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Are you planning on buying a Bubba water bottle? Read this article to find out if it is the best water bottle for you or if you should buy something else.
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Reusable water bottles used to be an athlete’s favorite accessory, but they’re no longer limited to intensely active customers. Schools and offices have water bottles sitting on top of desks, while on the street, you’ll see bottles attached to bags with carabiners or sticking out of backpack pockets.
People love their water bottles almost as much as they love their electronic devices. A good water bottle can stay by your side all day, and its design often reflects your personality.
What Is A Bubba Water Bottle?
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Bubba is one brand that has entered the market to sell water bottles to all these thirsty customers. It focuses solely on drinkware, from tumblers and mugs to bottles and jugs. You can order their products directly through their distributor’s website, or through third-party sellers like Amazon.
While the brand sells both plastic bottles and stainless steel, the latter is the preferred choice of bottle shoppers. In this review, we’re going to focus on Bubba’s most popular model: the Trailblazer Stainless Steel Water Bottle. To start, we’ll unpack the specifications of this Bubba water bottle.
How It Compares: Bubba Water Bottle
We did our best to compare the Bubba Trailblazer to other bottles of the same size within the same price range. All the bottles in our comparison are stainless steel and hold at least 25 ounces of liquid. The Bubba water bottles have a wide range of prices available that will fit your budget.
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Aside from the fantastic price tag, one of Bubba’s greatest features is its lid. It’s attached with a wide handle that allows you to fit three fingers for a firmer grip.
Additionally, it unscrews easily and then locks into place, so it’s not banging against the bottle or your mouth while drinking. This is the only bottle in our comparison that offers this kind of stability in the lid. It’s also dishwasher-safe.
The bottle is available in gorgeous jewel tones of pink, purple, turquoise and blue, while also offering neutrals of black and gray. While 32 ounces is a popular choice, you do have the option of spending a couple of bucks more and getting the 40-ounce version.
The length of the time that the Bubba water bottle is under warranty is unclear, but when you visit the main distributor’s website, there is a dedicated page for submitting a warranty claim.
Other brands make you hunt for warranty information, and you ultimately end up having to contact the company directly to even confirm that there is coverage available.
Pros
- Water stays cold all day and night
Cons
- Some reviews say that the bottle leaks
The Sfee water bottle comes in a much smaller size than the Bubba, at only 25 ounces.
It features the standard 18/8 double-walled stainless steel to prevent condensation and keep beverages at their ideal temperature. The Sfee claims to keep cold liquids cold for up to 24 hours and hot liquids hot up to 12 hours.
Users of the bottle report that it doesn’t keep drinks as cold as other brands.
We docked some points for ease of use, simply because this bottle is the only one in our comparison whose lid is not attached to the container.
Once you’ve uncapped it, you either have to hold the lid in your hand or set it down somewhere. Color choices are pretty narrow, but when you buy through Amazon, you do receive a free cleaning brush.
This is nice because it’s sometimes difficult to find a cleaning brush that fits inside water bottles. No warranty information was available.
Pros
- keep hot up to 12 hours, keep cold up to 24 hours
Cons
- Not compatible with the microwave, dishwasher, or freezer
This brand is a good middle-grade water bottle brand. It costs slightly more than the Bubba, but it’s still affordable when compared to premium brands on the market for a bottle of this size.
Additionally, it also has the expected stainless steel insulation, but what makes this bottle just a notch above the rest is the powder-coated finish. This process makes the bottle more durable against dents and also provides a better grip to prevent dropping.
The powder coat also leaves behind a beautiful matte finish, adding a touch of sophistication. The MIRA comes in a variety of color choices, including some patterns for a little extra personality. The lid is attached with a small handle, making it easy to carry when you’re on-the-go.
Like the Sfee water bottle, liquids should stay cold inside for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12. While the claim is the same, Bubba users frequently report that the product meets this promise where the Sfee falls just a bit short on it. Warranty information for MIRA was unavailable.
Pros
- List The lid of the bottle is extremely sturdy and locks securely with the help of the deep groove seal.
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a top carry handle which may be an issue for some users who prefer carrying to grabbing.
Contigo is a big player in the beverage container industry, which explains why this bottle is more expensive for 32 ounces. Still, it’s a good value compared to brands like Hydro Flask or CamelBak.
The water-temperature promise for this bottle is almost even with the Bubba for cold water at 36 hours for cold and 14 hours for hot. This promise is backed up by overwhelmingly positive customer reviews.
The lid is attached by a handle, like the MIRA and the Bubba, enabling you to carry it comfortably. Customers love that the lid twists off easily and that it is attached to keep from losing it.
Though the Contigo lacks the powder coat that MIRA has, it still comes in a matte finish in a variety of colors. With Contigo, you’re also receiving a limited lifetime guarantee with your bottle. This warranty covers defects, as well as replacement lids.
Pros
- It is perfect for any occasion
Cons
- Can crack due to wear and tear, which may be a problem as these are intended for children.
