The Purist water bottle, from Specialized.

Strange as it sounds, I’ve always viewed Specialized as an innovator in water bottles. Probably because of the Heart Valve bottles I bought (and promptly lost) back in the mid-90s. Given that water bottles — particularly skanky, smelly ones — are the bane of my existence, and having heard of Specialized’s claims about the Purist bottle, I opted to give one a shot.

For those that haven’t yet seen the literature, Specialized claims to have solved the problem of flavor-retaining water bottles, whether that flavor is mildew, old energy drink, beer, or whatever. This is achieved by using a microns-thin layer of silica applied to the inside of the bottle.

I bought one at the bike shop on Monday, and in the interest of testing, left it sitting in the car for a week after drinking Mountain Dew out of it. The weather was typical Minnesota April — alternating between mid-70s on Tuesday, to snow on Saturday. I took it out of the car on Monday morning when I got to the gym, an act of faith that turned out to be well-rewarded. A quick rinse, and a fill-up, and there was absolutely no hint of Mountain Dew left in it. I was only a little suprised, but also very pleased by the results. Will be buying more of these.

Pros: works as advertised; provided you don’t lose it, it’ll be the last bottle you ever buy.

Cons: cost.

Verdict: if you perpetually have skanky water bottle issues, this is for you.