Laken Thermo Kids Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle - 12oz, Leak Proof with Straw Lid, BPA Free for School, Sports & Outdoor Activities

Let me start by saying I have tried a lot of different types of water bottles that are out there. I initially wanted to try this one out because I had really liked my hydroflask bottle but the the only options they had for caps were screw top or to use a kleen kanteen sport spout. I am mainly using this for my kids who are all under 5 at the moment. Kleen kanteen spout is hard to clean and unsanitary if dropped on the ground which happens a lot. Why with my kids ages did I not use foogo? because I hate to clean them! My daughter is not strong enough to open the screw type cap off of the hydroflask yet.LakenPros- Straw is nice and thick making it easy to clean- straw it thick so kids cannot chew it off like the thermos foogo ones- cap and straw is one piece, there is no need to take it apart- leak proof- cute gender neutral designs that are not mainstream- kids like it-stainless steelCons- button for straw to open get stuck after about a week or two of usage and the seller had suggested using soapy water to help get it unstuck but I can't say that really helps- the claim is that it suppose to keep liquids cold for about 24 hours. I did not even really get 12 hours out of it .. I tried milk and it was sort of room temperature after about 9 hours? maybe the water was still somewhat cold after 10 hours but not as icy. It just did not seem to keep fluids as cold as hydroflask- because this bottle is a vaccuum seal sometimes after sucking on the straw the milk is trapped which sometimes causes the milk to spill out on its own or when you close it and press the button the trapped milk will spray everywhere- pricey for the performanceHydroflaskpros- cute colors- holds liquids cold for very long time very close to 24 hours- many size choices- eco friendly- stainless steel - not breakablecons- pricey as well- no straw cap attachments- not as kid friendlyThermos FOOGOPros- cute designs- kids like them- easy pop lid with straw- stainless steelCons- hard to clean ~ if you want to remove the straw top from plastic cap it is hard to put back in after you pull it out- kids can chew off straw- hassle to buy replacement straws by having to call the Thermos company( I tried once, no one answered or it was busy)- sometimes it is very pricey- doesn't keep as cold for long- mainstream designs- designs can be chipped off easilyWould I recommend it? I am not sure if I would because of the price for the performance. If it were about $18 or under I think it would be worth it. If it could indeed hold the fluid to be cold as stated I would say it would beat out hydroflask mainly because of the cap but I think because it is a straw cap some of the vaccuum seal power is probably lost through the straw rendering the coldness not to last up to 24 hours or even 12 hours. I will continue trying it out and seeing if it can make it to the claim because another reviewer had seemed to think it worked better than hydroflask but I am not so sure for myself. The Lakken and hydroflask are heavier than the foogo but I would gladly be okay with weight if it has superior performance. My main beef with foogo is the annoying straw to clean, putting them back in, and kids chewing tip off which lead me to try the Lakken and Hydroflask.**update**it has been about a month or two that I have had two of these and i would say that the main purpose for me to get one of these is to keep my kids milk cold but I have noticed sometimes it won't even keep it cold for a few hours maybe 5 hours max. i like the cute designs and the cap but for the purpose and functionality of this i would say it fails. To pay $23 for a water bottle that doesn't keep cold is just not right!! My other daughter does have a hydracentials one and it worked great for water.That one doesn't even claim to be a vacuum insulated one. It was cold for over 24 hours.My husband and I love our HydroFlask water bottles, but when I went to look for one in 12oz that had a straw lid for my daughter (3 years old) to use at school, they didn't have one. Luckily, I stumbled across this Laken bottle in the process, and after reading the reviews, I let my daughter pick a color. She's very excited to have a bottle that's like ours (insulated stainless steel with the coated outside), and it helps keep her water cold even when it's outside with her in the desert summer heat. The wide mouth makes it easier for her to refill her bottle at the water fountain or with the pitchers of water at school, and she likes the straw lids better than the "sippy" type where you have to tip it to drink.The reason I took off one star is threefold:1.) It