Pros: 1. The water tastes fresh -- no icky plastic taste. 2. You have the option of purchasing a cozy which I really like! The cozy helps to keep the water cold PLUS it absorbs the "bottle sweat." It fits very tight and will not fall off.
Cons: 1. It squeals when you drink (as other reviewers have noted). Even when I push on the air valve it still makes a noticeable noise. 2. It leaks. I screw on the cap as tightly as I can (makes getting it off difficult) but despite that, it still leaks. I discovered that my latest leak incident was because it leaked through the drinking spout despite having the cap on. I ruined two books :-( And yes, I make sure the canteen is upright but sometimes in a backpack, it can move to an angle. Still, it shouldn't leak in my opinion. I cannot recommend purchasing this ... sorry!
I was pleased to find a non-plastic water bottle with a sports cap on sale, but after trying it out I find it's not nearly as useful as I had hoped. I am a teacher who suffers from dry mouth, so I need frequents sips of water while teaching. The cap on this bottle makes a loud squealing noise whenever I drink, which is too distracting in the classroom. I do like that it fits in the car's cup holder and water bottle pocket of my tote bag, but if you need to drink indoors in a quiet place, don't buy this bottle.
The old bean canteen I have has been great, so I expected the new one to perform just as well. Unfortunately, the mouth of the new canteen (the sealing surface that the o-ring seats on) has changed, while the caps have not. In other words, the cap that came with the new canteen works on my old canteen, but will leak with the new canteen. After my son complained of wet lunches, we finally determined it wasn't operator error, rather it was an unfortunate design flaw. I've noticed other reviewers complained of it leaking as well.
Would recommend purchasing. Easy to travel with or use in garden. Can fill from my refrigerator's ice & water dispenser. Advise also purchasing the cozy as a lot of condensation collects on the outside. Con - does not keep ice well.
