Specialized's new Purist WaterGate bottle uses a microns-thin silica coating on the interior walls to produce a truly taste- and odour-free bottle.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The translucent strip on the side makes it easier to see what's inside.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The clever WaterGate top uses a one-way valve so you don't have to open and close it every time you take a drink, plus it's sealable for when you have to toss it in your gear bag.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
The WaterGate valve easily removes for thorough cleaning and drying.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Both sides of the WaterGate valve itself are fully accessible so you can rest assured everything is as clean as it should be.(Image credit: Jonny Irick)
Specialized's new Purist WaterGate bottle takes virtually any complaint we've had on the lowly water carrier and tackles it head-on, resulting in what is hands-down the best bottle currently available.
Leading the charge is the silica coating applied to the interior surface of the bottle using plasma vapour deposition technology – a process more typically used in the microchip industry. Though just microns thick, the flexible coating absolutely squelches any hint of plastic taste in water, even when things get hot.
That coating also makes for effortless cleaning as all that's required is some hot water, a squirt of dish soap and some vigorous shaking as per company recommendations. Specialized even warns against physically scrubbing Purist bottle interiors lest you damage the coating.
Don't believe it's possible? We reproduced Specialized's tomato sauce test with perfect results and even followed that up with chicken curry, seasoned oils, and even some pesto – and each time the bottle emerged remarkably clean with no staining whatsoever. Oddly enough, the only hiccup came with a bit of mandarin orange-flavoured Heed energy drink – that test left the slightest hint of odour but still no discoloration nor aftertaste to plain water.
After two months of near-daily use, our test bottle is still performing as good as new though the 'do not scrub!' warning still leaves us wondering about the coating's long-term durability. In the event it flakes off over time though, concerned users can at least rest assured that the silica bits are as harmless as sand and will leave a standard BPA-free bottle behind.
Making things even better is the new WaterGate valve. A redux of Specialized's old Racer's Edge design (anyone else remember those?), this latest version carries over the one-way valve so you don't have to open and close it every time you reach for a drink and adds the now-requisite locking feature with double o-ring seals that have yet to leak a single drop.
Unlike similar offerings from other manufacturers however, the one-piece WaterGate valve is easily removable with a simple, firm twist so it's fully accessible with a scrub brush for thorough cleaning and open to the elements for faster drying.
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Other features include easy-to-squeeze sides, a clear strip so it's easy to see what's inside – and how much is left – and a fully standard appearance that doesn't look different just for the sake of being so.
Sole complaints include a hefty price tag – Purist bottles cost more than twice as much as Specialized's standard Big Mouth bottles – and the omission of an insulated version for especially hot or cold rides.
Aside from that, though, Specialized's Purist WaterGate is as close to the perfect water bottle as we've come.
Price: US$11 (22oz); US$12 (26oz) Weight: 82g (22oz) Pros: Remarkably taste- and odour-free silica lining; efficient, sealable, and easily removable WaterGate one-way valve; leak-proof screw-on top; no-scrub cleaning Cons: Unproven coating durability, expensive, no insulated option More information: www.specialized.com
Cyclingnews verdict: 4 jerseys
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