aqua pure traveller water bottle filter reviews

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Reviews 3.9.

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We picked up 2 devices to clean our…

We picked up 2 devices to clean our fruit and both devices stated it has stainless steel, but it still rusted overtime we reach out for support for free replacement. But they denied it as they said we caused it. Stay away from this shady company. Reach out to me for rust photos

Date of experience : July 09, 2024

Reply from Aquapure

We truly appreciate your feedback and are very sorry to hear about the issues you've experienced with your AquaPure devices. We understand how frustrating it must be to deal with rust and the support process. To clarify, we did not say that you caused the rust, and we did not deny your replacement request for that reason. The request wasn't granted because your AquaPure device is already out of warranty. We did offer an alternative option, but we understand that you are not satisfied with the resolution we provided. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Terrible customer service and super poor quality product

I bought 2 aquapures + a veggie washer (for $29.99 which was 40% off!!!!). As soon as I took the veggie washer out of the parcel, I saw it is a cheap, crap quality plastic product with terrible finishing. Looks like a $1 Chinese piece of junk. Without taking it out if it's plastic I immediately sent an email (29 April 2023, so over a months ago!!) to say I want to return this product. No reaction. Meanwhile I keep receiving promotional emails about the Aquapure products. I sent another email a few weeks later but yet again no reply. Super poor service and super poor product!!!

Date of experience : June 02, 2023

We apologize if the Veggie Washer did not meet your expectations. If you are not happy with it, we will accept your return request and process a refund. Regarding your previous emails, please be advised that we did not receive them, it seems that they went to the spam folder. To resolve this issue as soon as possible, please respond to our email. Thank you!

Not trustworthy

I was researching this item after a video appeared on pinterest. I went to the website and they claim to have 1200 5 star reviews. That is highly unlikely. Then I do more research and come here to see amazing reviews-- ALL in the same time period. How does this happen? All buyers decided to review at once? Not one bad experience? Trustpilot is supposed to be reliable. Well seems no trust here for shill reviews.

Date of experience : September 22, 2022

Dear BocaFL, I would like to start out by saying that none of our reviews have been tampered with in any way, and all of our reviews, across multiple channels, are solely written by our amazing customers. AquaPure is a young start-up company, and we did not activate our Trustpilot account until earlier this year. In the middle of May, to be exact. If you scroll through our reviews, you can see that they are spread out from our launch date, up until now. The 1200 reviews we have referenced on our website are not based solely on Trustpilot reviews. We have multiple channels where we receive reviews from customers, which can be surveys, emails, testing facilities, and so on. Thank you for informing us about your confusion. Our intention was never to mislead anyone into believing that we have 1200 reviews on Trustpilot alone, and we will consider your inquiry accordingly. We do understand that purchasing items online in 2022 can be risky. That is why all AquaPures come with a 90-day risk-free guarantee, which means that if you are not satisfied in any way with your device, we will reimburse the full amount of your order. No hassles or hoops to jump through. Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any other questions. We are here to help! Kind regards, The AquaPure Team

I bought my Aquapure almost a year ago…

I bought my Aquapure almost a year ago and I use it a lot, very happy because it works really well, it is amazing all the debris that comes out from produce. Unfortunately it stoped working properly a few weeks ago. I contacted them and I received an outstanding customer service from Tiffany. Now she is sending me a new device which I’m very happy about it. Thank you Aquapure Team!

Date of experience : February 06, 2024

Thank you so much for your positive review, Karla! We're thrilled to hear that you have been enjoying your Aquapure device and that it has been working well for you. We take pride in providing high-quality products that effectively remove debris from produce. We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with your device recently. However, we are glad to hear that Tiffany provided you with outstanding customer service and that she is sending you a new device. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that our customers are satisfied with their purchases, and we appreciate your patience and understanding :) 

Amazing customer service and product !

Since I ordered , not for fruits or vegetables ! But for my pond . My geese , ducks , and koi fish are comfortable with the water AND the 99% bacteria , pesticide rodenticide , herbicide , fungicide , fertilizer , insecticide , mold , parasite remover ! I do not regret paying 79.99$ !! I hope to come back in 12 months :) YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY BUY SOME !

Date of experience : January 08, 2023

Awesome! We are really glad to hear that from you, Aa Al-Mutairi. We would appreciate it if you could also recommend our product to your friends and relatives :)

Bought my first aquapure and loved it

Bought my first aquapure and loved it, but had an issue with the top coming off to clean. Bought a second for my vacation home and it is working perfectly. I contacted customer service and they sent a new one to replace the defective one. Great customer service! Hard to find these days. The fruit actually does taste better after using the aquapure. I will probably buy one for my dauthers in law for Thanksgiving and Christmas as hostess gifts.

Date of experience : August 27, 2023

Thank you for your 5-star review, Stephanie! We're thrilled to hear that you loved your first AquaPure and that it improved the taste of your fruit. We apologize for the issue you experienced with the top coming off for cleaning, but we're glad that our customer service team was able to assist you and send a replacement. We appreciate your kind words about our customer service :) We're delighted to know that you're considering purchasing AquaPure as hostess gifts for your daughters-in-law for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They're sure to love it too!

Our Aquapure arrived about mid-August…

Our Aquapure arrived about mid-August and we've been using it ever since to mainly clean blueberries and strawberries we buy weekly. We use to simply soak the fruit in water with half a teaspoon of sodium bicarb which was ok but now with the Aquapure device placed in the water the fruit come out much cleaner. I noticed after we cleaned white grapes after they dried they has a sheen on their skin something I've not noticed before.

Date of experience : August 20, 2022

Hi Victor! Thank you so much for supporting our company, AquaPure! We appreciate your feedback and it helps our team to continue striving for greatness! :)

This product was fantastic

This product was fantastic. I've never seen such clean fruit and veg. The skins were shiny like I've never seen before and I could really taste an enhanced clean taste. No clouding of grapes or anything. It's a wee wonder and I'd Def encourage anyone to purchase one as it gets rid of those poisonous environmental pesticides.

Date of experience : October 22, 2022

Hi Adele! Thank you for your feedback! We're so happy to hear that our product has been useful to you and that it's helped you purify your produce. Also, thanks for your recommendation! :)

Amazing product, killer customer service!

Fantastic product, works just as expected. The customer service I recieved when my first package was lost was nothing short of OUTSTANDING! Tracked it down and sent me a new one expedited, no charge.. I'm getting a bunch of these as gifts, the water after washing my mushrooms was legit disgusting... Grab one!

Date of experience : July 22, 2022

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, Brandy! We are delighted that you had a great experience with AquaPure; the entire team will be delighted to read your 5-star review. :)

Great customer service

Great customer service! Its true that the company stands by their word and commitment as other reviews have stated. I ordered 2 Aquapures as a xmas gift but DHL took extremely long to get it to me even though the product was sent out on time. I emailed Customer Service and Tiffany was super professional and understanding and had a new delivery sent out right away which had a minor delay on the DHL side but finally got the product and it works great! already saw the difference from one use.

Date of experience : March 03, 2023

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with the company's customer service, Manpreet! It's great to hear that your order was ultimately delivered and is working well :)

Happy Customer!

First, I love my Aquapure! I definitely notice a difference when I clean my produce with my Aquapure and it is so easy to use! I recently misplaced my charger and reached out to the company to buy a replacement. Within minutes, the customer service rep, Tiffany, contacted me and resolved my problem! She was so courteous and helpful. It’s wonderful to deal with a company that not only offers an awesome product but cares about their customers!

Date of experience : April 23, 2023

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with AquaPure, Diane! We're thrilled to hear that you love your AquaPure and notice a significant difference when using it to clean your produce. It's great to know that our customer service team was able to promptly and courteously resolve your issue with the charger. At AquaPure, we strive to provide exceptional products and customer service, and we're grateful for your patronage and support :)

Wish to say better

Wish to say better. But they are honestly trash. They are thieves. They only delivered the cutting board. Not the other products. Then don't respond. I will be filling a case against them. Horrible customer service. Horrible business model.

Date of experience : December 22, 2022

Hi! I am deeply sorry to hear about your issue with our store. Our customer support team may have already been in contact, however I apologize if there was a delay due to the high number of inquiries we currently receive this time of year. I can confidently assure you that your concern will be addressed promptly.

Necessity in my kitchen!

I normally use ACV and water to clean my veggies but ACV is getting expensive and this eco friendly product lasts many years, plus with no vinegar smell or taste residue left behind. I love watching it do its job, it’s so satisfying to see all of the gunk it removes. Definitely a necessity in my kitchen!

Date of experience : June 06, 2022

Hello Abby! Trust us, you’ve made our day immensely better by sharing your AquaPure experience! 💙💗💛

Aquapure the Healthy Clean and Yum to Fruits and Veggies!

I loved how easy it was to use. My blueberries were firmer and my husband said his strawberries tasted better. I also ran into a problem with my first one. I contacted customer service. We tried to resolve it by adjusting screws etc. It didn't work. Aqua pure via Natalie sent me a new one. It has been great! So I bought another for my son and daughter-in-law. You'll even see a difference in the skin of fruits and veggies! Nancy P Monkton, MD

Date of experience : July 25, 2023

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with our product, Nancy! It's wonderful to hear that you found it easy to use and that it made a noticeable difference in the firmness of your blueberries and the taste of your husband's strawberries. It's also great to know that our customer service team was responsive and helpful in resolving the issue with your AquaPure device :)

True customer service

True customer service! This company stands by their word and commitment. After the Christmas rush my Aquapure did not arrive. However, Aquapure checked in on me through Customer Service Rep, Tiffany. After explaining to Her that my package didn’t arrive - she sent me a replacement and I just received it today! Can’t wait to check out my new device and start reaping the healthy benefits of my Aquapure!

Date of experience : January 24, 2023

Thank you so much for your kind words, we really appreciate it CJ! Rest assured you gonna love our AquaPure device :) 

Great product!! ( It’s better to prevent than to undo~ Dejardinhealthandbeauty)

Very happy with my purchase As a Alternative health practitioner it’s super important to me that my food is clean Aquapure has made it easy and knowing that my fruit and veggies are clean gives me peace of mind emotionally that’s a plus Great customer service and fast shipping 😊👍🏻

Date of experience : September 08, 2022

Hi Kawaiimagali Blanca! We are extremely grateful that you took the time to send us your feedback about our product, the AquaPure! :) It makes our day to hear that we were able to provide you 5-star service. We’ll make sure the entire team will receive your feedback – they’ll be thrilled to hear your kind words. :)

Awesome customer service !

My first purchase was good, it’s working well but somehow it was impossible for me to remove the lid and clean it. So I turned to customer service and they offered to send a replacement. The replacement works perfectly, lid is easy to remove now I can clean it thoroughly after each use !

Date of experience : May 18, 2023

We are glad to hear that your first purchase was good overall and that the replacement resolved the issue with the lid. Enjoy the ease of cleaning and happy using, Leslie! :)

Good customer service

To be perfectly clear I’m not entirely sure whether the Aquapure is nonsense or not, but I certainly figure it can’t hurt. This did arrive relatively quickly (having shipped from China) and appears to work well and the customer service has been excellent and very responsive all along, which goes a long way. Does the product work? It turns on and makes things bubbly. Does it remove all impurities? I have no way to measure it. At the very least it was a pleasure doing business with them.

Date of experience : June 01, 2022

Hi Kristina, we appreciate you sharing your honest thoughts. :) Actually, the small bubbles you see are a result of Electrolysis that generates two useful compounds, Cl2 and NaOCl. These are oxidizing agents that eliminate bacteria and decompose the pesticides by breaking down the molecular bonds. Feel free to check our Science Articles Section: https://aquapure.co/blogs/news/science

Double Aqua-pure purchase

I bought 2 Aquapure one for me, and one for my daughter-in-law and we both inadvertently threw away the charger as we didn't see it hidden at the bottom of the packaging. I managed to retrieve mine from the packaging in the garbage, but my daughter-in-law was not so lucky and lost hers. Customer service at aqua pure responded quickly, and acted immediately and sent out a replacement cord. I wish more companies/manufacturers were as Professional, quick and adept as they are. thank you again, and it was a pleasure doing business with you. 😁😉 Sarah

Date of experience : June 28, 2023

Thank you for sharing your experience, Sarah! It's great to hear that our customer service was quick and efficient in resolving the charger issue. We hope you and your daughter-in-law continue to enjoy your AquaPure devices. Have a great time! 😁😉

I have been checking my shipment order…

I have been checking my shipment order everyday, it has now been updated to be have delivered 10th Jan but I didn’t receive any parcel. I was at home that day.

