Collapsible Straw Reusable Stainless Steel,Folding Drinking Straws Foldable Final Premium Food-Grade Portable Set with Cleaning Brush Keychain Hole, for Household,Outdoor (pink)

I bought this for my best friend in med school, who stays awake on that schedule by drinking Pepsi (can hardly judge). The problem is that even though she takes great care of her teeth, she keeps getting cavities because of all the sugar in Pepsi.I had suggested straws a while back but she thought it would look silly to pull them out in front of all the residents. So I thought this straw would be a neat option: compact, sleek, and easy to use. But I have to admit, it’s not as cool as I would have liked and I have a feeling she still won’t use it.When I pull it out, it doesn’t come together in a complete snap. You have to kind of check that it’s done right. To the credit of the straw, though, the rubbery material inside wouldn’t let any liquid fall out even if it didn’t all snap together. It just doesn’t appear as sleek as I expected because of that. Maybe some sort of magnets would have helped.The cleaning would be important if it’s to last long, and it does come with a long spring which I assume is for cleaning, but I’m not really sure how well that could clean. So that’s another issue for me.The last problem I have is that putting it away... none of us thought that through. You have to pull it apart and fold the straw to stuff it back in its box. Definitely not as easy as taking it out... so this straw still requires maintenance.The maintenance wouldn’t be an issue if someone just appreciates having a compact straw that’s reusable and doesn’t pollute the environment. But it is a bit of a hassle, for those attracted to this option because of the ease.In my opinion, just a metal straw might be cooler and have slightly less maintenance, although they would require just vertical space. They are a little longer but not too difficult to fit in a white coat pocket. I would also appreciate them more because many of those straws also have a bend and could help really avoid the teeth, since cavity fighting was my goal here.

I have been switching to stainless steel or degradable straws for at least a year with varying success. Quite successful at home and at my office desk but when I go out to eat, I typically forget to bring a straw so I typically drink directly from the cup. So long and short, this straw is making a big difference. I no longer forget the straw and I bring it with me at all times in my pocket. The straw cleaner isn't a standard brush type, rather it works kind of like a squeegee. You stick it in one end and the soft silicone disk just fits and basically squeezes any liquid in the straw out the other end. You can also pull it through, if that is your desire. Pretty happy with. Just curious how long it will last. I am guessing the silicone inner tube will fail first.A tip to make it easier to fold back into the storage case, do the first fold in the middle and then the ends. This also minimized the stretching at the folds. I learned this folding tent poles as I am also a backpacker.

Maybe your experience will be different than mine, but the smell on the silicone is sickening. Anything that touches the silicone absorbs the nasty synthetic fumes. My fingers smell like terrible from handling the straw. I washed it once and there is still remnants of this seemingly dangerous aurora. I don't trust it for that reason.Functionally, the straw is great. It collapses and bend with ease. It's around 9 inches long so it fits most glasses. The top can bend like a bendy-straw. I just don't feel safe with this overbearing chemical smell.

Works great - easily folds and unfolds for use and storage. Compact carrying case is ideal for purse storage. Pretty pricey for just one straw though.