Bottle sippers with or without ball bearings?

[Sita]

I had to go look up what you were talking about, and I assume you were talking about something like the Lixit valves, with the little pin in the middle?

I would get one of those over the ball bearing type, even if they were more expensive because not only does it eliminate the two problems I mentioned, the Lixit brand is what they use for laboratory animals, even the dogs and primates, and they work great! I had forgotten those existed, even though I did work in that type of setting for a few months last year.