Date of experience : January 09, 2023

We really apologize if you still haven't your order. We are unable to find your purchase records so kindly send us an email at [email protected] so we can resolve this as soon as possible. Thank you! 

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Pure Hydration – Aquapure Traveller water purifier

There aren't many places scarier in the world than a public toilet in a small Bolivian village at the dead of night. With no light, no water and a smell which turns a Gringo's stomach (even more than it already is) at 20 paces, only flies, rats and tourists who have drunk dirty water dare to enter.

So I did everything I could to avoid having to enter any public convenience when travelling South America a couple of years ago, and that included drinking everything that wasn't beer from a filtration bottle (I had a Katadyn at the time). I now appreciate a good filter when I see one.

The Aquapure Traveller is made by UK based Pure Hydration, and holds approx 680 ml (24oz) of water in a flexible plastic bottle, like a bicycle water bottle. The filter is fitted directly to the drinking spout and is about the size of a 35mm camera film canister (remember those?).  The bottle and filter weigh 125g, which is not an awful lot, and considerably lighter than my old Katadyn.

The filter itself works in three ways: firstly a physical filter sifts out any debris in the water; secondly an antimicrobial M.A.D (Mechanically advanced disinfection) filter takes out any nasty bugs, bacteria and viruses; and finally an active carbon filter gets rid of chemicals, metals and the remaining nasties.

The result is that you can pour in your average stream water (being extraordinarily careful not to get the drinking spout wet or near the water) and then immediately drink it, knowing that your backside will not do a Vesuvius impression shortly thereafter.

The Aquapure Traveller will act as a water filter for over 350L of water, which is just over 500 bottles full. The instructions go on to say that the filter will protect you up to 5000L of water, so long as it doesn't get blocked up with particulates over time... so lifespan depends on what you put into it. Either way, if you're travelling to an area where the water is dodgy and would usually purchase bottled water, the Aquapure Traveller could save potentially dozens of used water bottles going to landfill. Which is nice.

It's a bit of a weird shape, which takes some getting used to. I don't think this serves a practical purpose, except for the two ribs near the top, which help with grip. Otherwise, it fits in a cycle bottle carrier or backpack side-pocket.

The drinking spout itself on my Traveller was a bit of a let-down. It's a 'click up - click down' type nozzle, but it doesn't 'click-up' and can be frustrating in use because you invariably get either a trickle or a flood when expecting the other. Also, I'd really like to see some kind of dirt-protector for the nozzle itself - a silicone cover or something to avoid contamination by the water source, dirt or dust. They're the only areas for improvement though.

Price wise it sits at £35 (£25 for new filter) which is in the right ballpark for a portable filter. It's somewhat cheaper than a pump system, and has the advantage of removing particulates, which UV sterilisation systems don't.

SUMMARY : The Aquapure Traveller is a neat little water bottle filtration system which is exactly the sort of thing I'd take travelling. It's a no-brainer to use and doesn't require any special treatment or cleaning. The price is OK, the quality is OK and the information supplied is good. I'd just like to see an improvement to the drinking nozzle, and maybe a protector for the same.  Otherwise, a darn useful piece of kit.

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The Best Travel Water Filters & Purifiers for Every Budget – Tested & Ranked

By Author Steph Dyson

Posted on Last updated: 6th October 2023

If you’re preparing for an international trip abroad, then a travel water filter or purifier bottle should be at the top of your list of essential packing items. 

Not only will you want to avoid getting ill from polluted water sources, but you’re probably also concerned about your environmental impact. A carefully selected water filter can help to solve both of these problems.

But what should you be looking for in a portable water filter and which are the best options on the market? 

I’ve personally trialed multiple portable water filtration and purification systems over the past five years of travel in South America and other parts of the world.

As a result, I’ve been able to identify which are the best for international travel and therefore make an excellent investment for your next trip abroad. 

Click to navigate this article:

Why do you need a travel water filter or purifier? 

Who doesn’t have a story of getting violently ill traveling abroad?

More often than not, it’s the result of untreated water, particularly as waterborne microorganisms are a real problem in developing countries, where poor sanitation can lead to untreated sewage entering drinking water supplies. 

Diseases such as diarrhea , cholera, dysentery, and typhoid can be transmitted through contaminated water and thus make you very, very sick. 

Diarrhea is the most common illness associated with drinking unpurified water. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: bring a portable water purifier with you on your travels, which quickly and easily filters out dirty water, leaving it safe for you to drink. 

Planning Your Trip to South America?

Save time, stress & money with a customized travel itinerary planned for you by a South America expert

What previous clients have said:

“Steph’s itinerary exceeded all expectations. She provided off-the-beaten-path hikes, great restaurants and accommodations, and very helpful local contacts. Due to the weather we had to deviate from our original plan, however Steph quickly responded to our email during the trip with further recommendations. Her service took all the guesswork out of planning our vacation and led to the most fun and unforgettable trip we have ever had!”

The problem with single-use plastic water bottles

What’s more, relying on bottled water – which is always safe to drink – presents its own problems. Reuters produced graphics to illustrate the scale of the problem , showing how every minute, one million single-use plastic bottles are purchased around the world.

This works out to 1.3 billion bottles per day or 481.6 billion bottles per year.  

Many single-use plastic bottles are widely recyclable. Unfortunately, most aren’t, and instead end up in landfill where they will take at least 450 years to degrade . Yes, seriously. 

Imagine you’re on a one-week international trip and you drink the recommended two liters per day. Each day, you purchase two single-use plastic bottles containing one liter of water; by the end of the week, you’ll have used 14 single-use plastic bottles.

But what if you’re on a two-week trip? Or a month? Or a year? Your environmental impact starts to build up – and so does the cost. 

Why travel water purifiers are a sensible economic choice

If you can expect to spend around $2 USD per day on bottled water, many of the purifiers listed in this guide will see you break even after just a two-week trip or one week if you’re traveling in a pair.

What’s more, your water purifier can be used on every trip you take in the future, making them an environmentally- and budget-conscious piece of travel equipment.

What is the difference between water purifiers and water filters?

Both “purifier” and “filter” are thrown around a lot, but did you know they actually have a crucial difference? 

Water filters – such as those like Brita filters you might find in your home – can remove impurities such as small particles and unpleasant odors such as chlorine (which is often used to kill micro-organisms in the water to ensure that it’s safe to drink in the first place). 

This type of system removes waterborne protozoa (parasites such as Giardia and cryptosporidium oocysts ) and bacteria (single-celled organisms such as E. Coli and salmonella). 

However, water filters are unable to remove some of the most dangerous impurities in the water: viruses.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viruses such as rotavirus and norovirus are the smallest of all waterborne disease-causing microorganisms and can pass through filters with pore sizes of between 0.1 and 0.4.

Therefore, if a purifier has a membrane larger than this, viruses are not caught by the filter and instead pass right through with the water itself.

Water purification , on the other hand, removes all three of these classes of microbes and therefore provides complete protection to the drinker – thus stopping you from getting ill. 

Which type of travel water purifier do you need? 

It can feel like a herculean task when faced with the variety of travel water purifiers on the market to identify which is best for you and the type of international travel that you do. 

Add into the mix the range of prices, sizes, and exactly what they safely remove from the water, and you can be left feeling completely perplexed. 

To make things simple, water purification systems can be broken down into the following types of products:

Which water purifiers for international travel exist on the market?

There’s a wide range of different options available at different price points and for different styles of travel. 

I have personally trialed all of the water purifiers listed – except for two as indicated – and vouch for their effectiveness based upon this. 

UV water purifiers: Steripen Adventurer

Trialed by me: yes

The only portable UV water purifier on this list, the Steripen Adventurer kills all bacteria, viruses, and parasites found in water and does so almost in the blink of an eye. Seriously. 

It looks a bit like a pen that you dip into a bottle full of untreated water. At the click of a button, you begin to “stir” the water using the Steripen and in just 90 seconds, you’ve purified a liter of water.

A light on the body of the device lets you know exactly when to stop stirring and whether the water has been successfully purified or not. 

To use the Steripen Adventurer, you need to buy your own wide-mouthed water bottle to use with the purifier (I’ve found the Nalgene water bottle to be an ideal size for this), meaning you can ensure that you have enough water for a day’s hike or drive if you fill up a couple of water bottles. 

It’s also handy if you’re sightseeing around a city and don’t want to purify loads of water in one go; just purify a small amount, ask for your bottle to be filled up from the tap in a restaurant, and purify the water you need. 

It’s also the lightest portable water purification system on this list, weighing in at only 70g – although you will need to have your own water bottle at hand. 

Some reviewers have claimed issues with the battery and that it has failed at crucial moments; I have not personally faced any such issues during my four years of ownership. 

Things to consider about the Steripen Adventurer

The main negative about the Steripen Adventurer is the fact that the batteries it requires are really, really weird (like seriously, I’ve never seen them before) and saw me buying a large box of them from Amazon (and of which I’ve used about four because the batteries do seem to last forever). 

Secondly, it is a delicate piece of kit with the UV light easy enough to break if you don’t take care of it – although this isn’t an issue that I have faced.

Thirdly, you cannot use the Steripen for murky water as suspended soil particles in the water can shield microorganisms from the UV light, thus preventing them from being killed in the process. 

Therefore, if you plan on backpacking a lot on your trip or taking water from backcountry water sources that could have been contaminated by humans, this isn’t a great option for you. 

Finally, it’s also one of the most expensive of the water purification systems available (coming in a tiny bit cheaper than the Grayl). However, in my experience, you get what you pay for. 

Check out my full review here: Why the Steripen Adventurer is the best backpacking water purifier .

I’ve personally used the Steripen Adventurer for close to five years and find it the most convenient and easy-to-use travel water filter for travel on the market.

90 seconds is all you need to purify a one-liter bottle of water and remove protozoa, bacteria, and viruses, leaving water that is perfectly safe for you to drink immediately. 

It’s ideal for using with contaminated tap water in developing countries but not a great choice for backcountry hiking because it can’t filter out sediment.

Independent tests have also shown that the quality of the water that is filtered is not as good as the Grayl Geopress. 

Buy the Steripen Adventurer Opti on Amazon or buy the newer Steripen Ultra UV on REI

Bottle water purifiers: LifeStraw Go

Trialed by me: no

The LifeStraw Go is often touted by backpackers as the best water filter for traveling abroad because of its ease of use and accessible cost.

This is a bottle water purifier, which means that you fill the bottle up, re-insert the straw filter, and then suck through it. The water is purified as it travels up and into your mouth. 

The process is therefore instantaneous, requiring no time, planning, or effort on your part. 

Inside the filter cartridge itself, activated carbon removes unpleasant chlorine or other odors from the water.

It also comes with a carabiner clip so that you can easily attach it to your bag while out sightseeing in a city or to your rucksack when you’re on the trail. 

Things to consider about the LifeStraw Go

However, there’s a big but for any travelers. 

The LifeStraw Go doesn’t remove viruses from the water. While the company doesn’t actually claim it will, I honestly didn’t know this vital piece of information until I started researching this article. 

As a water filter bottle so regularly recommended to backpackers, this is a crucial bit of information that lots of people seem to have missed. 

Tap water in developing countries (and all across South America where I’ve traveled) is rife with viruses; throughout this continent and the world in general, 1 in 3 people (that’s 2.2 million people) don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water according to the World Health Organisation and UNICEF . 

Therefore, the LifeStraw Go leaves you open to stomach upsets and other serious illnesses.  

What’s more, you will need to replace the cartridge in this purifier on a regular basis if you plan to use it long-term on a trip.

The manufacturers recommend every three months – and you’ll know when it’s time to replace the bottle as it’ll start becoming increasingly more difficult to suck water through the straw.

This is costly (effectively the price of buying a brand new LifeStraw Go), so is definitely something to consider. 

A friend of mine who reviewed this product for me also mentioned how the filter is prone to leak when placed in direct sunlight or when it’s at altitude.

On the place she had an incident where the bottle leaked, leaving her seat wet for the entirety of her flight, which isn’t exactly ideal. 

The LifeStraw Go doesn’t remove viruses so isn’t safe for day-to-day travel use in developing countries where tap water isn’t safe to drink. 

