X out of 10

Water bottles are great, but I’ve always been a little leery of them. As far back as 1998, some folks (science-type folks) were claiming that polycarbonate containers (like those from Nalgene) can leach toxic compounds into your water. These compounds that can lead to not-so-fun things like cancer, prostate damage, low sperm count, and birth defects.

Enter Klean Kanteen. These shiny silver water bottles are made from the highest-grade stainless steel, which has no leaching characteristics and does not affect the flavor of your water (or whatever your beverage of choice may be). The Kanteens come in 12, 18, 27 and 40 ounce sizes, and are available with a loop cap (my preference), flat cap, or sports cap (which is made of super high-grade polypropylene that supposedly doesn’t leach).

X = 9.5: a great alternative to the now-ubiquitous Nalgene, although it is more likely to show greasy fingerprints, dents and scratches than its polycarbonate cousin (if you care about that kind of stuff).

Buy a Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle at kleankanteen.com.