GOVO T5 Stainless Steel Bottle Review

When you’re traveling with a water bottle, you have choices to make. Do you want something well-insulated but potentially heavy or something as lightweight as possible? Or are you looking for something so slim or compressible that it virtually disappears when you don’t need it?

The GOVO T5 Stainless Steel Bottle falls into the first category, prioritizing insulation above just about everything else. Is the extra material preventing temperature loss from the neck area of the bottle worth the extra weight or not? We’ve been carrying it to and from work and drinking from it throughout each day for weeks to find out.

The Rundown

The GOVO T5 is made with stainless steel with a copper-plated inner wall. GOVO says it’s aiming to reduce heat transfer, keeping cold drinks frosty and hot drinks toasty. The bottle itself doesn’t seem much different from other stainless steel water bottles we’ve tested, and it looks quite similar to a Hydro Flask, so you hopefully know what you’re getting when you pick it up.

However, you’ll notice that it’s heavier than most Hydro Flasks because of the Surrounding Insulated Lid. It’s made with plastic but also includes double-walled insulation to prevent heat loss from the neck, which is what GOVO says is the weak point in most insulated water bottles, along with metal and magnets.

Those are there for the handle. The aluminum handle is different from most bottles, too. The T-shape is designed to be more ergonomic for holding, and we find that to be true. It’s quite comfortable to carry, yet snaps into place magnetically on the top when you don’t need it. While you can hook it onto a fence or a belt loop to hang it if necessary, there’s also a D-ring that unsnaps from the side of the bottle, allowing you to slide a carabiner if you want to lock it into place on your travel backpack.

Between the extra insulation and the heavy handle, the lid is quite hefty, making up 5.55 ounces of the bottle’s total weight of 18 ounces. Luckily, the bottle has a 24-ounce capacity, so we find it has a decent ratio of weight to capacity, but the lid itself feels heavier than most other options.

There’s no spout or straw attachment from which to drink; you’re simply sipping from the edge of the bottle, whether you’re consuming water, coffee, or another still beverage. The lip is slightly rounded, so it’s not uncomfortable, but it’s nothing fancy, and you can’t switch the lid for something else.

Packability

The GOVO T5 Stainless Steel Bottle fits well into most bottle and cup holders. It’s a standard width, so you don’t have to wedge it in places, which makes it easier to take on the go.

The only thing to consider is the weight, especially if you’re flying a low-cost carrier that restricts you to a lighter bag. We don’t notice it overly much when commuting by car or on foot, though, as it’s not too much heavier than most other insulated water bottles we use. Just be sure to flip the handle down as you walk if the bottle is in a pocket instead of in your hand—it clangs noisily against the metal D-ring as you move if you don’t have them both locked into place. The handle clicks satisfyingly into place thanks to built-in magnets on the lid, like an old-school metal seatbelt, so there’s no reason to leave it flopping around.

Quick Comparison

Probably the best comparison for the GOVO T5 Stainless Steel Bottle is a 21-ounce Hydro Flask Standard-Mouth Water Bottle.

Both the Hydro Flask and the GOVO T5 have similar openings for drinking and are made of double-wall insulated stainless steel. The 21-ounce Hydro Flask weighs 11.3 ounces (320 g), while the 24-ounce GOVO T5 weighs 18 ounces (510 g). That gives the Hydro Flask a weight-to-capacity ratio of 0.53, while the GOVO’s ratio is 0.75. However, the Hydro Flask’s standard cap is made entirely of plastic, without extra insulation. On the other hand, the insulation, aluminum handle, D-ring, and magnets contribute to the GOVO’s extra weight.

We’ve never found the Hydro Flask handle to be too uncomfortable, but we can say that the T-shaped one on the GOVO probably fits larger hands better. And that magnet is so fun (if loud) to fidget with when you get bored. Both bottles seem to perform similarly in terms of insulation, but you can swap out the Hydro Flask cap for another standard-mouth lid if you prefer a different drinking experience. However, GOVO doesn’t offer other lid options for the T5.