A lot of people ask which is better, the Grayl or the Lifestraw Go, but it’s not even a fair contest as they’re aimed at different things (read my Grayl Geopress review below to learn more).

Instead, this is a great water filter bottle for hiking in backcountry destinations where the river water is unlikely to have been tampered with. It’s affordable and easy to use. 

Buy the Lifestraw Go on REI or Amazon

Bottle water purifiers: Water to Go

The Water to Go is another water purifier bottle.

When I first came across this brand, I was really impressed with the price of their products. This is a top water purifier as it’s one of the cheapest models on the market and can filter all of the nasties that you don’t want to have in the water: bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, as well as filtering out heavy metals such as lead and other harmful chemicals. 

It’s also designed to make sure that the water tastes good; inside the filter cartridge are activated carbon particles to reduce any unpleasant taste or odors in the water. 

If you buy it on Amazon, it comes with a replacement filter, which you’ll likely need after three months of use, while additional replacement filters are relatively affordable at around only $13 USD a pop.

Things to consider about the Water to Go

While the Water to Go is probably up there as the best filtered water bottle for international travel, there are some downsides.

Many users have reported that the bottle does leak if it isn’t kept completely upright – which is a bit of an issue if you’re using this water filter bottle for travel, as keeping a bottle upright is nigh on impossible.

Some reviews have also noted how it’s not a very durable water filtration bottle, so you’ll want to make sure that you don’t drop it (the Grayl Geopress, below, is a far sturdier alternative). 

With the larger bottle, it’s also hard to see how much water you have remaining as the plastic is opaque (the smaller 500ml bottle is clear so you can see this), which can be annoying. The black design isn’t great for hot countries anyway as it causes the water to heat up rapidly. 

For me, the bottle is a little on the small side (I don’t like to travel without a one-liter water bottle), particularly as it can be hard to get the final hundred milliliters from the bottom of the bottle – so capacity is never fully 750ml. 

This isn’t designed to be a squeeze purifier (check the Sawyer Mini below instead for that), so you can’t use it to purify water into a glass – instead, you’ll be drinking from the water bottle throughout.

If this is a game changer for you, I’d recommend the Steripen Adventurer instead.  

This is among the cheapest and most affordable portable travel water purifiers and delivers with speed, capacity, and ease of use. It’s also significantly lighter than the comparable LifeStraw Go and has a slightly larger capacity. 

However, you’ll want to keep it upright to avoid leaks and I would avoid the black design if you want to keep your water cool. 

Buy the Water To Go on Amazon

Squeeze purifiers: Sawyer Mini

The Sawyer Mini is the cheapest and one of the most lightweight water purifiers on this list.

Like the Steripen Adventurer, you can filter water in advance as you squeeze dirty water from the provided container through the filter and into your own bottle. 

It also should last a lifetime, with no need to replace the filter cartridge – at all. This is because you can flush the filter out using the small syringe that comes with the filter.

This is the only filter on the list that should never require replacing and, for the price, this makes the Sawyer Mini incredibly hard to beat in many respects.

You can also link it up to a hydration bladder such as the Platypus and suck the water directly from the bladder through the filter. Similar to the LifeStraw Go, this does require some effort because of the resistance provided by the filter. 

Things to consider about the Sawyer Mini

However, as with the LifeStraw Go above, the Sawyer Mini doesn’t remove viruses from the water.

Therefore, it’s really only recommended for backcountry hiking trips with reasonably clean and reliable water sources, rather than something to use when you’re traveling through developing countries and drinking tap water that’s potentially contaminated with waterborne viruses.  

I also found this pretty hard to use for one main reason: the bag tears pretty easily if you’re not super careful when you’re squeezing.

This is something that the manufacturers highlight as being an issue (and subsequently, you should be more careful) but was a real deal-breaker for me and the main reason that I opted instead for the Steripen Adventurer . 

I also found that, because of the degree of care you needed, the whole process takes a lot more time than it needs to (around two minutes, and a lot of pressure, for a liter of water).

This isn’t helped by the fact that the filter cartridge can clog easily and you need to backflush the system using the provided syringe to enable it to work again. 

On balance, neither my dad or my brother have faced similar issues when using the Sawyer Mini and it has rapidly become my dad’s water purification system of choice.

That said, if you’re just starting out with the Sawyer Mini, you’ll want to invest in a couple of spare bags in case you do spring a leak. 

This is a great little water purifier at a supremely accessible price, but the fact that it doesn’t filter out viruses means that it’s not ideal for travel.

Instead, this is probably the best water filtration system for backpacking and backcountry hiking, but only in areas where the water sources are unlikely to be polluted with waterborne viruses. 

Sawyer has just recently launched their new Select Water Purifiers and Filters range, with the S3 range aimed toward international travel as it removes bacteria, protozoa, viruses, heavy metals, and chemicals (including pesticides).

It’s a lot more expensive than the Sawyer Mini (coming in at a similar price to the Steripen and Grayl) but looks like it could be an excellent alternative. 

If you’ve tried this new product, please let me know your experiences!

Buy the Sawyer Mini water filter on REI or Amazon

Press purifiers: Grayl Geopress

The Grayl Geopress is a very different type of water purifier from those discussed above.

It’s a bottle that you fill with water, before inserting the filter cartridge and pressing down, thus forcing the water through the cartridge in one swift movement.

It’s a really popular bit of gear for travelers because it does eliminate all bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, meaning it’s a reliable source of fresh and safe drinking water. 

What’s more, the Grayl Geopress has a capacity of 710 ml, which is comparable with all of the bottle water filters available on the market.

Finally, the water bottle itself is the most durable of those in this guide and you can guarantee that dropping this bottle isn’t going to cause serious harm to the filter. It also won’t leak, even if it’s stored upside down. 

Things to consider about the Grayl Geopress

However, my biggest issue with using the Grayl Geopress is how small the capacity of the bottle is. 

While they claim that it filters 710 ml, I found this to be less because of the dribble of water at the bottom of the bottle that ends up being out of reach of the cartridge and therefore doesn’t get purified. 

What’s more, I’ve found that the act of pressing the water through the filter genuinely starts to hurt my hand after a while. You need some serious guns (US readers: muscles!) to work this filter and it can feel like a bit of an ordeal to be doing this multiple times per day. 

It can also get extremely tough to press if the water has lots of sand or silt in it, so you’ll probably want to try and pre-filter this (a handkerchief or similar piece of cloth can be useful for this). 

Note that at altitude, I’ve also found that the filter cartridge starts trying to remove itself from the bottle due to the pressure, which caused some leaking. Therefore to avoid this, you may want to ensure that it’s not completely filled before you fly. 

The Grayl Geopress left my hands hurting, however, independent testing has proven that it provides some of the cleanest water post-purification, blowing the Steripen Adventurer out of the water.

What’s more, it can filter water containing particulates, so can be used in practically any context and still guarantee safe drinking water in a matter of minutes. This makes it an ideal option as a water filter for traveling abroad. 

Issues remain in the fact that it doesn’t have space for that much water and it’s really heavy, which is the compromise for the quality of the purification system inside. 

Buy the Grayl Geopress on REI , Backcountry or Amazon

Gravity purifiers: Sawyer One-Gallon Gravity Filtration System

Sawyer’s One-Gallon Gravity Filtration System is basically a one-gallon bag attached to the Sawyer Mini. You hang the bag in a tree or off your pack and watch as gravity pushes the water through the Sawyer Mini and into your receptacle of choice. 

Because gravity, rather than your hands, is doing all the work, this version of the Sawyer is a lot more durable. Additionally, the Sawyer Mini filter that comes with it has the same long lifespan – 100,000 gallons of water or, what the manufacturers claim is equivalent to a lifetime of water. 

This is a great option if there are a number of you on a trip, as you can quickly and easily filter water for cooking or drinking. 

Things to consider about the Sawyer One-Gallon Gravity Filtration System

However, as with the Sawyer Mini, this water purification system doesn’t filter viruses, so isn’t ideal for travel.

I saw some guys using one on the O Circuit in Torres del Paine and it was great for this type of situation: the water sources in the park are largely uncontaminated by humans or chemicals, so the water just needed filtering for sediment. 

Again, the Sawyer One-Gallon Gravity Filtration System doesn’t filter viruses, so isn’t a good choice for general travel. However, like the Sawyer Mini, it’s a great outdoor water filtration system for backpacking and backcountry hiking, particularly if you’re travelling in a group. 

Buy the Sawyer One-Gallon Gravity Filtration System on Amazon

Chemical water purification

Perhaps the most widely-used means of purifying water is through chemicals such as iodine or chlorine.

Tablets or drops can be bought at a very inexpensive price and need to just be added to the water you are trying to purify.

That said, you do need to wait from 30 minutes to four hours before it is safe to drink the water. 

Iodine purification tablets and drops don’t purify water from cryptosporidium oocysts and they can also leave the water with an unpleasant taste, although this can be circumnavigated with the help of additional tablets that neutralize the flavor. 

Chemical water purification tablets or drops are the ideal backup for any of the other methods identified in this guide. However, they are not a great solution for travel, particularly as you’ll want clean, drinkable water available at a moment’s notice. 

Get water purification tablets on REI , Backcountry or Amazon

If you’re traveling and don’t have access to any water filtration system, boiling is the most reliable method of acquiring safe drinking water. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s necessary to boil water for one minute to ensure that all waterborne microorganisms are killed. 

However, in my experience, if there’s no kettle where you’re staying (something very common in South America), then it can take a long time to boil a few liters of water. 

You also need to do this in advance (this method doesn’t allow you to purify while you’re out and about), while the pan you boil water in can leave an unpleasant metallic taste in your water. 

Boiling water is a last-resort option for acquiring safe drinking water and one that, while functional, can take time and result in metallic-flavored water. 

I personally think investing in a water purifier is worth the cost for its ease of use and is the best way to get clean drinking water when you’re traveling abroad. 

Which is the best travel water filter for international travel?

The best travel water purifier for simplicity: I personally prefer the Steripen as I’ve found this the fastest and most reliable method of treating tap water throughout South America.

Not only can you purify one liter of water in 90 seconds, but this also requires practically no effort on your part. 

The Steripen Adventurer removes everything from bacteria to protozoa and viruses making potentially contaminated water fit to drink. You need your own water bottle in addition to the filter itself, but I’ve found this to be a reliable little device, which is also highly portable, lightweight and small. 

Buy the Steripen Adventurer Opti on REI or Amazon

The best travel water purifier for every single circumstance: However, the Grayl Geopress comes a close second in the contest for finding the best travel water filter, despite a couple of reservations I have about the product.

This is because it removes practically everything from the water, including chemicals, hard metals, and microplastics and it even works with water containing particulates – something that the Steripen Adventurer isn’t capable of doing. 

The downside to the Grayl Geopress is the size and weight of the bottle and filter, which may put you off, but are something you can overlook in order to be guaranteed safe drinking water wherever you are on the road. 

Looking for more recommendations for travel and backcountry hiking? Find out why the Big Agnes is my go-to lightweight tent and read my recommendations for what to pack for South America and hiking hotspot, Patagonia .

Saturday 25th of November 2023

Hi. Thank you for this valuable information. Can I please ask you a question, and thanks in advance if you can help :)

I plan on doing a year backpacking and hiking in South America next year, so I need something that works 100% on everything - bacteria, viruses, protozoa, floating particles. It looks like the Geopress is the only option that ticks all of these boxes, am I right? As you mentioned, the Geopress is heavy/bulky, so is not ideal for my situation as I need to be fairly lightweight.

In my case, what would you recommend? Would it be a good idea to use a Sawyer Squeeze, and have some purification tables to remove the potential viruses?

Steph Dyson

Tuesday 28th of November 2023

Hi Aidan, I travelled across South America just using my steripen and didn't get ill. If you want the belt and braces approach, the Geopress is the best option. I wouldn't use purification tablets as they make the water taste awful. Steph

Friday 4th of August 2023

None of what you covered will prevent sickness in New Guinea. All of those items were good but it was the food not water that caused the problems in Port Moresby. I was sick the entire time until I went over to Rabaul on the other side of the country. Before I left the US I bought several of those items like the Lifestraw and grayl geopress. after 4 years of traveling in 32 country's I left them behind to lighten the bags. I mostly just found it easier to treat the reactions by traveling with pepto all the time. Or gaviscon in AU and nz. Even when I was a otr driver in the USA it was always the food not the water that caused the issues.

