An insulated bottle with a straw is hard to go back from once you’ve had one: cold water all day, and a sip without unscrewing anything. The Kathmandu Straw Lid Insulated Bottle is the big 950 ml version, and at $55 it costs a good deal less than the best-known brands. Ours is the Black Stingray colour.
Featured inBest Camping Water Bottles of 2026
What You’re Getting
A 950 ml (32 oz) double-wall stainless steel bottle with a wide mouth, and a screw-on lid with a fold-down straw and a carry loop. It comes in four colours: Black Stingray, Dark Haze, Mulberry Braided River and Vanilla.
The good
- Fold-down straw: sip with one hand
- Double-wall vacuum insulation
- Stainless steel inside and out
- Wide mouth takes ice cubes
- Carry loop on the lid
- Costs less than the big-name bottles
The not-so-good
- Made for cold drinks, not hot ones
- Hand wash only
- Big to carry: 431 g empty
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Kathmandu |
| Model | Straw Lid Insulated Bottle (B1488) |
| Weight | 431 g |
| Size | 25.1 × 10.7 × 9 cm |
| Colour options | Black StingrayDark HazeMulberry Braided RiverVanilla |
| Capacity | 950 ml (32 oz) |
| Insulation | Double-wall vacuum |
| Material | Food-grade stainless steelBPA-free |
| Lid | Fold-down straw with carry loop |
| Care | Hand wash |
Insulation and build
The bottle has two walls of food-grade stainless steel, inside and out, with a vacuum between them. That’s what keeps a cold drink cold, and it’s also why the outside doesn’t sweat: no wet ring on the table and no damp patch in the bag.
Kathmandu describes it as ideal for cold drinks, and that’s how to use it. A straw lid isn’t suited to hot liquids.
The finish is a matt black coating with the logo down the side, and it gives a comfortable grip in the hand.
The straw lid
A short spout folds down flat into the lid and flips up when you want a drink, so you can sip with one hand. Inside, a long straw reaches to the bottom, which means you drink with the bottle upright.
The lid has a fixed loop on top, big enough for a few fingers or a carabiner. It unscrews in one piece, straw and all.
Size and carrying
At 950 ml this is a big bottle: 25.1 cm tall, 10.7 cm wide and 9 cm deep. Empty, it weighed 431 g on our scale, so filled it comes to nearly 1.4 kg. It’s one for the car, the camp table and the chair more than for a long walk. Next to our 15-litre Coleman cooler it stands nearly as tall as the cooler’s body.
It does fit the mesh side pocket of our Wanderer Premium chair, which is where it lives at camp.
If 950 ml is more than you need, Kathmandu also makes a 710 ml version. It’s slimmer, at 7.6 cm deep against 9 cm, so it’s the better pick for a small cup holder or a backpack side pocket. It’s listed as slightly taller, at 27 cm.
Filling and cleaning
The mouth is wide, so ice cubes go straight in and you can see what you’re pouring. It also makes the inside easy to reach with a brush, which matters because the care instructions say hand wash. The straw pulls out of the lid for rinsing.
Kathmandu or Hydro Flask?
We also have the Hydro Flask 32 oz Wide Mouth with Flex Straw Cap, which is the same size and works the same way.
| Kathmandu | Hydro Flask | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 950 ml | 946 ml |
| Weight | 431 g on our scale | 520 g listed |
| Lid | Fold-down straw, fixed loop | Fold-down straw, flexible handle |
| Cleaning | Hand wash | Dishwasher safe |
| Price paid | $55 | $80 |
The Hydro Flask can go in the dishwasher and takes other Hydro Flask lids. The Kathmandu does the same job at camp for $25 less.
Conclusion: Kathmandu Straw Lid Insulated Bottle (950 ml)
The Kathmandu Straw Lid Insulated Bottle is a big, simple insulated bottle at a fair price. It holds 950 ml, has double-wall vacuum insulation with stainless steel inside and out, a fold-down straw you can use with one hand and a wide mouth for ice. It’s made for cold drinks only, it’s hand wash only, and it’s a big bottle to carry far. I paid $55 for it. For the car, the camp chair and everyday use, it’s a very good buy.
A 950 ml double-wall stainless steel bottle with a fold-down straw lid and a carry loop, for $55.
It’s made for cold drinks, hand wash only, and big to carry. It suits the car, the camp chair and everyday use.
- Car campers
- 4WD tourers
- Everyday carry
Yes. $55 buys a 950 ml insulated steel bottle with a straw lid, which is well under what we paid for our Hydro Flask of the same size. You give up the dishwasher-safe lid.
