Klean Kanteen TKWide Recycled Insulated Review

Klean Kanteen has really upped their water bottle game over the years. We were very excited to see a vacuum-insulated bottle that uses minimal plastic parts and is easy to clean. The TKWide accompanied us everywhere during this testing period, from the coffee shop to the gym, plus day hikes and around the house. With its 32-ounce capacity, this bottle is the ideal size — not too big, but large enough that we weren't refilling it all the time. Klean Kanteen has a number of interchangeable lids, which is key for this bottle, as the stainless steel straw version we tested is not meant for hot or carbonated beverages.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

What really struck us about the TKWide was its feature set. This bottle is very well designed and easy to use. Like most of our favorite insulated bottles over the years, this one has a wide mouth and a smooth rim that makes it easy to clean, fill, and drink from. We also like that the threads on this bottle are raised stainless steel beads, making it easier to clean and requiring less material than other thread designs. An additional feature on this bottle that we love is the carrying handle. This handle is by far the best one we've used. It is sleek and low-profile — especially because it folds away when not in use — but when deployed, it is roomy enough to fit three or four fingers.

We tested this bottle with the straw-style lid. This meant that we did not use the bottle as much with hot beverages, as the straw cap is not designed for that use. That said, we loved the collapsible nature of the straw lid. When the straw is not in use, it stows under a secret compartment, out of view. To deploy the straw, you simply twist the lid, and the straw pops up. Inside, this lid is super simple, making it easy to clean — another feature we greatly appreciate. We were also quite excited to see a water bottle company make a bottle with a stainless steel straw (the portion inside the bottle). At last!

Durability

Lighter than our previous Editors' Choice winner but just as durable, the TKWide is a step up when it comes to a burly, insulated bottle. Like most of the insulated bottles on the market nowadays, the TKWide is made with 18/8 stainless steel. The cool thing about this bottle, though, is that it's made from 90% post-consumer recycled steel. The powder-coated finish on also seemed exceptionally durable, as it hardly showed any signs of wear and tear by the end of our testing period.

Beyond the bottle body, the other components are very well made and highly durable too — specifically the carry handle and the straw, which are both made of stainless steel. These features, paired with the leak-free lid design, give this Klean Kanteen high marks regarding durability.

Weight

This will not be the bottle you bring into the backcountry. As is the case with most stainless steel vacuum insulated bottles, the Klean Kanteen TKWide is pretty heavy.

One way to slightly reduce weight and bulk with this bottle is to go with a lighter-weight lid attachment. We used the straw lid, which adds a few extra parts and a bit more weight than a simple screw-cap lid.

Taste

Over the years, we've found that some bottles cling on to flavors more than others. Some bottles are better off used as water-only vessels, while others can be rinsed out and used for tea, water, or electrolyte drink without flavors transferring between uses. We were pleased to discover that the TKWide does not hold onto flavors and is very easy to clean out, making it quite versatile. We were able to drink electrolyte drink mix from this bottle, rinse it out with water, and use it again with no lingering drink mix flavor left in the bottle. This is partially due to the stainless steel straw, which doesn't hold flavors as much as its plastic counterparts do.

Even though this bottle excelled in our taste tests, you will probably still want to deep clean it from time to time. Luckily, the bottle is super easy to clean, with its wide mouth and easy-to-disassemble lid. The wide mouth fits a bottle brush perfectly, so it's easy to get down to the bottom of the bottle to scrub. The threads, which are actually stainless steel beads that line the inside of the rim, are also easy to clean and don't provide much habitat for bacteria and mold, unlike traditional threads.

Should you buy the Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated?

There is little that we found throughout our testing period that would count as a downside for the TKWide. This bottle is easy to use, durable, and sleek. We love the hands-free nature of the straw flip cap but also appreciate that there are many interchangeable lid options. We can't recommend this bottle enough if you can overcome the weight and higher price tag.

What Other Water Bottles Should You Consider?

If, for some reason, you're not convinced to buy this bottle after reading our review, there are a few other options that may be better suited for your specific use. The YETI Rambler 26 is a close second to the Klean Kanteen TKWide and comes in a few different sizes. If you're looking for a lighter-weight option, try the CamelBak Eddy+ Tritan Renew. And, if you want a lighter-weight, stainless bottle, we recommend the Iron Flask Insulated.