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.
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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.
