Reviews You Can Rely On

Citrus Zinger Sport Review

The Zinger Sports is a bottle designed specifically for those who enjoy citrus infused water, with a straw for one handed drinking
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citrus zinger sport water bottle review
Citrus Zinger
Credit: amazon
Price:  $18 List
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Manufacturer:   Zing Anything
By Jane Jackson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Jun 26, 2017
61
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Ease of Use - 35% 5.0
  • Durability - 20% 6.0
  • Ease of Cleaning - 20% 6.0
  • Weight - 15% 8.0
  • Taste - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Citrus Zinger Sport is a novelty water bottle that allows you to infuse your water with citrus flavors with ease. There is a juicer on the bottom of the bottle, with another screw on lid below that to capture the juice after you squeeze your citrus of choice. After juicing the citrus, fill the bottle and use the straw feature, very similar to the Camelbak eddy, to drink. The bottle is a creative idea, best suited for those that are super excited about citrus-infused water. If you want a bottle that is useful in a variety of situations, the Zinger may not be the bottle for you. Instead, consider the Editors' Choice winner, the Hydro Flask Wide-Mouth for incredible versatility in almost any situation where a water bottle is needed.
REASONS TO BUY
Dishwasher safe
Leakproof
Straw makes one handed drinking easy
REASONS TO AVOID
Many parts means complicated to use and difficult to clean
Retains flavor of lemon

Our Analysis and Test Results

A bottle specifically designed for those who want a fresh lemon in their water, the Zinger fills a niche in the water bottle market.

Performance Comparison



Ease of Use


Having never used a bottle like this before, this bottle was confusing right off the bat. We had never used a bottle that had openings on both the top and the bottom. Luckily, on their website, the folks at Zinger kindly lined out a step by step instruction guide to using this little bottle, which was very helpful. Because of its complicated design, the Zinger was docked on the ease of use metric. But, if you are excited about lemon water, and we became more so as we tested this one out, the Zinger is a novel bottle that works well at the job it was designed to do.

citrus zinger sport water bottle review - a lemon sits on the juicer, the unique feature gives the citrus...
A lemon sits on the juicer, the unique feature gives the Citrus Zinger its name.
Credit: Jane Jackson

To use the bottle, unscrew the bottom of the bottle to access the juicer, then juice the lemon into the bottle and re-attach the bottom of the bottle. Then shake up the liquid and use the straw to drink. The straw does not reach the bottom of the bottle, which makes it hard to get all the water out, without taking the lid off. This is one of the reasons the Zinger scored low in the ease of use category. Though no bottle comes close to filling the niche role that the Zinger does, the CamelBak eddy performs a very similar function with its straw feature. if you are not totally sold on the citrus idea, but still want a straw in your bottle, try the eddy instead. For non-plastic options, check out the Miir bottle, or the Camelbak Vacuum Chute for examples of stainless steel, simplified bottles.

Durability


For a plastic bottle, this contender is surprisingly durable. It appears to be delicate, but withstood the drop tests and showed no signs of wear after being dropped a number of times. The number of parts (five different plastic parts and two rubber gaskets) does provide more places for failure, but during our testing period, the bottle held up. The Zinger, much like the eddy, has a weak point where the straw bends. These plastic bottles with many parts seem to have a shorter lifespan than, say, the Nalgene Wide-Mouth, which can last forever if maintained properly.

citrus zinger sport water bottle review - the drawback to the zinger is the number of parts the bottle has...
The drawback to the Zinger is the number of parts the bottle has. Here, all 5 pieces are laid out to show the complexity of the bottle.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Ease of Cleaning


This bottle is fully dishwasher safe, so if you have access to a dishwasher, it is quite easy to clean. Otherwise, you will have to clean all the parts by hand, which is difficult and time-consuming. The straw and cap are difficult to clean at all and have nooks where gunk could build up. Also, having two screw-on caps provides two threaded areas where gunk can build. On the plus side, the bottom opening is large enough to get a bottle brush into, so the narrow mouth at the top is not as difficult to clean as the Soma Bottle, or other narrow-mouthed bottles. Other dishwasher safe bottles include the LifeFactory Glass Flip Cap, making it equally easy to clean if you have access to a dishwasher!

Weight


This gadgety bottle has the benefit of being constructed out of entirely BPA Free plastic, making it very lightweight. The bottle weighs only .3 oz empty, which makes it one of the lightest bottles in the fleet.

citrus zinger sport water bottle review - the citrus zinger and the camelbak eddy both have straws for...
The Citrus Zinger and the Camelbak Eddy both have straws for one-handed drinking; the Nalgene is the third plastic bottle we tested, shown on the right.
Credit: Jane Jackson

Taste


Initially, the Zinger had no rubbery flavors, even though it has a rubbery straw and bite valve. Once we drank lemon water out of it a few times, a strong citrusy flavor was imparted on the straw and was difficult to remove, even after washing. This isn't a huge problem, considering the purpose of having this bottle is to have citrus infused water and this contender earned a 7 out of 10 for taste. All of the glass models in our testing, including the bkr, Lifefactory, and Soma scored well in the taste metric, as did the Hydro Flask.

Best Application


Since the Zinger is specifically designed to make citrus infused water, the bottle is best used for that purpose. Because of all of the plastic parts, it is best used at home or at work and carried with you on the go; a place where you have access to fresh lemons and a sink to rinse out all the various pieces of the bottle is the easiest starting point.

citrus zinger sport water bottle review - if lemon water is your thing, the zinger is the bottle for you!
If lemon water is your thing, the Zinger is the bottle for you!
Credit: Jane Jackson

Value


The Zinger rings in at $18 online. For a novelty bottle, this is a reasonable price. Because it is plastic and has a complex design, the Zinger may not last as long as a metal bottle, which is simpler and more durable - think Klean Kanteen Vacuum Insulated. But, if your heart is set on lemon-infused water, then this could be the bottle for you.

Conclusion


The Zinger is a novelty bottle designed for a specific use. If you are excited about lemon water and are planning on using the bottle mostly around your home or work environment, then the Zinger is a good option. It is also lightweight and fits in most cup holders, so it works well as a travel bottle, too.

Jane Jackson