By Sue Rowland
Hot
- The Bivo bottle will outlive any plastic water bottle making the very reasonable price of the bottle a steal.
- The bottles are made of 100% recyclable stainless steel and are lead free
- Both raw stainless steel and silicon coated bottles are available.
- Bottles come in 3 sizes – 17, 21, and 25 ounces
- Both insulated (17 and 21 ounce) and non-insulated (21 and 25 ounce) stainless steel bottles are available
- Bivo’s website is chock full of information about the bottles and their performance, including how the bottles fit into specific water bottle cages.
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Price MSRP:
Raw steel 21-ounce bottle – $44
Silicon coated 21-ounce bottle – $49
Key Features of Bivo 21-ounce Trio Bottle:
- Double-wall, vacuum insulated stainless steel construction (also available as single-wall bottle)
- Keeps beverages cold for over 12 hours
- Great hand grip design
- Delivers a smooth, consistent drinking experience without squeezing the bottle.
- Beverages taste clean without the taste or smell of plastic often associated with plastic bottles
How Obtained: Manufacturer’s Sample
Summary: Amazing water bottle at a great price.
Bivo is a small company with a BIG heart. The founders of the BIVO water bottle company are Carina Hamel & Robby Ringer, who began their journey to develop a great water bottle after finally deciding that they had had enough of the plastic tasting water that is delivered by many plastic water bottles. Not only did they want great tasting water, they also wanted to be sure to create a bottle that was environmentally friendly. They succeeded and produced the Bivo water bottle family.
Details About the Bivo Bottles
Bivo bottles come in three sizes, 17-, 21-, and 25-ounces and are either insulated or non-insulated.
- 17 oz – insulated Bivo Trio
- 21 oz – insulated Bivo Trio; non-insulated Bivo One
- 25 oz – non-insulated Bivo Duo
The bottle I am reviewing is the Bivo Trio insulated 21 oz bottle raw stainless-steel bottle. In addition to the raw stainless-steel bottle, the 21 oz bottle is also available with a silicone, anti-slip exterior that comes in 5 bright colors.
All Bivo insulated stainless-steel bottle have the following features:
- Double-wall construction and vacuum insulated.
- The Bivo bottle is 25% lighter and uses 25% less material than traditional insulated metal bottles.
- Patented high-flow sport nozzle
- LFGB compliant food-grade silicone components
- BPA/BPS/BPF and phthalates free components
- 100% lead free
- 100% recyclable stainless steel
- 21 oz capacity (621 ml) / 270 g dry weight
- 10.23″ height (260 mm) / max dia. 3″ (77 mm)
- Dishwasher safe
- Fits several bike cages. Their website has a detailed discussion of how their bottle fits into several commercially available different bicycle water bottle cages.
Each water bottle is shipped with two thoughtful water bottle accessories.
- First, your Bivo bottle is shipped with a silicon squeegee (Fig 1A) that allows you to clean the inside of the removable straw that is attached to the underside of the lid. It is used much like you would use a pipe cleaner to clean a pipe. The straw allows air to enter the bottle and enables the liquid contents of the bottle to flow freely from the nozzle of the bottle while drinking. Since it is in contact with the contents of your bottle it should be cleaned when you wash your bottle, which is very easy to do.
- Second, Bivo has included a pair of bottle cage bolts that are a lower profile design than most bolts used to secure the cage to your bicycle. Using the lower profile bolts will help to eliminate the chance of the bolts scratching the bottle when inserted into and removed from the cage.
In addition to the two bottle accessories described above, you may also purchase a dirt cap (Fig 1B) to protect the bottle nozzle from dirt, replacement gravity flow bottle lids, replacement Trio sealing rings, and sets of two bottle cage bolts.
Performance Of The Bivo 21 Oz Bottle Raw Stainless-Steel Bottle
I have always used plastic water bottles that require suction to drink the water from the bottle. So, the first time I used the Bivo bottle, I was a bit skeptical about how I would manage to drink from a water bottle that freely delivers the water as a stream while riding.
It took a few sips to get used to the Bivo bottle, but I found the experience of drinking out of the bottle quite satisfying. much like drinking from a glass. Tipping the bottle up at about a 30-degree angle delivered the water at a rate that was not overwhelming. For those who really take big gulps, the bottle can deliver large amounts of water quickly (21 ounces in ~10 seconds when bottle held at 45 degrees). The design of the bottle produces a smooth, consistent drinking experience without squeezing the bottle.
Two of the bottle’s features that I really like are (1) the design of the bottle grip area and (2) that cold beverages stay cold for at least 12 hours.
(1) The 2.5 inch grip area allows users to firmly grip the bottle with two fingers and thumb (Fig 2). The wider bottle grip region allows the user to firmly hold the bottle and is more comfortable than those found on most other bottles. If you purchase a silicon coated bottle, the silicon will provide a bit of anti-slip to the grip area.
