The Polar Bottle Sport and Ergo are manufactured in our Boulder, CO office with parts sourced from Denver, CO and Garden City, MO. Our only product that is not manufactured domestically is our Stainless Steel Half Twist Thermaluxe bottle. Due to financial infeasibility with stateside manufacturers, the stainless steel bottles are responsibly manufactured in China.
All of our products are shipped from our warehouse in Boulder.
The insulated inner and outer layers of the Polar Bottle® Sport are made of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). The cap for the bottle is also made up of Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and the valve is made of Urethane.
The Ergo bottle is made of Polypropylene. The Half Twist™ cap is made from Tritan™ plastic fitted with a medical-grade silicone gasket.
Polar Bottle water bottles are — and always have been — BPA- and Phthalate-Free.
LDPE, HDPE, and Tritan™ plastics are all free of harmful chemicals like BPA and Phthalates. To the furthest extent of current scientific knowledge, none of these plastics contain harmful chemicals that may leach into the liquid contained in the bottle. The well-being of our customers is of the highest priority to our company and plastic safety is an issue we take very seriously.
Polar Bottle water bottles have always been BPA- and Phthalate-Free.
BPA is an acronym for Bisphenol A, an organic compound that is a primary component in the creation of polycarbonate plastic, among other uses. Polycarbonate is used in a wide variety of everyday products, including many water bottles and baby bottles. In addition, BPA is utilized in epoxy resins used to coat the inside of many food and drink containers, such as soda cans.
BPA has become a hot-button issue in recent years thanks to the results of multiple studies questioning its safety. These studies indicated that BPA may act as an endocrine disruptor, mimicking the effects of estrogen in the human body, and possibly contributing to a variety of negative health effects. The primary health concerns with BPA are related to fetal exposure, where the effects are seen in the brain, behavior, and reproductive organs, as well as contributing to early puberty in women.
There have also been many studies that did not show any harmful effects related to BPA, but the general public has taken a “guilty until proven innocent” stance on the subject.
Phthalates are compounds that are frequently added to plastics – especially PVC – to soften the plastic and make it more flexible. Phthalates also have beneficial effects to the durability of plastics. However, phthalates do not bond with the plastics they are added to, so as the plastic ages, it readily releases the phthalates, which can then leach into the surrounding environment. Like BPA, phthalates act as endocrine disruptors in humans, which can lead to a change in hormonal levels. The effects of these changes may include birth defects, weight gain, and insulin resistance (which is a precursor for diabetes), among others.
Polar Bottle products are Phthalate and BPA-free.
We have subjected our bottles to rigorous third-party testing to confirm that our bottles, to the furthest extent of current scientific knowledge, are completely safe.
We have designed our products to be reusable and incredibly durable. Many of our customers are still happily using bottles they purchased in the mid-‘90s, when the Polar Bottle® was originally released. This is not an uncommon feat. However, when you decide it’s time to retire your Polar Bottle® water bottle, they are completely recyclable. To recycle the bottle, simply separate the outer plastic bottle, foil liner and inner plastic bottle and recycle them separately. Or, if you prefer, send in your old bottle back to our warehouse and we would be happy to recycle it for you!
Most of our bottles are also made in America from locally sourced parts. This allows us to minimize shipping costs and the environmental impact that goes along with them. The fact that our entire operation – from sales to production to shipping – takes place under one roof further reduces overhead, energy use, and environmental strain.
We believe that durable, reusable water bottles are of the utmost importance in an age when single-use PET bottles (your standard bottled water or soda bottle) are being thrown away or littered nearly 3 times as often as they are recycled. This adds up to approximately 2 million tons of PET bottles finding their way into landfills every year. Americans currently consume an average of more than 25 gallons of bottled water every year, per person. That means that each of us uses about 266 12-ounce PET bottles annually. Wouldn’t you rather enjoy your water from a single reusable Polar Bottle water bottle for the next 10 years than crack open 2660 disposable bottles?
The Polar Bottle Thermaluxe performs the best overall. According to our testing, when placed in direct sunlight during peak summer high temperatures, this vacuum insulated, stainless steel water bottle keeps water cool for seven hours. If you are using it inside at your office, the water bottle could keep ice water cool for 24 hours and beyond.
The Polar Bottle Ergo is our second best performing bottle design. On a hot day, water in an Ergo will stay cooler than the outside temperature for three to three and half hours.
