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This bottle caught our eye with its reasonable price tag and a multitude of jazzy color options. But, as we started on our testing process, we found that more and more we gravitated toward the Ello Pure over any other glass bottle we tested. Its lid is simple, yet the carrying handle is ergonomic and useful. Its shape is sleek and fits comfortably into one hand, a car cup holder, and a backpack water bottle holder. It never leaked, and it passed our durability test. We were won over. This no-nonsense design, plus an affordable price tag, gains our favor for the top glass bottle we've tested.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Passed our drop tests
Easy to carry
Easy to drink from
Ergonomic design
REASONS TO AVOID
Narrow mouth makes it hard to clean by hand
Heavy
Inherently less durable than steel competition
We also reviewed the Ello Syndicate One-Touch, which is very similar to the Pure but comes with a flip cap lid instead of the standard twist-off. Overall, we preferred the Pure, since the Syndicate had problems with leakage. If you are in the market for a push-button flip cap style bottle, the Syndicate does work well for one-handed drinking situations like driving and office work.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Pure shined in almost all of our metrics — from durability (as far as that goes with glass) to weight to ease of use. Its design proved to be easy to use but caused a few issues when it came to cleaning the bottle. The Ello's scores in the ease of use metric reflect these issues.
Performance Comparison
Hydrating in the early morning sun with the Ello bottle. We happily hand-carried this bottle on some of our favorite walks around Bishop.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Ease of Use
Let's start with the lid. The simple cap is secure, basically fool-proof, and provides an easy way to carry this bottle when you don't have a bag to stash it in. With two twists, the lid locks onto the bottle, with no gray area or confusion as to whether it is secure or not. We really liked the rectangular, fixed carrying handle. Its ergonomic shape, yet low-profile silhouette won us over, though we are typically reluctant to endorse carrying handles in general. On the Ello, it proved to be a great, easy way to carry the bottle when you don't want to stash it in a pack. If carry handles really aren't for you, the bottle is narrow enough to comfortably carry in hand.
The carrying handle on the Ello Pure fit our three fingers perfectly, and comfortably. This is one of our favorite handle designs we've tested.
Credit: Jane Jackson
When it comes to cleaning, the Ello presents a few issues. The lid, which is simple and fairly fool-proof on the outside, has a fairly complex underside that is tougher to effectively clean. There are two deep crevices that are hard to get into and clean thoroughly and a gasket that is buried so deep, it is almost impossible to remove without tools. Additionally, the bottle's narrow mouth presents another issue, as its too narrow to fit wider cleaning tools. These issues are manageable with a dishwasher, though, as the entire bottle is dishwasher safe. And a bottle brush should work fine with the narrow opening.
We found it easiest to throw the Pure in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning every now and then.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Durability
Since its silicone sleeve is not as thick and substantial as that of the other glass bottles in this review, we were concerned about the Pure as we set up our durability tests this spring. Luckily, the Ello passed the test, falling from a height of 3.5 feet, and landing on the ground unscathed. Additionally, as we mentioned above, the Ello is almost leak-proof — with its secure and simple cap that requires only two twists to fully secure. Some of the other glass bottles in this review have more nebulous closing systems, which provides more opportunity for leakage.
This bottle passed our drop test more than once. We found that carrying this bottle around by its handle all the time resulted in us dropping it on the sidewalk multiple times. Luckily, our clumsiness didn't result in any breakage!
Credit: Jane Jackson
Weight
With a measured weight of 18.5 ounces, the Pure falls right alongside its glass competitors in terms of weight. There is no way around the fact that glass bottles, and insulated stainless steel ones, just weigh more than their plastic competitors. For use around town — the office, gym, or coffee shop — this is no real concern, especially with the sleek design of the Ello bottle. Its shape allows it to fit into a car cupholder or a backpack water bottle holder easily — making it the most portable glass option we tested.
Lightweight and sleek, for a glass bottle, we found it easy to bring this Ello bottle on hikes where we would otherwise bring a lighter plastic or metal bottle.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Taste
Like the other glass bottles in this review, the Ello bottle did not hold on to flavors. When drinking from the Ello, your lips only touch the glass part of the bottle, which limits the imparting of flavors even more than bottles with plastic spouts and lids. This is another benefit of its simple design. Though the cap has a few crevices that can trap flavors, we found that this didn't affect the rim of the bottle at all. With a quick rinse, any lingering flavor can be removed from the lid of the bottle.
The unnecessary nooks and crannies of the Ello's lid were a bit of a challenge to keep clean.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Value
Where the Ello bottle really shines is here in the value metric. When we first saw this glass bottle with an incredibly affordable price tag we could hardly believe it. We were skeptical at first — how would a bottle that is one third the price of our longstanding favorites hold up in our side-by-side testing? Turns out, the Ello did just across the board as its more expensive competition. We were impressed by the bottle's durability and design. The only place we saw corners cut was in the silicone sleeve, which is thinner than that of the other glass bottles. This wasn't an issue in our drop tests, but we made a note of it for the longer-term durability of the bottle.
Used at our home office, the Ello kept us hydrated and kept money in our pockets with its much lower than average price.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Conclusion
The Ello Pure is a sleek, no-nonsense glass bottle with an affordable price tag. It is easy to use and portable, making it our go-to for around town missions. We loved the carrying handle and the slim shape of the bottle, both of which allow for easy carrying on short hikes and other low-commitment outings. The silicone sleeve is thinner than other glass bottles we've tested, making it easy to remove for cleaning. The lid is simple and the handle is ergonomic and comfortable to use. While this bottle's cap is a bit tricky to clean by hand, running the bottle and cap through the dishwasher is easy-peasy. Its reasonable price tag, pleasant ergonomics, and overall stylish design makes the Ello our favorite glass bottle.
