Water Bucket Review!
Vs. 
Water is food, right? Good, glad we agree. I like to consider myself conscious of the environment, I have a recycle bin at home, in the office and I buy the 365 cleaners from WF, although I do miss the comfort of soft toilet paper. Oh, and I’m also a sucker for gadgets. So last week when a friend of mine who works at an environmental non-profit told me of a reusable filtered water bottle I knew I had to get my hands on one and tell you guys about it. We like to educate and inform here at ES, not just entertain!
The Wellness H2.O Bottle is a reusable plastic bottle with its own water filtration system, kind of like a portable Brita. The company behind the bottle claims that it can filter up to 1100 gallons of water without the need to replace the filter, which they state is a savings of $1,000 in bottled water, if you drink that much bottled water. And for our DC readers this is pretty much mandatory for the water out of our taps!
Read my review after the jump.
Despite my pseudo concern for the environment I know I’m not the best at recycling, I’m that person who will buy a bottle of water on a daily basis and throw away the plastic at the nearest trash can. I apologize for this now and will try to improve in the future. With this in mind it was difficult for me to cart a plastic bottle around with me for the weekend. The Wellness bottle is heavier than your average bottle so you know it’s there in your bag. Drinking the water itself is not easy, you have to squeeze the bottle pretty firm for the water to come out, it doesn’t pour freely, the water needs to be pressured into the filter (which I have to admit looks like what you would find in a fish tank). The water itself didn’t have the usual taste that one will find in tap water, and here in DC it’s chlorine, gross. So it does work with regard to filtering.
I think my main two gripes are that it needs to be squeezed more tightly for the water to come out than a usual bottle, and the cost: this bottle is pretty expensive, at $49. WTF! Throughout the weekend all I could think of when I was out and about was keeping track of this thing. I can replace my cell without much hassle and cost–the bottle, not so much. The replacement filters aren’t cheap either, at $20. Unless you really are going to replace your bottled water with the Wellness H2.O then I’d think twice, but it is a cool contraption nonetheless, and all my friends asked me about it, so a good conversation piece if nothing else.
i’m personally looking into a sigg bottle. any advice on that endeavor?
Sigg water bottles are nice. They come in fun colors and designs, are practically indestructible and the best part is that since they are made from aluminum they don’t have Bisphenol A (BPA), possible reporductive toxin, which is used as a plasticizer in most plastic water bottles (read Nalegene). IARC (the Int Agency on Research in Cancer) is also now currently looking into any carcinogenic effects it might have.
whoa. okay, sushi, so does that mean i should get a sigg or is there an even safer/more environmental option?
Gansie,
The difference between reusable water bottles is pretty much a non-issue. As long as you are not buying new bottles of water and then throwing them away, you’re you doing a good job.
Though, to get into the nitty-gritty of it, as I mentioned above, we are finding that plastics are not the best for your health (especially if you are planning on having children). However, Siggs are made from virgin aluminum which takes HUGE amounts of energy to turn from its natural powdered form into sheets. I’ve been searching for a recycled aluminum bottle for a little while now and have not been able to find one (it takes 13 times less energy to make an aluminum can from recycled aluminum than virgin material). Another possibility I’ve been looking into would be a biodegradable plastic bottle. These would degrade and not sit around in a landfill after use, however I haven’t found one of these on the market either. A fault of these would be that they might start degrading and not last as long as an aluminum bottle (which should last you a lifetime unless you somehow drop it under a steam roller) and would therefore require using energy to manufacture more.
As long as you are using something, you’re good. Right now I’d opt for the Sigg, mainly because I you probably want to make babies and they come in fun designs (mine has a Skull and Bones on it).
Oh also, degradable plastic are currently made for corn which with enough demand causes the price of corn to go up, and I don’t think any of us want to price of corn to go up.
sushi – great info. i bought a sigg on my lunch hour.
wow. guess I’m gonna put that nalgene away for awhile. You see what you get for trying to do something good? Cancer!
It hasn’t been proven yet that the Nalgene’s may cause cancer, but it is a huge concern. Kind of one of those media scares currently. I have a… damn, I forgot the name of the bottle. Will find it and report back.
Hi all. I do PR for the Wellness H2.O water bottle and just wanted to address a few of the things I saw here on the blog.
I’m really not here to praise my client. I just love this bottle and what it stands for and actually does. I’m more than happy to answer any questions anyone has…
Yes, the price of the bottle is more than you’d normally pay for a re-usable bottle. But that $49 will last you for 1,100 bottles – more than $1,000 a year that you would normally be spending on disposables – and will give you portable access to purified AND enhanced water, which you can’t get from any other bottle.
The volcanic minerals and reduced negative ions make the water more hydrating and more easily absorbed by the body, as well as antibacterial and healing. I know it sounds like a lot and can be hard to believe, but this technology is patented and tested and really does work.
For those of you who want more info, you can check out http://www.endbottledwater.com.
Please any questions you have, please throw them my way.
Maggie
Hi Maggie
I happened upon your website because I want to help the environment by moving to a permanent water bottle rather than purchasing bottled water all the time. From what I am reading I am skeptical about purchasing your product. I have a few questions that I would love to be addressed.
>How many times (uses) do you get out of the Wellness H2.O water bottle before you have to buy the replacement filter?
>How big is the bottle? How many ounces? aka how quickly will I have to run back to the faucet to refill it?
>Is the bottled as pictured? Can you visibly see the filter from the side of the bottle or is it hidden from view?
>How does the filter system work exactly? Do you take the lid off pour water in and it starts working then? Or is there a specific way the water needs to enter the bottle for the water to be filtered?
Thank you
Hi Ashley,
Sorry for not writing sooner – I just saw your post!
Here are the answers to your questions:
How many times (uses) do you get out of the Wellness H2.O water bottle before you have to buy the replacement filter?
The bottle itself is made to last forever – it is non-toxic, non-leaching plastic. The filtration/enhancement system will last for about 1,000 fills, which is about 1 year, and says you about $1,000 each year that you would normally spend on disposable water bottles. When it’s time for a refill cartridge, the company will send you a new one (for $20) and re-purpose the old filter for giant filtration/enhancement systems for organic dairy ant turf farming.
How big is the bottle? How many ounces? aka how quickly will I have to run back to the faucet to refill it?
The bottle holds 22 oz of water, which should last you for a while.
Is the bottled as pictured? Can you visibly see the filter from the side of the bottle or is it hidden from view?
No the bottle is not as pictured – that is just a cutout so you can see the insides of the filter. The bottle is clear and you can’t really see the filter from the outside.
How does the filter system work exactly? Do you take the lid off pour water in and it starts working then? Or is there a specific way the water needs to enter the bottle for the water to be filtered?
The filter works as you drink. It pulls water through the filtration and enhancement stages, that’s why it’s a little harder to sip than just chugging from a bottle. Squeezing the bottle slightly while sipping makes it a little easier.
The Wellness H2.O water bottle uses Wellness Enterprises’ signature purification and enhancement technology. Organic coconut, activated carbon, magnetite, quartz, and Japanese volcanic minerals Tenko-Seki, Bakuhan and Taicho purify water (of contaminants and chemicals) and enhance it, delivering increased hydration and optimized cellular health for better absorption of nutrients, vitamins and food.
I hope this helps! If anyone needs more info, please feel free to visit http://www.endbottledwater.com.