Should you choose a stainless steel water bottle for your child or an aluminium one?
With so many bottles available to bewilder you, it can be hard to make a choice. You know you don’t want a plastic one, but should you go for hardier, more expensive stainless steel, or choose the cheaper and lighter aluminium?
Both aluminium and stainless steel water bottles are popular; both have their advantages but we believe that stainless steel water bottles are superior for very good reasons.
Read on to find out why…..
Safety
Stainless steel water bottles are definitely the winners here!
Aluminium can react to certain liquids. These include liquids that are especially hot, fizzy drinks or particularly acidic drinks. For this reason, aluminium bottles are lined with a thin layer of resin or enamel; this may contain plastics, therefore there’s a strong possibility that BPA may be present, unless the bottle states that it’s BPA free. Many people are trying to avoid drinking and eating from items containing BPA because it can be absorbed into your body and has the potential to cause harm.
Stainless steel water bottles usually have no added chemical lining. There is, in most cases, no added BPA coating, just unadulterated stainless steel. If you purchase a stainless steel water bottle made from 18/8 grade steel, you’ll be getting a high quality bottle. We firmly believe that stainless steel water bottles are the best choice if you want an entirely safe option for your child’s water bottle - or for your own.
At minaym our stainless steel kids water bottles are made from 18/8 food grade, unlined stainless steel.
Heat resistance
You can put hot liquids in aluminium bottles, but as it’s a much thinner material your drink won’t stay hot for as long as it would in a stainless steel water bottle. You might also notice that the outside of an aluminium water bottle allows the heat to seep through, so your hand might feel warm holding it too!
Stainless steel water bottles are usually powder coated, which not only gives them an easy-to-grip feel but also ensures that you won’t get any condensation on your bottle, and they won’t leach heat as aluminium bottles can.
Durability
Will your aluminium water bottle withstand the rough and tumble of everyday life as well as a stainless steel water bottle? The answer, almost certainly, is no!
Stainless steel is a much tougher material and is quite difficult to dent; almost impossible to split or break with normal activities.
Aluminium, however, is relatively thin and can fairly easily be bashed and even broken, especially with the use that children give their bottles! If dropped, you are likely to get a dent in an aluminium bottle, whereas the stainless steel one would probably survive fairly unscathed.
In terms of longevity, both have a potentially long life, and both are recyclable. However, because stainless steel water bottles are harder wearing, they will be far more likely to last you a long time.
While neither stainless steel nor aluminium bottles will rust, corrosion can occur on aluminium bottles - particularly if the bottles are bashed and the anti-corrosion lining is damaged at all, or if acidic or very hot liquids are contained in them. It’s worth remembering that if the lining gets damaged then the aluminium is exposed. This can bring health risks - if you think of how much a bottle gets knocked around, it would be easy enough to damage the lining. You definitely don’t want to be drinking from an aluminium bottle that has had the lining scratched or chipped away!
Stainless steel bottles are very unlikely to corrode, they do not react with hot or acidic liquids as aluminium can; they are the safest choice and the option with the longest life.
Weight
There is a slight difference in weight between aluminium and stainless steel water bottles. Aluminium, being the thinner material, is lighter; stainless steel is undoubtedly heavier.
This does not mean, however, that stainless steel water bottles are overly heavy, they are still ideal for children and adults to carry around. You won’t be including your water bottle in your weights regime! However they are definitely more sturdy and have a higher quality feel.
It may, of course, be the case that a lighter water bottle is more desirable for you or your child; it’s a matter of personal choice, but it’s important to remember the other considerations when choosing a water bottle. Stainless steel water bottles aren’t significantly heavier and they certainly have a superior safety and durability profile.
It’s also important to consider what your water bottle is going to be used for. Aluminium is probably suitable for casual use and leisure, but for the keen sports’ goer - or in fact a school child - stainless steel water bottles are better suited to the job.
Recyclability
Both aluminium and stainless steel water bottles are recyclable in themselves. However, if the lining of aluminium water bottles contains resin, that is less easy to break down; for recyclability, stainless steel is the purest option.
Always remember that bottle tops or straws may contain plastics, so these may need to be recycled separately.
Cost
Stainless steel water bottles do cost slightly more, and this can be a factor when you’re making a choice. On a shelf, or online, aluminium bottles will generally be cheaper, and, understandably, customers might prefer them for this reason.
However, stainless steel water bottles are still reasonably priced and we believe that in the longer term you will get better value for money. Your stainless steel water bottle will have greater longevity and will look good for longer than most aluminium bottles. Therefore stainless steel water bottles are definitely worth the initial investment.
Keeping drinks hot or cold
Stainless steel water bottles will keep your drinks hot or cold for longer than aluminium ones. That’s because the steel is better at insulating than the thinner aluminium.
So, if you put an ice cold drink in your stainless steel bottle at the beginning of the day, at the end of the day it will still be cold and deliciously refreshing, ready to quench your thirst.
In conclusion, you will need to decide whether to go for a cheaper, less sturdy aluminium bottle that’s a bit lighter - on the pocket and in the hand - or whether to choose the safer, more solid, longer lasting stainless steel water bottle. We don’t think that, having read this blog, there is much of a choice to make - stainless steel water bottles do a much better job of keeping your drinks hot or cold for longer; they are more durable; they are safer; they are more easily recycled - and they won’t dent readily or become corroded.
The choice is yours…….
Still need to know a bit more? Read our 10 benefits of using stainless steel water bottles
Wan't to learn even more about stainless steel bottles? Check out our in-depth guide here: Stainless Steel Water Bottles: Everything You Need To Know
Bibliography
https://www.unifiedalloys.com/blog/stainless-steel-vs-aluminum#:~:text=Stainless%20steel%20offers%20superior%20corrosion,applicable%20in%20high%2Dtemperature%20applications.
https://www.metalswarehouse.co.uk/aluminium-vs-stainless-steel-what-are-the-main-differences/
