This post is an honest Pottery Barn water bottle review- something I wish I had for myself back when I was searching for the best water bottles for kids!
With back-to-school around the corner, I can’t help but swoon over the adorable Pottery Barn kids water bottles. Every year, they come out with the cutest designs that kids love (and parents don’t detest! Who wants to see a giant Spongebob on their kitchen counter?!).
But are these PBK water bottles the right choice for your kids? Well, that depends. I’m going to share with you my honest Pottery Barn water bottle review and give you the inside scoop into what I love about it, and what I don’t. Keep reading!
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
Pottery Barn Kids Water Bottles
When most parents search for the classic Pottery Barn water bottle style for kids, it’s specifically the Pottery Barn Kids Mackenzie water bottle. They’ve come out with other styles here and there, but for the sake of this post, I’m talking about the PBK Mackenzie water bottle, which is what we’ve personally had experience with.
Although, keep this review in mind, because many of the other styles have similar attributes (ex: stainless steel, silicone spout, etc.).
Let’s take a look at each attribute to give a full scope Pottery Barn Kids water bottle review:
Sizing:
Many styles, but not all, come in a 12oz or 17oz option. The 12oz size is really great for preschool-aged kids, and the 17oz size is perfect for Kindergarten and above. Both are slim in design, resulting in a “taller” 17oz water bottle- which may be a little too tall for kids with smaller backpacks (preschool, toddlers, etc.). But if your kid is in the age range where their backpack is a bigger size, the side water bottle compartment will be deep enough to hold the 17oz option.
Design:
This is where the Pottery Barn water bottle takes the cake! Their designs really couldn’t be cuter- from traditional florals, to sweet rainbows, to classic stripes, to glow-in-the-dark sharks. Even their “character prints” are tastefully done. It’s almost a guarantee that you can find an adorable print that your kids will love.
You also have the option to order a monogrammed water bottle- initials or full name! If you want a personalized touch, the monogram option is really nice to have.
Cost:
Costs can fluctuate, and items can go on sale, but at the time of this post, most 12oz water bottles cost around $26.50, and the 17oz water bottles cost around $28.50 (without a monogram). If you add a monogram to the Mackenzie water bottle in the 17oz size, it costs around $43.50 (and this is before shipping fees and taxes).
So doing a little rough estimate math here, but if you have 2 kids and you’re monogramming 2 17oz PBK water bottles, you’ll be spending nearly $100.
Now, that may be a hefty price to pay for just water bottles. But, I will say that kids get SO much use out of their water bottles, and if you’re good about washing them often, and take good care of them, they can last your kiddo a long time.
If you decide to still buy the Pottery Barn Kids water bottle after reading this review, try to get them when they’re marked down on sale- which does happen often if you keep an eye out!
Insulation:
The PBK water bottles are made from stainless steel, which means these bad boys are well insulated- drinks stay cold (or hot) for up to 6 hours. We haven’t tested the hot option for the water bottles, but have for their soup containers, and it works well as long as you follow directions properly.
But in regards to staying cold, YES, add some ice to your child’s drink and it will definitely stay chilly for the school day.
Mouth Piece & Straw:
For kids, I do really like a straw water bottle, especially when comparing them to water bottles where you twist the entire cap off and take a drink (spill-city, no thanks). The silicone mouth piece is soft which is great for being a more “gentle” material for something so close to their teeth.
Kids are always on the go- walking and drinking, toddlers taking a sip of water while in a stroller, etc. and I always think it takes one little bump for a harder spout to hit their teeth and hurt. So I’ll give the silicone spout a point here.
But don’t get too excited, because I have some complaints about the spout.
Chewers. Okay, if you have a toddler that’s a chewer, even just a little bit, this spout will get chewed down. And it’s very difficult to get a replacement. I’ve seen replacement parts either not listed at all, or marked as “no longer sold”. So if you think your toddler might chew on the silicone top, I’d suggest to skip this water bottle completely.
Leaks. Yup. What every parent dreads…a leaky water bottle. If you keep the cap on, closed, and the extra “lock” in place, it won’t leak, usually.
BUT, how great are kids at always closing and locking their water bottle cap? Well, again, that depends. If you have younger kids or toddlers, they might be distracted while watching a show on the couch, take a few sips, get up to get a snack, and by the time they get back, your couch cushion is soaked (been there.).
Or, they decide to throw their water bottle inside of their backpack, instead of the side pouch, and if they forget the extra “lock” step, then the push-button can pop the cap open and messy glitter artwork becomes WET messy glitter artwork stuck to the inside of their backpack (great!).
If you have older kids that are really good about closing and locking their caps, as well as not leaving water bottles in random places like on the couch, etc., and aren’t chewers, then I would recommend the Pottery Barn Mackenzie water bottle.
But if you have concerns about what I’ve mentioned thus far, keep reading because I’ll share other options for water bottles I recommend instead!
Ease Of Cleaning:
While the main part of the water bottle is easy to clean and is even dishwasher safe, the top is, well honestly, kind of a pain to keep clean. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by my other favorite kids water bottles (I’ll link some at the end), but this PBK water bottle mouth spout is difficult to push out of the cap to give it a good solid clean in the dishwasher.
And at the end of the day, parents don’t want to be dealing with a frustrating mouth spout when you’re just trying to load the dishwasher!
PBK Water Bottle Review (In A Nutshell):
Pros:
- 2 great size options
- ADORABLE prints
- Nice slim design
- Monogram initials OR full name
- Soft silicone mouth spout
- BPA-free and lead-free
- Stainless steel material
- Insulated (hot or cold)
Cons:
- Pricey
- Spout can’t be replaced
- Cap can pop open if “lock” is forgotten
- Prone to leaks
- Difficult to clean mouth piece
Overall, I think the Pottery Barn Kids water bottle is a really cute, well-insulated option worth looking into. However, if any of the points previously mentioned are a concern or could be an annoyance to you, then I’d potentially pass and look for other options.
What Are Recommended Alternatives For Kids Water Bottles?
Out of all of the kids water bottles we’ve tried out, we have 2 favorites, depending on the age range.
First, for the younger kids, we tried the Contigo 12oz Spill-Proof Tumbler and it’s sister-style the Contigo 12oz Leighton Tumbler, and LOVED them. They are stainless steel, super easy to clean, have a simple straw vs. a cap, less expensive than PBK and they DON’T LEAK. I let my younger kids sleep with theirs in their crib or toddler bed at night and not a drop spills out. The only downside is the designs are super limited so I’m really hoping they start to come out with cute patterns in the future.
Second, we also really love the Simple Modern water bottles. They’re stainless steel so drinks stay cold, available in many sizes (14oz, 18oz, 22oz and even larger), are very easy to clean, less expensive than PBK and have cute designs! I wouldn’t say they’re always 100% leak-proof but they’re actually pretty close.
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Is the mouthpiece actually removable from the top of the Mackenzie water bottle? That’s my one complaint about it – it looks like it’s designed to be pushed into the lid but then locks in place and never comes out. Whenever I clean the bottle, water gets between the wide flat part of the spout and the underside of the lid, and I worry about mold growing in there since it’s very hard to dry.
The mouthpiece is removable but as I mentioned, it is NOT easy to remove, which is one of my biggest complaints about their water bottles. I agree with you! That’s why I still recommend the specific Contigo and Simple Modern water bottles linked above. I like both for different reasons 🙂