Both Earthlust and Camelbak make adult stainless steel water bottles, and each offers a great downsized kids' version - Earthlust with a 13-oz. bottle with loop cap that is one of the lightest stainless steel bottles we've found, and Camelbak with a shorty version of its relatively new stainless steel water bottle with its patented "bite valve" (you have to bite it to use the straw). The later only missed inclusion in our Toddler to Pre-K Sippy and Straw Cup Showdown by a few days' time. And yes, in light of recent developments, we are regretting that SIGG bottle's Top Pick status.

Here's Earthlust's offering, which Mamanista pointed out was missing from the ZRecs Guide yesterday. (It's there today, thanks!) Earthlust's 13-oz. bottle is lightweight and narrow enough for a five- or six-year old to handle, and simple enough for the same age child to open and close. They have some really nice designs, all guaranteed to be made with lead-free paint.


Earthlust's stainless steel bottles also come in 20 ounce and one liter sizes.

For their kids' cup, Camelbak has added a flip-to-open tab to their standard bite-valve straw lid. It works pretty well, as this demo shows:


This squat bottle is pretty chunky, although it holds about the same amount of water as the Earthlust (it's cited as holding .4 L, or 13.5 oz.), and its weight and circumference will make Camelbak's entry into the kids' stainless steel bottle market a clunky one for smaller users. But the straw and lid are easy to use and easy to clean, the thick-walled bottle keeps cold drinks cold for hours, and we like how the designs show off the bottle's material as well as dressing it up. We've filed the stainless steel version, as well as the company's Tritan copolyester (BPA-free plastic) offering, under "Straw Cups" in the ZRecs Guide, and would highly recommend either of them to anyone.

We'll be announcing a giveaway of a family pack of another of our favorite stainless steel water bottles tomorrow - up to five water bottles in their adult (750 ml) or smaller (350 ml) sizes, for a single winner. The winner will be drawn from our newsletter's subscriber list, which will go out on September 1 after an unplanned summer hiatus. Stay tuned for all the details tomorrow, and make sure to sign up to receive our monthly email so you'll be eligible to win.