We all know that not all water is safe for drinking. So if you’re planning a vacation, a reliable water filter can significantly affect your health and well-being. Whether it’s a trip into the wilderness or to a city or country with questionable tap water, having a portable travel water filter is essential. It keeps you safe from the risks of drinking contaminated water and saves you the money you could have otherwise spent on bottled water.
This article looks at the top-rated travel water filters you should consider while packing for your vacation. We have carefully selected these filters based on their ease of use, durability, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. Our list includes various options since travelers have unique needs and preferences.
Top 10 Travel Water Filters
Picking the best travel water filter can be grueling due to the many options in the market. We have done the legwork for you and came up with the following:
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
LifeStraw is a famous brand in portable water filtration and has been around for almost a decade. Their products meet or exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EP) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) set standards. The LifeStraw Personal Water Filter is a straw-like filter that allows you to drink water straight from lakes, rivers, or other water sources. It can remove bacteria, parasites, and microplastics.
The LifeStraw Personal Water Filter hollow fiber membrane (0.2 microns) removes 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of microplastics. It also reduces turbidity levels. It has a filtration capacity of 1,000 gallons (4,000 liters), ensuring safe drinking water during your vacation. The filter’s lightweight and compact design allows you to fit it into your backpack, meaning you can take it anywhere.
Specifications
- Filter type: Hollow fiber (Straw)
- Weight: 1.62 oz (0.10 lbs)
- Length:9’’ x 1.20’’
- Flow Rate: 3 liters/min
- Lifespan: 1,000 gallons (4,000 liters)/over five years
- Removes: Bacteria, parasites, microplastics, and turbidity (silt, sand, and cloudiness)
Sawyer Mini Water Filter
The Sawyer Mini Water Filter is excellent for hiking, camping, international travel, and emergencies. You can also use it in your home if you suspect your water is unsafe. The filter uses a 0.1-micron absolute filtration, removing bacteria, protozoa, and microplastics.
A Sawyer Mini Water Filter uses a cluster of micro-fibrous tubes which acts like a magnet to attract and trap harmful bacteria and protozoa. The filter has a long lifespan, allowing you to filter 100,000 gallons of water. This makes it an excellent choice if you travel frequently.
With this filter, the power is in your hands as it offers different ways to use it. You can screw it onto a standard water bottle, attach it to the drinking pouch, connect it to a hydration pack tubing, or use the straw for drinking directly from a water source.
Specifications
- Filter type: Micro Squeeze Filter (Straw-like)
- Weight: 1.4 oz
- Length:1.35 inches
- Width: 1.35 inches
- Lifespan: 100,000 gallons
- Removes: Bacteria, Protozoa, and microplastics
GRAYL UltraPress Water Purifier 16.9 oz
If you’re planning to go on vacation in a place where waterborne viruses are a concern, the GRAYL UltraPress Water Purifier is a great choice. This filter stands out for its unique press design and multi-stage filtration process, allowing clean drinking water in just 8 seconds.
A GRAYL UltraPress Water Purifier (16.9 oz.) works like a French press; fill the outer container with water and press the inner container down. The purifying media has up to 300 cycles (40 gallons / 150L) and 10 years of shell life (unopened cartridge)
This filter meets NSF/ANSI protocols 42 and 53 and is tested and certified to remove Waterborne pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and protozoan cysts). It also filters particulates, chemicals, flavors, and odors.
Specifications
- Filter type: Electroabsorption, ultra-powdered activated carbon
- Weight: 12.5 oz (354 g)
- Height: 9.75″ (24.77 cm)
- Diameter: 2.95” (7.5 cm)
- Flow rate: 10 seconds per 16.9 fl oz (3 liters/minute)
- Lifespan: 300 presses (150L/40 gal)
- Removes: Bacteria, Protozoa, and viruses
SurviMate 0.01μm Ultra-Filtration Filtered Water Bottle
The SurviMate 0.01μm Ultra-Filtration Filtered Water Bottle is a 4-stage travel water filter that doubles as a water bottle. It has a coarse filter screen, a sediment PP membrane, a 0.01μm hollow fiber UF membrane, and activated carbon fiber. The filter can remove bacteria, including giardia, reduce chlorine and bad odor, and intercept sediments, heavy metals, and organic matter, among other contaminants. The bottle is made of food-grade material and has a capacity of 650 ml. It also comes with a replaceable filter lasting up to 1500 liters (396 gallons) of water.
The SurviMate 0.01μm Ultra-Filtration Filtered Water Bottle has an inbuilt compass, which is handy when identifying direction.
Specifications
- Filter type: course, sediment, hollow fiber, activated carbon
- Weight: 0.63 Pounds
- Size: 3.14 x 3.14 x 9.45 inches
- Lifespan: 1,500 liters (396 gallons)
- Removes: Bacteria, sediment, odor, suspended solids, microplastics, and contaminants larger than 0.01 microns
Survivor Filter Pro Water Purification System
The Survivor Filter Pro Water Purification System is a three-stage water filter with an ultrafilter pre-filter, carbon filter, and an internal ultrafilter. This filter has 0.01-micron protection, effectively removing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It can also reduce most heavy metals and improve the taste of your water. This filter is easy to use, with a hand pump that allows you to filter water on the go. You can filter your water directly into a cup or bottle, making it a perfect choice for family vacations, backpacking, and camping.
