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Nalgene Wide Mouth (32oz)

Nalgene Wide Mouth (32oz)

Not recommended

The classic outdoor bottle - but the whole thing (body, threads, and cap) is molded Tritan copolyester plastic. "BPA-free" is not the same as plastic-free.

We don't recommend this one

For a plastic-free bottle, choose the Klean Kanteen Reflect (steel with a silicone gasket) or the all-steel Klean Kanteen Classic + Loop Cap.

The verdict: Mostly plastic

The Nalgene Wide Mouth is a plastic bottle. The body, the threads, and the loop-top cap are all molded from Eastman Tritan copolyester, so the entire bottle is in the water path - not just a lid, the whole vessel your water sits in. It is included here as a corrective because Nalgene rebuilt its reputation around "BPA-free" after the BPA scare, and many buyers read "BPA-free" as "safe / not really plastic." BPA is one omitted chemical; Tritan is still plastic, and every surface the water touches is plastic.

Verification: Manufacturer confirmed · Last reviewed

What it's made of

PartMaterialFood contact
bottle body
molded Eastman Tritan copolyester; the entire vessel is plastic
Tritan
copolyester
Yes primary
threads
Tritan threads; water sits against and pours over plastic
Tritan
copolyester
Yes primary
loop-top cap
Tritan copolyester screw cap with attached loop
Tritan
copolyester
Yes primary

The Nalgene Wide Mouth is the archetypal trail and lab bottle - light, nearly indestructible, wide enough to take ice, a filter, or a hand for scrubbing. It's sold in 16oz and 32oz, in a rainbow of colors, and is the default bottle clipped to a thousand backpacks. Body, threads, and cap are all one material: Eastman Tritan copolyester.

Pros

  • Nearly indestructible, light, and inexpensive; wide mouth fits ice and filters
  • Material is openly stated (Eastman Tritan copolyester) and BPA-free

Cons

  • Every surface the water touches is plastic - the whole vessel, not just a lid
  • "BPA-free" marketing invites buyers to read it as plastic-free, which it is not

Categories: Water Bottles

Sources

Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.

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