Glass Vs Plastic

by: Clayton Diebert
April 2024
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Which one do you choose?

When looking at different options for hydrogen-generating bottles, a common question is “What is the difference between glass and plastic bottles?” For the health-conscious consumer, glass always seems to be the best option. Right?

Well, not quite, there is a lot of information to sift through to fully understand what materials are going to be best for the application and the individual customer.

In this article, we will cover the following topics:

What materials different bottles are made of
What is Tritan®️ plastic and why it’s used in H2-generating bottles
The pros and cons of both Tritan®️ and glass H2 bottles
Assessing your values to find which bottle is right for you

At Vitalyk, we definitely lean towards glass or stainless steel materials for almost everything; however, there are certain products and scenarios that a high grade plastic is beneficial.

Before we can make a decision on what kind of bottle we want to purchase, we first need to be able to make a proper distinction and gain an understanding of what we are looking for in regard to these materials.

What kind of materials different bottles are made of:
All hydrogen producing water bottles come with a generator which will be made up of different materials, such as plastic, metal, and aluminum, with platinum and titanium plates, it’s important to be aware of what materials are in contact with your water.

For the most part if your bottle as PEM and SPE technology you are dealing with Tritan parts within and that which covers the generator and is exposed to your water.

We will focus more on the materials of the body of the water bottle.

Glass Bottles
Borosilicate glass is specifically the glass we are looking for. Most glass bottles we have seen on the market utilize this form of glass. It is different from the normal glass you would find a beer bottle made of; it adds a component to the glass that makes it more resistant to breaking and more heat resistant. This compound is called Boron trioxide. Don’t worry there is no test at the end of this article. Most glass food storage and cookware are all made of borosilicate glass.

The conscious shift away from toxic plastic to glass

With the health movement discovering the leaching effects of plastics in our daily lives disrupting many bodily functions including your hormone systems (endocrine systems), many people are choosing to move away from plastic containers such as food storage, cookware and water bottles and other things that our food touches.

When you are shopping for a hydrogen bottle, if you see the materials labeled as PC, keep on looking. However, if you see Tritan®️ this is one to consider.

Let us explain why.

Tritan®️ bottles:
Tritan®️, while still being a “plastic” is a food-grade alternative that is better than any food grade PC, and BPA free plastic on the market. Extensive third-party testing has gone into Tritan®️.

According to these test Tritan®️ is free of:

Bisphenol compounds like BPA and BPS
Phthalates, halogens and chlorine
Estrogenic and androgenic activity
California Prop 65 carcinogens and chemicals

Now with all the testing done on plastics, when we did our research we found a compelling court case, where Estrogenic compounds were in fact found in Tritan®️ and leeched out over time. We've linked the article below for you to read and form your own opinion.

Tritan’s Role in the Hydrogen Water Industry

All of the hydrogen-generating bottles that produce the highest hydrogen concentration are made of Tritan®️. Since H2 is a gas infused into your water, Tritan® ️ bottles can hold a much higher concentration of H2 due to it’s ability to withstand higher pressure.

If the bottle can not expand and hold the extra pressure, there will be a ceiling as to how much H2 concentration you can have in a bottle which is the case with glass. If you were to up the power and generate more pressure inside a glass bottle, it would likely break. High-grade bottles combine Titan plastic, with metals (sometimes aircraft-grade aluminum) to withstand greater pressure, thus a higher H2 concentration, making it easier to get a high-level therapeutic dose of Hydrogen for the sake of all the health benefits.

Side note, through our research for our HydroV bottle and talking to manufactures as best we could we discovered that some companies that claimed the body of their water bottle was Tritan®️, when we cross referenced with the suppliers they could only report back to us as Food Grade PC, which is not Tritan®️.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Glass Pros

✅ Guaranteed chemical-free experience with your drinking water, (assuming you are using filtered water)
✅ Still get a low-mid range of a therapeutic dose of H2 to get the benefits

Glass cons:

❌ Easier to break than Tritan®️
❌ Lower levels of H2 concentration in your water

Tritan Pros:

✅ Highest Concentration of H2 for Maximum health benefits
✅ Lighter weight and more difficult to break

Tritan Cons:

❌ Despite rigorous 3rd party testing showing no sign of hormonal disruption. There are compounds that are still considered endocrine disruptors and plastic might still not be your preferred choice.
❌ It is the most expensive option. (we don’t often speak on price with health products under $1,000 as we know the effects are priceless) you are paying for the higher concentration of H2.

Use your personal values as your guide:

When trying to decide which bottle you want to buy, consider prioritizing your value systems and beliefs. As an example, currently, as I sit here writing this article, as the Founder of Vitalyk, I have a glass and Tritan®️ bottle on my desk. I chose both. I want to get the boosted H2 levels of the Tritan®️ Bottle while wholeheartedly believing that my body would prefer to drink out of a glass bottle.

If living a chemical-free lifestyle is the top of your values and priorities but you still want to be putting the best water in your body, then maybe glass is for you. If you feel like you are content with the claims made by the manufacturers of Tritan®️ plastic and just want the 40+ health benefits, maximum hydrogen concentration, and you tend to drop and break things, Tritan®️ might be your best bet.

You can also opt to be like me and have both!

We hope this helps you create a more informed and educated purchase, no matter which bottle(s) you end up buying.

Common Questions:
- What is the HydroV bottle made up?
Our bottle is glass and the plastic attached to the generator is Tritan®️

-Does Vitalyk carry a Tritan®️ Option?
We are currently sourcing a high concentration Tritan®️ option to bring to you.

Why don’t you carry sleeves for your bottles?
-We do actually, knowing that sometimes accidents happen, you can purchase a sleeve in black or gray to help protect your glass bottle!

Learn more about what to look for when researching hydrogen water bottles in our blog post “Hydrogen Water Bottle Checklist”