Traveler drinking clean water

The 7 Best Filtered Water Bottles for Travel

Find the right filtered water bottle for travel for you!

When it comes to the best filtered water bottle for travel, do you know what to look for?

You’ve definitely come to the right place!  After a lot of research and testing, I’ve found all the best filtered water bottles for travel on the market today.  The best travel water bottle is one that will give you peace of mind.  You’ll know that the water you’re drinking, where ever you are, is safe, tastes good and won’t make you sick.

Isn’t it funny when you don’t know what you don’t know?

I didn’t know about the best water bottles with filters until a few years ago.  When I learned all about them I was amazed that everyone didn’t use one when they travel!  It’s a total no-brainer.  As soon as you  learn about the best water bottle for travel, you’ll realize how much you’ve needed one all along!

Clean filtered water

I’ve scoured the internet looking for the best deals on the best water bottle brands.  I want to make the most comprehensive recommendation on the best filtered water bottles for travel.

TL:DR Click here to go directly to my top recommendation for the best filter water bottle for travel.

Below you will find a handy reference guide to all the best travel water bottles with filters.  It is complete with links to find out more and to get filtered water bottle reviews.

There are also my own detailed filtered water bottle reviews of the best water bottles available today.  I’ve also provided comprehensive background information about why you need a filtered water bottle, the different types available, and how to choose the right one for you.

Let’s get on with learning about the best water filter bottles!

Disclosure:  Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for support – it means a lot!

Best Filtered Water Bottle for Travel – Comparison Table

NameSizeWeightRating Price
Grayl Ultralight16oz10.9 oz4.5./5CHECK
Grayl Geopress24oz13oz5/5CHECK
Lifestraw Go 23oz7.8oz4/5CHECK
SurviMate Bottle22oz8oz4/5CHECK
Epic Stainless Steel28oz5.6oz4/5CHECK
Epic Outdoor Travel Bottle25oz5oz3.5/5CHECK
Brita Filter Bottle26oz4.8oz4.5/5CHECK

Best Filtered Water Bottle – Individual reviews

Grayl Ultralight Water Purifier


This Grayl water bottle is my top choice for the best water filter bottle for international travel.  It is the one I always carry when I travel.  I think it’s the best filtered water bottle for the price.

This best water bottle for travel easily fits in my wheeled backpack side pocket or in my travel purse.  It’s super easy to use and makes 16oz (500 ml) of water in 15 seconds flat.  Simply fill it up from whatever source you have, whether it’s the tap, a stream or a fresh-water lake.  Put the top back on and press down using your body weight, much like you would a French Press coffee maker.  That’s it!

This great water filter bottle uses 3 different technologies to purify and filter water.  For the first step, it has two layers of non-woven ceramic fibre.  The second step is positively charged mesh of ions that grab onto impurities as they flow by, using ion exchange.  The positive ions bind to the negative charges on pathogens and chemicals.  The impurities stay inside the cartridge and your clean water continues on.  The third step is passing through the activated carbon filter that removes flavours, odours and heavy metals from the water.

One of these excellent filtered water bottles replaces 300 single-use bottles.   It comes complete with one filter.  Replacement filters are available on Amazon.  This is one of my favourite travel gadgets.

>>Check the current price and more reviews on Amazon.

Grayl Geopress Water Purifier


This is the Mack daddy of water filter bottles for travel!  It is one of the best water bottles for hiking if you need more than 16 oz (500ml) at a time.  It is ideal if you need to purify your water more quickly and will be using very questionable water sources.  It’s perfect if you’re traveling in Africa, rural South America or in the back country.  If you very concerned about the safety of your water, this is the best water bottle with filter and a great choice for you.

This best travel water bottle with filter makes 24 oz (710 ml) of fresh drinking water in 8 seconds.  It will purify 5 litres of water per minute.

This bottle removes ALL waterborne pathogens including viruses, bacteria, protozoan cysts including Rotavirus, Hep A and Norovirus.  It also removes Giardiasis, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Cholera, Salmonella, Dysentery and more.  It filters out particulates such as sediment, microplastics, pesticides, chemicals and heavy metals.  Lastly, it improves the taste, smell and clarity of your drinking water.  This great water bottle really does it all.

If the only source of water you have access to is a muddy puddle of water in the middle of the dry African savannah, you can use this best filter water bottle.  It will make that water safe to drink, and tasty too!  This is the best filtered water bottle for hiking, definitely in the back country.

