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We've always been stainless. Before Klean Kanteen®, hydration bottles were made from either polycarbonate plastic or aluminum. We now know that both those materials are associated with a host of diseases and illnesses, info that wasn't common knowledge in 2004 when we released the first food-grade stainless bottle onto the market. But there were studies, even then, that worried us and caused us to doubt the safety of the existing bottles on the market.
The founders of Klean Kanteen® wanted to give health conscious people a safe alternative to plastic and aluminum. So the very first Klean Kanteen® was made from high quality, 18/8, food-grade stainless steel – a metal superior in both strength and safety that contains no harmful chemicals or toxins.
Now all those other companies that started out making plastic or aluminum bottles are crowing about their new stainless bottles. We got it right the first time because health has always been our top priority.
You don't pay for pretty.We offer a wide array of gorgeous colors and we use a safe, lead-free, acrylic paint. Fancy graphics often require complex processes and extra materials, which make them expensive to produce.
We invest in the highest quality materials and in designing a functional, durable bottle. Occasionally, we do release special edition bottles with graphics that promote projects, events and causes we believe in, which are in-line with our philosophy of health, sustainability and environmental awareness. But even then, our graphics are still printed with the same nontoxic paints at facilities that are committed to strong environmental standards.
Our curving corners and rounded threads make our bottles safe, easy-to-clean and sanitary.All the nice curves on a Klean Kanteen® are no accident. Hard corners and sharp angles create a place where dirt and bacteria can stick. The threads on our bottles curve and sweep. They're also large and far apart so germs and other crud don't get stuck in the threads of the bottles or the caps.
A bottle's durability depends on the quality and thickness of the metal. The thickness of metal is called the gauge: the higher the number, the thinner the metal. We spent years testing bottles with different thicknesses of stainless steel to find the perfect balance between durability and weight. After thousands of scientific, and sometimes less scientific tests, we chose strong, thick steel that meets our rigorous standards. The gauge on our bottles is low, and that's a good thing. They're made to last a lifetime. | 
