Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20oz - Review 2023

Overview

The latest version of the Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz is one of the best water bottles around for the price. It comes with the recognizable Loop Cap as a standard, and is interchangeable with other Klean Kanteen bottles.

The combination of its scuff-resistant, stainless steel body and its sturdy cap offers leakproof drinkware designed so that you can bring it everywhere. With this brand, there’s also prestige at the yoga studio and on the street.

Built for any lifestyle, this classic iteration must be one of Klean’s most successful. It is suitable for your workouts and outdoor activities, thanks to the Sport Cap. It can also be your everyday companion at work.

It is designed with Klean Kanteen’s reliable double-wall vacuum insulation technology, Climate Lock. They claim that it will keep a beverage warm for up to 24 hours or cold for up to 63. That’s a stretch, but you can rely on all day warmth during winter as well as next day chilled during the summer.

The Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic is made with heavy-duty, 18/8 stainless steel–the gold standard for food grade. That’s the safe and durable chromium to nickel ratio that the best consumer-grade water bottles have.

Its body is finished with the Klean Coat, a chip-resistant powder coat that has a bit of grippy texture. This finish is available in various colors and designs. With the vibrant Klean Kanteen Classic palette, you can have a water bottle that matches your style.

Let’s dive deeper look at the features of this water bottle!

Features

Inspired by Klean Kanteen’s classic stainless steel drinkware, this water bottle is made of 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. It is made of durable and high-quality yet safe materials that do not pose harm to people and the planet.

No bisphenol A (BPA) was used in the manufacturing process, either.

The latest version of the Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz comes with the redesigned Loop Cap. This cap has an easy-carry swivel loop that lets you carry your water bottle easily on the go. It fits nicely in the pocket of most backpacks or clips onto any hiking rucksack.

Essentially, this water bottle is ideal for office use, your daily commute or camping. Yet, it’s most popular segment is probably yogis.

Nonetheless, Klean Kanteen caps are interchangeable. You can switch and use the ideal cap for any activity or beverage. The Sport Cap, for example, is suitable for demanding physical activities. For kids, the Kid Sippy Cap is recommended. Other caps compatible with this water bottle are the Bamboo Cap, Loop Cap with Bale, and Steel Loop Cap.

With a streamlined, narrow profile, this water bottle has been optimized for on-the-go performance. Built for any activity, it fits in most cup holders. It has a firm yet easy grip, allowing you to drink without a hitch.

The Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic features Climate Lock, a double-wall vacuum insulation technology. With this technology, it can maintain the temperature of any drink. Hot drinks can stay hot for up to a day. Meanwhile, cold drinks can stay cold for a couple of days.

Another signature feature of this water bottle is the Klean Coat powder coat finish. This coating technology is chip-resistant, helping prolong the life of your water bottle. More importantly, it is durable and safe for both humans and the environment.

This water bottle has a pretty decent opening. With an opening diameter of 1.75”, it can be filled with ice quickly. The rounded lip design also makes drinking easy.

Furthermore, the non-painted Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic model is dishwasher safe. You can let the dishwasher do all the cleaning if you do not want to wash your water bottle by hand.

However, painted Klean Kanteen models should be hand-washed. Using the dishwasher for these models may cause the coating to fade quickly over time.

What we like

Like the Yeti Rambler, this water bottle is made of the same durable 18/8 stainless steel. They also both have a grippy powder coat finish that protects the main body. With this durable construction, this Klean Kanteen water bottle is guaranteed to last for years with proper care.

When it comes to double-wall vacuum insulation technology, Klean Kanteen’s Climate Lock is arguably slightly better than Hydro Flask’s TempShield. The Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz has a commendable temperature retention ability.

On paper, and with their Climate Lock, this water bottle can keep hot drinks hot for as long as 24 hours. The Hydro Flask 24 oz. Standard Mouth can only do so for up to 12 hours.

This water bottle takes about 25 hours to melt ice completely. Depending on how cold your beverage is once poured, it can keep the contents cold for a good couple of days. This impressive feature beats Hydro Flask’s TempShield, which can only keep cold drinks cold for up to 24 hours.

The Loop Cap comes as a standard for the Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz. It is one of Klean Kanteen’s sturdiest caps to date. Together with the bottle’s sleek profile, this cap’s design prevents any kind of leak. You can pack this water bottle in any way without worrying about accidental spills.

We also like that this water bottle is compatible with other caps. The interchangeability of caps makes it a lot easier to prevent flavor transfers. If you use your water bottle for different hot and cold drinks, you will find this feature useful.

The fact that this water bottle is free from harmful chemicals like all the best water bottles on the market today is also appealing. You can stay hydrated on the go with a reduced carbon footprint.

The Insulated Classic is versatile enough for any activity. With a sleek profile that fits in most cup holders and pockets, you won’t have difficulties bringing it everywhere you go. Its ability to keep hot drinks hot makes it an ideal companion for the workplace. It may also be your go-to drinkware for your workouts or outdoor activities, keeping your iced drinks cold for hours.

What we don’t like

Despite all the commendable features of this water bottle, it falls short in some areas.

The opening diameter of this water bottle is only 1.75”. It is significantly narrower than that of the Hydro Flask 24 oz. Standard Mouth and the Yeti Rambler, two of the leading competitors. With a narrow opening diameter, this water bottle is a little more difficult to deep-clean unless you have the non-painted version that’s dishwasher safe.

While the rounded lip design makes it easier for you to drink, its mouth rim is quite thin too. It can be uncomfortable drinking from a very thin rim, especially when it comes to piping hot drinks. You need to be extra careful when drinking hot beverages using the Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz.

For drinkware with a 20 fl. oz. capacity, this water bottle is pretty heavy. It weighs 12.3 oz., while the bigger Hydro Flask 24 oz. Standard Mouth weighs 13.2 oz. The latter has a better weight-capacity ratio.

What is also quite disappointing with this water bottle is the flavor retention. You might not like it if you are using the same water bottle for different drinks. Unfortunately, you can still identify the taste and smell of flavored drinks after washing and filling this drinkware with new content.

The smell and taste of coffee also linger longer and worse than flavored drinks. Even after washing and soaking the Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz for 12 hours, the strong coffee aftertaste is still detectable. If you are planning to use it alternately for water and coffee, the flavor retention will be an issue.

When it comes to preventing flavor transfers, the Hydro Flask 24 oz. Standard Mouth fares significantly better than this Klean Kanteen drinkware.

If you only need a drinking bottle for one kind of drink, you will be satisfied with this water bottle. The smell and taste of flavored drinks, especially coffee, can linger for quite some time after a few refills.

If fruity infusions are your thing, the residual taste won’t be a problem. It’s only the coffee fruit clash that can be an issue.

On the upside, the Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20 oz has impressive insulation technology. Your hot beverages can stay hot for up to 24 hours. Meanwhile, cold drinks remain cold for two whole days. It also takes about a full day for ice to melt in this water bottle.

This water bottle is a little bit cheaper than some leading competitors, such as the Hydro Flask 24 oz. Standard Mouth and the YETI Rambler 26 oz. Bottle With Chug Cap. However, it’s still worthy of the high-end of the market, given its many virtues.

And most people who have one usually have it for a long time, speaking to its longevity. On style and quality. It’s deserving of a spot as one of the best water bottles out there.