Klean Kanteen Insulated Bottle Insulation Comparison

The makers of the very first stainless steel water bottle, Klean Kanteen, have an extensive insulated water bottle range with insulation times far superior to most of their competitors. The larger the bottle, the better the insulation. In this post, we're going to show you the insulation times, explain how to get the best from hot insulation and which products are suitable for both hot and cold insulation.

Hot vs Cold vs Iced ratings with Climate Lock™

When rating the insulation on the Klean Kanteen water bottle range, they used the term Iced insulation rather than Cold. Here's a brief explanation of each of the three terms.

HOT - the water goes in to the bottle hot, preferably straight out of a boiling kettle (more tips on how to get the best out of hot insulation are below)
COLD - the water goes in cold, around room temperature, straight out of the tap or possibly out of the fridge
ICED - ice cubes and water go in to provide the coldest possible starting temperature. Even the classic range have a 4.4cm opening which is a generous size for most ice cube trays.

Hot vs Cold / Iced Insulation - which products take which temperature?

It actually has nothing to do with the bottle and everything to do with the lid. If you have a double wall vacuum insulated bottle, the bottle itself is perfectly fine to take hot, cold and iced liquid. It's the lid that makes the suitability for hot liquids, and this is for 2 reasons. Firstly, will the lid hold in the steam and secondly, is the lid safe to drink hot water from.

Sports lids are NOT suitable for drinking hot liquids. The Cafe Caps and Chug Caps are, but the smoothie lids are best for cold drinks only too. You will get the best insulation performance from the screw lids.

Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulation Guide

12oz / 355ml = 11 hours hot, 38 hours iced
16oz / 473ml = 14 hours hot, 47 hours iced
20oz / 592ml = 17 hours hot, 58 hours iced
320z / 946ml = 22 hours hot, 75 hours iced
64oz /1900ml = 38 hours hot, 135 hours iced

Klean Kanteen Classic Insulation Guide

12oz / 355ml = 12 hours hot,40 hours iced
20oz / 592ml = 20 hours hot, 50 hours iced
320z / 946ml = 24 hours hot, 90 hours iced

Klean Kanteen TKPro Insulation Guide

16oz / 500ml = 20 hours hot, 75 hours iced
25oz / 750ml = 28 hours hot, 90 hours iced
320z/1000ml = 38 hours hot, 100 hours iced

How do you get the best cold insulation from an insulated water bottle?

You will always get the best insulation when the bottle is full. There's no need to 'pre-cool' an insulated bottle for cold liquids. We have however had a many customers in the past tell us their insulated water bottle is faulty because they put tap water in an insulated bottle and put it in the fridge and it didn't get any colder. The insulation in the bottles will STOP the OUTSIDE temperature from affecting the temperature of what's inside, so whether it's in a hot car or a cool fridge, the water temperature isn't going to shift much. If you want chilled water in your insulated water bottle, chill it before you put it on or add ice. It seems obvious after we tell you this, but it has stumped many people in the past, so we wanted to clarify.

How do you get the best hot insulation from an insulated water bottle?

This is where you're best to do a little prep work to get the most out of your bottle's insulation. Firstly, choose a bottle size that you're going to fill. A half empty bottle / flask / insulated food jar will not hold its insulation as well as a full one.
Next, boil your kettle and place boiling water inside and pre-warm the bottle. Instead of wasting the water, save it to water plants or rinse vegies. Pre-heat the bottle for 3 to 5 minutes and then it will be warmed up for your hot beverage.
Each time you open the lid to drink, steam will escape and the insulation capacity will lesson a little.

Don't need insulation? You can choose a single wall stainless steel water bottle which is cheaper and lighter to carry.

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