Best Filtered Water Bottle for Travel 2023 Guide - WatertoGo vs Lifestraw

At some point in an explorer’s life, you are going to experience a location or a situation where you are unable to access clean and safe drinking water. It is an unfortunate reality for a shocking number of people in the world, however, there is a huge change happening with the support of a growing number of companies and charities throughout the globe. The best part is, by simply continuing on your own adventures and investing in a filter water bottle for travel, you are able to support these charities and movements with the work that they do.

This guide reviews two of the very best filtered water bottles for travel, looking at how they work, their reliability, function and lifespan. We also discuss how the companies that produce them work to create change in the world, and how you can support them.

Pick up your Water-to-Go bottle over here.

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WatertoGo v’s Lifestraw – Best Filtered Water Bottle for Travel

One of the best arguments for using a filter water bottle for travel is the resulting reduction in single-use plastic you can create. Bottled water is a huge contributor to waste, landfill and ocean plastic, especially in countries with no accessible drinking water. More than 60million plastic bottles are used a year in the US alone. That equates to about 19 bottles every second! Now imagine how many bottles are being thrown away all over the world. It is simply not sustainable.

When it comes to using a filtered water bottle in countries where the drinking water is deemed unsafe, there is an understandable level of skepticism. Drinking harmful water can have serious consequences such as viral infections and parasites. Rest assured that having sampled both of the discussed water bottles in countries where the water is not safe to drink, we are still here to tell the tale, having used only the filter to protect us. The reliability is in the science!

In this post, we will be going into detail about two leading filter water bottle manufacturers, Lifestraw and WatertoGo filtered water bottles for travel, both of whom provide a sustainable travel option to single-use plastic water bottles.

Also Read – On-the-Go Plastic Consumption: How Can We Reduce It?

Lifestraw Go Water Filter Bottles

From the parent company of Vestergaard, comes the water filtration technology of Lifestraw. Working around the world to bring clean drinking water to local communities, Lifestraw work to provide humanitarian aid to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

There are a wide range of products available from Lifestraw, ranging from single straws to full filtration systems, all perfect for on the go water filtration. The product we are focusing on is the Lifestraw Go bottle, a reasonably priced and very practical alternative to single-use plastic water bottles.

How it Works

Using 2-stage filtration technology consisting of a hollow-fibre microfilter, the Lifestraw Go bottle effectively removes 99.99% of bacteria, parasites, and micro-plastics. The activated carbon filter also works to remove chemicals like Chlorine and other bad tastes and odours.

Unfortunately, the filter on this bottle does not remove smaller entities such as viruses.

The filter comes as a removable entity, meaning you can still use the bottle as a refillable water bottle when there is safe drinking water available.

Specifications

Cost

The Lifestraw Go bottle costs (at the time of writing) around £30GBP. The replaceable filters cost £8GBP for two carbon filters or £20GBP for the 2-stage filter.

Lifetime

The hollow-fibre membrane of the Lifestraw Go bottle lasts for 1000 litres of water, or roughly 6 months of travel. The carbon filter lasts 100L, or one month, however, this feature is not imperative for safe drinking water as it namely just removes bad taste.

Size

The BPA-free bottle comes in a 650mL volume. It also comes with a handy carabiner clip to attach to the outside of your bag for easy access.

Delivery

Delivery from the Lifestraw website is only available on the US mainland, however, there are a number of retailers around the world that deliver worldwide.

Shop for your own Lifestraw product right here.

How Lifestraw Make a Difference

Every product that you purchase from Lifestraw goes towards providing a school child safe drinking water for a year. Lifestraw is also active in responding to global emergencies by providing safe drinking water to disaster-stricken areas around the world.

Overall Review

We used the Lifestraw Go bottles all throughout our European adventure, making use of the filter in situations where there was no access to safe drinking water, such as on trains or on hikes. We loved the aesthetic and functionality of the bottle, as we were able to attach it to the outside of our bag for easy access. However, the nozzle of the bottle is prone to leakage as the seal wears down over time.

The lack of treatment for viruses by the filter means it is not your All-in-One drinking water source, however, for areas that are not troubled with viral contamination these bottles are perfect. There is also no information on the Lifestraw products about the recyclability of the used filters.

WatertoGo Water Filter Bottles

Water to Go is a European company that aim to reduce the environmental damage caused by the plastic water bottle crisis we are in. As well as saving on plastic consumption, over time consumers will save a lot of money from this one time purchase as well as protecting their bodies from harmful water.

WatertoGo’s vision is to simultaneously provide the entire world with safe and accessible drinking water, whilst also reducing the unsustainable amount of single-use plastic that we rely on throughout the world.

Although the WatertoGo range is still only small, the products they feature are hugely useful for water filtration on the go. They produce two sizes of water bottles and use one type of replaceable filter.