Very Quick
"I filled the bottle with about 8 ice cubes and then topped it off with cold water from the tap."
"For long car rides, we'll fill a couple bottles halfway and freeze them overnight, and then we'll add water in the morning."
"This wouldn't have bothered me, but now when I fill up my bottle, a teeny tiny bit of water can go through the cracks in between the hard outer shell and inner shiny stuff."
"After loading it up with ice cubes and chilled bottled water, it kept cool for about 2-3 hours in an insulated cooler in my trunk."
"The best way I've found is to put just a little water in, freeze at an angle so there is a piece of ice all the way down the bottle, then fill with water or other liquid."
"I really like the 20oz one just for how small it is and how well it fits everywhere, but I like the extra four ounces of liquid I get with the larger bottle and so they have become my bottle of choice (for every activity)."
"What I like: - loop makes it easy to hang the bottle or pull on it - mouthpiece can be removed from lid for cleaning - insulation seems to help, at least when you freeze the water bottle the day before - many grip positions make the bottle easy to grasp and hold What I don't like: - lid isn't tethered to the bottle, so it could get separated from the bottle - the grip sections of the bottle are hard to squeeze (around the red & white stripes on this particular design)--so you have to grip lower on the bottle if you want to squeeze it more easily - as with my other LDPE plastic water bottles, it imparts a plastic taste in your water--not noticeable when the water is cold, but quite evident after the water warms up..."
Polar Bottle Insulated Water Bottle (24-Ounce, Blue) (Compare Deals from $4.96)
Quick
"I filled the bottle with about 8 ice cubes and then topped it off with cold water from the tap... I know that the recommendation is to partially freeze water in the bottle an hour or so before riding, but I forgot and needed to hit the road... After receiving the product and inspecting it, I don't know if what the other reviewer alleged is even possible or if the bottle has been redesigned since then."
"I take one to work, though the water does not stay cold for the entire day (8 or 9 hours) unless I keep adding ice when I refill... For long car rides, we'll fill a couple bottles halfway and freeze them overnight, and then we'll add water in the morning. These bottles are easy to clean as long as you have a good bottle brush that reaches the bottom (I recommend the OXO bottle brush that is both long enough and dishwasher-safe for disinfecting)."
"When I tried to drink, I had to hold it open with my teeth or else it would get pushed back in and I couldn't get water out. Also about that time, the outer layer cracked around the bottom of the hand hold place (where the bottle goes in), so now I have 4 cracks about 1... This wouldn't have bothered me, but now when I fill up my bottle, a teeny tiny bit of water can go through the cracks in between the hard outer shell and inner shiny stuff."
"However, I was disappointed to find that the Polar bottles are actually less expensive at the local Meijer store compared to Amazon... After loading it up with ice cubes and chilled bottled water, it kept cool for about 2-3 hours in an insulated cooler in my trunk... But tThe Polar fits standard bicycle water bottle cages just fine."
"My kids take their lunches to school almost every day & I've never found a water bottle that will keep things cold until they eat lunch... The best way I've found is to put just a little water in, freeze at an angle so there is a piece of ice all the way down the bottle, then fill with water or other liquid... Even just putting ice cubes in and then cool water works very well, too if I forget to freeze the night before."
"I have no good tests, but I can say I have took two bottles with half frozen water in them on a five hour drive and they stayed cold... The 24oz size is borderline too big for many things (fitting in a bag, cup holders, etc) but I like the quantity of liquid since I usually freeze about half of it. I really like the 20oz one just for how small it is and how well it fits everywhere, but I like the extra four ounces of liquid I get with the larger bottle and so they have become my bottle of choice (for every activity)."
"The bottle tipped and fell off the top of the car, and when it struck one of the bikes on its way down (after falling probably less than 2 feet), the nozzle broke off... I know at least that the lids for this bottle and my Camelbak bottle are interchangeable, so I'll try the lid from one of my uninsulated Trek bottles... What I like: - loop makes it easy to hang the bottle or pull on it - mouthpiece can be removed from lid for cleaning - insulation seems to help, at least when you freeze the water bottle the day before - many grip positions make the bottle easy to grasp and hold What I don't like: - lid isn't tethered to the bottle, so it could get separated from the bottle - the grip sections of the bottle are hard to squeeze (around the red & white stripes on this particular design)--so you have to grip lower on the bottle if you want to squeeze it more easily - as with my other LDPE plastic water bottles, it imparts a plastic taste in your water--not noticeable when the water is cold, but quite evident after the water warms up..."
Less Quick
"It's the middle of the summer right now, and average day temperatures in southeastern Pennsylvania are about 85-90 degrees, with a lot of humidity... I filled the bottle with about 8 ice cubes and then topped it off with cold water from the tap... I know that the recommendation is to partially freeze water in the bottle an hour or so before riding, but I forgot and needed to hit the road... Well, 30 minutes into the ride, the water was becoming less cold and I think the ice cubes had mostly melted. It was still pleasant to drink, but it didn't seem like much of an improvement over non-insulated water bottles... After receiving the product and inspecting it, I don't know if what the other reviewer alleged is even possible or if the bottle has been redesigned since then... I will update later once I've used the bottle more and tried different methods of keeping the water cool before hitting the road."
