Fun find: Bubi bottle
Bübi bottle sounds like a receptacle for breasts, but it's one of my favorite finds of 2013.
I was going through Ava when I came across it. The bright colors caught my attention, but I was about to dismiss it, because like many things I have in multiples, I have enough water bottles to fill a small pond. I even wrote a post about my obsessive search for water bottles, which I completely forgot about.
I loved my Vapur, but mine got punctured and kaput. What a waste of money!
Photo from Masstige Philippines' Facebook
So when I saw Bubi being touted as the "first scrunchable multi-use bottle," I was all been there, done that.
BPA-free and scrunchable (photo: MasstigePH)
Still, I kept gravitating towards it. Apart from the juicy hues, Bübi bottle is made of flexible, BPA-free material (BPA is Bisphenol A, a chemical used to make plastics and resins; BPA breaks down over time (especially when exposed to heat) and could get into food and water. They're not just found in plastic containers, they're also used to coat canned food to help preserve its contents. Studies are still being done to determine just how harmful BPA is to our bodies—the FDA is saying that you'll have to ingest tons of BPA for it to disrupt your system, but better safe than sorry).
Photo: MasstigePH
I also liked that the Bübi is microwave and freezer safe. On days when I'm out the whole day, it would be great to just have one tumbler that can be used both for water and hot tea (I always have tea in my bag, because I realized that some restaurants have been duping me, charging me P80 up for tea that is just Lipton/Gold Leaf/Twinings. Hel-lo.).
Bübi started out initially as a water bottle, but many consumers have used it for different things, like a hot or cold compress, a (very tiny) pillow, storage for dry goods while camping (some have used it as a waterproof mobile phone carrier).
The bottles come in two capacities: 14 oz and 22 oz (I hate imperial units!!), which come out to 414 ml and 650 ml respectively. All the bottles come with a carabiner because that's what you'll use to secure Bübi in its rolled up position.
As you can probably tell from my long-winded introduction, I gave in and bought it. The entire bottle is gummy and entirely collapsible, but the material is definitely sturdier compared to Vapur. There's a hard plastic thread ring for the cap to screw on to, as well as an inner cap with two holes to seal liquid in. This inner cap is essential since it is what gives the bottle's neck structure, which supports the outer thread ring; without it, the bottle will collapse and you'll have a wet mess on your hands.
Disassembling the bottle for the first time is a bit tough (the instructions aren't as clear either), but what you have to do is to hold the bottle by the neck with your thumb and forefinger and squeeze—this will push out the plastic inner cap (don't use your nails, the material seems thick enough to resist puncturing, but use the pads of your fingers just to be safe). Once the inner cap starts to poke out, you can pull it out and the outer thread ring will follow. Put on the thread ring first then the inner cap when reassembling; make sure that the inner cap is properly in place to avoid leaks and check that the thread ring is right side up; you'll be able to tell when the outer cap locks in place when you screw it on.
I like that the bottle's mouth is wide enough to accommodate ice cubes. There's a plasticky smell to it which will disappear after a couple of washes. I haven't used hot liquids with it yet because I think I need a sleeve of some sort to protect my fingers.
It's very convenient to tote around. I clipped it to my handbag the other day and completely forgot that I had it with me, it's that lightweight (even when filled with water). When rolled it up, the size is so negligible that you can put it in your bag easily. I hooked an extra carabiner to my bag so I can hang it from there when it's not filled (you won't be able to use the original carabiner when you've rolled up the bottle).
Ruey from work likened the bottle to a stress ball, and that feature is indeed an added bonus. I like squeezing it when it's empty, it makes me feel like one of the doctors on Grey's Anatomy squeezing an ambu bag (it even makes the same whooshing sound, hee).
I loved it so much that I ordered a 22 oz, too. I wanted it in teal but the shop didn't have it in stock anymore, so I have the 14 oz in hot pink and the 22 oz in purple. It's not cheap; it is pretty pricey (P800 for 14oz and P1,100 for 22oz) for what it is, but if you're someone who's always on the go who tends to forget empty water bottles, this is the bottle for you (just don't forget this one, OK?).
It's also handy for runners to use since they can roll it up and clip it to their belt loops (do runners have belt loops in their shorts?) when the bottle is empty, so it won't knock against your thighs or you don't have to clutch an empty bottle while running. They also have a sippy cup type cap—which they call nipples LOL (sold separately)—that you can use if you wanna squeeze water into your mouth (something I see runners do a lot on TV, then they squeeze the water bottle all over their heads and faces, the water trickles down, their shirts get wetter, then boom chicka wow wow, a delivery guy comes in).
You can also bring it when traveling, so you can just refill your bottle with water from a restaurant or from the hotel café instead of buying bottled water. If you're traveling for 10 days, and you buy two bottles of water a day for P60 each at P120/day, that's P1,200 in savings—easily cab fare going back to the airport or a tube of lipstick from the Duty Free counters (I vote for lipstick).
I bought the 14 oz from Ava.ph but I discovered another source online selling it at a cheaper introductory price (P765 for 14oz and P1,050 for 22oz).
Bübi bottle is available from these sellers locally: Ava.ph Masstige Philippines