Choosing a Safe and Healthy Water Bottle for Your Child
Choosing a kids water bottle might not seem like a big thing. But as soon as you start looking for the best water bottle and not just buying the first plastic one you find in the supermarket you may discover it’s another area of parenting that can suck you in.
As parents one thing we all want is to keep our children safe. Now that doesn’t mean wrapping them in cotton wool and not letting them take risks, we want our children to learn to be capable independent adults. But we can protect them from water bottles that leach chemicals.
Many reusable water bottles on the market today are BPA free and that’s a good place to start. BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical that is widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins that until recently was found in many food and drinks containers. There are concerns over the effects of BPA on the developing brain and also possible links to breast and prostate cancer.
However you do still have to be careful and shouldn’t just assume a bottle doesn’t contain BPA. For example, Sigg aluminium bottles were found to have BPA in the internal epoxy coating and some cheaper metal bottles may be aluminium rather than high-quality food-safe stainless steel.
Moreover just because the plastic used in a water bottle is BPA-free doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain other harmful chemicals that can leech into the water your children are drinking. In fact, studies have shown that some plastics that are currently considered food safe can leak estrogen-mimicking chemicals into food and drink when they are exposed to UV rays, aka left in the sun.
With this in mind stainless steel, glass and silicone can be considered the healthiest and safest choices for you and your children.
Choose a high-quality stainless steel bottle from a brand you can trust
Food grade stainless steel is a popular material in the food industry as it is resistant to corrosion and oxidisation (rust) and doesn’t leak any chemicals into food or drink even at high temperatures or when in contact with acids. Not all stainless steel is the same though which is why it is important to buy from a reputable brand.
All the brands we stock including Fosh, Klean Kanteen, Chilly’s and Qwetch use high-quality food-safe stainless steel that is unlined so there are no interior epoxy resins to come in contact with your drinks.
A lack of interior coatings also means you don’t have to worry about dings and scratches meaning a previously safe bottle could now be leaching into your water.
Glass and Silicone Bottles
The other safe and healthy options when it comes to water bottles are silicone and glass. Silicone is great for children as it’s lightweight and squashy. However, the flexibility can also be an issue as they can squeeze the bottle while they are drinking.
Glass bottles, although more durable than you might imagine can still get smashed and so may not be your first choice.
And of course stainless steel, silicone and glass are all environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic so they are better for the planet as well as your children.