Wednesday 20th of September 2023

Hi Vance, the issue with food is typically as a result of the water being used (salad often makes people sick because of it being washed in water that has bacteria or viruses). Steph

Ryan Sainthill

Friday 21st of July 2023

Great article, I appreciate it! Thank you very much. I found out one filter but it is a bit bigger, so can anyone share some information with me if it is good to use this filter for walking or to buy another one? https://www.aussiestormshop.com.au/lifestraw-peak-series-1l-filter

Thursday 7th of April 2022

I love my Grayl! Great for foreign travel, I fill up with tap water, etc. all the time. Less worries about bottled water, as I found sometimes the hotel can be a little stingy. :) No issues pressing it, I just set it down and lean on it a bit. I don't try to hold and force it. A little heavy for backpacking, but I take it anyway. I carry a 1l. bladder and a couple of presses fills it up as well.

Friday 22nd of April 2022

Great, thanks for sharing! It's definitely one of the best options! Steph

Tuesday 29th of March 2022

I was very surprised to see your comment that LifeStraw doesn't remove viruses... as my research told me otherwise. I just double checked their website. They claim:

LifeStraw’s membrane ultrafilters are capable of removing 99.999% (log 5) of viruses, 99.999999% (log 8) of bacteria (including E. coli), 99.999% (log 5) of parasites (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, etc.), and 99.999% (log 5) of microplastics.

https://lifestraw.com/pages/how-our-products-work#:~:text=LifeStraw%20Membrane%20Ultrafilters%20%2F%20Purifiers&text=LifeStraw's%20membrane%20ultrafilters%20are%20capable,(log%205)%20of%20microplastics.

So not sure where your information is coming from, but this definitely gives me pause and I will do more research to confirm before buying.

Monday 20th of February 2023

@paul, hello - on their detail data sheet info, it’s just the PURIFIERS listed that remove viruses [Lifestraw “Mission”, “Family” and “Community” product items]. The other Lifestraw products on that page are FILTERS and they do not remove viruses [“Lifestraw”, “Lifestraw Go, Play, Universal, Steel” and “Lifestraw Flex” ]. [pardon my emphasis with the caps but it helps me to keep it straight]. Here’s the URL: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2631/0778/t/4/assets/LSGo-Play-Universal-SteelEvidenceDossier-1544005030340.pdf?9890004779047419701

Wednesday 1st of February 2023

@paul, I just checked your link and checked on their webpage too, and it doesn't say anything about virues. I was looking into it too as I would be interested if it removes viruses as well

When is water safe to drink? Review – the Aquapure Water Filter

By: blonde two.

There is no doubt about it, water is heavy. If you want to work out how heavy you don’t even need to be very good at maths, 1 litre of water weighs around 1 kilogram. Cutting down on pack weight by carrying lightweight camping kit can be expensive, for example it would cost you up to £300 to cut 1 kilogram off your tent weight. Cutting down on pack weight by carrying less water is relatively cheap but does require some forethought and planning. You need to think about your hydration requirements (at least 2 litres for a normal day’s walking), the presence of useable water on your proposed route (fast-running water is recommended) and your water filter or water purification plan(s) (it pays to have more than one).

Carrying less water

As I have mentioned before, I am currently working on ways to cut down the load on my knees when I am walking or wild camping. B1 has been a star about this and taken more than her fair share and I have recently saved myself £1800 in lightweight tents (a girl can’t have too many) by losing a stone in weight. I usually fill my 2 litre water bladder with tap water plus extra if I am wild camping. As well as this I carry purification tablets and often a stove (to boil water). I am definitely not recommending taking less fresh water than 2 litres but I have recently been quite excited to have been sent a far lighter alternative to the extra water.

Water filter bottle

The Aquapure Traveller  by Pure Hydration is officially a ‘personal purification system’ but I prefer to call it a ‘water filter bottle’, which filters out all of the water nasties you are likely to find out walking and wild camping in an easy to use system. The water filter is attached to the bottle lid so all you have to do is fill up, screw the lid on and either drink or pour (I will refrain here from making reference to the ‘suck and squeeze’ advantages of this ingenious system!)

Using the Aquapure Traveller

You might recall my trying out Mr B2’s water filter by drinking water from the Rochdale Canal . This demonstrates how committed I am to my water filter review cause and so, despite having a van tank full of clean tap water and a campervan with no toilet facilities, I decided to try out the Aquapure Traveller on Dartmoor last week during my latest digital nomad experiment . It went well, I enjoyed playing with streams (obviously I didn’t cross them because ‘that would be bad’) and had fun both squeezing and sucking (although modesty prevents me from telling you whether or not I did these at the same time). Here are the results of the B2 Aquapure Traveller water filter review:

Ease of use: 10 out of 10 – I just filled up the bottle, fixed the lid on and drank. I didn’t even get my sleeves wet!

Speed of use: 10 out of 10 – Once I had found a suitable water source and filled up, the water was immediately safe to drink.

Taste: 8 out of 10 – No filtered water tastes as nice as it would directly from a stream but this was far preferable to the chlorine-like flavour of purification tablets.

Results: 10 out of 10. No adverse tummy effects were noted following my water filtering experiences and I was less thirsty than I had been before.

Price: At £39.99 this is a water filter product that you would need to use regularly if you wanted it to pay but it is worth bearing in mind that the filters (34.99) last for two years and water purification tablets aren’t that cheap (£7.99 for 50) plus these do have a limited shelf life.

If you want to find out more about water filtering and the Aquapure Traveller have a look at the Pure Hydration website . These guys have hydrated just about everybody and give some really useful information. Me, I am off to enjoy my new, lighter weight walking experience… 6 kilograms off me and 1 less for water! See me fly along…

From time to time we Blondes are sent free outdoor products to field test and promote on social media. We will always be honest about our findings and any products we don’t keep for ourselves find their way into our expedition stores. Great for us, great for you and great for our youngsters!

3 Responses

I think it’s important to be aware: although filtration will get rid of bacteria and larger nasties, it won’t get rid of water-borne viruses. Viruses are quite species-specific, though, so this is only likely to be a problem where humans have been in contact with the water upstream. Not likely to be a problem on Dartmoor, but filtering alone probably won’t be enough in rural Africa or South-America 🙂 Also, it won’t do anything for non-organic chemicals such as agricultural pesticides. Carbon filters can help with that, as well as taste.

Even though it was only released in 2015 the video appears somewhat dated in terms of the technologies demonstrated (although the advice on pre-filtering to remove turbidity is sound). Whether you call them “filters” or “purifiers”* there are a number of products capable of reducing waterborne microbiological pathogens including viruses, and some also address chemical contaminants. Independent testing to widely recognised standards for the performance of Individual Water Purification (IWP) devices has confirmed our performance against bacteria, cysts and viruses, and, although not (yet) a regular requirement for IWPs, we also contracted additional testing to demonstrate the chemical reduction properties of our M.A.D.® media. You can check out the results here: https://www.purehydration.com/about-pure-hydration/mad-purification-media/

*We often differentiate between “filters” and “purifiers” in terms of the spectrum of microbiological pathogens reduced, with filters being those devices capable of stopping waterborne bacteria and cysts, and purifiers performing against bacteria, cysts and viruses. However, the term “filter” is commonly used for both types of product.

You’re right; reading the description of how your MAD filter works, it certainly seems an impressive all-rounder, and I’ve not previously come across electro-adhesion as a filtration method, nor does there seem to be much information online.

Very interesting, though, and I’ll keep an eye on you guys :p Though it has to be said: with your inline filter costing £45 and rated at only 350L, that’s a big price difference to, say, the Sawyer Mini at about £35 for 450,000L. You have the advantage over the Sawyer in virus reduction, though!

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The Best Filtered Water Bottles

By Tim Heffernan

Tim Heffernan is a writer who covers air and water quality and sustainable-energy technology. He prefers Flare-brand match smoke for purifier testing.

Filtered water bottles let you create better-tasting water almost anywhere you go. After we tested five of them, our pick is the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle . Its activated carbon filter removes chlorine compounds, which are used as a disinfectant in most public water supplies and are the cause of the off-flavor that many people dislike about tap water.

But we have reservations about filter bottles in general. Most of them make you suck the water through the filter, and that’s not exactly easy—it’s like drinking a thick milkshake through a straw. And most bottle filters remove only chlorine, not other things you may be concerned about, like lead, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and microplastics.

If you have access to another source of filtered water, such as a filter pitcher , office water cooler, or under-sink filter , then using that to fill a reusable water bottle is a more convenient and versatile way to bring along fresh-tasting water that’s likely more thoroughly purified too.

Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle

Fresh-tasting water wherever you are.

Certified to remove chlorine from tap water, this model improves the taste, and it comes in a variety of leakproof designs. But, like all filtered bottles, it needs upkeep and is difficult to drink through.

Buying Options

May be out of stock

The Brita Insulated Filtering Water Bottle is NSF/ANSI certified (PDF) to reduce the chlorine disinfectants that can give tap water an unpleasant flavor. The bottle itself is well designed for carrying with you to work, school, outdoor events, and errands. It’s sturdy, didn’t leak a drop in our tests, and was easier to drink from than some of the competition, thanks to its comfortable mouthpiece. It comes in many colors, a few sizes, and both insulated stainless steel and BPA-free plastic (which is not insulated) versions. The plastic version is dishwasher safe for cleaning, and the replacement filters, which last about two months, are less than $3 apiece.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked and tested, our pick: brita premium filtering water bottle, another good filter bottle if pathogens are a concern, the competition.

In testing and writing about water filters for Wirecutter since 2016, I’ve spoken with the two main US filter-certification organizations, NSF and the Water Quality Association, to understand how their testing is conducted. I’ve interviewed engineers and product managers at many water filter manufacturers to interrogate their technologies and claims. And I’ve spent years just living with and using multiple types of water filters, since overall durability, ease and cost of maintenance, and user friendliness are important considerations in something you use multiple times a day.

Filtered water bottles create better-tasting water wherever you go. The kind we tested are aimed at commuters, high school and college students, caretakers, and other people who are always on the move. The bottles are sturdy, attractive, and slip easily into a backpack, purse, briefcase, or messenger bag.

The filters usually work by removing the chlorine disinfectants that give lots of tap water an off flavor. But that’s all most of them do. Most do not protect against other contaminants that may be of concern to you, like lead, PFAS, or bacteria.

The filter bottles we tested (with one exception ) are not meant for hikers and wilderness adventurers. That’s because they aren’t designed to be as small and light as possible, to be compatible with a variety of bottles and storage containers, or to remove disease-causing pathogens from untreated water.

That means they’re also not meant for emergency filtration, such as during a boil-water order following a flood or other natural disasters.

Finally, our testing showed that they’re not practical for children. Most filter bottles require you to suck the water through the filter, and that takes considerable force. Youngsters will have a far easier time using regular bottles filled with water from a filter pitcher or other filtered source.

Frankly, so will adults. Bear that in mind when deciding if you need a filter bottle at all.

We applied the same criteria for filtered water bottles that we do for filter pitchers and dispensers, faucet-mount filters, and under-sink filters: Any claims that bottles remove heavy metals like lead and mercury, industrial compounds like pesticides, and pathogens like bacteria had to be NSF/ANSI certified or tested to NSF/ANSI or similarly stringent standards by accredited independent labs, with the test results publicly shared.

For filter bottles that claim only to make water taste better—which is by far the most common claim—we didn’t require stringent certification, because that’s an extremely simple thing to do. You just run the water through an activated-carbon filter, which are cheap and widely produced.

We did limit our search to filter bottles from well-known brands that have a history in the filtration sector. Numerous filter bottles are now available from small, little-known companies, and though many of them likely perform just fine, we place a lot of emphasis on accountability and an established record in an area as central to well-being as clean drinking water.

We eliminated bottles with pour-through filters, where you fill an upper reservoir and wait for the water to drip through the filter via gravity. They’re slow, and they take several fillings of the upper reservoir to create a full bottle of water—the opposite of on-the-go convenience.

Our testing focused on livability and usability factors. Is a bottle comfortable to hold? To drink from? To refill and to clean? Because filter bottles are generally tall and narrow, their interiors are hard to wash by hand, so we gave points to dishwasher-safe models.

We also came to prefer bottles whose mouthpiece is covered by a cap when not in use. Some have exposed flip-up mouthpieces, and though they’re convenient, they can also pick up dirt while jostling around inside a bag.

