I have more water bottles than I really need, but frankly I’m always finding that I’m glad I have them around. Bottles are like headlamps — you think you’re buying them for all your outdoor escapades but really you end up using them more often in day-to-day life than you ever thought. Sigg’s line of lightweight aluminum water bottles are definitely part of that field of outdoor gear — overused and very appreciated.
I first saw Sigg water bottles at ColeSport in Park City, in their bike department during the summer, and was taken by their cool designs. The one I’m showing here is actually one of the more bland ones — still sexy, but understated. They have every print imaginable from stripes to spots to artistic renderings of animals. Really funky & stylish.
But cooler than the designs printed on the outside is the industrial design of the thing itself. Extruded from a single piece of aluminum, the Sigg water bottles are extremely durable but also very lightweight. They remind me of a canister of gas for your camp stove. And being aluminum, they keep your drink very cool — which is why I purchased it in the first place. There’s nothing like sipping cold water from an aluminum flask after hiking under Utah’s mid-summer sun.
A couple of things that are downfalls:
1) Aluminum is inherently hard, so if you fall on it then you’ll get a bruise (duh), and
2) Aluminum doesn’t flex, so you can’t squeeze the bottle and squirt a stream of water like you can with a soft plastic bottle.
All in all, however, it’s definitely a piece of gear to add to the collection — and you’ll find you never leave it sitting in the gear closet for long without taking it on a backpacking trip through the Uintas, or just on a walk with the kid in the jogging stroller.
Buy Now: Pick up a classic Sigg design on MooseJaw.com
Or, search for all Sigg bottles at Backcountry.com
Overstock.com: Check out more outdoor gear
June 2, 2007 - 12:05 pm - posted by Kendall
I have a hard time drinking from a bottle that resembles the same container I use with my MSR Wisperlite stove to hold fuel. Sexy or not, I’m sticking to a nalgene or a bike water bottle.
June 2, 2007 - 1:01 pm - posted by Brig
hehe — good point, though once you have an icy sip from an aluminum bottle, you might be persuaded…
July 13, 2007 - 4:25 am - posted by Sandy
These water bottles are extremely durable with cooler designs and also lightweight. There are very comfortable even for the children to drink without pouring water on their dresses. For more information look at water bottles
July 18, 2007 - 7:03 pm - posted by Brig Graff
Thanks for the post, Sandy! At GEAR.com we’re fans of Seth Godin, so thanks for the link to that lens on Squidoo.
August 28, 2008 - 2:16 pm - posted by dontbuysigg
I had my SIGG for about 6 months and the liner started to wear and flake off around the thread area (Where the cap screws in). I guess it was due to the wear and tear of opening and closing the cap. Look closely around your thread area and ensure that none of the aluminum is exposed. The lining is yellow. If you see any silver, that’s aluminum. Aluminum, if leached into the water, can cause Alzheimer’s disease. I have switched to a Laken bottle and it does not have this problem. See how they solved it at http://www.laken.es.
August 28, 2008 - 3:51 pm - posted by Brig Graff
Wow that’s interesting — thanks for posting. With such an endorsement, and the fact that you didn’t sign your real name, I imagine you work for Laken and are trying to spread rumors about a competitor? Can you provide us some more info about the background of Laken? That would be very helpful. Also, do you know where the scientific studies are that conclusively link aluminum food containers with causing Alzheimers? I only found this on snopes, which seems to indicate that you are wrong and that it is an old myth from the 1920s: http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/valentino.asp
I’m not trying to be disbelieving — I’d just like to know for sure, because if you are correct then that’s some pretty serious allegations and I may shift my opinion about Sigg, and toss out my Sigg bottles.
thanks very much,
Brig
September 2, 2008 - 1:46 pm - posted by dontbuysigg
Hi Brig,
I tried to comment but was blocked by the SpamBam. I will try again.
No, I do not work for Laken. I too was once very happy with my Sigg until I noticed the flaw. I am just a disappointed customer trying to get the word out. As for the aluminum exposure, I said that it can cause Alzheimers and not that it will cause Alzheimers. Either way the aluminum cannot be good for us. I suppose that is why all the aluminum bottles have a liner to begin with. Just Google ‘aluminum safety.’
I was considering a Klean Kanteen bottle as well but some reviews stated the water tasted metallic and the sport lid was leaky.
Ever since I got my Laken, I’ve been very happy with it. I have the Blue Futura 0.75L. I might get the red one as well.
September 2, 2008 - 1:54 pm - posted by dontbuysigg
PS. Don’t throw out your SIGG bottles. Just use them ’til they break or until the liner wears down. And don’t buy any new ones =)
September 2, 2008 - 2:44 pm - posted by Brig Graff
Thanks dontbuysigg —- I’ll have to keep that in mind, and perhaps consider some alternatives.
September 15, 2008 - 3:15 am - posted by Adam Buchanan
yeah i appreciate the posts everyone. brig, the taste on a hot day sounds great, i think i will try but im gonna do it with caution. i like switching up my outdoor routine.
like have you guys ever boiled water and put it in a nalgene to sleep with? oh my gosh! where was that when i was 12 freezing my butt off.
September 15, 2008 - 8:55 am - posted by Brig Graff
wow I never thought of that! good idea for the next backpacking trip….
September 16, 2008 - 10:39 am - posted by dontbuysigg
I just checked out the new Sigg Oval 0.6L. They didn’t line their thread area like their other bottles. Great improvement!
September 24, 2008 - 11:29 am - posted by J. Camper
Apparently Sigg used to manufacture fuel bottles and now manufactures water bottles. My questions:
1. What is the difference between a Sigg fuel bottle and a Sigg water bottle?
2. What are the hazards of using a Sigg water bottle for camping fuel?
3. What are the hazards of using a Sigg fuel bottle for water (assuming no remaining fuel residue)?
September 24, 2008 - 11:58 am - posted by Brig
Wow that’s interesting — I honestly don’t know the answers on that one. I’ll have to ping out to them and see if they’ll respond.
September 30, 2008 - 6:16 pm - posted by Meghan
Hi Brig,
I had a Sigg water bottle and have stopped using it due to the strong metallic taste which made me begin some research. While there isn’t a direct correlation between aluminum bottles leeching enough aluminum to cause Alzheimer’s; it is known that individuals with Alzheimer’s have high concentrations of aluminum in their brains. There isn’t a guarantee that the bottles are ‘leech free’ so to speak, and if you have ever seen someone suffer the horribly devastating effects of Alzheimer’s …well…it’s better to toss out the expensive water bottle then to take a risk of that magnitude. Until Sigg can prove that their interior coating of stove enamel is completely leech proof (and how exactly can you see completely into the inside of the bottle), I would suggest looking at alternatives.
When in doubt stick with stainless steel. people have been using it a lot longer and it doesn’t seem to have the same health risks.
It broke my heart to toss away my $30 sigg bottle…but at least when I am 80 I’ll be able to remember doing it.
September 30, 2008 - 6:37 pm - posted by Brig Graff
Excellent points all around — thank you very much. You know, perhaps I’ll reach out to Sigg to have them come give some added commentary here.