"I take one to work, though the water does not stay cold for the entire day (8 or 9 hours) unless I keep adding ice when I refill... I usually fill the bottle and leave 3-4" at the top for ice (6-8 full-size cubes) and it's fine. For long car rides, we'll fill a couple bottles halfway and freeze them overnight, and then we'll add water in the morning. These bottles are easy to clean as long as you have a good bottle brush that reaches the bottom (I recommend the OXO bottle brush that is both long enough and dishwasher-safe for disinfecting)... Who wouldn't want to see a cute polar bear every time you take a sip of water during their workout?... I like the black handle that makes it easy to carry or to grab from a bottle holder during spin class. One issue worth noting is that some of our bottles are very scratched on the bottoms where they were placed in the holders on the spin bikes at the gym."
"It kept the water cool, it was easy to squeeze, so I wasn't left having to put too much effort into sucking my water out... I would drink a whole bottle about every hour while I was in class, so it was well loved... I can scrape it out with a toothpick or it flakes off, but I don't really know what it is... When I tried to drink, I had to hold it open with my teeth or else it would get pushed back in and I couldn't get water out. Also about that time, the outer layer cracked around the bottom of the hand hold place (where the bottle goes in), so now I have 4 cracks about 1... This wouldn't have bothered me, but now when I fill up my bottle, a teeny tiny bit of water can go through the cracks in between the hard outer shell and inner shiny stuff. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm worried about it getting some mildew down there."
"Polar Insulated Bottle (24 oz, Big Bear) I was excited to find this Big Bear design pattern, which features a rather large polar bear graphic on the insulating foil. However, I was disappointed to find that the Polar bottles are actually less expensive at the local Meijer store compared to Amazon... I also noticed that the cap tends to slice into the valve as you try to remove it... After loading it up with ice cubes and chilled bottled water, it kept cool for about 2-3 hours in an insulated cooler in my trunk... The liquid flows out fairly slowly when the valve is opened, I found myself trying to squeeze the rigid bottle many times. I wasn't able to fit the 24 ounce bottle into my freezer because it is too tall... But tThe Polar fits standard bicycle water bottle cages just fine."
"My kids take their lunches to school almost every day & I've never found a water bottle that will keep things cold until they eat lunch. These bottles can be put in the freezer and will stay cold for hours!! The best way I've found is to put just a little water in, freeze at an angle so there is a piece of ice all the way down the bottle, then fill with water or other liquid... Even just putting ice cubes in and then cool water works very well, too if I forget to freeze the night before... I hand wash, even though it says dishwasher safe... We mostly use just water in them, but have put Crystal Light or Mio Drops in them and it washes out easily... I waited to write my reveiw until I'd had them for awhile & could say for sure how they worked."
"The 24oz one is almost too large to go in the rack and I often worry about it falling out, but I have yet to have it come out when it was placed fully in the bottle cage on the bike... I have no good tests, but I can say I have took two bottles with half frozen water in them on a five hour drive and they stayed cold. Matter of fact, the biggest problem I have is that the ice takes forever to melt (limits how much you can drink)... The 24oz size is borderline too big for many things (fitting in a bag, cup holders, etc) but I like the quantity of liquid since I usually freeze about half of it. I really like the 20oz one just for how small it is and how well it fits everywhere, but I like the extra four ounces of liquid I get with the larger bottle and so they have become my bottle of choice (for every activity)... I emailed Polar Bottle and got two new lids and they still leak. I've tried to wipe the seal before closing it and I still get a drip or two out of the top."
"Update 2014-12-10: back in October i set the water bottle on top of the car while taking our bikes off the hitch-mount bike rack. The bottle tipped and fell off the top of the car, and when it struck one of the bikes on its way down (after falling probably less than 2 feet), the nozzle broke off. I guess the harder plastic that the lid is made of just isn't very rugged or the bottle hit the bike at just the right angle. I know at least that the lids for this bottle and my Camelbak bottle are interchangeable, so I'll try the lid from one of my uninsulated Trek bottles. I'm not changing the star rating since it was a dumb move on my part, but I'm adding a note under my dislikes below... About a week after buying mine, I saw it for slightly less at TJ Maxx. What I like: - loop makes it easy to hang the bottle or pull on it - mouthpiece can be removed from lid for cleaning - insulation seems to help, at least when you freeze the water bottle the day before - many grip positions make the bottle easy to grasp and hold What I don't like: - lid isn't tethered to the bottle, so it could get separated from the bottle - the grip sections of the bottle are hard to squeeze (around the red & white stripes on this particular design)--so you have to grip lower on the bottle if you want to squeeze it more easily - as with my other LDPE plastic water bottles, it imparts a plastic taste in your water--not noticeable when the water is cold, but quite evident after the water warms up..."