Grayl has made this best water filter bottle so its easy to use, requiring one press only.  It has a  cartridge that should be replaced after 350 uses.  It meets the EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for testing microbiological water purifiers.   This is one mighty water purifier.

>>Check the current price and more reviews on Amazon.

Lifestraw Go Water Filter Bottle

This Lifestraw water bottle is a great multi-purpose best travel bottle.  Made by a very reputable company in the water purification business, this is an excellent choice.

This is one of the best filtered water bottles.  It protects against bacteria, parasites, microplastics, chlorine and organic chemical matter such as pesticides and herbicides.  It also improves the taste of your drinking water.

This best water filtration bottle itself is BPA free of course.  The long-lasting filter provides filtered water for up to 5 years.  This is the best water filter water bottle for travel, everyday use, camping & hking as well as emergency preparedness.

This filtered water bottle works in a 2-stage process.  The first stage is via a hollow fiber membrane, which removes 99.99% of bacteria such as e.coli, parasites and microplastics.  The second stage of the filter is via an activated carbon capsule which reduces chlorine, bad odour and taste and organic chemical matter.

In terms of use, you fill the outer bottle and the inner bottle with straw contains the filter.  It filters the water as you sip it through the straw.  Kind of an ingenious idea!

This bottle holds 23 oz of filtered water and uses a food-grade silicone mouthpiece.  Replacement filters are available.  This is definitely one of the best water purifier bottles for travel.

>>Check the current price on Amazon.

SurviMate Filtered Water Bottle

This best water bottle with straws is an excellent choice for more budget-minded travelers.

This filter water bottle for travel has a 4-stage filtration system and medical-grade hollow fiber UF membrane along with coconut shell activated carbon, beads and medical grade cotton.  This best water filter bottle for international travel is made from food grade Tritan co-polyester, and it’s BPA free, heat resistant and extremely durable.

The filter for this best water bottle filter for international travel is replaceable, and good for 1500 litres of filtered water, depending on water quality.  If you’re filtering a lot of dirty water, expect the filter to not last as long.

The most innovative feature of this best water filtration bottle for international travel is that it has a built-in compass on the top!  Just in case you’re lost in the wilderness, use the compass on your bottle to find your way home.

This bottle works by filling the inner bottle with fresh water from any source, inserting the filter and sucking it with the built-in straw.  The flow rate with the straw is 550/ml per minute. Replacement water bottle filters for travel are available.

>>Check the current price on Amazon

Epic Water Filters Stainless Steel Outback Bottle

This is an excellent stainless steel filtered water bottle made in the USA.

This is the only filtered stainless steel water bottle I’ve found that offers two filtering options – one for day-to-day use with an urban filter, and one for outdoor use with a more rigourous filter.

The urban filter is designed to filter out unpleasant taste and chemicals from urban water.  This is a perfect water bottle with filters for daily use at the gym or pool to stay hydrated.  This filtering water bottle for travel is also an excellent choice if your travel plans include major metropolitan centres with reliable drinking water that you only need to filter for taste.

The outdoor adventure filter is perfect for overseas travel or outdoor activities and filters for bacteria and viruses as well.

This water filter bottle for travel holds 24oz and is made from food grade stainless steel.  There is a locking dust cover flip top for one-handed use.  The design is sleek and easy to hold and the filters are easily interchangeable.  The filters for this water filter water bottle are designed to produce 75 gallons of fresh drinking water.

This is one of the best water travel bottles on Amazon, as the reviews are truly amazing!  People really love this stainless steel bottle. Replacement filters are available.

>>Check the current price on Amazon

Epic Water Filters Ultimate Outdoor Travel Bottle


This is another portable filtered water bottle by Epic Water Filters and this one is made specifically for travel.

The filter in this filtering water bottle makes it perfect for use by backpackers who need to be able to drink water from almost any source.  It’s also great for inclusion in an emergency kit, and for RV campers and hunting.  The filter removes bacteria, viruses, cysts, lead, chromium 6, PFOA, PFOS, chlorine, chloramine, mercury, VOCs, microplastics and other heavy metals.

This bottle comes with a locking dust cover lip lid and one-handed push-botton operation.  There’s an integrated carabiner loop perfect for attaching to your backpack.

