Somewhat expensive water bottle but fun, very high quality, and a great conversation starter!
Wondery Parks of the USA water bottle after 6 months of use
I had seen ads for National Park water bottles like this for a while, but the price kept me hesitant–was it expensive because of the novelty, or was it truly high quality? Would the stickers last, or would they fade and peel off? I was so happy when someone gave me the “Parks of the USA Bucket List Water Bottle” from Wondery as a Christmas gift. Now that I’ve owned it for 6 months, I can say confidently that this is a high-quality product! It’s well designed and durable, and I expect it to last for many years. More than that, it’s been a great conversation starter about a favorite topic, and lots of people have asked to study the bottle because it’s so unique.
The Bottle. First, the 32 oz water bottle itself is high quality. The metal is thick and dent resistant, and the finish is uniform and durable. The triangular designs for each of the current National Parks are printed on the bottle, and the print quality is excellent. The lid is solid, and the handle is durable and well attached. The bottle is a straw-type design with a flip-up spout. I lost my straw for a few days, so I can vouch for its ability to be used without the straw, though the air inlet near the spout does make a little noise when drinking by gravity instead of suction. The bottle comes in four colors: black, white, dusty pink, and ocean (blue – the one shown here).
Apply the stickers carefully and they will last a long time
The Stickers. The unique feature of this bottle is the National Park stickers. The idea is to use the bottle as a visual log of your National Park visits by applying the stickers of the parks you’ve been to. The bottle comes with stickers for all 63 of the current parks. The designs are fun, colorful, and representative of each of the parks. A monochrome version of each park is printed onto the side of the bottle, so even without the stickers, you’ve still got a list of all the parks with cool designs. The stickers are designed to be applied directly over this design–they’re slightly larger than the design on the bottle, so it completely covers the design if applied well. The hardest thing is getting each sticker aligned well so it’s at the right angle and centered over the design. This takes some thought and care if you want to keep the bottle’s neat and clean lines, but I was able to immediately remove a couple that didn’t go on quite right and replace them. I also made sure to press out any air bubbles.
Durability. I chose to wait 6 months to write this review for a reason–I wanted to know how well it would stand up to use. Because it’s a nicer bottle, I’ve decided NOT to take it hiking, but I use it almost daily as my standard water bottle at work. It gets slid into a backpack and knocked around with other items, drug around the office, and occasionally knocked into walls or other objects, and so far it hasn’t incurred any dents or scratches. Most impressively, the stickers are still as vibrant and good looking as the day I applied them–I haven’t noticed any scratches or fading. I didn’t apply one of the stickers well resulting in a couple of small gaps along one edge. Even after 6 months, these gaps are the same as they were after 6 days.
Care. The bottle didn’t come with any detailed care instructions like I thought it would (maybe I just missed them). To keep the stickers in optimal shape, I’ve handwashed the bottle body with soap, water, and a sponge–this has worked well for me. I’ve been able to run the lid and straw through the dishwasher with no issues. You’ll also want a safe place to keep your extra stickers because someday you’ll visit more parks and want to add them. At least for now, you can also buy just a set of stickers if you lose yours.
If you’ve wanted one of these bottles but have been hesitating because you’re wondering about the quality or durability of this bottle, wonder no more. Wondery has created a fun and durable product that’s worthy of the price and the National Park name!
Order your Wondery Parks of the USA water bottle here
You can also order just the stickers here
If you order through I Love National Parks, I receive a small commission–thank you!
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