Why Does My Hydration Bladder Have a Strange Taste?Updated 7 months ago
The taste you're experiencing could be due to a couple of factors. The chemical and mineral composition of your tap water, particularly if it's chlorinated, might react with the silicone in the bladder, resulting in a plasticky taste. Alternatively, you might have a particularly refined palate!
It's common for water bladders to have a stronger smell and taste initially, which usually fades over time. Higher-end specialty brands like CamelBak and Platypus use different materials that may impart a more subtle taste, though they tend to be more expensive.
Here are a few tips to help reduce the taste:
Clean with Baking Soda and Lemon Juice/Vinegar: Add baking soda to a lemon juice or vinegar solution and clean your bladder thoroughly.
Use Denture Cleaning Tablets: Some users have found success using denture cleaning tablets to prep their bladders, although results may vary depending on the brand.
Pro tip: To get rid of the plastic taste, fill the bladder with warm water and squeeze an entire lemon into it. Then, place the bladder in the freezer and let it freeze for 3-5 hours. Once frozen, let it thaw out and then rinse. This should remove that dreaded plastic taste!
If these solutions don't work and you’re dedicated to using a hydration bladder, you might consider a higher-end option like the Platypus Big Zip EVO, which is designed to be taste-free. It typically costs between $33 and $49.
For full cleaning instructions, check out our Hydration Bladder Cleaning Guide.