The Elite Jet Green bottle is a simple, eco-friendly design from the Italian manufacturer, but it’s let down by a bite valve that shuts itself while you’re drinking.
I tested the bottle in its 550ml guise, but it’s also available in 750ml and 950ml variants. It’s nice to see nearly-litre-sized bottles being offered, as a lot of brands top out around 750ml. The lid screws on just fine, and I didn’t have any issues with the bottle rattling around or slipping out of the bottle cage.
However, using the Elite Jet bottle was quite frustrating. Every time I went to take a drink, the bite valve would shut itself after a few sips, so I had to change the way I drink to hold the valve open with my teeth while squeezing.
Maybe it’s just a case of trying to break the habit of a lifetime, but I just found this so frustrating. I’d take a sip and the valve would shut, so I’d have to hold it open and squeeze the liquid into my mouth – then the valve would shut, meaning the bottle would remain compressed rather than reforming its cylindrical shape, which affected the way it sat in the bottle cage.
I haven’t had this issue with any Tacx, Specialized Purist, Zefal or Camelbak bottles I’ve used, so for me this would be a bit of a dealbreaker.
It’s a shame because I love the bottle’s eco credentials. It’s made of bioplastic derived from sugar cane rather than a petroleum-based plastic. It’s great to see a cycling brand committing to sustainable materials in an effort to offset the industry’s carbon footprint.
> How to eat right for sportives and long rides
Price-wise, it’s in line with other 500ml bottles from the likes of Tacx, Zefal and other models in Elite’s own range, and less than half the price of Specialized Purist bottles (which are often branded up by premium brands like Rapha or Pas Normal Studios as their own).
It has its good points – it’s available in loads of different sizes, and represents a good step towards more sustainable cycling – but for me, the issues with the bite valve were too irritating to ignore.
Verdict
Sustainably made bottle, but issues with the bite valve mean it can be annoying to use
All the deals displayed on our review pages are pulled from a constantly updating database feed of the best affiliate deals available. The criteria for deciding on what are the best deals is who is offering the lowest, delivered price. In most cases we will be showing the very best deal available online, but sometimes you may be able to find an item cheaper. If you can please feel free to post a link in the comments box below. To find out more about affiliate links on road.cc click here.
road.cc test report
Make and model: Elite Jet Green Bottle 550ml
Size tested: 550ml
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?
Elite says: “The Jet Green is Elite’s sports bottle made from bioplastic derived from sugar cane.
“Available with and without a protective cap for your off-road rides, this bio-based bottle represents just one of the numerous eco-design projects initiated by Elite to make the production processes of its cycling product catalog as sustainable as possible.
“Convenient to use thanks to the soft squeezable grip, the Jet Green ensures a fast and abundant flow of water at all times and is equipped with a tasteless valve to keep the liquid’s taste fresh. A reusable, convenient-to-use, and environmentally friendly bottle, perfect for your biking adventures.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product
From Freewheel, Elite’s UK distributor:
Elite have always sought new and innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of cycling accessories, now the Jet Green brings new materials to the game
Made from a form of Plant-based Bioplastic derived from sugar cane, the Jet Green uses almost zero fossil fuels in its construction and can be fully recycled at the end of its life via standard household recycling
Elite also ensure that all sugar cane used is responsibly sourced from sustainable farming operations
With the all conquering Fly having proven itself beyond all reasonable doubt in the pro peloton, the Jet is an everyday bottle with a true race pedigree
High flow valve, originally used on the Fly, delivers fluid almost twice as fast as the previous Corsa design
Body of the bottle is thicker than the Fly and more robust for daily use but still competitively light and easy to squeeze
Integrated blow-off valve feature greatly reduces the chance of a dropped bottle taking down a rider, making this a safer option for racing, sportives or group rides
BPA-free and Dishwasher safe, although handwashing will help maintain the bottle’s appearance
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
The bottle is well made, and feels very solid and squeezable. The lid screws on well, and the bottle sits nicely in most bottle cages. I had some issues with the nozzle slipping closed while I was drinking, which became annoying after a little while.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
I like the eco credentials of the product; seeing Elite commit to sustainable materials is refreshing.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I didn’t like the nozzle on the bottle. It’s rubber, so feels fine to bite, but I found it would just close itself while I was drinking, which meant I had to hold it open with my teeth – something I don’t usually need to do or think about.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
At £6.99, the Elite Jet Green bottle (in its 550ml guise) is in line with bottles from the likes of Tacx, Zefal and other models in Elite’s own range. It’s quite a bit cheaper than Camelbak and Specialized Purist bottles (which are often branded up by premium brands like Rapha or Pas Normal Studios).
