A Local Company Is Making Cleaner Reusable Water Bottles

the company’s new square bottle and its accompanying chambers debut this april. photo provided to bostonmagazine.com.

Reusable water bottles have many positive qualities: They’re durable, stylish, eco-friendly, and cost-effective to boot. The downside? They can be very difficult to clean. That’s why cyclist Scott Cole teamed up with fellow bike-racer Dave Mayer to create Clean Bottle, a new and more hygienic way to hydrate on the go.

The aptly named product, which shares the moniker with its Somerville-based manufacturer, features removable caps at both ends of the bottle to allow for easier cleaning. Cole, the cofounder and general manager of Clean Bottle, says that developing the vessel was like “scratching an itch.” After some brainstorming, it was Cole’s partner, Mayer, who came up with the idea for the removable cap at the bottom of the bottle.

“[Dave and I noticed that] the bottoms of our water bottles would always eventually get kind of sticky and gross, and you’d see that black mold at the bottom of the bottle,” Cole says. “You really just can’t get to it, so you just chuck your bottles and throw out what should be reusable.”

After developing and patenting the removable cap at the bottom of the bottle, Cole and Mayer—who appeared on season three of Shark Tank—launched their first product, a round sports bottle that Cole says is geared toward cyclists. Like the models that have followed it, the sports bottle is dishwasher-safe, BPA-free, and non-toxic. Clean Bottle then released a stainless steel bottle, which features a special fingerprint-proof coating and an easy-to-carry handle in addition to the removable bottom.  The bottle is also distinguished by its square shape, which Cole describes as “iconic.” “It’s nice because if you drop the bottle, it doesn’t roll away like [it would] if it was next your yoga mat and you accidentally kicked it over,” he says.

This April, Clean Bottle will introduce a new version of its square-shaped bottle, which will be made with Tritan plastic instead of stainless steel.  The company is also debuting two “chambers” to accompany the new bottle, which will serve as water filters and flavor infusers, respectively. And don’t worry: Despite their square shape, Cole says the bottles still fit comfortably in most cupholders at the gym or in cars. “We get that question all the time, ” he says with a laugh.

One extra perk: While testing out the bottle, we discovered that the removable bottom makes it much easier to infuse your water with lemons or cucumbers. This way, you get a little extra spa Zen and hydration added to your workday.