Vapur. The anti-bottle on test

You would have thought that the water bottle would have been the most developed thing on earth and there'd be no room to improve it... but you'd be wrong.

Advances in materials technology has seen the humble water carrier develop from animal skins to clay pots to glass and now plastic. This thing has become available in all shapes and sizes and almost every configuration imaginable. Of course, drinking adequate water is essential and we now see people from all walks of life carrying water bottles, and they have been accepted as an essential piece of school bag kit. So what happens when MySchool tests out a new and decidedly different re-usable water bottle on our test families for the arduous task of making it through a month in the schoolbag.

We gave out 10 of the new Vapur water pouches to five families and asked them to put this product through the normal school routine and report back.

Lynette, a teacher with a 7 year old daughter and son in preschool tried out three of the bottles for a month.

She says, "The kids really loved the Vapur bottles. They were immediately drawn to the bright colours and the clip and they made sure they took them everywhere they went. My daughter takes hers to school every day and is the envy of all of her friends and a few of her teachers too. It fits so well in her lunch box and can clip on to the side of her school bag for easy access. With her name written right on the bottle I don't worry about it getting lost.

My son drinks from his all the time and loves to walk around with it clipped onto the belt loops of his pants. I take mine to work every day and when out and about on the bike. I love that the water has no nasty taste to it like you get with some water bottles and the convenience of being able to roll it up and throw it in my handbag when it's empty is great. They look as good as they did the day we opened the packet despite daily use and regular washing."

Keryn, a personal trainer with a two year old, 5 year old and an eight year old reports,

"The anti-bottles are great! I can clip it onto the handle of the stroller when I go walking. My clients have all been asking where they can get one. We buy a lot less bottled water now because these are so convenient to take everywhere we go and take up next to no space in the nappy bag when empty. In Summer it will be great to freeze water to take with me to long training sessions on hot days."

Belinda and her two sons sons put the Vapur anti-bottles through their paces and reported,

"The kids have definitely been drinking more water which makes me happy. I was surprised by how robust the pouches are and the kids found them easy to use with a familiar pop-top. They love that they look so different and colourful and their friends notice them. The novelty factor hasn't worn off over the month we've had them. They still think they are very cool! They are really easy to clean too."

Kylie, a primary school teacher with two daughters reviewed the anti-bottle. She commented,

"I absolutely love it! I always have it with me in the classroom. It's so convenient to be able to put it in the dishwasher and unlike the other bottles I've had which seem to breed and take over the kitchen cupboards, this one takes up no space at all. I'll be buying more and getting rid of all my bulky bottles."

Judith and her teenage son tried out the bottles.

Judith was impressed with the Vapur bottles' manufacturing process which ensures that the bottle is free from bisphenol A (BPA) which scientists have linked to a higher incidence of several health problems in children and adults including heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer. Her son was happy to slip it in his back pocket when empty so it didn't get left behind and lost like so many others.

Overall, MySchool was very impressed with the Vapur water pouches and found them to be a step forward in bottle design, particularly for the schoolbag. Their durability coupled with their ability to fold up when empty turned out to be a bonus for the packed schoolbag heading home. MySchool gives the Vapur bottle five stars for almost reinventing the wheel and producing a whole new way of staying hydrated wherever you go.