As an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, using and testing innovative gear is my passion. I bought the Vapur Flexible Anti-Bottle to use this space-saving bottle during my hiking expeditions, and I tested it extensively to determine whether it was worth having or not. This bottle surely met my expectations, proving itself as a reliable companion in rugged terrain. Its lightweight and flexible design made it incredibly convenient to carry, easily fitting into pockets or backpacks without taking up much space.
Related: Best Collapsible Water Bottles
This is not really a bottle as the manufacturer says; it’s an “Anti-Bottle.”
This peculiar name suits this bottle as it does everything that a normal bottle doesn’t. It is foldable, reusable, attachable, and freezable. Upon using this bottle as my daily backpack routine, I tested it using different means to conclude its performance.
I would say that this bottle is a great option for travelers who like to keep their backpacks concise, as they are 87% lighter than normal water bottles.
Keep reading to know more about this anti-bottle as I am going to discuss its features and compare it to other bottles. I will also highlight the key points that I like and I don’t like about this specific bottle.
Performance Comparison and Testing Results
Features
My biggest concern while buying the bottle was the leakage. The idea of a collapsible bottle just didn’t seem feasible to me; however, the results were very surprising. Over the course of my usage, the bottle never leaked inside my backpack.
There may be 1% peculiar cases where the bottle may actually pop open inside your bag, but that would be very, very rare and a really particular situation.
The material used in the construction is plastic which was pretty obvious to me before the purchase. Only a smooth plastic bottle can serve the purposes that this bottle is designed to serve.
The carabiner was a game-changer for me. I don’t often rely on carabiners to cling onto my bags, but this one did a pretty decent job. Even during steep hiking and moderate running, the carabiner was able to cling to my backpack.
Weight & Portability
I observed that the main selling point of this anti-bottle was the weight. I wanted to test the company’s claim as it promised that this anti-bottle is 87% lighter than the traditional bottles.
To my surprise, their claim was spot-on as the bottle had a minimal weight of only
0.03 kg. Due to this amazingly low weight, I could carry this bottle everywhere easily.
Talking about portability, I absolutely loved this bottle’s feature is how easily it takes the shape of available space to fit in your bag. It is just like water.
If you spill water in a circle, it becomes a circle. This bottle also acts like water. It helped me a lot, especially when I had to pass through security checks, as I would simply fold it, put it in my pocket, and refill it at the next water fountain or a water dispenser.
Flexibility & Collapsibility
This anti-bottle is made of plastic which makes it very flexible. Actually, this flexibility is the selling point for this bottle. The bottle collapses as easily as it is flexible. Therefore, you can drain the bottle and collapse it into a pocket-sized, easy-to-carry plastic.
There are instances where you have an abundant water supply everywhere, and you don’t have to carry the weight and size of a full water bottle.
A good example of such instances is dining at a hotel during a trip. You can fold the bottle to fit inside your pocket and refill it with fresh water before continuing your travel.
Value to Money
For a mere 17$, this bottle is an excellent value-to-money item. I tested this bottle by putting it through some easy, medium, and hard leakage tests. The anti-bottle nailed the leakage tests.
I can confidently say this bottle won’t leak in 99.5% of the usage scenarios. Also, it differs from regular water bottles and is convenient to store and use.
Taste Retention
As far as water is concerned, this bottle is ideal and doesn’t add any flavor to the water. It acts like a normal water bottle. Things do change when introduced to sporty drinks or fruit juices and shakes.
When I washed this bottle with soap, the bottle retained a soapy taste even after a few more washes. This element didn’t surprise me as all the collapsible bottles do have this characteristic. The anti-bottle just had it a little more than its competitor bottles.
One important takeaway is that whenever I intended to wash this anti-bottle, it was easily washable without any complexities or difficulties. I primarily used it for water, and it was relatively easy for me to rinse and refill it for the next journey.
Quality & Durability
There is only one test that comes to my mind regarding durability: the DROP TEST. It is not uncommon to drop water bottles during hiking and trips. I also accidentally dropped the anti-bottle many times while taking it out of my backpack.
However, the anti-bottle turned out to be quite durable. I also dropped it intentionally but not from dramatic heights. The results were pretty cool. The bottle did not retain significant damage. The cap is the vulnerable part, as I noticed that it caught scratches on almost every drop.
Of course, if you drop the bottle from 100 ft, I doubt that any bottle in the world can survive it, especially if filled with water.
Pros and Cons
What I Like
- Lightweight and easy to use: The anti-bottle weighs only 0.03 kg. It is incredibly lightweight.
- Flexible, Collapsible, and Portable: Due to the flexibility, the anti-bottle easily takes the shape of available space. It is also very easy to collapse it after use.
- Freezable: This bottle can be easily frozen without worrying about it exploding.
What I Don’t Like
- I have used the Vapur Wide Mouth for seven months, and I must say that it is not in pristine condition by any means. It may last a year max.
- You cannot drink with one hand but its expected from a flexible bottle.
Comparison with Similar Bottles
With Platypus Softbottle
If you compare this bottle with the platypus soft bottle, the platypus bottle comes out as a winner.
The anti-bottle is easier to use than the Platypus due to its wide mouth. You can easily pour liquids and even ice cubes. However, when it comes to taste retention, the anti-bottle lags.
The Platypus comes with different options for the cap. It is available in a closure cap and a push-pull cap. The Platypus is a better bet to carry for hiking that is expected to last longer, especially the ones with higher capacity.
With Hydrapak Stash
Vapur Wide Mouth is the winner when compared to Hydrapak Stash. The reasons are pretty obvious. Hydrapak is a good bottle, but it costs more (26$) than the Vapur (17$)
The Hydrapak is a bit on the heavier side as compared to the Vapur Wide Mouth.
I also like the design of the Vapur Wide Mouth more than the Hydrapak. The taste retention situation is only slightly better than the Vapur.
As I compared these two for everyday usage, Vapur is the obvious winner as it costs less and does more.
FAQs
What is Vapur?
Vapur is a committed network of experts who look at plastic differently. They took an oath to take hydration a class apart, and that is when they constructed the Vapur Wide Mouth Anti-Bottle.
Are Vapur Water Bottles Safe?
Of course! The Vapur water bottles are 100% safe, and they don’t contain any toxic materials. You can use them just like any other regular water bottle, besides the fact that they are not “ordinary” water bottles.
Final Verdict
Would I recommend you buy this bottle? 100 percent. For 17$, I don’t think this investment would keep you up at night. It would help you sleep hydrated somewhere in the mountains or the middle of nowhere.
The Vapur Wide Mouth Anti-Bottle is a fine product with an appealing design. It is so easy to place it in your backpacks, purses, and crossbody bags. It is easily foldable, making it easy to collapse when empty.
The bottle is built to last. It is durable, and when I tested it, the results were quite encouraging. It occasionally dropped accidentally, but no damage was retained that could be counted as significant damage.
The biggest reason to love this bottle is the value-to-money aspect. There are better options, too, but only if the money goes up.