Overall Score
- Ease of Use 65%
- Durability 65%
- Seal 90%
- Maintenance 60%
- Insulation 70%
Key Takeaways
A Cap for Any Activity
The bottle comes with three different caps designed for use across multiple activities.
Superb Temperature Control
It’s insulation makes it a great candidate for all-day activities.
Many Stylish Options
There are a variety of good looking colors and patterns to choose from.
Design Honors
Changeable Tops
No Sweat
Interested in Buying?
Overview
We never thought we’d say something like this about a water bottle, but the Simple Modern Summit exudes a certain boldness given its shape, cap designs and color options. The matte paint job and subtle “sm” logo paired with all black caps makes this a classy looking hydration companion for the office, gym or anywhere else you may go. With a design so appealing, the HydrationReview team awarded this bottle with the Editor’s Choice for Design badge. While there is a lot to like about this bottle in terms of it’s design, our team flagged some concerns related to it’s durability and required maintenance that we encourage you to read about in the following sections of this review.
TLDR: Overall, the Simple Modern Summit is a solid option for someone who cares a lot about their bottle’s looks and wants to use different caps for different drinking situations. You’ll have yourself a bottle that can be used in a variety of environments whether it be the office, gym or your favorite local clothing boutique. Just be ready to hand wash your Summit after your done using it.
Our team is impressed with the looks of this bottle. In a lot of ways we felt it is just as much an accessory as it is a drinking device. Enhance your style with the Summit!
Ease of Use
The bottle itself is easy to hold and we found it comfortable to carry while walking. At 2.9 inches in diameter, users with varying hand sizes should have no problem grabbing the flask. The paint finish comes with a slight texture that makes it easy to grip even if it’s a little wet. The Summit is narrow enough to fit inside the cupholder in a car as well as workout equipment such as a Peloton which some of our team members found to be very convenient. Depending on where you might be using it and what you’re drinking, you can select the cap that best fits your use case. The Summit comes with three of them: a straw cap, chug cap and sipping cap for hot liquids.
The simple modern is a great bottle to use while working out. It has capacity for 22oz of water and is narrow enough to fit inside equipment cupholders like the Peloton bike showed here.
The chug cap is our top recommendation for anyone interested in purchasing the Summit. It’s great for drinking casually, during a workout or even while on a road trip where you only have one free hand. With a 360° rotation, the top piece comes loose and can be pulled away from the opening. The top piece is attached to a hinge that locks in place when fully extended and this prevents the top from falling and hitting you in the nose while you sip. Having all the pieces on a hinge also guarantee that nothing is dropping to the floor which is always a plus! The grip on this cap is our favorite across all three caps that come with the Summit; it’s a wide, smooth loop and two or three fingers can comfortably fit through it. We used this grip to carry the bottle while walking and jogging.
The straw cap is comparable to those other brands: flip open to drink and snap shut to close. We found operating this cap to be pretty easy, but at various times during the review period we were surprised by a shot of water that came out of the straw as we flipped it open. Perhaps this was user error? This unusual experience happened with three of our reviewers, all of who couldn’t explain exactly what they did to cause it. If you’re looking to add some excitement to your life you’ve found your bottle! Just kidding… The straw cap has a sturdy construction and a large, rectangular shaped grip that will easily fit two fingers giving you another way to easily transport it.
The flip lid is probably best suited for hot beverages. You’ll notice it’s similar to those lids that come on thermoses that allow for sipping. Flip it open and you’ll uncover a ~1 inch opening that we felt allowed for the right volume of coffee to come through. One minor complaint with our test bottles was the somewhat significant amount of force needed to open this lid. If you only plan on using your Summit for hot beverages once in a while, you should be fine. For everyday use with hot beverages, you may want to consider a different product.
Durability
The HydrationReview team found the Simple Modern paint job did a better job of resisting minor scratches compared to other stainless steel bottles. During our testing period, we noticed virtually no damage, even after packing the bottle in a backpack with other hard objects. The overall construction and materials on the Summit are high quality. The metal feels strong and all three caps are made of heavy duty plastic that will easily tolerate daily use.
That being said, with one of our test bottles, a single drop onto asphalt resulted in more damage than we expected. The bottom of the bottle held up well with only a minor dent and small paint chip, however, the top of the flask and the cap were noticeably scratched from the bottle falling to its side after the initial impact. The scratches on the cap are less noticeable since the plastic underneath the surface is the same black color. On the flask though, the scratches are more noticeable, especially in bright conditions where the metal underneath reflects light. Look, it’s a water bottle and it’s bound to take on some damage over time. As long as you don’t drop it directly on asphalt like we did you’ll probably keep your Summit looking great.
Seal
No leaks were detected during testing. This was true for all caps when the lids or straws were in the closed position. As with most straw cap bottles, if you leave the straw open and stow the bottle upside down or on its side, there will be some leakage. This is why we deducted some points. If you’re using the chug or snap caps, you can be confident when packing this bottle in your bag.
One of our team members shows how comfortably his hand wraps around this bottle. If a full hand grip isn’t your thing, you can always use the finger grips that are built into the chug and straw tops.
Maintenance
The manufacturer does not recommend putting the flask in the dishwasher and in case you forget, it’s clearly labeled on the bottom side of the bottle. We recommend a thorough cleaning with a bottle scrub brush. The caps are all top-rack dishwasher safe and can be thoroughly cleaned if angled correctly against the dishwasher jets. As for the straw, you’ll need to take extra care and clean it with a straw brush as dishwashing won’t do the trick.
Insulation
The Simple Modern Summit performed well during temperature control testing. During the test, the water inside the bottle warmed up by 10.8°F over the course of 8 hours. In the first 2 hours there was only a 3.9°F increase from the starting temperature which means you’ll have consistently cold water for your workout or errands around the neighborhood.
Interested in Buying?
Go Deeper
Related Reviews
Yomious Water Bottles Review
A lightweight glass bottle great for around the house or office.
Corkcicle Sport Canteen Water Bottle Review
A surprisingly functional bottle with a number of unique features that actually work.
Yeti Rambler Water Bottle Review
A classic water bottle that deserves its reputation as a hard working and functional.
Stay Updated (and Hydrated)