The Platypus Meta is a novel water bottle that is Platypus's version of a silicone-like, squishy water bottle. It holds its shape but can squish down like a throw-away plastic bottle, except for the upper 1/3 of the bottle which is hard-sided. This combination makes for a unique bottle. We liked it because it is lightweight, but we found that it was not very functional as a collapsible bottle. Its best features are its weight, its simple lid, and large volume. These features make it a great bottle to take on day hikes, trips to the crag, or anywhere where you might be carrying a heavy pack and are concerned about weight.
Platypus Meta Review
Cons: Not useful as collapsible bottle, slightly contrived design
Manufacturer: Platypus
Our Verdict
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Platypus Meta | |||||
Awards | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Price | $14.33 at Amazon | $38.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $10.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $26.19 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $20.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Lightweight, clever design, easy to clean, fool-proof lid | Durable, easy to carry, wide mouth for easy drinking and cleaning, good design | Light, durable, resists flavors, simple design, wide mouth makes for easy filling | Stylish, well-insulated, easy to clean, simple design, durable | Lightweight, easy for one-handed drinking, re-designed sport cap is effective, durable, good color options |
Cons | Not useful as collapsible bottle, slightly contrived design | Expensive, heavy | Diameter too big for cup holders, wide mouth makes it difficult to drink from when walking or driving | Heavy, expensive | Sport cap not as secure as a screw cap, carrying handle is small |
Bottom Line | This is a three-part bottle that combines soft thermoplastic elastomer with a traditional hard-sided plastic bottle. | The Rambler quickly became our new favorite bottle after a few trips with it. The size, shape, and design make it easy to use. | A tried and tested classic, the Wide Mouth wins again as our Top Pick for Plastic, as well as the Best Bang for your Buck bottle. | This hip bottle is a simple, easy to clean vacuum insulated bottle with a narrow mouth and a portable size. | It is hard for us to find anything bad to say about this bottle. It's simple, easy to use, and reasonably priced. |
Rating Categories | Platypus Meta | YETI Rambler 26 | Nalgene Wide-Mouth | Hydro Flask Standard Mouth | Klean Kanteen Classic |
Ease Of Use (40%) | |||||
Durability (25%) | |||||
Weight (20%) | |||||
Taste (15%) | |||||
Specs | Platypus Meta | YETI Rambler 26 | Nalgene Wide-Mouth | Hydro Flask... | Klean Kanteen... |
Body Material | Polypropylene / Thermoplastic Elastomer | 18/8 stainless steel | Eastman Tritan co-polyester | 18/8 stainless steel | 18/8 stainless steel |
Empty weight (oz) | 8.0 oz | 18.5 oz | 6.3 oz | 12.9 oz | 7.4 oz |
Volume (oz) | 34 oz | 26 oz | 34 oz | 24 oz | 27 oz |
Bottle weight (oz) per fluid oz capacity | 0.24 oz | 0.71 oz | 0.19 oz | 0.54 oz | 0.27 oz |
Mouth diameter | 1.25 in | 3 in | 2.5 in | 2 in | 1.75 in |
Base diameter | 3 in | 3.25 in | 3.25 in | 3 in | 2.75 in |
Height | 9.5 in | 10 in | 8.25 in | 11 in | 11 in |
Body Type | Hard-sided & collapsible | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional |
Free of Materials | BPA-free, BPS-free, and phthalate-free | BPA-free | BPA, BPS and Phthalate Free | BPA-free | BPA-free |
Cap Materials | Polypropylene / Thermoplastic Elastomer | Not available | Information not available | Polypropelene | Polypropylene, Silicone spout |
Cap/lid type | Screw cap with loop attachment | Wide-loop cap | Loop-top screw cap | Wide-loop cap | Sport cap wih spout |
Other versions | .75 L, 1 L, Microfilter option | 18 oz, 20 oz, 36 oz | 16 oz, 48 oz | 18 oz, 21 oz | 18 oz, 40 oz, 64 oz, loop cap/sports cap, wide mouth |
Warranty | Usable lifespan warranty/repair services | 3 or 5 year warranty | Lifetime Guarantee for normal use | Lifetime Warranty | Lifetime Warranty |
Our Analysis and Test Results
This lightweight bottle is easy to use, fairly durable, and easy to clean, making it an exciting addition to the endless search for the perfect collapsible water bottle.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Use
The Meta bottle is nearly as simple to use as a classic Nalgene Wide-Mouth, with a few funky additions. We loved some of these differences, like the lid, which requires only one full 360 twist to close entirely. This is different than most screw-top bottles that require a few turns to ensure the lid is tight. The bottle is strange in that it is partially collapsible and partially hard-sided. This style collapsible bottle takes up more space and weighs more. This design made it very easy to clean, since it breaks down into two halves easily. The silicone portion of the bottle attracted dirt, though, while the hard-sided part shed dirt much more easily.
Durability
In terms of durability, for a collapsible bottle, the Meta is our highest scoring model. Unlike the other Platypus collapsible bottles, the Meta is made of much more durable material. Combined with its fairly simple lid system, this was enough to give the Meta a high durability rating.
Weight
It's hard to beat any bottle made by Platypus in the weight metric. These bottles are designed to be light, portable, and collapsible. We enjoyed taking the Meta out climbing because it felt as light as the plastic Gatorade bottles we typically use for a day on the rock.
Taste
The thermoplastic elastomer and BPA-Free hard plastic that makes up the Meta retains a bit of flavor, like most plastic bottles seem to, but not as much as the other Platypus products in this review. Because it is easy to clean, the Meta does not store tastes in its corners, like the SoftBottle. The square shape of that bottle makes it really difficult to clean.
Value
The Platypus Meta is a moderately high-priced bottle compared to the others in this review. For the most part, only glass and insulated bottles cost more.
Conclusion
At first, we were skeptical of this bottle because of its combination of plastics, but after some time using it on hikes and climbs, it became clear that the Platypus Meta is a great lightweight bottle. We liked its one-turn lid, its soft sides that collapse enough to save some room in your pack when the bottle is empty, and its removable upper portion that makes cleaning easy. This bottle is novel and new, which is surprisingly hard to pull off in the world of water bottles!
— Jane Jackson