3 Plastic-Free Water Bottles For Kids
You made sure that your baby’s bottles were free from nasties, but have you given much thought to what your child’s drinking vessel is made from? Here’s what to avoid and our picks for the best bottles on the market…
Supplied: PlanetBox
Supplied: PlanetBox
When I was pregnant with my first child, I spent hours researching non-toxic baby products. (If only The Tot had existed back then!) I wanted to make sure that every item my baby wore, drank from and played with was free from pesticides and toxic chemicals.
But as my baby turned into a toddler, I started to let my standards slip. I realized with horror one day that most of her feeding and drinking products were made from plastic and that I’d forgotten to check the labels to make sure they were non-toxic. I took one look at her beat-up plastic water bottle and threw it away.
The tricky thing is: even if a label says a plastic bottle is BPA-free, it might still contain BPS (another not-so-nice type of bisphenol!) In an effort to help make the journey to a non-toxic lifestyle easier for you, I’ve outlined a few helpful things you need to know about buying drink bottles for your family.
In this article, we’ll go over:
- Chemicals to avoid in plastic drink bottles
- Plastic-free drink bottle alternatives
- What The Tot Test is
- Our picks for the best non-toxic drink bottles
Scroll down to learn more.
Chemicals to Avoid in Plastic Drink Bottles
If you do choose a plastic water bottle (there are some safe options!), you’ll want to ensure that it doesn’t contain any:
- BPA + BPS (bisphenol A and bisphenol S)
- PVC
- Harmful phthalates
These chemicals interfere with our hormones and can have a range of serious health effects including reproductive abnormalities, infertility, birth defects, behavioral issues in children, asthma, heart disease, stroke and cancer. The more words listed after “free from” on the label, the better!
Plastic-Free Drink Bottle Alternatives
The good news is: we are seeing more and more plastic-free drink bottle alternatives every day. The main contenders are: Stainless Steel and Silicone.
Stainless steel
Incredibly durable and completely non-toxic, this is the best way to go when choosing water bottles for your child and yourself.
Silicone
Many water bottles come with silicone spouts or straws. Silicone is a man-made polymer that won’t leach or off-gas hazardous chemicals. It’s also much less likely to break down when exposed to higher heats.
What is The Tot Test?
Not all products are made equal. Materials and chemical ingredients are mostly untested, largely unregulated and labels can be misleading. Companies continue to mass produce using harmful materials that are cheaper to source and more readily available. These carry a toxic burden that will wreak havoc on our bodies. Children are particularly susceptible.
This is why we created The Tot Test. Every single product we use and recommend has been examined by a green-living expert. From reviewing third-party testing to safety reports, we do the work so you can provide the best for the ones you love. Here is a list of the ingredients we avoid.
Tot Test Approved Drink Bottle Picks
thinkbaby Sippy of Steel
$13.99
thinkbaby All-In-One Bottle Set
$24.99
PlanetBox Stainless Steel Water Bottle (18.8 oz)
$24.95
Available in more colors
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- It’s never too late to start talking to your kids about what “real” food is, where ingredients come from and how to cook homemade meals. Give them the gift of knowledge and an open mind. Calgary Avansino shares her Top 10 tips for kids & healthy eating.