The straw on this water bottle is 40% larger diameter so the flow rate is better.  The bite valve is medical grade silicon so it’s very hygenic. Replacement travel water filters are available.

>>Check the current price on Amazon

Brita Filtered Water Bottle

This Brita Filter water bottle is perfect if you only want to filter your tap water to remove chlorine taste and odour.

If  you’re familiar with the famous Brita water jugs for the fridge, you’ll be comfortable with this Brita water bottle filter.  At 26oz capacity, this Brita bottle filter is perfect for those who want to ensure they get enough water through the day and prefer to filter their tap water.

The BPA-free Brita filter bottle is a best leak proof water bottle as it has a great leak-proof lid so that you can store it upside down or sideways in your bag and it won’t get anything else wet.  The design of the bottle makes it cup-holder friendly, and it should easily fit in your car cup holder or in your backpack.  The lid is easy to flip open one-handed so you can drink water easily.  Lastly, the bottle is dishwasher safe so you can easily wash it when necessary.

This bottle will filter up to 40 gallons of water (or every two months) before the filter needs to be replaced. Amazon Brita filters are available. 

>>Check current price on Amazon

Why Use the Best Filter Water Bottle for Travel?

You may be puzzled by the question of why you would need a filtered water bottle.  I had the same question too!

Where I live in Vancouver we are renown for having great tasting, clean and safe drinking water.  Few people use home water purification systems as there simply isn’t much of a need to do so.  Many people like the taste of the water provided in the taps and don’t question the purity or cleanliness of the water.

However, if you’re sensitive to the taste of chemical additives to water (chlorine, for example), you might want to use a filtered water bottle.

If you have a compromised immune system, or simply prefer the taste of absolutely clean water a water bottle filter might be a good choice for you.   You don’t want to compromise your health by drinking water that may contain trace amounts of viruses or bacteria.

Water flowing in nature

Why it’s important to use the Best Water Filter Bottle for Travel

Before you embark on your trip, check with the Centers for Disease Control and Protection.  That link will take you to their page where you can select your destination and whether you have any chronic illnesses or whether you’re traveling with someone with special circumstances (like the elderly).  It will tell you what special precautions need to be taken at your destination. One of the common warnings is to ensure that you don’t drink the tap or well water, and to only drink water that has been disinfected.

There are even warnings for countries like France, Germany and Poland.  It warns that if you are traveling or visiting in rural or remote areas that are served by unregulated water sources such as private wells, you should take special precautions to ensure the safety of your drinking water.

Just in case you weren’t already convinced, staying hydrated also helps to prevent jet lag!

Always check!  Make sure your drinking water is safe.  Don’t assume.

woman holding her sore stomach

Sensitive Stomach

If you’re like me and have a ‘sensitive stomach” drinking water away from your well-tolerated water at home can cause a potential stomach upset.  No matter if you’re traveling to the most civilized place on earth, perhaps in well-established European cities, the water may not be as well tolerated as your water at home.  Using a filtered water bottle for travel will ensure that any water you drink while traveling is filtered to improve its taste and quality and it may prevent the dreaded upset stomach while traveling.

Traveler’s Diarrhea

If you’re traveling to less developed areas or in cities where the water-quality or source isn’t as well treated as your water at home, using a filtered water bottle is the ideal choice.  You will always have access to clean, pure water by filtering your water through a bottle, instead of having to buy bottled water.

Unknown Water Purification Methods

Even if you use bottled water while traveling, you have no way of knowing the true source of that water or the purification that it underwent before being distilled into that bottle.  If you purify your own water with your own trusted method, you will always be assured that the the water you’re using is safe and will be well tolerated.

If you’re visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (I’m dying to go there!), using a filtered water bottle would be a good choice.

Using the Best Filtered Water Bottle for Hiking

Using filtered water bottles is particularly attractive while hiking or camping in the wilderness.  Not only will you not have to carry ALL the water you’ll need for your adventure, but you’ll be able to refresh your water supply from almost any stream or fresh-water lake you find.  You’ll need water for drinking and cooking.  You might be in the habit of using the traditional method of boiling water to purify it or adding water purification tablets (like chlorine or iodine based tablets) that make the water taste weird.  It’s so much easier to use a filtered water bottle to make the process of obtaining fresh drinking water rather seamless and easy.

checklist for emergency plan

Emergency Preparedness

A filtered water bottle is also an excellent addition to any home or car emergency preparedness kit.  Rather than keeping gallons of water in plastic jugs that you have to regularly replace, have a water filter bottle for each member of the family.

