Love for the non-insulated bottle!

May 1st, 2025 | by Keaton Smith

When we’re at events for Bivo, we often separate insulated bottles and non-insulated bottles on our table.

This categorization helps people make their first decision: do I need cold water or not?

We label and categorize products on our website similarly. The reason? When bottles weren’t labeled clearly enough, people sometimes assumed all our bottles were insulated. Naturally, we worked hard to make things extra clear.

However, I have been thinking a lot about the VALUE of a non-insulated bottle recently. Because defining a set of products by a feature it LACKS for the purpose of clarity sometimes feels like we’re underselling it.

At an event recently, someone walked up and asked: Why the hell would I want non-insulated? I was lucky enough that he was willing to let me share what value a non-insulated bottle brings. Which really is a lot of value for the right person!

So, today, I wanted to share a few of my favorite stories about non-insulated bottles, what value they bring and why people love them!

When we’re at events for Bivo, we often separate insulated bottles and non-insulated bottles on our table.

This categorization helps people make their first decision: do I need cold water or not?

We label and categorize products on our website similarly. The reason? When bottles weren’t labeled clearly enough, people sometimes assumed all our bottles were insulated. Naturally, we worked hard to make things extra clear.

However, I have been thinking a lot about the VALUE of a non-insulated bottle recently. Because defining a set of products by a feature it LACKS for the purpose of clarity sometimes feels like we’re underselling it.

At an event recently, someone walked up and asked: Why the hell would I want non-insulated? I was lucky enough that he was willing to let me share what value a non-insulated bottle brings. Which really is a lot of value for the right person!

So, today, I wanted to share a few of my favorite stories about non-insulated bottles, what value they bring and why people love them!

Lightweight

The first bottle we created was the Bivo One (non-insulated). We started with non-insulated because our focus groups confirmed our assumptions: cyclists care about weight! We wanted to prove that metal cycling bottles don’t have to be heavy. Our non-insulated bottles truly are lightweight, only a tiny bit heavier than comparable plastic bottles.

I was in Monterey, CA for Sea Otter a few weeks ago, and one woman’s reaction stuck with me. She came up to our table, grabbed a non-insulated bottle and actually gasped out loud in surprise when she realized how light it was. Assumptions about metal bottles can be deceiving!

The first bottle we created was the Bivo One (non-insulated). We started with non-insulated because our focus groups confirmed our assumptions: cyclists care about weight! We wanted to prove that metal cycling bottles don’t have to be heavy. Our non-insulated bottles truly are lightweight, only a tiny bit heavier than comparable plastic bottles.

I was in Monterey, CA for Sea Otter a few weeks ago, and one woman’s reaction stuck with me. She came up to our table, grabbed a non-insulated bottle and actually gasped out loud in surprise when she realized how light it was. Assumptions about metal bottles can be deceiving!

High Capacity

Our highest volume bottle is the non-insulated Duo (25oz). High capacity is a no brainer for some riders who are either extra thirsty or on the bike for many hours at a time.

One story I love is from an athlete Duncan Covey who has been riding around the worldfor over a year with two non-insulated Duos on his bike. His bike set up is quite heavy already, so he isn’t necessarily opting for the Duos for their lightweight, but rather for their high volume. He has huge efforts every day, trekking along on his ride around the world, and maximizing the amount of water on his bike is critical. We get updates and pictures from him regularly.

Our highest volume bottle is the non-insulated Duo (25oz). High capacity is a no brainer for some riders who are either extra thirsty or on the bike for many hours at a time.

One story I love is from an athlete Duncan Covey who has been riding around the worldfor over a year with two non-insulated Duos on his bike. His bike set up is quite heavy already, so he isn’t necessarily opting for the Duos for their lightweight, but rather for their high volume. He has huge efforts every day, trekking along on his ride around the world, and maximizing the amount of water on his bike is critical. We get updates and pictures from him regularly.

Compact

I met someone recently who was trying to decide between an insulated 21oz Trio and a non-insulated 21oz One. She was telling me that all of her other water bottles carried 40oz or more and basically always needed two hands to carry it anywhere. She opted for the Bivo One (non-insulated bottle), because she actually loved how small and easy to bring around it would be. She was perfectly happy with its volume and just adored its size!

Helping people decide which bottle is right for them is always so much fun, and considering and weighing all the pros and cons of each bottle model is a key part of that!

If you ever have questions about bottles (insulated OR non-insulated!) reach out to us at thirsty@drinkbivo.com.

If you have a story about your favorite aspect of your non-insulated bottle, let us know in the comments. We always love to hear it :)

Helping people decide which bottle is right for them is always so much fun, and considering and weighing all the pros and cons of each bottle model is a key part of that!

If you ever have questions about bottles (insulated OR non-insulated!) reach out to us at thirsty@drinkbivo.com.

If you have a story about your favorite aspect of your non-insulated bottle, let us know in the comments. We always love to hear it :)

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Love for the non-insulated bottle! Love for the non-insulated bottle!