We filled our test bottles and kept them upside-down for several hours, shaking them vigorously every 30 minutes or so, to check for seepage. A spill inside your bag is annoying at best, and quite expensive if it ruins some electronics.

We assessed if replacement filters are easily available and affordable. Filters have finite lifespans; you’ll need a new one every few months if you use your filter bottle daily.

The BPA-free plastic Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle is our pick among the filter bottles we tested. It’s sturdy, comes in a variety of colors and sizes , and is NSF/ANSI certified to reduce chlorine (PDF) , which is the main culprit in bad-tasting tap water. (Note that the plastic versions we recommend are not insulated, although some listings online label them as such. The insulated stainless steel versions keep water cold longer.) Here’s what we liked about the Brita bottle:

It’s relatively easy to drink from. The effort required to suck water through the straw-like filter is lower than with some competitors—though it’s still like drinking a thick milkshake through a straw—and the soft, rubbery mouthpiece is a comfortable size and shape.

It can make tap water taste better. The bottle uses a simple activated-carbon filter. It efficiently captures the chlorine compounds that are commonly used to disinfect water supplies, which, to many people, make the water taste bad.

The flip-top cap allows for one-handed drinking. The cap protects the mouthpiece and keeps it clean when you’re not using it. You just press a button, and the cap pops open to let you take a drink. We preferred its convenience to bottles with twist-off caps, which require two hands and can be dropped or lost. And we preferred both of these designs to bottles with flip-up spouts, which aren’t protected by a cap and can pick up dirt inside a bag or purse.

We didn’t experience any leaks. To test for leaks, we filled all of our contenders then placed them upside down for several hours, giving them a vigorous shake every half hour. The Brita bottle didn’t leak a drop (and neither did any of the other bottles).

The plastic parts are dishwasher safe. Like any reusable bottle, the Brita bottle should be cleaned regularly. To clean yours in the dishwasher, remove the filter from its housing and then place the housing and all other parts on the top rack. (Brita said the stainless versions should be hand-washed.)

Replacement filters are inexpensive. The replacement filters (model BB06) cost less than $3 apiece. They’re rated to last for 40 gallons or two months.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

This is a flaw of the category, not the Brita bottle specifically, but it bears emphasizing: Filter bottles are harder to drink from and fussier to refill than plain reusable bottles. It takes real effort to suck water through the filter. The straws drip when you pull them out to refill the bottle, and they’re just one more thing you have to clean and maintain.

If you have a convenient source of filtered water available—from an office water cooler, say, or a pitcher or under-sink filter at home—you’ll probably be happier with a versatile reusable bottle such as the ones we recommend .

The carry handle on the Brita bottle is attached to the flip-up cap. That puts the weight of the entire bottle on the small plastic latch that keeps the cap closed. Using the handle to pick up the bottle shouldn’t stress the latch too much, but we would not recommend carrying the bottle by the handle, hanging it from a carabiner while walking around, or pulling the bottle out of an overstuffed bag by yanking on it.

If you’d like a filter bottle that both makes treated water taste better (by removing chlorine) and also removes bacteria and protozoa (like Giardia ) that can be present in untreated water, we recommend the BPA-free plastic LifeStraw Go Series bottle . It comes in multiple colors and two sizes (22 and 34 ounces), and an insulated stainless steel version is available in 24 and 34 ounces.

All of LifeStraw’s bottles use a dual filter, with an activated carbon element to reduce chlorine and a hollow fiber membrane filter that physically blocks waterborne bacteria, protozoa, and other particles above 0.2 microns in diameter, including microplastics. (It does not capture viruses, which are smaller still.) You can read LifeStraw’s in-house and independent test results here (PDF) .

The hollow fiber membrane filter takes more strength to suck water through than the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle’s plain carbon filter, and because pathogens are not present at dangerous levels in properly treated tap water, the Go bottle is overkill for most everyday use. However, if you travel frequently to places where unsanitary tap water is a concern, the Go bottles are more convenient (and stylish) than camping-oriented filters or chlorine tablets.

A screw-on cap protects the bottle’s mouthpiece from dirt when it’s not in use, and it prevented any leaks in our testing. However, it requires two hands to use, and while detached, it can be dropped, lost, or separated from its companion in a dish rack or crowded cabinet.

The carry handle is molded right into the lid, and it’s sturdy enough to stand up to moderately rough trail hiking. Commendably, LifeStraw sells replacement carbon filter elements on their own. They need to be switched out far more frequently (every 26 gallons, or about two months) than the hollow fiber filter , which is good for 1,000 gallons.

The Larq Bottle Flip Top effectively reduces lead and some industrial compounds as well as chlorine, which is unusual for a filter bottle. Larq shares the test results (PDF) publicly, as we require. But it has a pop-up mouthpiece that’s always exposed to dirt and other schmutz. And the filter—which is necessarily denser in order to be more capable—takes more strength to suck water through than our top pick from Brita. Replacement filters are also expensive at about $15 to $20 every two months. A regular bottle filled from a filtered water source is a better option if you want extensive purification.

The Phillips GoZero Filtration Bottle is similar to our pick, the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle, in form and functionality, but its mouthpiece is shorter and harder to grip between your lips, so it’s more difficult to suck from.

The cleverly designed Grayl 24oz GeoPress Purifier is intended for camping and adventure travel, and we tested it largely to see if it might be a surprise winner for urban and suburban adventures, too. We found that it isn’t: Its plunger action, in which you fill the container and then force the filter through the water, requires a lot of strength and a location where you wouldn’t mind a few splashes. It would be a conversation starter in an office or classroom, but it belongs in the great outdoors.

This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.

Meet your guide

Tim Heffernan

Tim Heffernan is a senior staff writer focusing on air and water quality and home energy efficiency. A former writer for The Atlantic, Popular Mechanics, and other national magazines, he joined Wirecutter in 2015. He owns three bikes and zero derailleurs.

Further reading

The Best Water Filter Pitcher and Dispenser

by Tim Heffernan

Water filters and pitchers are the simplest, most affordable way to get reliable filtered water at home.

The Best Faucet-Mounted Water Filter

Here are our picks for the best water filter to mount on a kitchen faucet.

The Best Under-Sink Water Filter

The Aquasana AQ-5200 is the under-sink water filtration system we recommend.

The Big Berkey Water Filter System: Uncertified and Inconvenient

The Big Berkey Water Filter system lacks independent certification, and it’s much more expensive and less convenient to use than other options.

8 Travel-Friendly Water Purifiers That Actually Work

It’s easy to take water for granted when you live and work in a building that has clean drinking water running in abundance from every faucet—but that’s not always the case when traveling abroad or heading out into nature while camping or hiking.

I learned that the hard way when I spent three months in a cabin in the woods that ran on lake water. I subscribe to the eight-cups-a-day rule, and I have an emotional support water bottle that I carry from room-to-room at all times. I am, simply put, a big water drinker . And sure, I was able to drive to the grocery store to buy water—but finding a water purifying solution that allowed me to drink the lake water was much more convenient, eco-friendly, and budget-friendly than having to add gallons of drinking water to my grocery list.

Over the last month or so, I’ve tried a handful of different water purifiers and filtration systems at my cabin on the lake . Of all the styles I tested, there were eight that I will continue to use on future trips to the woods and bring with me on my next vacation abroad . Read on for the best high-quality portable water purifiers and filters to ensure you always have access to bacteria- and sediment-free drinking water on the go.

All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Larq PureVis water bottle

Best water bottle

The Larq self-cleaning bottle is by far my favorite portable water purifier that I’ve tried so far. The 17-ounce water bottle features unique UV-C LED technology that neutralizes 99.999 percent of harmful bacteria such as E-coli and salmonella in under 60 seconds at the push of a button. The stainless steel bottle also activates a self-cleaning mode every two hours which helps to keep the bottle itself from developing that dreaded musty water bottle smell that can occur over time. Despite its high-tech functionalities, you can drink out of it like you would any other water bottle; the UV technology is confined to the bottle cap and does not interfere with filling or drinking from the bottle itself.

LifeStraw personal water filter

Best straw filter

Sometimes carrying around a water bottle or water filtration system is just not practical—which is where the LifeStraw comes in. This compact personal water filter works as a regular drinking straw while instantly filtering out over 99.999 percent of bacteria, parasites, and sediment such as microplastics, silt, sand, and cloudiness. The compact straw and filtration has an unlimited shelf life and can easily slip into your handbag or backpack for emergency use . Use it to take a sip straight from a flowing stream or drink a glass of tap water from the faucet in your hotel room.

Sawyer Squeeze water filter system

Best for backpacking

Lightweight and easy to transport, the Sawyer Squeeze water filter system will be your best bet if you’re setting up camp in the woods but are trying to keep your load light. The hollow-fiber membrane filter removes more than 99.999 percent of all bacteria, viruses, and parasites at a rate of about one liter per minute—but we particularly like this system for its compact and easy-to-use squeeze bottle design. All you have to do is fill up the pouch with water, attach the hollow-fiber filter, and squeeze the water through the system into your preferred water bottle (or even directly into your mouth).

Platypus GravityWorks water filter system

Best for large quantities of water

The GravityWorks water filter system is my personal favorite for filtering large volumes of sediment-heavy water. The water filtration system works—as the name suggests—by using a combination of gravity and microfilters to ensure removal of up more than 99.99 percent of bacteria and parasites as well as any sand, dirt, or sediment that can often appear in lake or stream water.

Katadyn Steripen Classic 3 UV water purifier

Best multi-purpose purifier

The Katadyn Steripen Classic 3 UV is a hand-held water purification device made to destroy everything from parasites to bacteria and viruses in less than 90 seconds thanks to the built-in ultraviolet (UV-C) light rays. The handy device easily fits over cups, mugs, and even most water bottle mouths for added convenience and comes with a pre-filter for removing sentiment, microplastics, and other particles that might not be visible to the naked eye. Bring it on family or group camping trips where you can divvy up who carries what.

Potable Aqua water purification tablets

Best tablets for groups or families

The Potable Aqua water purification tablet is a great option for purifying large quantities of water to have on hand over a weekend at a lake house or campsite. The two-step process helps to eliminate waterborne bacteria and viruses in up to half a gallon of water per germicidal iodine tablet. The second bottle is a neutralizing tablet, which, although not necessary to ensure safety, helps to improve the overall flavor of the water so you don’t taste the remnants of iodine or anything else that might be floating in the water.

Aquatabs water purification tablets

Best tablets for individuals

Looking for something ultra-compact to throw into your emergency preparedness kit, wallet, or jacket pocket? Aquatabs Water Purification Tablets are extremely small and slender (we’re talking half the size of a credit card ), but despite the compact size, the powerhouse purification system can remove up to 99.99 percent of bacteria and viruses from half a gallon of water per tablet thanks to the neutralizing salt-based chlorine known as sodium dichloroisocyanurate.

Larq PureVis pitcher

Best pitcher

The Larq PureVis pitcher isn’t quite as portable as other options I’ve tested out, but it’s the best option for setting up in the kitchen during a long-term stay abroad or at a Airbnb in the woods . The water-purifying pitcher removes contaminants like bacteria, lead, mercury, pharmaceuticals, and VOCs while the innovative self-cleaning filter helps to prevent bio-contaminant growth from developing within the pitcher itself.

Rosker Aquapure Traveller Water Purifier › Customer reviews

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Rosker Aquapure Traveller Water Purifier

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The Best Portable Water Filters for Travel: 27 Perfect Options, and Why You Need One to Save Money and Stay Healthy

For adventurous wanderers, a portable water filter for travel is insufficient.  a portable water purifier is necessary.

A major mistake that many travelers make is assuming that because they have the best filtered water bottle or travel water filter available that they are ready to drink from any water source in any place, but the average portable water filter (such as Lifestraw) doesn’t remove viruses – and that’s the major flawe that should drive your decision. 

For adventurous international travelers that may end up in rural back country or the urban sprawl of a developing nation, in areas frequented by people and animals, a true portable water purifier is necessary to turn tap water into safe drinking water for the average North American or European. 

Below, we’ve listed all of the travel water purifier options on the market suited for adventurous international travelers aiming to keep their pack small

Click here to jump to our list of the Best Travel Water Purifier Options

The most important reason drinking dirty water is such a risk, and why is drinking purified water so important: traveler’s diarrhea, parasitic infections, and gastrointestinal diseases.

