REASONS TO BUY
Easy to use
Easy to drink from while moving
Comfortable carrying handle
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks durability
Lid is challenging to clean
Takeya Actives Insulated Review
This insulated bottle is easy to carry and drink from, making it a good option for use around town
Credit: Amazon
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Our Verdict
With its easy-to-drink-from spout and carrying handle, the Takeya Actives Insulated bottle is a great hydration companion for days around town. From the desk to the gym and the car ride in between, this bottle is simple, inexpensive, and easy to drink from. Though we liked the convenience of this design, we had some concerns with the durability of this bottle, especially for the price. It's also one of the heaviest of the best water bottles we tested, and the lid is difficult to properly clean. Because of these shortcomings, the Takeya Actives isn't the first insulated bottle we would typically recommend.
Editor's Note: This product review was updated on March 28, 2022, with product comparisons and suggestions on what we would recommend to a friend.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Takeya Actives bottle shines in the ease of use metric but fell short in terms of durability. Overall, the bottle received average scores across the board, neither overly impressive nor terribly disappointing.
Performance Comparison
This bottle is just delightful to drink from - you can tell by the blissed-out look on our lead tester's face!
Credit: Eric Bissell
Ease of Use
The variety of lid/spout/locking mechanisms that exist among vacuum insulated bottles is vast enough for a dissertation. The Takeya Actives provides an easy-to-use solution to this self-perpetuating problem in water bottle technology. The bottle has a wide mouth lid that can be easily removed for filling. On the lid is a separate, screw-top drinking spout that eliminates the issue of spilling water all over oneself when drinking on the go. Brands have attempted this design in the past, but Takeya has created a fairly simple, leak-free version of this cap design.
Like most wide-mouth bottles, the Takeya is easy to clean, though the spout makes the lid a bit complicated and thus challenging to clean.
Credit: Eric Bissell
The lid, however, proves to be challenging to clean, as it consists of multiple moving parts. The rest of the bottle cleans easily, as it is similar in shape to the Yeti or Hydro Flask bottles.
The Takeya just barely fits in this Prius cup holder.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Durability
It is here that the Takeya falls a bit short. The bottle is reasonably priced for an insulated, stainless steel bottle. However, its lower price tag means the bottle lacks some of the durability of the more expensive stainless options. The carrying handle hinges to stow in a streamlined position, but this joint showed major signs of wear after only a few weeks of use. Though it did not entirely fail, this plastic cap shows signs of wearing out quickly.
Shown above is the silicone cover that protects the bottom of the Takeya.
Credit: Jane Jackson
The bottle comes with a silicone sleeve to protect the bottom, which we found to greatly help the Takeya in our drop test. This sleeve protected the bottom of the bottle from chipping or denting.
Weight
This bottle weighs 15.5 ounces, placing it among the heavier bottles in this review. This comes as no surprise, since most of the heavy bottles are vacuum insulated, stainless steel models like the Takeya. Even in this generally heavy-duty class of bottles, the Takeya is on the heavier side.
This 24-ounce, vacuum-insulated bottle is a bit on the heavier side, so it works best as a companion for trips around town.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Taste
The combination of its complicated lid and stainless steel body landed the Takeya Actives in the middle of the pack in terms of taste. These complex, plastic lids tend to hold flavors longer as they get trapped in all the cracks and gaskets. So, while the steel body of the bottle resisted flavor retention, the lid was more susceptible. Overall, the Takeya was perhaps just above average in flavor retention.
We liked most of this bottle's features but its lack of durability detracts from its overall value.
Credit: Eric Bissell
Should You Buy the Takeya Actives Insulated?
Though its lid is novel and its silicone sleeve helped protect the bottom of the bottle from damage, the Takeya Actives is not our favorite. It is a fine option for folks looking for a way to stay hydrated around town, but we'd recommend many other insulated stainless steel bottles before this one.
What Other Water Bottles Should You Consider?
Our favorite stainless insulated bottle is the Yeti Rambler 26, which has a wide mouth and a Chug Cap for when a wide mouth isn't convenient (i.e., drinking while walking or in a moving car). For a more affordable but still great stainless option, check out the Simple Modern Summit.
—
Jane Jackson
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