The lifespan of the pre-filter and internal filter is 100,000 liters and 2,000 liters for the carbon filter.
Specifications
- Filter type: Ultra/carbon filter (Pump based)
- Weight: 12.8 oz
- Size: 3.2 x 2 x 6.5″
- Flow rate: 500ml (17oz) per minute
- Lifespan: 100,000 liters (pre-filter and internal filter), 2,000 liters (carbon filter)
- Removes: Bacteria, viruses, and parasites
Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System
The Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System is an efficient and hands-free filtration system perfect for groups or those who need to filter large amounts of water. This gravity-fed filter uses hollow fiber filters to eliminate bacteria and protozoa, including giardia, E. coli, salmonella, and cholera. It comes with a replaceable cartridge that filters 1,500 gallons and up to 1.75 liters/minute. The Platypus Gravity Water Filter is lightweight and easy to pack. It’s available in two capacities: 4.0L and 6.0L.
Specifications
- Filter type: Hollow fiber (Gravity-based)
- Weight: 11.5 oz / 326 g
- Size: 3.25 x 9.5 inches
- Flow Rate: 1.75 liters per minute
- Lifespan: 1,500 gallons
- Removes: Bacteria and protozoa
LifeStraw GO Series 22 OZ
The LifeStraw GO Series 22 OZ BPA-free water filter bottle uses 0.2 microns of hollow fiber and activated carbon to remove bacteria, parasites, microplastic, dirt, sand, and cloudiness. The ultrafilter membrane has a lifespan of up to 1,000 gallons (4,000 L), while the carbon filter longevity is 26 gallons (100 L).
The bottle capacity is 650 ml, but LifeStraw GO Series 1 liter is also available. With every 1 liter you drink from LifeStraw Go, you save the world from 2 plastic water bottles. The LifeStraw GO Series 22 OZ meets US EPA & NSF P231 and NSF 42 standards.
Specifications
- Filter type: Hollow fiber/Activated carbon
- Weight: 247g
- Height: 28cm
- Lifespan: 1,000 gallons | 4,000 L (microfilter), 26 gallons | 100 L (carbon filter)
- Removes: Bacteria, parasites, microplastic, dirt, sand, and cloudiness
Brita Premium Filtered Water Bottle 26 oz
The Brita Premium Filtered Water Bottle 26 oz features a carbon-activated filter that reduces particulates and chlorine taste and odor. This filter has a capacity of 40 gallons (approximately two months). The leakproof flip-flop lid and straw-like feature make sipping water from the bottle easy. Its sleek design and features make it perfect for city trips and destinations with access to tap water.
Specifications
- Filter type: Activated carbon (Straw)
- Weight: 0.48 lbs.
- Size: 10.55 x 4.06 x 4.17 inches:
- Lifespan: 40 gallons
- Removes: Particulates and chlorine taste and odor
Membrane Solutions Straw Water Filter
The Membrane Solutions Straw Water Filter is a 4-stage straw-like travel water filter with a capacity of 5,000 liters. It combines a coarse filter screen, coconut shell activated carbon, hollow fiber, and pp cotton fiber, effectively removing harmful contaminants.
This filter removes 99.99% of coliforms and harmful substances such as odor, chlorine, and organic chemicals. It also improves the taste of your drinking water.
Specifications
- Filter type: Ultrafiltration, Activated Carbon
- Weight: 3.2 Ounces
- Size: 1.57 x 1.57 x 8.66 inches
- Flow rate: 500ml/min
- Lifespan: 5,000 liters
- Removes: Coliform, odor, chlorine, and organic chemicals
Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System 1L
The Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System 1L is a lightweight, easy-to-use, fast water filter. Its collapsible feature makes it easy to fit in tight spaces such as purses, short pockets, jacket pockets, and backpacks. The total capacity output for this filter is 1,000 liters with a flow rate of 2L/min. Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System 1L has a 0.1-micron fiber that removes bacteria, cysts, and sediment. The filter surpasses EPA standards.
Specifications
- Filter type: Hollow fiber (Softflask)
- Weight: 63g
- Size: 265 x 65 x 80 mm
- Flow rate: 2L/min
- Lifespan: 1,000 liters
- Removes: bacteria, cysts, and sediment
Improve Your Water Quality With ONIT Home
We hope you’ll find this article helpful and pick a travel bottle from our recommendations. It’s a smart idea to arm yourself with a travel water filter during your vacation, especially if you don’t know the water type of the place you’re visiting. If you’re looking for home filtration systems, ONIT Home is well-versed in water filters. We provide reverse osmosis, Ultraviolet filters (UV), and water softeners. We can also help you design a whole home water filtration system unique to your water needs.
For more information, call us at 1-833-433-0331 to speak to our dedicated representative. Need clean water? We’re ONIT.