We all want our travels to be as enjoyable as possible – enjoyment is specifically why we travel. Drinking “dirty” water, or more specifically water from an unpurified source that potentially carries bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic helminths, can quickly ruin your health and weeks of travel.

According to the CDC , most of the organisms that cause the much dreaded “traveler’s diahrea” can be transferred, and are most commonly acquired, through contaminated and unpurified water sources. This is why having a water purifier when traveling adventurously, to places throughout SouthEast ASia, South America, the Middle East, and Africa, is so important. In countries with poor hygiene (think, handwashing practices after using the bathroom and food handling practices in the kitchen) and inadequate sanitation practices (keep an eye on whether trash is sanitarily stored before disposal, or sits in the open and how sewage is disposed of) common water sources can become very contaminated carrying.

Though you can review CDC’s drinking and eating recommendations by country , generally avoiding drinking unfiltered tap water in South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa is a reasonable safe practice to take on that has kept me healthy during my travels.

So if we can’t drink tap water in most countries, what can we drink? And why is a portable water filter or purifier essential for travel in SEA, South America, and my other favorite destinations?

Why you need a portable water filter: To avoid disposable water bottle trash and protect yourself by knowing your water is clean.

Straight forward, here are the reasons you want to travel with a water purifier or at least a water filter .

• Drinking tap water is not a safe option in most of Southeast Asia, Central Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Africa
• When traveling through Southeast Asia, South America, adventures and off-grid destinations, the free “filtered water” may be insufficiently filtered or may have been standing too long to be safe
• In some locations, local vendors have been known to refill water bottles with tap water. To get around this, carry a purifier or filter to be safe when adventuring through rural destinations.
• Extensive environmental damage from plastic water bottle related waste is destroying beaches in some of our favorite destinations

Carbon packed water filters generally improve water taste and quality

• Constantly drinking bottled water when traveling is an unnecessary cost to your wallet. ($60 to $90 additional per month)

Drinking tap water is not an option in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Africa

As we’ve reviewed, if you are traveling to some of the best destinations in the world, or wandering through some of the best cities for nomads and backpackers the tap water is not drinkable, for your safety and by the Center for Disease Control recommendations

When traveling through Southeast Asia, South America, adventures and off-grid destinations, the free “filtered water” may be insufficiently filtered, or may have been standing too long to be drinkable

Many welcoming and wonderful hostels and restaurants throughout South America and Southeast Asia are kind enough to offer free water for guests, in hopes of reducing water bottle waste and keeping their customers healthy. This is the kind of beautiful hospitality that makes travel to adventurous destinations around the world wonderful, however, wary travelers, especially those with sensitive digestive systems, should be wary.

Whereas some locations, like in Bali, have a standard process of delivering disinfected water, many other places have a less standard approach – perhaps a pitcher of filtered water or water from an unlabeled 5 gallon water bottle. If these bottles aren’t labeled with clear indications that they have been commercially disinfected and purified and delivered sealed, your best bet – to avoid a bout of traveler’s diarrhea – is to either stick to sealed, purified sources of water or use your own purification/filtration process in addition to the filtered water.

Though many hostels and hotels likely do only use water with a high level of purification, there is a very risk that a substandard filtration system or that the properly filtered water has been sitting exposed too long. Here, at my nomadic base in Bali, as a complement of beautiful island lifestyle, even bottled water poured into a cup and allowed to sit for a few days can collect mold, bugs, or waterborne bacteria that can ruin a week of travel – and the same can happen to a dilapidated water filter out of view in the back.

To avoid the risk of overestimating the water filtration capabilities, simply use the water (which may not be perfect but is far better than tap water) and pair it with one of the water purifiers on this list to ensure the best health possible and leave the risks for other, more worthwhile adventures.

In remote locations of developing countries, some local vendors have been known to refill water bottles with tap water – carry a purifier to be safe when adventuring through rural destinations to re-filter questionable bottled water

During my motorbike travels through far northern and rural Vietnam and into very rural Laos, finding a recognizable brand of bottled water was uncommon, but worse, finding a 100% trustworthy brand was difficult, simply because many of the water bottles had been sitting for so long. “Aged” water isn’t a problem however in some rural destinations, unscrupulous shopkeepers (around the world) have been know to refill used water bottles with tap water (not disinfected) ultimately putting you at risk without knowing it.

If you’ll be in a far off destination where the source of water (even bottled water) will be questionable, carrying a source for purification – such as a quick UV light – is an excellent choice.

Extensive environmental damage from plastic water bottle related waste is destroying beaches in some of my favorite destinations

Personally, the best reason for carrying a good water filter or purifier, aside from avoiding the unpleasantness of the sickness that comes from unsafe drinking water, is to avoid creating more disposed plastic bottles.

Some of the places that had potential to be the most beautiful places I’ve visited were beaches and destinations with thousands of miles of coastline ruined by trash washed ashore. This picture of Bali, just south of tourist beaches south of Canggu and north of Seminyak, shows the plastic that washes ashore everyday during the wet season.

In developing countries with weaker trash disposal infrastructure, such as on Indonesia and the island of Bali, plastic that is “disposed of” commonly ends up in piles that are stacked and rarely end up in landfills, but more likely wash out to sea – eventually returning to ruin potentially beautiful shores as this picture shows.

Every single plastic bottle you use takes around 450 years to decompose as detailed in this article by WWF on the life of plastics and impact on the environment.

Even the most conservative filters can filter 150+ liters of water, equating to at least 150 bottles. If you’re in Southeast Asia and use a water filter instead of purchasing bottles of water, you’ve effectively saved 150 plastic bottles from washing ashore or into delicate ocean ecosystems.

Some places you may travel to (parts of the US for instance) may have potable, disinfected water, but the chemicals used (such as chlorine), or the water source (near volcanic lands) can leave the water drinkable but with off odors and tastes.

In water bottle filters, such as the **Lifestraw Go water bottle**, often have carbon packed filters and carbon is generally excellent at not only filtering water but improving the flavor.

Constantly drinking bottled water when traveling is an unnecessary cost to your wallet ($60 to $90 extra per month).

The average person needs 2 to 3 liters day minimum, and the average liter of bottled water costs roughly $1.

That means every 30 days you will spend $60 to $90 minimum if you plan on bottled water as your source of water. That $60 to $90 is the equivalent of 2 to 3 days of accommodation, food, and enjoyment in most destinations in Southeast Asia and South America.

Do your travels a favor – get a filter, skip the bottled water, and save the extra money.

The best solution for your health, and the environment: Refill a reusable water bottle with available potable water, and filter or purify for your safety

Ultimately, the best way to save money, save trash, and save yourself the trouble of diarrhea is to carry a well rated and effective water purification method you are confident in.

Pair that water purifier or filtration device with a good reusable water bottle – such as a **Smart Kanteen** or a **Nalgene** – and you’ll be able to have safe, clean water, virtually anywhere, without destroying the beach you flew across the world to get to.

However, not all water filter and purifier devices are made equal.

Let’s talk about how to find a good way to filter and purify water, appropriate to your travels.

The Difference Between Water Filters and Purifiers

The difference between water purifiers and water filters is purifiers use a water cleansing method that removes all harmful waterborne pathogens, chemicals, and contaminants that make water unsafe , including bacteria (like E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter), viruses (like hepatitis A, rotavirus and norovirus), protozoa , parasites (like cryptosporidium and giardia lamblia), heavy metals, and any undesirable elements in water,

Water filters simply use a filtration method, forcing water through a filtration medium that separates solids larger than the pores from the water , while potentially allowing contaminants smaller than the absolute pore size of the filtration medium through to the discharged, filtered water.

While purified water can be trusted to be safe and drinkable, some water filters have a pore size that is too large to filter out viruses, heavy metals (which are dangerous to consume), and chemicals.

Types of Water Filters, Filtration Methods, and Purification Methods **

• Mechanical straining and filtration (pushing through pores of a filtration medium)
• Electro – Adsorption
• Chemical Disinfection: Iodine
• Chemical Disinfection: Chlorine Bleach
• Ultraviolet Disinfection

Your average portable water filter isn’t good enough, so, what do we need in a travel ready portable water purifier ?

A travel water purifier should be contained in a bottle or in a very small, self-contained package, be able to remove any likely waterborne threats, last for the duration of your trip, and be easy to use.

Criteria for a good travel water filter:

• Eliminates viruses, bacteria, and protozoa/parasites: Filtering chemicals and heavy metals would be a great plus but isn’t necessary
• Long Life: The best travel water filter options have a useful life that will last on an extended trip (3-6+ months) and for the length of your trip. This accounts for durability and filter life
• Brand, Reputation, Reviews: From a reliable brand with a product that is reviewed well on multiple platforms (Amazon, blogs, etc.) – reputation and reviews are good assurance that the product will last through the adventures
• Small, self-contained design: Must be very packable no larger than a small pocket at max
• Clean, simple design: Avoid contraptions with external hoses that can break or snag

Also consider these options:

Consider getting a purification system that is an “EPA designated water purifier.” According to the CDC, “Filters that claim Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designation of water “purifier” undergo company-sponsored testing to demonstrate removal of at least 106 bacteria (99.9999%), 104 viruses (99.99%), and 103  Cryptosporidium  oocysts or  Giardia  cysts (99.9%).”

Any water filtration systems that are EPA designated water purifiers will be good in most places, excluding the possibility of chemical contamination or heavy metal contamination in the water.

For areas that have high human or animal activity (such as most cities) and poor sanitation practices and conditions, a filtration or purification method removes viruses is recommended by the CDC . Ultrafiltration (remove particles of 0.01 microns), nanofiltration (remove particles of 0.001 microns), and reverse osmosis (can remove particles of 0.0001 microns) are capable of filtering out viruses and enteric pathogens.

Filters with pore sizes of 0.001 microns or smaller are capable of removing chemicals and organic molecules.

Reverse osmosis filters, which pore sizes of 0.0001 µm [0.1 nm] and smaller) can remove salts, desalinating water, and remove dissolved metals.

(Source: CDC Recommended water disinfection practices )

The main types of portable water purifiers and water filter bottles

• UV Light and UV Purifier Options: Effectively use ultraviolet light to disinfect water against bacteria, parasites, and parasites, but can be less effective in cloudy water.
• Activated carbon filter cartridge options: Activated carbon effectively asdorbs (chemically attaches to thus removing from water), organic compounds, inorganic compounds and chemicals, like chlorine and iodine, and thus improves the odor and flavor of water. Howver, activated carbon filters are generally not rated for microbe removal and do not kill microorganisms, so are often paired with another disinfection/filtration method.
• Chemical Purifiers: Chlorine compounds and iodine are common examples of chemical disinfectants that are effective against bacteria and viruses
• Gravity filters or pump filers: Use a porous medium to push water through, removing microbes of a designated size or larger. These commonly don’t remove viruses, unless there is an electrochemical filter added to the normal medium. Judge these filters, and what they filter, based on their absolute pore size, not their nominal pore size.

Note: No matter what filter you have, always avoid potential chemical and heavy metal contaminated water sources at all costs.  Even most “purifiers” don’t remove these elements well enough to risk it.

Additionally, avoid water sources that have potential viral contamination (from waste of humans or animals) if you are using a water filter that isn’t rated (by absolute pore size) to filter out viruses.

Why do viruses matter in choosing a travel water purifier?

Viruses are microscopic organisms, much smaller than parasites and bacteria, that when ingested cause disease and are transferred via contact with animal or human waste (i.e., feces, urine).  In North America and Europe, the risk of viruses in tap water and rural water sources is low.  Unfortunately, when traveling in rural areas  and urban centers of developing countries differences in customs and infrastructure standards, compared to North America and Europe, can often lead to contaminated water supplies.

1. Bathing and water disposal in rural lakes and streams often contaminates rural water sources with viruses from humans

Customs, such as bathing in local water sources and disposing of waste in drainage runoffs that lead to local water sources, make most international, rural water sources very likely to be contaminated with viruses from human waste.

2. Leaks and unidentified breaks of underground pipes in developing countries can mix wastewater with freshwater and leave viruses in tap water without any clear warning

For these two reasons (local customs and degraded infrastructure) ensure your portable water filter is capable of removing viruses, in addition to bacteria and protozoa/parasites when you travel abroad.

