How to Use a Hydrogen Water Bottle: Your First iBottle

“Give yourself a few minutes to set it up properly. The first water you run through your iBottle is for flushing, not for drinking.”

Sam, Research Scientist at iBottle

You’ve unpacked your iBottle, found the charging cable and spotted the button on the base. You’re nearly ready. There are a few first-use steps to finish before you make water to drink.

The short answer: fully charge your bottle, remove the internal protective cap, clean and reassemble it, then run and discard three full flushing cycles. Stop after those three; do not immediately run a fourth. For normal use, fill with clean drinking water, hold the button for three seconds to start a five-minute hydrogen cycle and drink when it finishes. Those steps appear in the current iBottle manual and both iBottle+ manuals.

I’ll walk you through it in the order you need it. Keep your model’s manual beside you, particularly when you remove the protective cap.

Editorial illustration for this setup guide. Use the diagrams in your model’s manual to identify the parts.

Check your model before you start

Choose the manual for the bottle you bought. The standard iBottle and iBottle+ 400ml share their external design; the iBottle+ 230ml has a different, compact shape. If you’re unsure which 400ml version you have, check your order details rather than judging by appearance. Our iBottle model and size guide explains the differences.

The three current manuals give the same first-use sequence. Their pictures help you recognise the parts on your particular bottle.

Charge your iBottle

Start with a full charge. Use the supplied USB-C cable and a standard 5V / 1A USB power source, as specified in the manuals. The charging instructions say high-watt chargers are not supported. Check the output printed on your adapter rather than assuming any USB-C charger is suitable.

The indicator is solid red while charging and green when fully charged. You can charge with or without water in the bottle, but you cannot run a hydrogen or self-cleaning cycle while it is charging. Unplug it before moving on to a cycle. These details are on page 2 of your model’s manual.

Keep the charging port dry. If it is wet or damp, do not connect the cable; the iBottle care instructions specifically warn against charging a wet port.

Remove the internal protective cap

This is the small transport cap inside the generator section, not the lid you drink from. It must come out before first use.

1. Unscrew the bottle’s bottom section as shown in the manual.
2. Find the protective cap inside the hydrogen generator unit.
3. Remove and discard the cap completely.

Page 1 has a labelled picture of the cap and where it sits. If you cannot identify it confidently, stop and send us a photo. You do not need to dismantle the generator itself.

Clean and reassemble the bottle

With the bottle sections separated, rinse the glass section with warm water. Use a soft sponge if needed. Follow the cleaning section on page 2 of your manual: do not immerse the hydrogen generator base, and let the outside of the parts dry before reassembly.

Reassemble securely, taking care to line the threads up correctly. Keep the bottom exhaust holes clear. The manual also says not to overfill the bottle or let water flood the lid’s relief vent during operation.

At this point, you have cleaned the bottle and removed its transport cap. There is still one important step before your first drink: flushing.

For ongoing care once setup is finished, our iBottle cleaning guide walks through the glass section, cleaning mode and storage instructions.

Run the first three flushing cycles

The manuals explain that the generator contains bacteriostatic water to keep its internal PEM membrane moist during storage and transport. Their first-use procedure requires three full flushing cycles before you drink from the bottle.

1. Fill with clean drinking water.
2. Hold the power button for three seconds to start a hydrogen cycle.
3. Let the five-minute cycle finish, then discard the water.
4. Refill and repeat until you have completed three full cycles, discarding the water each time.

Do not drink the flushing water. The process above comes from “Step 3: Flush the hydrogen generator” on page 2 of all three manuals.

Stop after the third flushing cycle. The manuals limit operation to three consecutive cycles, so do not start a fourth straightaway to prepare your first drink. They do not specify a waiting period before restarting; ask us for guidance for your model if you are unsure when to resume.

These are hydrogen cycles used for flushing. They are separate from the bottle’s self-cleaning mode. You do not need to guess which button sequence to use: for this step, follow the three-second hold above.

Make your first bottle to drink

Your first drinking cycle comes after the setup routine, with the three-consecutive-cycle limit respected as explained above. When you resume normal use, refill with clean drinking water, assemble securely and hold the button for three seconds. The multicolour light indicates that the hydrogen cycle is active. It runs for five minutes; the manual recommends drinking immediately afterwards.

For future use, the button sequence is the same. You can hold it again to stop a cycle early, and the manuals specify no more than three consecutive cycles. That is a limit, not an instruction to run three cycles every time you want a drink.

When you put the bottle away between uses, remember the care instruction on page 2: leave water inside to keep the PEM element hydrated, while keeping the outside of the base and charging area dry.

Not sure what to refill it with? Our guide to water for your iBottle explains the everyday choices and the different advice for hydrogen testing.

Your first-use questions

Why is there moisture in a new bottle?

The iBottle FAQ explains that the generator’s bacteriostatic water can be released during delivery. Follow the cleaning and three-cycle flushing procedure before drinking. If what you see concerns you, send us a photo before using it.

Do I need to flush it three times before every drink?

No. The manuals place those three flushing cycles in the first-use instructions. Normal operation is covered separately under “Hydrogen Production” on page 2.

Why will it charge but not start a hydrogen cycle?

Check whether the charging cable is still connected. The manuals say hydrogen generation and self-cleaning cannot run while charging. Unplug it, then hold the button for three seconds. If it still will not start, follow the troubleshooting guide or contact us.

Can I use these instructions for another brand?

Use that bottle’s own manual. This guide follows the current iBottle 400ml, iBottle+ 400ml and iBottle+ 230ml manuals linked above. A similar-looking button does not establish that another bottle uses the same controls.

What should I send if I need help?

Send your model, order number and a clear photo or short video of what happens to iBottle support. Tell us which step you reached. That gives us something specific to help you with.