Types of Water Bottle Filters

Filtered water bottles generally have either a carbon filter or a UV filter.  Some have both.

A carbon activated filter will filter out chemical compounds like copper, chlorine, lead and arsenic, all of which may be found in tap water.

A UV filter will filter out viruses and bacteria and will effectively sterilize your water.  This is useful when accessing water in the wild from streams, rivers and fresh-water lakes.  You may also want to consider having a filtered water bottle with  UV filter when you’re traveling in countries with poor water quality, like Mexico.

Using the Best Filtered Water Bottle is Environmentally Friendly

Every time you buy a bottle of water in a plastic bottle, you’re contributing to the 17 million barrels of oil used annually (just in the USA!) to manufacture plastic bottles.  Statistics have shown that only 30% of plastic water bottles are recycled, so 70% will be placed in a landfill.  That’s  A LOT of plastic water bottles.

Using your own filtered water bottle is a great choice for the environment.  You’ll only have contributed to the carbon footprint required to manufacture one bottle rather than the hundreds you would have purchased otherwise.hands holding a tree to support the environment

How to Choose the Best Water Bottle for Travel for You

What Will You Use The Best Water Filter Bottle For?

The first decision to make is what your primary use of the bottle will be.  Some people only use bottled water at the gym or while they’re commuting.  If this is the case with you, choose a smaller bottle with a carbon filter.  You’ll only want to filter out chemical compounds like copper, chlorine and arsenic so you won’t need the more expensive ultraviolet filter.

You won’t need to have a large bottle as you’ll be able to regularly refill it from the available tap water.  This will allow the bottle to be easier to carry around, it will fit in your gym bag and will easily slot into the cardio machines at the gym.

If you’re going to have a filtered water bottle for daily use, consider a larger bottle.  Using a larger bottle may encourage you drink more water, and we all know that we should drink more water!  If you always have lots of fresh tasting and clean water on hand, you’ll be less tempted to turn to soda or fruit juice when you’re thirsty.

If you’re going to use your filtered water bottle for hiking, consider a larger bottle with both a carbon and an UV filter so that you can fill it up with water found in nature, like in creeks, rivers and fresh-water lakes.  Having both filters will ensure that the water is filtered for parasites, bacteria and viruses as well as chemical compounds.

When considering the best filtered water bottle for traveling abroad, think about portability and where you will be traveling to.  Learn about the quality of the water so you insure that your bottle has the right type of filter you need.  The best water bottle for traveling abroad is the one that best fits your needs.

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21 thoughts on “The 7 Best Filtered Water Bottles for Travel

  1. This is so helpful! I’ve heard about the Grayl bottle quite a lot but as I already have a bottle I think I need to find a filter to put in it. Does the carbon or charcoal filter work well?

    1. Thanks for your comment, Pauline. The type of filter you get depends on what you want it to filter out and the kind of water you’ll be using. The bottles that I featured come with filters, but I’ve know there are stand alone filters you also buy, but I’m afraid I haven’t done any research on those. Good luck with your search!

  2. I have yet to travel somewhere where I’ve actually needed to use a filtered water bottle, but now I’m considering just getting one for everyday use! Thanks for all the info and helpful tips!

  3. Fantastic post! I wasn’t aware of some of these options for filtered water bottles. Like others, I will often drink bottled water when traveling, but I won’t anymore. I’ll be getting one of these

  4. Massive round up, really informative! A friend just asked me the other day if I carry my bottle around everywhere with me, because he hasn’t seen me without it. For as many as I’ve left around, I need to make it a habit of keeping it with me otherwise I forget them everywhere. I’ve joked that I’m supplying the airport staff with reusable bottles 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

  5. I really like this article. I drink filtered water at home, but (embarrassingly) I drink bottled water when I travel internationally. I’ll definitely consider one of these for my next international trip.

    1. Thanks for your comment, Annie. I think filtered water bottles are a great choice and I didn’t know about them either until a few years ago!

  6. Brilliant post. I need to do this. I drink filtered water at home that gets everything out including fluoride well 99%…I have an immune compromised system so I should do this all the time. Also to cut down on the plastic bottle brigade.

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