Questions to ask when choosing the best portable water filter or purifier for you**

Questions to ask about your needs and your travels

• What do you need to filter out? Bacteria, parasites, viruses, chemicals, or metals?
• Where will you be traveling? What are the common contaminants or situations you’ll face? (Check the CDC websites)

Questions to ask about the water filter or purifier you purchase

• Does it remove the contaminants from the water that you are likely to face while traveling?
• How long (time or gallons/liters of water) is it good for? How easily can the filtration system be replaced?**
• What special issues are there for the filter? Doesn’t work with cloudy water? Doesn’t improve taste? Requires a separate container? — And will these limitations be ok for your planned travels?

HUGE WARNING: Always avoid farm and industrial waste runoff.  These sources are more likely to contain chemicals and heavy metals and few portable water purifiers reliably remove these elements.

Be sure to check the CDCs food and drink recommendations. ( CDC Travel Site Link )

Best travel water purifier options, 1. the grayl water purifier bottle.

• 2. The Sawyer Select S2 and S3 Filter Bottles
• 3. Lifesaver Liberty 

4. Etekcity Personal Filter

Additional Options

• Sawyer mini water filter**
• Lifestraw Go

The water purification new kid on the block, The Ultralight Grayl Water Purifier Filter Bottle is an excellent open for purifying water while traveling with a french press style design and function and easy to replace filters.

• What it filters: Viruses, Bacteria, Protozoa/Parasites, some Chemicals, some Heavy Metals
• What it doesn’t filter: Filters everything
• Lifespan (in liters & days): 150 liters per filter, 37 days of water at 4 liters per day
• Replacement filter costs : $25
• Recommended region & use: Great for any region of travel, compact enough for any type of travel
• Brand Reliability & Reviews : The Grayl water purifier is a new product and receiving many great reviews but reviewers have stated that when repeatedly using murky or sediment heavy sources, the Grayl can clog much more quickly (~1 week of routine use in the backcountry). Pro Tip: Avoid this and extended the by filtering your water with a bandana or t-shirt before purifying with the Grayl.
• Bottom Line: A new product receiving great reviews but limited by filter life (1 month). The Grayl Water Purifier Filter Bottle appears to be a great short-term travel water purifier, just remember to bring an extra filter from home if you’ll be gone longer than a month. Not recommended for RTW trips.

Purchase the Grayl Water Purifier Bottle on Amazon or REI

2. the sawyer select s2 and s3.

• What it filters: Viruses, Protozoa, Chemicals, Pesticides
• What it doesn’t filter: Heavy metals
• Lifespan (in liters & days): 484 liters, 121 days at 4 liters of water per day

Purchase the Sawyer S2 on Amazon or at REI

• What it doesn’t filter: You’re covered for everything with the S3
• Lifespan (in liters & days): 242 liters, 60 days at 4 liters of water per day
• Recommended region & use: The S2 and S3 are capable of filtering water commonly available in urban centers and rural areas of the developing world.
• Replacement filter costs: Replacement filters not available
• Brand Reliability & reviews: Sawyer is renowned for great portable water filter options for the backcountry. Sawyer’s newest additions (the S2 and S3) perform the job of filtering out nasties very well.  Users have reported frustration on occasion with difficulty manually squeeze water through the filtration system and with an odd flavor for the first several uses of the system.  
• Bottom Line:

Purchase the Sawyer S3 on Amazon or REI

3. lifesaver liberty.

• Lifespan (in liters & days): 2000 liters, 500 days at 4 liters per day
• Replacement filter costs: $40
• What it filters: Viruses, Bacteria, Protozoa/Parasites
• What it doesn’t filter: Chemicals, Heavy Metals
• Recommended region & use: Suitable for everywhere – originally designed for disaster relief efforts
• Brand Reliability & reviews – What are other people saying?: Large and cumbersome (similar to a coffee thermos) but a suitable option for reliable water if you’ll be spending extended time in the bush.
• Bottom Line: This is the only filter water bottle with an inline pump, meaning you won’t have to suck the water through, just pump. Additionally, a detachable hose allows you to refill from streams but remove it and tuck it away while on the move.  The Liberty is the newest among our travel appropriate portable water purifier bottles…but that remains to be proven.

• Lifespan (in liters & days): 1500 liters, 375 days at 4 liters per day
• Replacement filter costs: Filter not replaceable
• What it filters: Bacteria and Protozoa/Parasites
• What it doesn’t filter: Some viruses
• Recommended region & use: Not for travel (see reviews)
• Brand Reliability & reviews – What are other people saying: Though this filter cleans water very well, sucking water through the straw is extremely taxing and not worth the work. This filter is more for a survival scenario as a last resort than adventurous travel situation where you to use it.  Additionally, there isn’t clear evidence on the manufacturers site of tests proving the filter can remove viruses.
• Bottom Line: Designed for survivalists and should be combined with chemical or UV purification for safety. Travelers should look elsewhere

Other Popular Portable Water Filter options, and why they’re inadequate (but still awesome)

The following portable water filters are beloved by their following but are inadequate for international travel as they do not filter out viruses. The Sawyer Mini, Lifestraw, MSR Trailshot, and Survivor Straw Filter all contain pore filter sizes too large to remove all viruses.   See how your favorite portable water filter pore size stacks up against common viruses

Average Virus Size:  0.004 to 0.1 microns

Common Viruses and Sizes:

Hepatitis A, 0.004 microns

Rotavirus, 0.004 microns

Norwalk, 0.004 microns

The Best Travel Water Filter Options and Filtration Capabilities

Sawyer mini.

• What it doesn’t filter: Vruses – Doesn’t filter Hepatitis A, Rotovirus and Norwalk virus
• Filter Pore Size: .1 Micron

The Sawyer Mini is available on Amazon and at REI

Msr trailshot.

• What it doesn’t filter: Viruses – Doesn’t filter Hepatitis A, Rotovirus and Norwalk virus
• Pore Size: .2 Microns

The MSR Trailshot is available on Amazon and at REI

Lifestraw ( lifestraw go , lifestraw universal , and original lifestraw ).

• Filter Pore Size: .2 Microns

Available on Amazon and REI

Survivor Straw Filter

• Pore Size: .05 microns

Ultimate List of the Best Portable Water Filters for Travel

Water Purifiers

• Water to Go Water Bottles (Classic, Active, and Go!) – https://watertogousa.com/
• Lifesaver 4000UF – https://iconlifesaver.com/product/lifesaver-bottle/?v=7516fd43adaa
• Grayl Geopress – https://grayl.com/products/24oz-geopress-filter-purifier-water-bottle-nature-edition
• Grayl Ultralight Water Purifer – https://grayl.com/products/16oz-ultralight-compact-filter-purifier-water-bottle
• Epic Water Filters – Ultimate Travel OG Water Bottle – https://www.epicwaterfilters.com/products/ultimate-travel-bottle-og
• Sawyer S1 Select Water Filter – https://www.sawyer.com/products/s1-select-water-filter
• Sawyer S3 Select Water Filter – https://www.sawyer.com/products/s3-select-water-filter
• OKO Original with Level 2 Filter – https://okoh2o.com/product/oko-original/
• Katadyn BeFree . 6L – https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/8019639-katadyn-befree-0.6-us~p10915

Ultraviolet Disinfection Options

• Waatr Crazy Cap – https://waatr.com/pages/crazycap
• Katadyn Steripen Ultralight – https://www.katadyn.com/us/us/72078-ULL-MP-EFG-UltraLight
• Katadyn Steirep Adventurer Opti – https://www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/ado-mp-efg-steripen-adventure-opti-uv-water-purifier~p6693

Water Filters (Do Not Remove Viruses)

• Lifestraw Go – https://lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-go-1l
• Lifestraw Go Stainless Steel – https://lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-go-steel
• Lifestraw – https://lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-go-1l
• Lifestraw Flex – https://lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-flex
• Lifestraw Universal – https://lifestraw.com/products/lifestraw-universal
• Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System – https://www.sawyer.com/products/mini-water-filtration-system
• Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System (Models SP129, SP131, SP137) – https://www.sawyer.com/products/squeeze-water-filtration-system
• Sawyer Bottle Water Filtration System – https://www.sawyer.com/products/bottle-water-filtration-system
• Aquapure Traveller Filtered Water Bottle for Travel – https://purehydration.com/products/aquapure-traveller
• Katadyn Vario Filter – https://www.katadyn.com/en/de/251-8014932-katadyn-vario-eu
• https://seychelle.helpscoutdocs.com/article/51-what-do-seychelle-products-reduce-from-tap-water
• Sawyer Personal Water Filter Bottle – https://www.sawyer.com/products/personal-water-filtration-bottle
• MSR MiniWorks EX Microfilter – https://www.msrgear.com/water-treatment/filters-and-purifiers/miniworks-ex-microfilter/56425.html
• NSF Guide to Water Filtration Standards 42, 53, 44, 55, etc. https://www.nsf.org/consumer-resources/articles/standards-water-treatment-systems

Recommended Water Bottles

• Klean Kanteen

Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Portable Water Filter for Travel Options

How do you filter water while traveling.

Water should be filtered using a portable travel filter with an absolute pore size smaller than the largest contaimant (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites) that you will face during your travels. Be sure to operate the filter according to manufacturer specific instructions based on its function as a gravity filter or pump/suction filter.

Which portable water filter is best?

The Grayl water bottle purifier is currently the best, safest, and most convenient water bottle purifier for travelers.

Do travel water filters work? How effective are portable filters?

Travel water filters fo work, however, each travel water filter is only as effective as its tested specifications at removing microbes of the declared absolute micron filtration size.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlos is a nomad, slow traveler, and writer dedicated to helping others live abroad and travel better by using his 7+ years of experience living abroad and background as a management consultant and financial advisor to help other nomad and expats plot better paths for an international lifestyle. Click here to learn more about Carlos's story.

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The Aquapure Traveller is a high performance personal water purification system that is designed for anyone who finds themselves needing to rely on potential dangerous water sources.

Now proven to reduce microbiological hazards AND over 100 harmful heavy metals, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals

The unique water purification bottle incorporates MAD (Mechanically Advanced Disinfection) technology that eliminates >99.9999% bacteria, 99.999% viruses, >99.99% larger pathogens. >99.9% of many chemicals, heavy metals, dirt and odour.

The Aquapure Traveller has many uses- not only for drinking water but also for brushing your teeth and rinsing your toothbrush to washing fruit or vegetables, cooking or using the water to make hot drinks- unlike many similar products it is squeezable, which means a stream of water can exit from the pop top allowing 500ml of safe water to be dispensed in less than 30 seconds!

The Aquapure Traveller uses NO chemicals and requires NO wait time. aquapure traveller will enable you to have access to safe, clean drinking water anywhere, anytime (NOT for use on sea/salt water*

~ Independently laboratory tested to EPA Microbiological Guide Standard & Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers in the UK and in USA

~ Independently laboratory tested to NSF ANSI 42 & 53. Chemicals & heavy metals testing

Ideal for walking, trekking, cycling, camping, fishing and outdoor sports. The easiest way to create safe drinking water, with a natural colour and without a taste or odour.

*Easy to use *Convenient and compact *Produces up to 350 litres of safe drinking water *No taste or odour *Kills bacteria and viruses

*Pathogens (including Giardia & Cryptosporidium) *Chemicals (including VOC’s, SOCs) *Heavy metals *Faecal matter *Bad tastes & odours

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Aqua Pure Traveller Filter Bottle

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The 6 Best Purifying Water Bottles for Travel

These six filters and purifiers are easy ways to make sure you stay healthy – and hydrated – while traveling.

By Mattie Schuler

Up until now, adventure travelers heading to places where water is questionable had few choices: bring a UV-light-equipped sterilizing pen, a hand-pump filter that takes time and energy  or chlorine- or iodine-based tablets that purify but take at least 30 minutes to work. Now, water bottle companies have gotten smart and are equipping bottles themselves with these technologies, conveniently combining drinking vessels and purifiers into one neat bundle. It’s time to ditch the single-use plastic water bottle for good.

Before packing for your next trip, search the Centers for Disease Control and Protection . Select whatever country you are visiting for specifics on contamination. For example, hepatitis A is a virus found in contaminated water in many countries in the developing world, but with specific water purifying systems (not just filtering), that virus can be removed. Do you need to protect just from bacteria or also from viruses? Some systems filter to remove protozoa (such as giardia), bacteria (e-coli, salmonella, cholera) and chemicals or pesticides; some systems filter and purify, which then eliminates viruses, like hepatitis A and rotavirus. Remember, many water systems filter out the chunky stuff like pebbles and grit, but not all purify against bacteria and viruses.