(2) I am a cyclist and really appreciate having a cold drink during a ride, especially if it is hot outside. I usually fill the bottle with ice cubes and water when using it. I have found that over a 12-hour period, the ice has melted a bit but there is plenty of ice remaining in the bottle, making it possible to have cold water to drink after refilling the bottle at least 1-2 more times with fresh, cool water. Importantly, the bottle does not become slippery when filled with ice and water because the bottle does not sweat.
Finally, the people at Bivo have really gone the extra mile to help cyclists determine whether the Bivo bottle will fit into their bike water bottle cages, and if it fits, how easy it will be for the cyclist to remove the bottle from their cage. Cyclists of all types will find their analyses of the fit of the Bivo bottle into 13 different bottle cages (snug, medium, or relaxed fit) on their website useful. Whether you are a mountain, gravel, or road rider, the data collected by Bivo will help you to identify the perfect water bottle cage for your ride. Remember, to help ensure that your bottle cage does not damage your Bivo bottle, Bivo includes two low-profile cage bolts with each bottle that you can use to replace your cage bolts to reduce scratching of your bottle.
Sue Rowland is a new contributor to RBR. She works at Bike Fitness Coaching with Rick Schultz and is an advocate for women’s cycling and the importance of having a bicycle that fits the rider. She is passionate about lifelong fitness and enjoys running her daily fitness classes as well as her daily bicycle rides.
Sue is a Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and played a leading role in establishing the Online Biomedical Neuroscience Certificate and MSc Programs at the University of Florida. In addition to her career in Neuroscience, Sue has run over 1025 online Zoom exercise classes integrating core, strength, and aerobics into a fast-paced HIIT format. She is applying her vast experience to developing and delivering the highest quality online bike fitting courses currently available.
My son gave me one. It is so effective in keeping my beverage cold on my 2hr Texas bike rides that I bought my wife one. With a shelf full of various good drinking containers, my Biro is an exceptional standout.
It is a GREAT bottle – love mine. Thanks for commenting!
What do they look like after they bounce out of the water bottle cage into the ditch?
That’s happened to me. I was using the Bivo’s with King titanium cages and the results were not good. On several group rides I had bottles ejected when riding over road imperfections. I got my bottles with the black silicone coating specifically to avoid this problem but it wasn’t enough to ensure the bottles were secure.
I’ve replaced the King cages with Arundel Mandibles and have not ejected a bottle since.
To your question, my bottles have several small dings or dents where they’ve hit the pavement. The bottles still function the same but definitely look a bit beat up. I would never go back to plastic bottles after using the Bivo’s. Cool fluids in Texas heat was a game changer for me.
I bought a pair of stainless vacuum biking bottles, not that brand, but they all work the same, when I use to live in the high desert of California to keep the water cold on all day rides. But I never liked them, they were heavy, rattled in the cages, and eventually get marred and look ugly.
Once I left that area of hell, I went back to insulated plastic bottles, they insulate well enough for me. On long rides I’ll put water into the fridge to cool it down, one bottle goes in the freezer full of water, the other bottle goes into the freezer empty. Just before riding I fill the empty bottle with ice, and pour in the chilled water. While riding I drink from the ice cubed bottle first then when it’s gone go to the frozen one that is now partially thawed. The frozen bottle will keep the water cold for about 4 to 5 hours on sunny 85 degree plus days. If the water starts getting too warm and I know I have a ways to go, I’ll find a mini mart or a fast food place, and fill a bottle with ice and water.
I’ve had a couple for a few years now – not insulated (might not have been an option when I purchased).. I love them – hydrating is sooo much easier, and the water tastes like water.
I love a good metal water bottle for kickin’ around, but no negatives for riding? . . . Hmm. How about the extra weight, and the damage to metal when dropped or ejected from the water bottle holder?? And, with the newer plastic bottles, well, I never notice any “plastic taste”. . . just sayin’… Insulated is good for hot weather riding though.
I’ve had my raw stainless bottles since December 2023 – 10 months now, so I’ve used them in cold and hot seasons here in SE Texas. I count the icecubes I put in my bottles so my drinks stay cold, but finish as mostly liquid. You can’t drink ice. My second bottle on a 45-mile ride is still cold with just 2-3 melted ice cubes left. In the very humid climate here, only the non-insulated cap sweats. The SS bottle itself remains dry, which helps me keep a secure grip when removing and replacing the bottle in the bottle cages. The bottle fits securely in the Canyon brand cages I got with my Canyon bike. There has not been one moment where bottles have moved from their fully docked positions well over 6000 miles of riding. I added my own bottle 1 and bottle 2 labels on them so I know which one to drink from first. The painted Bivo icons have mostly worn off from removing and replacing them in the cages multiple times. The bottle only seems heavy when completely full of liquids. Owners must be careful not to drop it on hard surfaces, especially with the lid off. A dent in the lip of the bottle will likely ruin it. If dropped on pavement during a ride, it will be more hazardous than a dropped plastic bottle if another cyclist hits it. There won’t be any give to the bottle.