14 Best Filtered Water Bottles, Pumps and Cartridge Filters of 2021

Everyone from the extreme adventurer to the international traveler or work-from-home mom is concerned about their drinking water. People are increasingly worried about better flavors, less smell, and, of course, safety because they want to be healthier and filled with more energy. The best filters out there will remove pathogens, sediment, minerals, lead, chemicals, and so on. Below, we’ve gathered the best filtered water bottles and cartridge filters for clean, safe drinking water no matter where you travel or work.

Top Picks

• Best Filtered Water Bottles for Road Trips and Day Hikes: LifeStraw GO. A 2-stage integrated filter straw centers this trendy and practical filtered water bottle.
• Take it Abroad Pick: Grayl Geopress Purifier Bottle. The best filtered water bottle for viruses, bacteria and protozoa, also removes microplastics, chemicals and heavy metals.
• Best Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottles: Brita. Brita is a household name for filtered water, and now it can go with you with this stylish bottle.
• Best Sturdy Bottle for Your Survival Bag: Alexapure Go Water Filtration Bottle. Alexapure make all kinds of filtration systems, and they’ve figured out how to make their technology available in the palm of your hand.
• Best Filtered Water Bottles for Tap Water: DYLN. The perfect way to alkalinize tap water, DYLN’s filtered water bottle is available in many sizes and colors.
• Best Filtered Water Bottles for At Work: Hydros Water Bottle with Filter. Simple design, but a great way to keep fresh water on your desk all day.
• Best Reusable Filtered Water Bottles Made in the USA: Clearly Filtered. A glass water bottle surrounded by a silicone sleeve, makes Clearly Filtered one of our most sustainable options.
• Best UV Filtered Water Bottle: LARQ Bottle Movement PureVis. UV-C LED lights filter water and self clean the bottle between uses. Wow. Color us impressed.

In-Depth Look: Best Filtered Water Bottles

Here’s ecokarma’s in-depth look at the best-filtered water bottles and filters on the market for almost any need or purpose.

Scroll down for options, including filtered bottles for backcountry or survival adventures, sitting at your desk, or just a walk at your park. We’ve narrowed down the 14 most functional and water bottle filters and cartridges to suit just about any need you’ve got.

1. LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle

Best Filtered Water Bottles for Road Trips and Day Hikes

LifeStraw: Small Steps for Big Impact | Size of Bottle: 22 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes

LifeStraw GO is a plastic bottle, making it an ideal option for airline travel or survival adventures. The filter protects against 99.999999% of bacteria, 99.999% of parasites and microplastics, including chlorine and other chemical matter. Customers have used the filter to gather water from natural water resources on various travel excursions.

Every time you purchase LifeStraw, their LifeStraw® Carbon for Water campaign “uses carbon financing to provide 4 million people in Kenya with sustainable access to safe drinking water.”

2. Grayl Geopress Purifier Bottle

Travel Abroad “Take it to Mexico” Pick

Grayl: Get Prepared | Size of Bottle: 24 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes

You get 24 ounces of safe drinking water in 8 seconds, and a cartridge lifespan of 350 cycles. The filter can remove 99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.9% of protozoan cysts, including Giardia, Norovirus, and more.

Grayl is a member of the 1% for the Planet Foundation, giving 1% towards preservation and restoration for our environment. They also donate and support The Conservation Alliance, All Hands and Hearts, Access to Clean Water, Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, and Washington Wild.

3. Brita Double-Wall Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle

Best Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottles

Brita®: Great Water, Great Mission | Size of Bottle: 20 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes | Warranty: 30-Day Money Back + 1-year

Brita’s stainless steel bottles are double-wall insulated and come with a filter you’ll need to replace every two months or sooner, depending on your water intake. The filter is excellent for eliminating chlorine and other contaminants in tap water. 

The bottle has a leak-proof lid and built-in straw. Weighing 1lb (without water), it’s not ideal for those with strength or other physical limitations.

By partnering with TerraCycle, Brita supports recycling programs. Sign up for My Brita™ Members, and they’ll help you send in empty, used products – with a free shipping label.