Product Specifications: Bubba Water Bottle
- Vacuum-insulated, double-walled stainless steel
- Up to 38 hours cold and 10 hours hot
- BPA-free
- Wide-mouth opening
- Easy-twist, dishwasher-safe lid
- Carrying handle
Why Stainless Steel?
The reason so many people love stainless steel water bottles is their ability to regulate the temperature of the beverage inside. It’s very rare to see stainless steel without double-walled insulation attached to it, and this combination ensures your drinks stay colder or hotter for a longer period of time.
These types of bottles also do not sweat. Because temperature and moisture stay contained inside the bottle’s double walls, condensation is not able to form on the outside.
38 Hours Cold and 10 Hours Hot
While 10 hours of heat is relatively average in the water bottle market, if not even a little below average, 38 hours of cold liquid is astounding. Most customers report that the bottle does meet this promise, while some report that the bottle only keeps beverages cold for around 10 hours. There are factors that you should consider when evaluating this aspect of any water bottle.
First, the phrase “up to” means that under the absolute best conditions, the water will stay cold for up to 38 hours. If you take the bottle outside in very hot conditions, it’s going to cool down a lot faster than if it sits in an air-conditioned office.
Second, you have to consider how cold the water was when it went into the bottle. The stainless steel will not make it colder. If it goes in moderately cold, it’s not going to become ice-cold just by being in the bottle.
Third, not everyone adds ice. Ice will undoubtedly help the liquid retain its cold temperature, but some users avoid ice when drinking non-water beverages to prevent the drink from being watered down when the ice melts.
An insulated, stainless-steel bottle should prevent the ice from melting before you’re able to finish drinking, so add ice if you want it to stay cold longer, regardless of what you’re drinking.
BPA-Free
Most consumers know that BPA is harmful, but they don’t really understand what it is. It’s a chemical often used in the manufacturing of plastics.
So anytime you’re buying something that’s plastic, especially one that will come in contact with food or drink, you want to make sure that it does not contain BPA.
In the case of most stainless steel water bottles, the plastic often comes into play in the lid or perhaps a built-in grip on the bottle itself. The Bubba water bottle has a plastic lid, so knowing that it’s BPA-free is a huge plus.
Wide-Mouth Opening
A wide-mouth opening is a good feature to have on a water bottle for a couple of reasons. Many people love bottled water because the small mouth is easy to drink out of, but when you try to translate that ease of use to a reusable bottle, you run into some problems.
A small mouth would almost need a funnel to transfer any liquid into without making a huge mess, and it would be impossible to add ice cubes. So a wide mouth is a good thing; it’s slim enough to drink from, yet wide enough to drop in some ice and pour into without spilling.
However, the wide mouth seems to contribute to an overall wide design. Customers report that the bottle does not fit into a standard cup holder.
Easy-Twist, Dishwasher-Safe Lid
This twist-off lid design of this bottle is unique because most twist-off lids detach entirely from the container. The Bubba Trailblazer keeps the lid on the bottle, in a locked position that won’t get in your way while drinking. Because of its precise location, it is always correctly aligned when you go to put it back on. Proper alignment ensures the lid twists on and off again with ease.
Because there is no metal contained in the lid, it’s able to go into the dishwasher. This isn’t always the case with these types of bottles. However, like all stainless steel water bottles, the bottle itself must be washed by hand.
Carrying Handle
The handle is attached to the lid mechanism, making it a permanent fixture on the bottle. It’s made of durable plastic that won’t snap from the weight of the bottle, and it’s wide enough to slide three fingers into so you have a solid grasp on it.
Pricing
This bottle has a cheaper list price for 32 ounces and only for 40 ounces compared to other brands. In this space, that is a remarkable price for a stainless steel water bottle of this size. Despite the low cost, customers are pleased with the durability and temperature retainment of this brand.
Unfortunately, you will likely have to purchase it online, which means the price will go up once you include shipping costs. When buying through the distributor, you’ll pay for shipping and handling.
With Amazon, you’ll likely spend about the same unless you have a Prime membership or take advantage of their free shipping deals. The only brick-and-mortar retailer that may carry the Bubba Trailblazer is Walmart.
Pros
- Price
- Great lid design
- Dishwasher-safe lid
- Secure handle
- Fun color choices
- 38-hour, cold-water promise
Cons
- Does not fit in a standard vehicle cup holder
- Heavy
- Slick; not easy to hold onto
The Bubba Water Bottle Is a Great Bottle
Ultimately, we like the Bubba water bottle for the amazing price. It has the features we expect in a stainless steel water bottle, plus some added bonuses.
Up to 38 hours of cold water is a good promise that seems to be reasonably well-met, according to customer reviews. The lid design is creative and functional, and the color choices are varied and stylish.
Overall, we rate this product 4/5. It could have been perfect if the bottle had been slim enough to fit in the car’s cup holder, and if it had a non-slip grip around the bottle.
Additionally, if you’re someone who drinks a lot of hot tea, coffee, or other hot beverages, the Bubba is likely not the best choice. It only keeps drinks hot for about 10 hours, whereas other bottles average 12-14 hours.
