Best filtered water bottles for 2021 to remove bacteria, sediment and more – CNET [CNET]

Access to clean drinking water is critical when you’re surrounded by nature — whether that be because you’re taking a short hike or going on an extensive backpacking tour of the wilderness. Avid outdoors enthusiasts are already well aware of this fact, and a good filtered water bottle for clean water is an essential piece of their adventure gear. It’s also important because toting gallons of purified bottled water is heavy, expensive and an environmental plague. Frankly, it isn’t even an option.

While many sources of groundwater and tap water are perfectly safe, it’s never worth the risk to drink from a water source you’re just not certain about. Even if a water source looks clean, it could be nonpotable water contaminated with viruses, bacteria, protozoa or other microorganisms invisible to the human eye. If you’ve ever been sick from drinking water, you know that waterborne bacteria are no joke. And despite the Safe Drinking Water Act, tap water can still contain contaminants such as lead, chlorine, arsenic, pesticides and even particles from malfunctioning wastewater treatment. Instead, why not consider giving a water filter bottle a spin?

Some reasons you may want to say goodbye to using a plastic water bottle or disposable water bottles and invest in a filtered water bottle to keep you hydrated:

• You’re unsure about your tap water 
• You travel to other states and countries where you don’t know about water practices and it might contain harmful contaminants
• You go hiking, backpacking or on other outdoor adventures
• You prefer bottled water but want to reduce your plastic waste

To that end, I tested six filtered water bottles to find the best filtered water bottle you can trust to provide you with clean, safe water, indoors or out.

How I tested these filtered water bottles

For the sake of safe drinking water, two friends and I ventured out to a freshwater source in Southern California. We were lucky to find a tiny trickle of a waterfall in the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa Wilderness area in the Santa Monica Mountains, which culminated in a series of four tiny pools of water. Of the four water holes, we settled on testing the bottles in the one that looked the least stagnant (and had the fewest bugs and tadpoles).

The day before the hike, I cleaned and prepped each water filtration bottle on my list according to their instructions. I filled each bottle from the same water hole and tasted the water from each bottle on site. I then drank from the bottles one by one and poured some water from each to see how clean it looked. I was ready to drink gallons of water if need be, and keep drinking until I found the best reusable water bottle.

How I rated these filtered water bottles

I considered five important criteria when using each reusable water bottle: filtering and filter capacity, materials, taste, ease of use and cleanup. These are all factors you should consider when looking for a filtered water bottle — you’ll want to purchase one that suits the activity you plan to use it for.

For instance, if I was looking for a filtered bottle to take backpacking, I wouldn’t choose the Brita. I also wouldn’t invest in the Grayl Geopress if I only needed a bottle for tap water.

Filtering: What filtering mechanism was used and how well did the bottle filter harmful contaminants, bacteria and viruses, and other unpleasantries out of the presumably non-potable water? Did the water bottle filters leave any particles in the water after filtering? Water “after filtering” means the water that comes out of the drinking spout or filter straw. Are there replacement filters?

Materials: What is the bottle made of? Stainless steel or plastic? If plastic, is it a BPA-free bottle? How durable is the bottle?

Taste: This one’s pretty obvious. How did the water taste? Specifically, were there any remnants of mineral odor or chemical tastes such as a chlorine taste?

Ease of use: Was the bottle easy to prep and put together? Was it easy to get water into the bottle? How was the flow rate?

Cleanup: After use, what are you supposed to do with the bottle? How easy is it to clean the bottle and make sure it’s ready for your next adventure?

Not recommended

Originally published last year and updated periodically.

More green coverage at CNET

• The best water bottles in 2021 that’ll make you want to drink more water
• The best indoor garden for every type of gardener in 2021
• Go greener with these cool eco-friendly products in 2021
• Best shower filters for 2021
• The best self-cleaning water bottles for tastier tap water in 2021
• LifeFuels is the Keurig of water bottles and it tracks how much you drink
• The best water filter pitchers to buy for 2021
• Best air purifiers for 2021
• Essential camp cooking gear makes the great outdoors delicious
• Best RV rental companies in 2021