite different then a lot of other plastic or especially aluminium bottles where a coating is needed to keep the aluminum from reacting with whatever is in it. Klean Kanteen is pretty clear that all bottles are BPA-free. How is it possible that the bottle does not need a coating on the inside? The inside of the bottle is electro polished. That makes the surface so well polished that dirt doesn’t stay behind when you clean the bottle. So,…no coating but all 18/8 stainless steel.
The Flip Seal Sport Cap is made out of polypropylene – again BPA-free – and it has a silicone internal seal that sits inside the cap. In my case the cap also has a removable stainless telescopical steel straw.
Durability
The fact that the bottle is made of stainless steel and has a Klean Coat paint, makes it a robust, dent-resistant day-use bottle. The single-wall construction isn’t meant for dropping from great heights, but in normal outdoor abuse it holds up very well. That said… I did drop it several times and I have a small dent in the bottom of the bottle.
The Klean Coat finish resists chipping better than many painted bottles that I have; it is almost as crisp as from the moment I got it. But any painted finish will eventually accumulate scratches on rough use. To be honest: I love some wear and tear on gear. It just proves that it had many adventures and that there are stories to be told. The fact that there is no coating on the inside, means that this can’t be damaged. Which I think is a big pro.
Sustainability
Klean Kanteen has always been a brand about sustainability. Creating something that lasts is in my opinion key here. Next to that the recycled stainless steel content (90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 for the Classic line) and the fact that polypropylene – like the steel – can also be recycled is sweet. The company is part of the 1% For the Planet organisation, is B-Corporation certified and actively supports many environmental initiatives and organisations. Take a peek here if you are interested. For me the best thing with these kinds of bottles is – Klean Kanteen is not the only one – reducing single-use plastic. This bottle is a solid win.
Spare parts
One thing that helps to be sustainable is prolonging a product’s lifetime. Klean Kanteen promotes repairability and spare parts to extend product life. It’s not possible to buy a bottle without a cap, but Klean Kanteen sells replacement parts and maintenance kits like gaskets, straw tips, cap components, so you can replace a worn seal or straw rather than discarding the whole bottle. This not only improves sustainability but also field serviceability.
TIP: Carry a spare gasket or a maintenance kit in your gear if you rely heavily on leakproof performance.
Outdoor practice
I have had the Klean Kanteen 27oz Classic Flip Seal Sport Cap with me for a good part of all trips last year. From day hikes in The Netherlands to longer backpacking trips in Sweden.
It’s lightweight enough and the ruff structure of the paint on the outside provided good grip with bare hands and gloves. Taking a sip from the thumb operated Flip Nozzle is easy and quick. The operation can all be done with one hand although if your hands are small – like mine – opening the Flip Nozzle is not that straight forward; I need the bottle to give some counter pressure so I hold the bottom against my body. For this reason I never brought it with me when running. I find it also too bulky for that. The smaller 18 oz version would be more logical.
Also in my daily routine it works well. It’s near me on my desk when I am writing and in the car when I am traveling to appointments. Or on my way to Sweden…
The size and shape of the bottle is easy to store. It fits in all the dedicated pockets on my backpacks, my bike and in the cupholders of the Mercedes Sprinter Van and our full electric Skoda Enyaq IV. With smaller backpacks the height can be a challenge because in small sized bottle holders the Klean Kanteen sometimes is a bit top heavy.
What I absolutely love is the cap’s loop that lets me clip it to a pack or use one of the straps of my backpack to secure the bottle.
Warm and cold
Since it is a single wall bottle it performs best when temperatures are moderate. I found the sweet spot to be around 12 to 20 °C or 54 to 68 °F. I don’t like water that is too cold or too hot. Exposed to the sun the bottle warms pretty easily. For hot days, consider an insulated bottle if you want cold water all day. The Klean Kanteen 27oz Classic with the Flip Seal Sport Cap is not suitable for hot drinks. The steel doesn’t mind – your hands might – Klean Kanteen notes clearly that the Sport Cap is not intended for hot beverages.
TIP If you want cold water all day, pair this with an insulated sleeve.
Cleaning
Cleaning the bottle is simple routine maintenance that you should do once in a while. I only use the bottle with clean water so I never noticed any dirt on the inside. If this is the case then clean it with water, a little soap and a bottle brush and rinse it well.
If your Klean Kanteen has picked up a bit of dirt, fill it with water and a bit of vinegar and let it soak overnight. In the morning, empty it partially, add a table spoon of baking soda, swirl the bottle around and give it a good scrub with a bottle brush. Rinse well because the baking soda and water mix is pretty gooey.
For the Sport Cap cleaning is more often needed because it will get dirty while using it. Just take out the straw and clean with some lukewarm soapy water and rinse well. It can be done even easier: The cap and spout are dishwasher safe. Really dirty? Cook the Flip Seal Sport cap in a small pan with boiling water for a maximum of 5 minutes! The straw can be cleaned in the same way as the bottle and the help of a pipebrush can be useful.
Pre-production Sport Cap
I also have a pre-production Sport Cap and that one is a bit different from the one that came on the bottle in the end. In this grey colored Sport Cap the silicon insert is transparent and removable. In my opinion this is smarter because it makes cleaning better and the build up of dirt is visible. With the black Sport Cap with fixed black silicon insert this is not possible. So why did Klean Kanteen change this? The pre-production version came out too easily.
Also different from the pre-production and the production Sport Cap is the straw. The original one came with a fixed length straw. The one that is in shops now has a telescopic straw. This is clever because this straw also fit the smaller bottles.
Is it truly leakproof?
Klean Kanteen advertises the Flip Seal Sport Cap as 100% leakproof when closed and the seal is intact. From practice I can confirm that the bottle and cap are leakproof. However, if the cap is assembled incorrectly after cleaning, the straw removed but not seated, the rubber seal degraded, or the bottle is subjected to heavy pressure or tipping while the cap is partially open, leaks are possible. Routine inspection and keeping the seal clean will preserve leakproof performance.
My verdict
For an active outdoorist who wants a lightweight, durable, plastic-free bottle for hiking, backpacking, biking or just daily work/sport/leisure time, the Klean Kanteen Classic 27oz with Flip Seal Sport Cap is for sure a bottle to take into consideration if you are looking for a new one. It is very usable on the move, repairable, and more sustainable than single-use bottles. If you need temperature retention, this will not fully work so use a sleeve or pick an insulated bottle instead. The price of $ 21.95/ € 18.90 /£ 16.50* is excellent value and therefore I rate it at 9.4 points of 10 total.
*The review was made a while ago and the prices where correct at that time. I think the trade and tax problems might be the cause of prices being higher.
Information
Get the Klean Kanteen Classic 27oz with Flip Seal Sport Cap here:
- US https://amzn.to/46GAvvG
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