takes quite a bit of pressure to push down the spout and have it lock closed. Our daughter is able to open the spout after the "open" button loosened up a little. But she still can't close it most of the time. This will come with time, so it's not a deal-breaker at all, and she's good about just putting the bottle down upright, so it doesn't really bother me that much.2.) When you push the button to open the spout, if you're using your thumb(s) and depending on where the rest of your fingers are on the other side of the bottle, the spout can snap open and the little hard plastic part that opens up with it (to help lock it closed) can hit your fingers. It's hard to explain, but it's gotten me a couple of times. Not a big deal as it mostly startles me and doesn't hurt.3.) Like another review said, the handle has a bit of a sharp edge to it. When I'm carrying it on a finger, it digs in pretty good and I have to adjust it. I can only imagine how it might feel to a smaller finger! I filed it down a little and it was easy to do, but as this is labeled as a kids' bottle specifically, I think this could be a reasonably cheap fix for the manufacturer to make.The three minor things add up to a 4 star review, and really only because this is being marketed as a kids' bottle am I as picky about it. (I'm generally not as picky on reviews like this.) Otherwise, it's a great little bottle. Not too heavy for her to carry around, insulates well (we've only tried cold water, not anything hot), the wide mouth makes it easy to clean.Not great I am afraid.First off, good points:1) it keeps the content cold for AGES!! and I mean ages, very good insulation.2) Build quality feels great, solid, light weightBad points:1) I have managed to spill water on myself several times with this, sometimes when the lid pings open, but even if I do it slowly and don't tip if at all what ever you do it shoots water up the straw.2) you have to be a technical genius to dismantle it for cleaning3) you need an industrial suction pump to get the fluid up the straw4) I feel a bit stupid drinking out of it, like a baby sucking on a dummyOverall, its ok, wish I had not purchased 2 of the large ones! But now I have them I will make the most I can and open with caution.This bottle was a replacement for a stainless steel Thermos branded bottle which started to leak, compared to that bottle this bottle is larger, Ithe doesn't show up in the picture but the red paint is powder coated on to the metal and the finish is a very nice nonslip sandstone texture., the spout is thick silicon which can be folded back with the latch. This bottle has a pipe feed, (just like you would find in an aerosol), so you never have to tilt the bottle, it can be used vertical even when the water is about to finish. I've sat in the steam room with it and it kept the water nice and cold, I haven't tried a hot beverage in it but it's rated 10 hours cold and 8 hours for hot which is impressive but it's Jot something i have tested. The bottle hasn't leaked in my bag however the manufacturer advises to keep it vertical to avoid leakage. Compared to the stainless steel Thermos I actually prefer this Laken bottle. Made in Spain not USADesign of bottle is great and very easy to operate for quick one handed drinking. Its biggest downfall (and my decision to change to another bottle) was that the bottle was slightly pressurised when filled near to the top with cold liquid and left for a short period. This then had a sudden release of pressure when pressing the button to flick open the spout, which then causes some of the liquid to shoot out of the spout and either goes on the floor or yourself depending where its aimed. This did not occur on a fill level of below about 2 thirds but this was not convenient to do as i drink a lot at work in the day.Used for about one month of school and the lid started leaking.. I took a closer look and saw that the bottle and the lid do not have matching treads so leaking is inevitable. Also while holding the bottle from the top loop, the button gets accidentally pressed and the bottle opens.... Not well thought, not well made. I'm trying to find another random lid that might fit better so that it is not a complete waist.As others have stated, this does not keep drinks cool for very long and it throws water everywhere when you open the straw. I was stuck in traffic, opened it up and wore most of the contents, I was soaked through. It threw water all over me, the seat, the steering wheel. When you open the straw it also leaks water where you press the button to open it, leaks water round the seal and proceeds to just drip all down the outside of the bottle. Definitely not fit for purpose I'm afraid. Gets 1 star as I can't give it none.