Reviews You Can Rely On

Contigo Thermalock Glacier Review

An insulated bottle designed specifically for keeping drinks cold, and thus has a wide mouth to make filling with ice easier
gearlab tested logo
Contigo Thermalock Glacier Review
Credit: Contigo
Price:  $17 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Contigo
By Jane Jackson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Mar 25, 2019
51
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Ease of Use - 40% 3.0
  • Durability - 25% 6.0
  • Weight - 20% 6.0
  • Taste - 15% 8.0

Our Verdict

The Contigo Thermalock Glacier lies somewhere between an insulated thermos and a daily water bottle. Contigo markets this product to keep heat out and cool drinks in, but the bottle can be used the other way as well — keeping hot drinks warm for long periods of time. We found this bottle to be best used for either hot or cold beverages, rather than straight-up hydration due to its small capacity. The Contigo is easy to clean and does not retain flavors, making it a great vessel for sports drinks or iced tea. The lid is overly complicated and has many plastic parts that seemed excessive and prone to failure.
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Durable body
Lid and bottle both easy to clean
REASONS TO AVOID
Lid design is confusing
Mouthpiece in center of lid is difficult to drink from

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Thermalock Glacier is designed for hot summer days where you want you cold drinks to last longer than five minutes in the sun. The lid is meant to be removed to put ice in or fill easily and the bottle itself is vacuum insulated.

Performance Comparison


contigo thermalock glacier - the thermalock glacier accompanied us from the boulders to the...
The Thermalock Glacier accompanied us from the boulders to the coffee shop, keeping hot liquids hot and cold ones cool.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Ease of Use


There is a trend in water bottle design to solve a few long-standing problems that occur when drinking out of a bottle. Water bottle companies have been working to eliminate the issue of spillage when drinking out of wide-mouth bottles and they are also trying to figure out how to make one-handed drinking (think driving or walking) easier.

The Glacier's answer to these issues is a push button that opens the lid, with a large hole in the center of the lid to drink from. The issue here is that the hole is in the middle of the lid, instead of on the side, making it awkward to actually drink out of. The carrying handle is another component of this lid that is not ideally placed. It flips out of the outside of the lid when the lid is opened but is not an ergonomic shape for carrying with one hand.

contigo thermalock glacier - the lid mechanism has a number of hinges and plastic parts, bringing...
The lid mechanism has a number of hinges and plastic parts, bringing down the bottle's overall durability score.
Credit: Jane Jackson

The Thermalock is easy to clean, only taking a few minutes with a bottle brush to clean out the inside. The lid is also relatively easy to clean, considering the complexity of its design. The wide mouth on the spout is easier to clean than the narrow sipping features and straws on other models.

Durability


Like most of the insulated contenders we tested, the Glacier's body is quite durable and did well in our drop tests. There was little damage done to the body when dropped from a height onto concrete. The lid, however, has a number of hinges and plastic parts that are susceptible to breakage. The bottles with fewer moving parts did better overall in durability because they had fewer weak points where breaks could occur.

Weight


At 12 oz, the Thermalock Glacier is comparable in weight to the Klean Kanteen Stainless models. All of these bottles are proving that just because it's made of metal, it doesn't mean it has to be bulky and cumbersome; all of these competitors are sleek and lightweight. They are also relatively small, so they though they are light, they do not have a very large carrying capacity.

Taste


Of all the metric ratings, the Thermalock performed best in the taste category. The bottle took on different flavored beverages and was able to shed their tastes with one quick wash between uses. The plastic of the lid is simple, so flavors don't get stuck in nooks and crannies.

contigo thermalock glacier - the contigo fits perfectly in a car cuphold, making it a good option...
The Contigo fits perfectly in a car cuphold, making it a good option for anything from the daily commute to a road trip.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Value


This competitor is fairly priced for an insulated water bottle. However, the lid design is complicated and has many features that are subject to wearing out quickly. For the same price, we preferred the much more versatile Simple Modern Summit since it can be used for both hot and cold beverages.

Conclusion


Because of its many parts, (mainly the push button flip lid, with multiple hinges) the Thermalock Glacier received low scores in the ease-of-use and durability metrics. The bottle itself is durable and works very well to keep liquids cold or hot, but the lid lacked functionality.

Jane Jackson