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BKR Glass Water Bottle Review

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This post has been a long time coming and I’m honestly surprised I haven’t shared a dedicated post about BKR before! I’ve mentioned them on Sephora sales and here and there, but haven’t spoken much about them specifically. On my recent trip to San Francisco, I not only got to go to their HQ, but I got to meet the founders, Tal and Kate! This sparked the idea to share why I love the brand so much, so let’s dive in. * water pun *

Madewell Striped Shirt | Madewell Vintage Jeans | Cariuma Sneakers (c/o) | American Eagle Sunglasses

BKR Big Liter Bottle | BKR small 500ml bottle (c/o) | Paris Water Balm Original (c/o) | Paris Water Balm BTS (c/o) | Paris Water Balm Muse (c/o)

I bought my first BKR water bottle, before I revived my blog to be what is today. (I had a blog in college.) Before I met Nick! Before BKR even had a patent on the bottom of their bottle. I honestly can’t remember where I found them, but I first purchased back in January of 2014. It was a year after I graduated from college and I struggled with drinking enough water at work. Side note - not sure I ever drank enough water to begin with! In school I hated going to the bathroom, so I tried to go THE ENTIRE DAY without going. What the heck?! Anyway, back in 2014 was when I first heard that you should be drinking your body weight in ounces / 2 at the bare minimum, not counting any caffeine, exercise, or alcohol. You need extra for those! Anyway I was trying to drink enough water and found myself at the water fountain literally all the time, because my water bottle wasn’t big enough. Shortly after that, I found BKR. I loved that it came in a Liter size AND it was cute. Need I say more? Well, it’s much more than just a big water bottle, so let me break it down as to why I love BKR.

  • Size. Yes I love the liter size (they call it big). It’s great for warm days, hot yoga, and sitting at a desk, but they have other versions too! You can get a small (500ml) or a teeny (250ml) as well. I just got my first small bottle when I was at the hq and I’m wondering why I didn’t get one sooner! The 500 ml is a wonderful size to travel with. ALSO, can I talk about the mouths on the bottles?! They are smaller, so you can fit your mouth around them / not have to use half of the mouth to drink. I love this, because I frequently spill water on myself from larger mouths! They make these adorable ice cube trays too, as it needs smaller “cubes” to fit in smaller top.

  • Materials. BKR bottles are made of glass. I’m kind of a snob about my drinkware. If I’m drinking water quickly, I can tolerate a plastic cup, but I really only drink out of metal when I have to. I have disliked the taste of metal in general for a while, but once I had water in glass, there was really no going back. Also, glass is better health-wise than metal or plastic. Glass does not contain any chemicals that can leach into your water and can safely be cleaned at high temperatures. It can also be recycled and the majority of it can be reused, unlike other materials. It’s better for the planet and better for you!

  • Color. Unlike pretty much every other bottle, you can change the outside bottle with the addition of a new skin. BKR recently launched their sleeve shop, where you can buy new covers, without having to buy a new bottle! All of mine are pretty girly, so I’m looking forward to buying Nick some more manly options.

  • Innovation. BKR lids are designed to be carried. It’s something simple, but different enough to make a big impact, especially if your arms are full! I also love that they CONTINUE to innovate. Their latest release (about a year ago) was their Paris water balm! Just like their bottles, it is cruelty-free and nontoxic. It does have synthetic ingredients (4 to be exact), but they were not made to cut corners, rather to make sure allergies weren’t affected and to include cool, hydrating scientific skincare. My favorite clean perfume brand does the same thing… they have some synthetic but clean fragrance for the same reason. You’ll see on the ingredient list for the water balm that it has fragrance. The fragrance is a proprietary blend of fresh rose petals and ancient rose. BKR balms are REACH certified and follow the EU’s requirements, which are a lot more rigorous than the United States’ requirements. The balm was born in Paris and has a super luxurious feeling. It is thick and somewhat sticky, but very hydrating. I love to put it on before bed or before a flight! The best part is that the balm FITS IN THE CAP. You do need a separate cap than the one it comes with initially, but talk about innovation. That means you’ll always know where your lip balm is too! (I always lose mine.) Don’t worry! You can pop the balm out and throw the lid in the dishwasher when you need to. I use the original balm the most, but they have two shades (light pink and mauve) as well that are great. Another thing I love is that they pay attention to trends! Whether it means launching new colors or doing things like their wedding collection, I see it and appreciate it! They also have corporate/custom capabilities, so you can stop gifting crappy water bottles no one actually keeps ;)

Nothing is perfect, so just to be real, here’s some things that aren’t my favorite, but I would much rather deal with “problems” than drink out of metal or plastic

  • Weight. Glass is heavier than metal or plastic. That’s just the nature of the game. It can be annoying to lug around or travel with. The liter is 100% not fun to travel with, but the small bottle is great on the go, in my opinion! I’ll bring the liter to yoga class, but not on a plane. The small is the perfect size to fit in a backpack pocket or on your lap during a flight. ALSO, because it’s glass, if you hit your teeth when drinking (whether the car abruptly stops or whatnot), it hurts a little more than the usual mouth hit.

  • Price. The price doesn’t really bother me, but I do know some people balk at spending over $10 on a bottle. The fact of the matter is that these bottles last a really long time and I use them over and over and over. The liter bottle starts at $48, the 500 ml at $40, and the 250 ml at $28. If you balk at those prices, BKR has a lot of warehouse sales and value sets you might consider. I’m all about the cost per wear on these items and trust me, they are a good deal!

  • Cleanse. I don’t have a problem with this either, but I know some people who don’t reach for the bkrs as much, as they are “annoying to clean.” Buuut, the reason they are annoying to clean, is the reason why I love them - all of the moving parts. Did you know you can actually put the entire bottle and lid in the dishwasher? Just don’t put the balm in ;) I like to take the silicone skin off and hand wash it, but it is totally dishwasher safe. (If you have stasher bags, the sleeve is silicone, just like those!) I put the bottle and the lid in the dishwasher, then put the sleeve back on when they are both clean. The taking on and off of the sleeve is the only mildly annoying part. Oh and be sure to store with the lid off! If you want to hand wash everything / even if you don’t, they have this little brush that makes cleaning a breeze! Also, I typically bring one bottle to work / leave it on my desk for a week, then bring home to clean every Friday, so it’s not super annoying, as I’m not doing it super frequently.

  • Cars. My beloved liter bottle does not fit in a cup holder! I so wish it did, but then it would be super tall. Part of me hopes they’ll come out with one that isn’t top heavy, but is a smaller base, so it could fit, but not sure that is even possible. The 500 ml and 250 ml do fit in cup holders.

  • Fingers. Okay so weird one, but you have to be careful with the balm. It’s kind of easy for dirt, etc to get in the sticky balm. Theoretically you shouldn’t be putting it on with dirty hands anyway, but just be aware of that! I live in a sea of animal hair and am extremely careful to keep the compact clean!

What’s your favorite water bottle? Have you ever tried a glass water bottle? You can seriously taste the difference! I joke that I only drink water and wine and that is pretty much the truth. I love the way water tastes as is, so I drink it straight, but love hot tea and a good cup of lemon water in the morning. Other than that I do occasionally drink kombucha, but the only other beverage I frequent is red wine. Okay and spicy margaritas too! But only after I’ve had enough water for the day!!

P.S. I made this image just for instagram. What do you think?! It makes me feel like Snow White or like Amy Adams in Enchanted!




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