4. Alexapure Go Water Filtration Bottle

Best Sturdy Bottle for Your Survival Bag

Alexapure: Passionately Innovated. Pioneered for Perfection. | Size of Bottle: 35 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes | Warranty: 45-day, Unopened Materials

The Alexapure stainless steel bottle is super lightweight, coming in at .4lbs, and can hold 35 ounces of water. It can purify up to 300 gallons of water per single filter. The company recommends that you rinse the filter before its first use to avoid bad tastes.

Alexapure also uses third-party verification standards to exceed NSF/ANSI Standards 42 (taste and color) and 53 (health-related). Click this link for the science behind the words.

5. DYLN Wide Mouth Alkaline Water Bottle

Best Alkaline Water Pick

DYLN: Superior Water. Superior Design. | Size of Bottle: 32 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes

The DYLN design is ergonomic for ease in carrying, has double-walled vacuum insulation to keep your cold drinks cold. It’s also spill-proof, comes with a flexible straw on the cap, and a durable, dent-resistant design.

With an alkaline water filter and surgical steel liner, it’s great for filtering tap water. It should also last for three months or 300 liters.

6. Hydros Filter Bottle

Best Water Bottle for At-Your Desk

Hydros: We believe in simplifying without sacrificing. | Size of Bottle: 20 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes | Warranty: 30-day Happiness Guarantee

With a simple design, you’re going to wonder if this little water bottle really can take you from the gym or soccer practice to the PCT? It does reduce 90% of chlorine and 99% of Particulate Class 1 Sediments, so maybe that depends on how far you’re hiking. Either way, it’s a great, functional at-your-desk water bottle no matter where you work.

But! Hydros supports frontline workers, providing meals, hotels, mental health counseling, and “free high-quality, safe, and nurturing care for the children.” That means the $20 you spend on a bottle comes back full circle, and that’s a good deal. 

7. Clearly Filtered Glass Water Bottle

Best Built in the USA Pick

Clearly Filtered Glass Filtered Water Bottle: Advanced Filters that Set a New Standard | Size of Bottle: 20 ounces | BPA-Free: Yes | Bone Char-Free: Yes | Activated Alumina-Free: Yes | Warranty: 30-day

Clearly Filtered uses something they call Affinity® Filtration Technology, removing 99.7% of 232+ chemicals, metals, and other contaminants. They use a third-party verification standard that’s EPA-approved, continuously testing to meet and exceed standards. 

8. LARQ UV Filter Water Bottle

Best Reusable UV Filter Pick

LARQ Bottle Movement PureVis™: 60 Seconds to Pure Water | Size of Bottle: 17 ounces | Battery Life: 1 Month | BPA-Free and Plastic-Free: Yes | Mercury-Free: Yes | Warranty: 12-month

If the idea of tossing plastic filters into the trash has you scratching your head about how dutiful we are to sustainability in this blog, then this option will work for you! LARQ bottles eradicate 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses using UV lights. 

A rechargeable lithium battery uses science and LED technology to clean your water. So, there are no replacement filters! But can you recycle lithium batteries? YES!

Best Water Filter Bags and Hand Pumps for Remote Travel and Expeditions

Here are some bonus picks rounded up for your extreme destinations.

9. Katadyn Pocket Microfilter

Top Pick: Best Extreme Water Purifiers for Expeditions

Katadyn: Making Water Drinking Water. | Our Favorite For: Best Warranty and Lifecycle Pick | Weight: 19oz | Cartridge Life: 50,000 Liters | Warranty: 20 Years

Military, emergency professionals, health organizations, and extreme adventurers alike have trusted Swiss-made products from Katadyn since 1928. To use it, you’ll submerge the input hose into the water source you want to clean. Next, you’ll place the output hose into your water bottle. Then, you pump.

The Katadyn micro filter protects against protozoa like giardia and cryptosporidium. It also protects against other harmful bacteria and microorganisms. Pay attention to the metal gauge that informs you when to change the filter.

