The best water filter straws
Clean drinking water from a mountain stream, without carrying it all: the filter straws and bottles worth packing, and exactly what each maker says they remove.
A filter straw or bottle lets hikers, campers and travellers drink from streams and lakes instead of carrying litres of water. Every filter here traps bacteria, most catch parasites such as Giardia too, and each maker says how many litres it lasts.
Check what each maker claims it removes, shown in the table: only Bachgold says its filter works against viruses, and none claims to make seawater drinkable, so they're for fresh water from streams and lakes. Clean or backflush each one as its maker says to keep the water flowing.
What matters
- What it removes, in the maker's own words.
- How many litres the filter lasts.
- Straw, squeeze pouch or bottle: how you'll drink.
- Weight and size in the pack.
#1 of 5
Best overall
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
£20–£30 Price range
The original filter straw: dip it in a stream or lake and drink straight through it, with no pumping, batteries or chemicals. TIME named it one of the best inventions of 2005.
What owners say: Owners find it effective, light, tough and compact, ideal for hiking and cycle touring, and well worth the money.
Heads up: Drinking through it takes a firm, steady sip, so give it a try at home before the trip.
A closer look: LifeStraw designs it for germs, microplastics and dirt, not chemicals or heavy metals, so it's for clear fresh water from streams and lakes. Unused, it keeps indefinitely, which makes it a handy one for the emergency kit.
- Drink straight from the source
- 99.999999% of bacteria (maker)
- 99.999% of parasites and microplastics (maker)
- Up to 4,000 litres
- Just 46g
Best for: A simple straw for the pack
- Filters up to
- 4,000L
- Removes (maker)
- Bacteria, parasites, microplastics
- Weight
- 46g
- Screws onto a bottle
- No
- Bottle or pouch included
- No
#2 of 5
Most versatile
Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System (with pouch and straw)
£30–£50 Price range
A palm-sized filter that screws onto the supplied squeeze pouch or a standard drinks bottle, fits inline on a hydration pack, or works as a straw, and Sawyer rates it for up to 100,000 US gallons.
What owners say: Owners say it does exactly what it promises, is small and light enough for any trip, and is easy to use, filling a 2-litre bottle in a few minutes.
A closer look: Squeeze dirty water from the pouch through the filter into a clean bottle to filter for the whole group. When the flow slows, backflush it with the plunger; Sawyer says that restores up to 98.5% of the flow.
- 0.1-micron absolute filter
- 99.99999% of bacteria (maker)
- 99.9999% of protozoa (maker)
- Rated to 100,000 US gallons
- Pouch, straw and cleaning plunger
Best for: Filling bottles for a group
- Filters up to
- 100,000 US gal
- Removes (maker)
- Bacteria, protozoa, microplastics
- Weight
- 2oz (57g)
- Screws onto a bottle
- 28mm bottles
- Bottle or pouch included
- 16oz pouch
#3 of 5
Best budget
Membrane Solutions S1 Water Filter Straw
£10–£20 Price range
A carbon stage on top of a 0.1-micron membrane improves the taste as well as filtering, and both ends unscrew for backwashing, which is how it reaches its 5,000-litre rating.
What owners say: Owners find it well made, easy to use and compact for hiking, and keep one in the emergency kit; it clears water well.
A closer look: The carbon stage takes out odd tastes and smells but leaves the water's minerals alone. Screw it onto a drinks bottle filled from the stream rather than lying down at the bank to drink.
- 0.1-micron membrane plus carbon
- 99.9999% of bacteria (maker)
- Rated to 5,000 litres
- Screws onto 28mm bottles
- Both ends open for backwashing
Best for: Budget hikes and emergency kits
- Filters up to
- 5,000L
- Removes (maker)
- Bacteria, microplastics, chlorine, odours
- Weight
- 2oz (57g)
- Screws onto a bottle
- 28mm bottles
- Bottle or pouch included
- No
#4 of 5
Best for drinking from streams
Bachgold Water Filter Straw with 70cm Tube
£10–£20 Price range
A 70cm silicone tube means you can drink from a stream or lake without lying face-down on the bank. It comes from Bachgold, a Zurich company, whose two-stage filter with activated carbon is rated for up to 500 litres.
What owners say: A newer filter: early owners rate it well.
A closer look: Flow is gentle, about 0.2 litres a minute, so it's for sipping on the spot rather than filling bottles. After drinking, blow air back through the mouthpiece a few times and store it dry, as Bachgold advises, and replace it within two years.
- 70cm drinking tube
- Two-stage filter with carbon
- Effective against viruses (maker)
- Filters up to 500 litres
- About 100g
Best for: Sipping from the bank
- Filters up to
- 500L
- Removes (maker)
- Viruses, bacteria, protozoa
- Weight
- 100g
- Screws onto a bottle
- No
- Bottle or pouch included
- No
#5 of 5
Fastest flow
Katadyn BeFree 1.0L Water Filter Bottle
£50–£75 Price range
A soft 1-litre flask with the filter in the lid: fill it from a stream and drink as you go at up to 2 litres a minute, then roll it flat into a pocket. At 63g it suits trail runners and light-packing hikers.
What owners say: Owners call it a game changer for light backpacking and like how little it weighs and how small it packs.
Heads up: Katadyn now also makes the BeFree AC, which adds a carbon stage for better-tasting water; its cartridges fit this flask, so you can upgrade later.
A closer look: Shake or swish the filter in clean water after each trip to keep the flow fast, as Katadyn advises, and keep the soft flask away from sharp edges in the pack. The filter lasts up to 1,000 litres, and Katadyn gives a 2-year guarantee.
- 1L collapsible HydraPak flask
- Up to 2L a minute
- 0.1-micron filter
- Shake-to-clean membrane
- 63g
Best for: Trail running and fast hikes
- Filters up to
- 1,000L
- Removes (maker)
- Bacteria, protozoan cysts
- Weight
- 63g
- Screws onto a bottle
- No
- Bottle or pouch included
- 1L soft flask
How they compare
| Feature | #1LifeStraw | #2Sawyer Mini | #3Membrane Solutions S1 | #4Bachgold | #5Katadyn BeFree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Most versatile | Best budget | Best for drinking from streams | Fastest flow | |
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 |
| Price | £20–£30 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £50–£75 Price range |
| Filters up to | 4,000L | 100,000 US gal | 5,000L | 500L | 1,000L |
| Removes (maker) | Bacteria, parasites, microplastics | Bacteria, protozoa, microplastics | Bacteria, microplastics, chlorine, odours | Viruses, bacteria, protozoa | Bacteria, protozoan cysts |
| Weight | 46g | 2oz (57g) | 2oz (57g) | 100g | 63g |
| Screws onto a bottle | No | 28mm bottles | 28mm bottles | No | No |
| Bottle or pouch included | No | 16oz pouch | No | No | 1L soft flask |
| Best for | A simple straw for the pack | Filling bottles for a group | Budget hikes and emergency kits | Sipping from the bank | Trail running and fast hikes |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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