Collapsible Silicone Pet Bowl – Bamboo vs. Dexas Popware

Making sure that Chester and Gretel say hydrated while out on our adventures is crucial. We often sweat a lot (ok, I do but they pant a lot) and spent time out in the hot sun. I don’t like to carry a separate water bottle specifically made for dogs. Just use my water bottle and bring a dog dish.

I have used many styles of folding dishes I didn’t like. Clear plastic ones are flimsy and can get holes. Nylon fabric ones don’t dry well. Neither fold up as flat and neat as I would like them to.

I found this really cool silicone bowl a couple of years ago that collapsed down flat – the Bamboo Silicone Travel Cup. These bowls are very functional and cute. I like she soft, slick surface which dries and cleans easily.

I loved the bowl but I needed another one because I would inevitably forget it in the other backpack or in the car. I needed one or two more to stash different places. They weren’t readily available in stores though so I never seemed to do it.

I started hearing about Dexas Popware for Pets. From the pictures, it looked like the same item. It was made from silicone, collapsed, came in virtually the same sizes and colors and pretty much made all the same claims. I assumed that Dexas had bought the design for the Bamboo cup and was now the maker of them. Because I saw them mentioned everywhere (like on According to Gus)  , and it was in the forefront of my mind, I finally ordered a second one.

When it came in the mail I realized that they weren’t the same bowl. I looked again for the Bamboo bowl and it is still available online so they actually are two different products. However, there are many similarities.

Both come in both small and large sizes and in cute, bright colors. Both are BPA-free and dishwasher safe. They both and collapse down to the same dimensions (8 X 6 and ½ inch high) and weigh  4 – 5 ounces. You can expand them only half way to make for a shallower bowl (However, the small bowl doesn’t’ hold much to begin with so you might as well open it all the way up). They both hold about 8 – 9 ounces of food or water.

There are several differences though.

There is a small price difference. The average price for the Popware bowl is about $8 while the average price for the Bamboo bowl is a little over $9.

The Popware bowl has a bigger side tab with a larger hole which allows you to hook a carbiner through it and attach it to your water bottle, belt loop or backpack (the tab on the Bamboo is very small and the hole isn’t big enough). In fact, the Popware bowl COMES with its own carabiner.

The Bamboo bowl has a slightly wider base which makes it feels more stable.

The Popware silicone is a little bit textured so I am curious if moist food might stick to the sides of the bowl a little bit. The beauty of silicone though is that usually nothing sticks to it so I wouldn’t expect there to be much of a difference if any.

I like both bowls and don’t think one is generally better than the other. I like the softer, slicker feel of the Bamboo silicone and the fact that the side tab doesn’t stick out so far (which is especially a plus if you are going to put it in your dog’s backpack). However, I really like that you can use a carabiner to clip the Popware cup to the outside of your pack, which is helpful so the cup doesn’t drip water on the stuff inside your pack if it isn’t completely dry before you put it away. Plus, if you are backpacking it can be a pain to dig in your pack for it. If it is clipped you can just have your hiking partner unclip it for you.

I don’t really think one bowl is better than the other – they are just slightly different. If you want to be able to clip it to your pack, water bottle or belt loop then go with the Popware. If you are primarily going to use this bowl for hotel travel you might want to go with the Bamboo which has a slightly wider base that makes it more stable.

In the end I think my next purchase will be another Popware bowl. Later I might buy another Bamboo bowl 🙂 No matter which you choose, these bowls are great and an indispensible piece of adventure gear for us. We highly recommend getting one.