Among the sport bottle line, the Polar Bottle Platinum bottle performs the best. In general, bottles with a lighter colored foil bag perform better than darker graphics. On average, on a hot summer day — 90°F or higher — water without ice in a Polar Bottle Sport water bottle takes about two hours until it heats to the outside temperature.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the Polar Bottle sport, we recommend pre-freezing the water before use. Fill your bottle halfway full with water and freeze overnight. The giant ice cube that results will keep your drink chilly for hours (do not fill the bottle more than half way before freezing, as the water must have room to expand as it freezes).
The Polar Bottle Sport Water Bottles are freezer safe so long as the bottle is not more than 3/4 full. Freezing a full bottle could cause the bottle to split. Filling a bottle halfway, freezing it overnight and topping it off in the morning before a long day is a great way to keep your water cold all day.
The Polar Bottle Ergo and Stainless Steel Thermaluxe are not freezer safe and could potentially crack when frozen.
The Polar Bottle is completely dishwasher safe, including the cap and valve. The bottle should be washed on the top rack only. We recommend placing the valve in the silverware tray to prevent it from being knocked off and falling onto the heating element.
In order to keep your bottle fresh and clean for years, we recommend that you wash the bottle with a small amount of dish soap and warm water after every use. Rinse the bottle thoroughly and then allow it to dry completely (any residual moisture in the bottle can promote bacteria growth) before storing it.
We also recommend that you wash your bottle before using it for the first time.
More cleaning tips:
- Make sure the valve is open before trying to remove it — we also suggest taking the cap off the bottle
- Turn the valve until you’ve aligned the dots on the valve and cap — you may have to apply a little extra pressure when turning the valve to line it up correctly
- The little “wings” on the valve will slip underneath the vertical sidewalls of the cap and then you can pull the valve straight out.
Check out our cleaning video to learn more about removing the valve, and other cleaning tips.
Absolutely. Just remove the cap from the bottle and pull the strap off. The CarryLoop® is there for carrying convenience only; it doesn’t serve any other functional purpose, so it can safely be removed without affecting the performance of the bottle.
Individual sensitivity to plastic odors or tastes can vary wildly, but if you experience any unpleasant odor or taste, or notice discoloration from using sports drinks or other liquids in your bottle, wash your bottle thoroughly. Soaking with a baking soda solution can be especially effective for unpleasant odors. If odor persists please contact the customer service department at 303-440-0358 for a replacement.
While the Polar Bottle® Sport is designed to insulate cold liquids, it can safely handle warm liquids and the insulating properties will keep your warm drinks warmer longer as well. The insulation also help prevent water from freezing in the winter. We do not recommend using the bottle for liquids that are too hot to drink comfortably.
Yes, the Polar Bottle Ergo insulates both hot and cold liquids.
No. The plastic of the insulated bottle is too soft for the Half Twist™ cap to work properly.
Most of our bottles have a standard 63mm diameter mouth, so if you prefer another company’s cap, you can easily replace the Polar Bottle cap. The Big 42 Sport has a wider diameter that will likely not fit with other bottle caps. Our free cap replacement guarantee naturally does not extend to other companies’ products.
The Polar Bottle Thermaluxe performs the best for hot liquids. According to our tests, in a standard mug, water at a rolling boil (201°F) at 5,430 feet above sea level will drop to a temperature of 118°F in about a half an hour. In the Thermaluxe™, on the other hand, the water took five and half hours to drop to 116°F — an impressive 11 times longer than a standard mug.
More detailed information on how we test our bottle’s insulation capabilities check out our product testing blog post >>
The Polar Bottle Half Twist Cap is designed to prevent spilling and leaking. Give the cap a half twist left until the water droplets on the cap and bottle line up and you’re ready to drink. Twist it back to the right, and it’s completely sealed. If you are still having trouble with the cap, don’t worry (it sometimes takes some getting used to). Give us a call (303-440-0358) and we can help you out.
How to use the Half-Twist® cap: https://vimeo.com/192699808
To clean the cap, remove the soft plastic inner liner from the hard plastic outer cap and wash them separately. Once clean, simply pop the inner liner back into the cap. Both the inner liner and outer cap are dishwasher safe.
Check out our cleaning video for more tips: https://vimeo.com/192699808
The Half-Twist cap will not work on a sport bottle. However, A sport bottle cap will work on the Polar Bottle Ergo and Polar Bottle Thermaluxe.