Soft water bottles are great for sticking into jacket pockets for skiing. If you fall on them, they won’t break your ribs. The lower bulk is nice for the movement of skiing, and when empty a soft-side bottle rolls up small.
But it’s a little nerve-wracking when you stuff a soft plastic bladder into your pocket for the first time, unsure if it’s 100 percent watertight, or if you’ll get soaked in a hard fall.
My wife and I have been testing a Vapur Eclipse soft water bottle for two years, and it has taken a beating.
Between us, it has spent about 60 days in ski jacket pockets and survived countless falls. It’s been stuffed into various backpacks and car trunks, been generally neglected and has yet to spring a leak.
Made in the USA of BPA-free polyethylene and nylon, the bottle folds down to nearly nothing when not loaded with water, so it’s a good backup to carry in a pack or pocket. This model holds .7 liters.
The one pictured here is still going strong. It opens to a wide mouth for filling, snaps securely closed, and it has a handy clip for hanging off, well, whatever.
The only catch? Be sure to shut it securely — we’ve gotten drenched a couple times when we forgot to snap the top all the way.
But beyond this human error, the Vapur bottle has worked flawlessly for two years.
For $12, it’s a great alternative to typical bottles. Stuff one in your pocket when skiing and fall all you want. It won’t break your ribs, or your budget.