Did you enjoy using the product? No
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? No
Use this box to explain your overall score
It’s average. For me, the issues I had with the bite valve proved too frustrating. Drinking from a bottle is something most cyclists will do without thinking about it, and having to consciously bite a valve open was annoying.
About the tester
Age: 28 Height: 175cm Weight: 67kg
I usually ride: Road (Tarmac SL7) My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, mtb, Occasional Ultra Racing
8 thoughts on “Elite Jet Green Bottle 550ml”
this is interesting…. I
this is interesting…. I think i have bought nearly into double figures of these bottles. On one of them, after a year or so of use, I had a similar problem with the valve. And it is very tedious. But only on one, and only after a lot of use. Seems you may have been unlucky. Or I may have been lucky.
based on my experience of them, and given the eco-credentials and price, I would have been at 4.5 out of 5
Agreed. I’ve got four of the
Agreed. I’ve got four of the Elite Jet Biodegradable bottles – not the exact bottle reviewed here – though same shape, size and mouthpiece.
For me, the valve for drinking from is great, the action to use is the same as other bottles but easier and it doesn’t self-destruct by having the tabs that hold the valve in pace shear off when the valve rotates.
I originally bought one botttle because of the price and biodegradability, but then bought another three after using it. 3 years of rotating them through commuting and they’re still great.
So I don’t have the exact model, we all have different mouths and maybe the manufacture of them has changed but these are now my go-to bottles.
Not to discourage the move
Not to discourage the move away from hydrocarbon plastic in any area, but if these are biodegradable whats the lifespan of them as bottles? I’m still using bottles that are well over a decade old and working fine. Do these last that long? And if they do, how long do they take to degrade? If they last 5 years and take 500 to rot, it feels like thats more waste im creating, at least in the 500 year cycle.
Terence the Tractor wrote:
These bottles are NOT biodegradable! The material is a PE based plastic just like any normal bike bottle but made from a renewable raw material (sugar cane) so better for the planet than regular fossil fuel derived PE matrials. It will like any other bike bottle biodegrade eventually but this is very slow process of fragmenting to micro plastics which are really bad. People need to understand the difference between biodegradable and compostible but right now there are no compostable plastics suitable for bike bottles as compostible plastics start degrading soon after production so have a very short life. I hope in the future we will have compostible bike bottles must wait until some boffin in a chemisty lab works this out. For now when your bike bottle reaches end of life the ONLY responsible disposal method is to send for recyling so at least the plastic can be repurposed and not send for landfill or incineration.
wildoo wrote:
Slight amendment – it will degrade into smaller pieces, but that’s not the same thing as biodegrading.
correct. poor typing!
correct. poor typing!
Fair. I must have skim read
Fair. I must have skim read bioplastic as bidegradable. My mistake!
I think the 3.5 star rating
I think the 2.5 star rating is a bit mean . I own one of these and have no issues using them. I am not a chemical engineer so cannot verify the eco claims but if true , let’s assume they are , then this is worthy of support rather than focusing on perceived minor imperfection with the design ( which i cannot even fathom from my own use of the bottle) One key bonus – is these bottles have no taste nor smell unlike even some susposedly BPA free bottles i have purchased. If this signifies a health benefit then this is a big deal too
Comments are closed.