We tested six water bottles and their purifying systems in the backcountry to find out which we trusted most, how easy it was to filter, what the drinking experience was like, durability and, well, style points. Here are our favorites.

Purifiers + Filtering Systems

What these do : Guard against bacteria, protozoa, viruses, chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants. Also, filter out gunk and odor.

Best for : Central and South America, Africa, most of Asia and parts of Europe

Grayl Geopress

The Grayl Geopress is a do-it-all, versatile water purifier and filtration system in one, and the easiest to use and drink from of all the bottles we tested. It both filters and purifies with a cartridge at the bottom of the bottle to remove 99.99 percent of viruses, bacteria and protozoan cysts (which can cause infections), as well as filtering particulates, many chemicals, and heavy metals — all of which can make you sick.

Using the water bottle was easy — it works like a French Press where you press down on the inner container so the water from the outer container gets pushed through the purifying and filtering cartridge into a separate internal vessel. This took us eight seconds. Once it takes about 25 seconds (around 350 uses), it’s time for a new filter . We found we had to use our whole body weight to press down the system, but that wasn’t a big issue. In fact, the press system easier to sip from than those that use a filtering straw. The clean water came out tasting slightly better and was less foggy than the original source. We liked the large carrying handle for holding or clipping onto our pack with a carabiner and the grippy bottom.

Volume: 24 ounces Tech specs: electroadsorption (ion exchange, ultra-powdered activated carbon and silver treated zeolites) Weight/size: 15.9 ounces; 10.4 inches high with a 3.4-inch diameter

Sawyer Select Filter S2 and S3

The S2 and S3 Sawyer Select Filters are take some getting used to. The soft silicone bottle uses a foam membrane combined with a hollow fiber filter at the top. Squeeze the full bottle for ten seconds to move the water through the system and then you can drink. Filling the bottle, though, took longer than we wanted, as the water has to soak into the foam membrane. From there, the flow of the water from the bottle to mouth was painfully slow, though you could squeeze the water into another vessel fairly easily. Overall, the entire system was cumbersome to both drink and pack, at about a little over a foot long (they recommend not storing it compressed). The S2 system will last for 800 uses and removes viruses, bacteria, protozoa, chemicals, pesticides and general gunk while the S3 system offers 400 uses and removes everything above plus heavy metals.

Volume: 20 ounces Tech specs: Foam Adsorption Technology (a dense, large foam membrane with activated carbon) combined with a hollow fiber filter Weight/size: 10 ounces; 14 inches

Epic Water Filters, The Answer | Nalgene

The best part about the filter from Epic Water Filters is that you can use it with a water bottle you already have, like a Nalgene or a Hydro Flask . You just have to buy the right filter for the water bottle you own. In The Outdoor Answer Kit for Nalgene, you get a filter and straw, plus two lids (one easy-flip sports lid and one locking, dust-cover lid with a button) that fits a wide mouth, 32-ounce Nalgene bottle. Once you fill your water bottle up, place the straw-and-filter lid back on and drink from there. This system did take some muscle to get the water flowing through the filter and straw, unlike the Grayl. The outdoor filter uses nanofibers and electroabsorption to help remove 99.99 percent of viruses, bacteria, giardia, cryptosporidium, as well as lead, chlorine, arsenic and other heavy metals or pollutants. Epic Water Filters also has a filter specifically for urban settings with tap water, which filters heavy metals and pollutants, but not viruses and bacteria. The average filter life is three to four months.

Volume: 32 ounces Tech specs: activated carbon coconut filter

Filter Only

What these do:  filter against protozoa and bacteria, but won’t help purify water against viruses.

Best for : outdoors in North America, general tap water in the U.S. and other non-developing countries and any place where the water is safe to drink, but might be smelly or cloudy

Katadyn BeFree

Extremely lightweight (just two ounces), the Katadyn BeFree is made from a collapsible material, so it can be rolled up to a tiny size. And, it’s extremely easy to use. Unscrew, fill with water and then drink the water through the EZ-Clean Membrane hollow fiber filter and sports cap. Drinking water through this filter isn’t as difficult as others because you can squeeze the water bottle to move the water through the filter (or squeeze the water directly into another vessel for cooking and cleaning). The EZ-Clean Membrane filter is effective against microorganisms such as bacteria, protozoa, and sediment, but does not protect against viruses.

One benefit of this filter is that it is easy to clean. You simply swish the filter in water or shake the bottle to remove any build-up and debris, unlike the LifeStraw and Sawyer, which need the backwashing syringe for cleaning. This system is perfect for for a quick filter before boiling water for camp cooking. Without a carbon filter to help with taste and odor, water from the BeFree was clean and clear, but still tasted slightly off when drinking from a stream or lake.

Volume: .6 liters, 1 and 3 liter bladders Tech specs: Hollow fiber filter 0.1 micron Weight/size: 2 ounces, 10 inches by 3 inches

WaterWell Foldable Squeeze Travel Water Bottle

The Foldable Squeeze Travel Water Bottle  filters out 99.9 percent of bacteria, parasites and cysts (not viruses). The filter, which can be replaced, uses a two-stage ultrafiltration system in the straw, which is good for up to 1000 liters of water and is easy to sip through with a good flow of water. Plus, the flexible walls make it easy to squeeze filtered water out into another bottle. With the travel system, you get two squeeze bags for extra carrying capacity and a protective soft outside cover to reduce punctures. The attached cap seems slightly flimsy, and if it breaks, you’ll be stuck with a cap-less water bottle. But, we did like that the water tasted better than competitors’ due to the activated carbon.

Volume: 16.9 ounces Tech specs: Two-stage ultrafiltration membrane with a hollow fiber filter and granular activated carbon Weight/size: 2.9 ounces

LifeStraw Flex with Soft Bottle

Flexible bottles are ideal for space saving issues and to easily transport water from one vessel to another. With the LifeStraw Flex , you get a soft bottle and a built-in filter in the straw to filter heavy metals, bacteria, parasites, microplastics and pesticides for 500 gallons of water. The carbon filter helped with better tasting and smelling water, unlike the Katadyn BeFree, which doesn’t have any activated carbon to eliminate odors. Although you are sucking up water through the straw with the built-in filter, it is easier to drink from because it’s simple to squeeze. A warning to users: the mouthpiece is extremely small. Another downside is that once the water level is below the straw’s length, it is really tricky to get any water out, which means of the 22 ounces, you aren’t able to drink that much at all. Since the straw’s almost half as long as the flexible bottle, you aren’t able to squeeze or roll the entire system up like the Katadyn BeFree. On the plus side, you can also use the filter with other vessels, as it can screw onto a regular-sized plastic water bottle, can be used simply as a straw or can work in-line with your hydration bladder.

Volume: 22 ounces Tech specs: Hollow fiber micro-filtration membrane (0.2 microns) paired with a carbon fiber filter Weight/size: 3.15 ounces

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here .

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The Pure Hydration AquaPure Traveller Filter Walk and filter at the same time!

With the Pure Hydration AquaPure Traveller you can collect and drink water when it has been safely filtered. The AquaPure comes with a filter that is screwed on the top of the bottle. When it gets to the end of its useful life, it can easily be replaced. You never have to worry about needing to throw away the bottle.

As with other modern filters, no chemicals are required to remove any viruses or debris. This system creates water that is so safe to drink it has approval from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

To use it just remove the filter cap, collect the water and drink it through the filter cap. You can get approximately 350 litres of water filtered which is a bit less than other filter bottles. It is still plenty for several treks and outdoor adventures.

Easy to use, it does not rely on batteries, pumps or pipes. If you need to collect lots of water and filter it, you are limited to the small size of the bottle. But, if you need something that lets you collect water as you hike and filter it, this is the perfect item to have safe drinking water at the ready.

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Filter Water bottles – Which is best for bikepacking

I used the Aquapure bottles on my five months travelling by bike towards India, while I have been using the water to go bottle since as a comparison.

Water to Go

Firstly I will discuss the Water to Go bottle which I have been using as a handy water source while cycling in Scotland. Scotland has an abundance of fresh looking water, some is very clean to drink but more is tainted by livestock. This clear flowing water that hides bacteria and other nastys is ideal for using this bottle.

My main source has been small streams in the tweed valley while mountain biking. Last week in Innerleithen I stopped halfway up a climb, enjoyed a quick stream sourced cold drink before setting off, ten metres upstream lay the decaying carcass of a unrecognizable sheep body. It made my stomach wretch to think I had just drunk water here and wondered if I could trust the Water to Go bottle? Well I didn’t get sick, so I guess the filter does what it says!

Build Quality of Water to Go The bottle is a rigid plastic design, free from nasty BPA chemicals. It has a folding spout for drinking that keeps out of the way when folded down, although the spout isn’t totally covered so can still get dirty which is a shame. The filter is attached just inside the lid and is a matchbox sized concertina of material. It isn’t super robust, I twisted it and folded a bit when re-attaching so take care. Subsequent design look to have addressed this vulnerability.

In use the flow rate is remarkably good. Rather than squeezing the bottle it its gravity and your sucking that draws the water out at a surprisingly similar rate to a normal bottle. There is a one-way valve to let air in which makes a spectacular squeaky noise but does its job of maintaining a steady water flow. This one way valve is a useful addition over the Aquapure bottle. The seals seem good with no leakage issues if tightly screwed down. However the spout doesn’t seal when closed, meaning water can still trickle out sideways – so always store upright. The build quality seems good so far with no issues other than the filter being a little fragile.

Filter Claims Water to Go The bottle is backed up by claims of filtering 99% bacteria and viruses and also chemicals like Chlorine and heavy metals too. It really means you can drink from anywhere. Viruses and small stuff are filtered by the active nano technology which is the super clever bit, I think they quote NASA on the webesite too. It claims a few more chemicals filtered over the Aquapure but the essentials are all covered by both. It’s hard to say if simply not getting sick is a positive result but that’s all I can go on so far with this bottle.

The Aquapure bottles

Keen followers of WeLoveMountains will know I took the Aquapure bottles with me cycling from the UK to Kazakhstan then Nepal and India. They were used daily for at least four months, a thorough test in a tough environment. In Nepal the bottled water quality was tested in a study and found that 6 out of ten bought bottles contained faecal bacteria and 9 out of ten were contaminated in some way! We discovered this after chatting to some Canadians and we subsequently filtered all water! The Himalayan streams provided the freshest cleanest water around, but who knows what the Kathmandu water contained – in most hotels the sinks and toilets were stained brown from the constant brown tainted tap water that dripped!

Build Quality and design The Aqua pure water bottles are soft plastic, highly robust and squeezable in a standard sports bottle style. After four months only the logos wore off, nothing else broke or wore out. Flow rate did decrease with usage though. They are designed in a well thought out ergonomic shape to help squeeze the bottle, as this is essentially how the water is forced through the filter. It is at a noticeably slower flow rate than the water to go bottle, and without the one way air valve you have to squeeze the bottle until it’s fully compressed, then stop drinking to let it refill with air before squeezing to drink again. So its a fair bit slower than Water to Go.

The spout is a standard push and pull like all cycling bottles so seals well but doesn’t fold away so was susceptible to getting contaminated easily, but this design is easier to drink on the bike. Pros and cons! A cao over the top would be useful though.

Filter Claims Aquapure Comparable claims to Water to Go but maybe claims less chemicals filtered, both are certified by Tropical medicine council, which shows they stand up to testing and do the essentials for good health like bacteria and virus. Check out the website for specifics.

The price is about £25 each if you shop around for the Aquapure traveller, so much the same and filter life is claimed to be similar, so where is there a difference?

For me if I need to grab one for a days riding I grab the Water to Go which is probably telling.

It is the faster flow rate that wins for me, it is quicker and easier to drink. It also seems to not lose flow rate so quickly after the filter gets older too. The folding spout stays slightly cleaner, but not as clean as it would be if either had a cover though!

The Aqua Pure has a slightly more robust filter design but has one other main redeeming feature: by squeezing the flexy bottle you can filter water into a separate container. I often (slowly) filled up 2 litre bottles to drink later while cycle touring, as water was not always available. You can’t do that with the Water to Go very easily, so on longer tours where robustness is needed and water is sparse maybe I would stick with the Aquapure.

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