10. MSR Guardian™ Purifier

Runner-Up: Best Extreme Water Purifiers for Expeditions

MSR: Backed By Scientists. Trusted by Adventurers. | Weight: 1lb 1oz | Cartridge Life: 10,000+ Liters | Warranty: Limited

Global travelers, backcountry adventurers, and anyone putting together a go-bag or emergency kit will appreciate the MSR Guardian™ Purifier. How it works is you first screw on and attach the MSR Purifier to your bottle, like a Nalgene. Next, put the input hose into the water. Then you pump. 

The filter itself works against particulates, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and sediment. The pump self-cleans with every pump action and is engineered for durability, use, freezing temperatures, and other harsh environmental conditions.

11. MSR Guardian™ Gravity Purifier

Tested Pick: Best P248

MSR: Backed By Scientists. Trusted by Adventurers. | Our Favorite For: Best NSF 53 and 42 | Size of Hydration Bladder: 10 Liters | Cartridge Life: 3,000+ Liters

MSR’s Guardian Gravity Purifier starts with a P248 Military testing standard, which is top-rated. That means the purifier removes pathogens, viruses, bacteria, protozoa, sediment, and even microplastics. It has a carbon component to improve water flavor and decrease odors. And it delivers one liter every two minutes.

International travelers will appreciate its versatility over sinks and streams alike. Plus, it packs down to a small and portable size.

12. LifeStraw Flex with Gravity Bag

Best Gravity Bag Water Filters

LifeStraw: Small Steps for Big Impact | Size of Hydration Bladder: 1 gallon | Filter Life: 2,000+ Liters | BPA-Free: Yes

The LifeStraw Flex with Gravity Bag works well for those smaller adventures camping with the kids. It houses a two-stage filter that can remove 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.9999% of parasites, including microplastics. The filter will reduce pesticides, herbicides, and VOCs and exceeds US EPA drinking water standards for bacteria and parasites.

Most people aren’t heading out for the 100-mile journey through the Peruvian mountains, making this hydration bladder a better pick for the average adventurer.

13. Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System

Best Inline Filters for Backpack Bladders

Sawyer: A Lifetime of Clean Water | Weight: 2 oz. | Cartridge Life: 100,000 gallons

Your kind of trail adventure means you carry a water bladder on your back, so you want to have something that’ll easily attach to the line. The Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System will remove 99.99999% of salmonella, cholera, and E.coli, 99.9999% of giardia and cryptosporidium. 

Not only that, but the Sawyer designed their filters to meet or exceed USA EPA water filter standards. Bonus, the mini can be cleaned and reused “almost indefinitely” at a 98.5% efficacy rate.

14. MSR Thru-Link™ Inline Water Filter.

Best For Fast-Paces Missions

MSR: Backed By Scientists. Trusted by Adventurers | Weight: 2.5 oz. | Cartridge Life: 1000 liters

MSR’s Thru-Link™ Inline Water Filter is not effective against viruses but is 99.9999% effective against bacteria and 99.9% effective against protozoa. It filters particulate matter such as dirt and microplastics, too. 

The cartridge itself meets US EPA drinking water standards, including NSF protocol P231 testing standards. MSR also states that the cartridge will benefit you if you’re out on “fast-paced missions.” So, I take that as trail running, mountain biking, and canicross.  

But What About All The Plastic Filter and Cartridge Waste?

I am so glad you called me out on that!! Obtaining the certainty of clean drinking water still requires plastic filters which, unfortunately, are not recyclable. But the manufacturers and archaic policies protecting them are in control of production methods—not the consumer. 

This same realization applies to plastic packaging, replacement parts around your home, the clothing industry, and yes, to affordable, environmentally-friendly vehicles. I don’t mean to sound all “call your congressperson,” but what you can do is pick up the phone and leave a voicemail for change wherever you see change is needed. Just don’t shame the consumer.

Why aren’t we discussing why we don’t have clean water in the first place? Well, that’s another topic for another day! It’s also something weighing heavily on the minds of environmental justice folks too. See Ecocide.

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