GREENSBORO, N.C. — It’s popular on Instagram and was one of Oprah’s favorite things, but now the Bindle Bottle is being recalled after Consumer Reports found potentially dangerous levels of lead. Here’s more on the danger lurking inside the water bottle—and some good alternatives to keep you safely hydrated.
Bindle is voluntarily recalling its “sip and stash” water bottle, once one of Oprah’s favorite things, after Consumer Reports’ tests found alarmingly high levels of lead in the bottle’s bottom storage compartment, levels that were over a thousand times the amount allowed in many consumer products.
"In the Bindle Bottle’s bottom storage compartment, there’s a spot of lead solder that’s sealing the different parts of the bottle together, so anything you put into the storage compartment can potentially become contaminated with lead," said Lauren Kirchner, Consumer Reports Investigative Reporter.
Exposure to lead can increase cancer risk, cause reproductive harm, and hurt brain and nervous system development.
There’s another hidden danger in these bottles. CR’s tests also found some of them contained bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical linked to fertility problems and certain cancers, even though the company claims the product to be BPA-free.
Because of these reasons, CR is warning consumers to immediately stop using all of Bindle’s water bottles.
Bindle has said, “Production of Bindle Bottles has been suspended and will be overhauled going forward, eliminating the presence of exposed lead anywhere on future products.”
If you have a Bindle Bottle and want to contact the manufacturer, go to Bindle’s recall page and complete the form to receive a free repair kit.
The Bindle Bottle has since been removed from Oprah’s list of favorite things. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go to SaferProducts.gov.