There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of different water bottle manufacturers out there. But the number of companies producing bottles worth mentioning are far fewer. Eco Vessel is one them. Like many brands we write about, Eco Vessel was started by a forward-thinking individual looking to make a difference. Jon Fox probably despises single-use water bottles as much as I do. Even if every bottle was recycled, the processing and transportation would still be unnecessary waste. So he set out to create a bottle that was unique, but could boast more than just a fancy lid or cool graphics. It had to have a genuine edge over other brands. That lead to the development of the Aqua Vessel.
Sporting the only triple insulated design filtration bottle currently available anywhere, the Aqua Vessel can keep your cold drinks cold for up to 36 hours. This is accomplished by the addition of copper to one of the two layers of stainless steel used in these vacuum sealed bottles. While copper is an excellent conductor, a vacuum is not. So the cold stays inside the bottle, since it’s got no way of escaping, other than when you drink your refreshingly cold beverage. Not content to merely keep your drink cold, a filter was added. But not just any filter. Coconut shell activated carbon is popular as a filter because it’s plant-based and readily available. This three ounce filter removes 99.9% of giardia and cryptosporidium. With a pore size of only 3 microns, other toxins and heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, mercury, copper, as well as plain old chlorine and suspended sediment will be forever trapped inside the filter, rather than inside you. There’s even a bit of silver in the filter, to prevent the growth of bacteria. The end result is water that tastes clean, with no chemical odor. Of course, all the bad stuff that has a tendency to ruin vacations is also eliminated. So whether you are drinking that nasty tap water at the office, or from a river in the middle of nowhere, Eco Vessel is looking out for you.
So how do you really test a filter? We gave an Aqua Vessel Ultra Lite Tritan™ Filtration Bottle, which utilizes the same filter, but in a BPA-free Tritan™plastic, to one of our testers before he left for Argentina. He’ll be gone for four weeks, and the filter is good for 100 gallons, so he should be covered. Once he returns, we’ll report back on his findings.
Eco Vessel earned their inclusion in our September National Preparedness Month not only because they offer a product line that is truly useful, but they’re saving lives. Since 2010, they have donated 1% of all sales, and 50% of the profits from their Artist Series collection to Water for People, which is a Denver-based non-profit with the goal of eliminating unnecessary deaths and illness due to unsafe drinking water. Putting his money where his mouth is, Jon Fox is heading to Guatemala next February, where he will be part of a team sinking a new well and creating a sanitation system, in an effort to improve the lives of others. Besides the obvious goodwill there, it’s refreshing to see the president of a company lead by example, and for that we commend him.
Check out all the bottles, at ecovessel.com, and check back in October for a follow up (and giveaway!).
– Brian
GREAT bottles. Truly the best!