10 Best Portable Water Filters (Review) In 2021

Let’s get this review started with our Best Choice product recommendation, which is the award-winning and incredibly popular LifeStraw. No emergency camping or disaster recovery kit is complete without this genius invention. Not only is it compact and easy to carry, but it’s also highly practical and straightforward to use too. With its intelligent design and styling, this smart device can filter up to 1000 liters of contaminated water without the need for any batteries or moving parts. It truly is ideal for any lovers of camping, hiking, and outdoor adventuring. Not only that, but it safely removes a minimum of 99.9999% of all waterborne bacteria as well as protozoan parasites. An excellent choice, it comes in its own sealed bag which is ideal for sorting in a backpacking backpack or for having in your emergency survival kit bag. Another excellent benefit is that because it doesn’t require the use of any other chemicals to purify your source of drinking water, there is no shelf life to this product to be concerned about. It also enjoys a high flow rate for drinking directly from the source.

Up next, we’re taking a look at the first water filtration system which popular brand Sawyer Products has on offer. We’ve picked out their mini filtration system as our best choice because it’s a compact water filtering solution that’s highly practical and hugely convenient. It’s small in size but highly efficient and can remove up to 99.99% of bacteria, parasites, and viruses from a water source. The filter is incredibly durable, and just the one single filter cartridge has an impressive filtering capacity, capable of cleaning 100,000 gallons of water before needing a replacement. Weighing only 2 ounces, it’s super lightweight and easy to pack for your travels, taking up limited space. Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System also comes with a fantastic, versatile adapter that enables you to attach this filter directly to water bottles, pouches, and even faucets so that you can improve the overall quality of any water source you are accessing. For more valuable survival gear like this, check out our selection of the best compasses.

Fast, efficient, and super easy to use, our Premium Pick is from Grayl and is an excellent portable water purifier for any travelers out there. Simply fill the integrated filter water bottle with a source of water, press, and you’re ready to drink. There’s no waiting, no inconvenient sucking or squeezing, and no batteries or ultraviolet bulbs required. The award-winning one press design can create a clean source of drinking water in less than 15 seconds from pretty much any fresh water source anywhere in the world. It removes 99.999% of all waterborne viruses, 99.9999% of disease-causing bacteria and parasites as well as 99.999% of protozoan cysts. It’s also able to filter out many chemicals and heavy metals for water that tastes cleaner and fresher with less of a bitter after taste. Just one purifier cartridge displaces 300 single-use water bottles, so it’s not only good for you but also better for the planet. Whether you’re backpacking around the globe, adventuring outdoors closer to home, or preparing for an emergency, never be without clean water thanks to this Grayl ultralight one press purification and filtration system.

We have another excellent portable water filter for you up next from Katadyn. This unit is compact and portable enough to comfortably fit into a travel backpack without weighing you down. It also provides a highly efficient filtering medium that is capable of handling up to 2 quarts of water per minute. You have the option to operate either in fast flow mode or a slower 1 quart longer life mode. The intuitive and intelligent design has been well conceived, featuring both an inlet and outlet hose which attach to a water bottle. The filter works quickly and efficiently, meaning you don’t have to put too much physical exertion into pumping manually. Fitted with charcoal filters, this Katadyn Vario filter also removes further unpleasant tastes and odors, not just water-based parasites and bacteria, to deliver drinking water that’s safe, drinkable, and more palatable.

Up next, we have something that’s a little more involved in the shape of a three-stage filtration system from Survivor Filters. It’s rigorously tested and backed by a lifetime warranty and is currently rated as one of the best emergency portable water filters out there. It’s capable of filtering up to 100,000 liters of water and, given the right conditions, can filter up to an impressive 17 ounces of water every minute. It comes with a 0.1-micron filtration rating, which ensures that you get a source of drinking water that’s as clean as possible. The triple filtration process removes viruses, bacteria, parasites as well as most heavy metal and chemicals for water that tastes better too. It’s built from sturdy and robust ABS materials. It comes with all the internal filters and tubing you need as well as a detachable drinking cup and a useful travel bag for storing and carrying your water filtration system. Our guide to the best survival food kits features more must-have products for your adventures.

If you are looking for something that is seriously compact and portable, then take a look at the Etekcity straw style water filter. It also comes with a separate water pouch so you can grab an additional source of water to be filtered at a later stage as needed. It’s capable of filtering up to 1500 liters of water utilizing an efficient and safe three-stage filtration process, but take note; it does take a bit of time and patience to get the water source flowing and will require a fair bit of suction. That said, it’s budget and backpack friendly and does the job, removing 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria. On account of how lightweight and portable it is, this filtration straw is perfect for scouting and shorter length backpacking trips to have as an emergency backup. You may also be interested in some of the best emergency radios from our list, so check them out.

We’re back looking at a further product from the Sawyer filtration range, and this time we’ve picked out there lightweight and portable Squeeze Water Filter System. It’s a complete water filtration system that’s ideal for all lover out outdoor adventuring or for anyone looking to invest in a valuable emergency backup solution. This particular model is capable of removing up to 99.9% of bacteria as well as protozoa living in water, allowing you to drink safely from any fresh water supply you discover en route. It has a genius littler adapter which enables you to further attached to a 32-ounce or 16-ounce pouch so that you can conveniently transfer freshly filtered water from the pouch and on to a water bottle. It can also be attached to a faucet in an emergency to filter a contaminated domestic water supply. It’s high performing and can filter up to 0.1 microns plus it comes with a manufacturer’s lifetime limited warranty. Our guide to the best mess kits features more useful items for your outdoor trips, so check them out.

We’re sticking with Sawyer Products for a minute as we take a look at another best portable water purifier for travel. Easily create your own gravity-based water filtering system with this mini setup from Sawyer. With it’s high-performing 0.1-micron absolute filter, you can be assured of a clean and safe supply of drinking water. The dual threaded MINI filter allows you to quickly and easily push and pull the cap onto the filter for fuss-free functionality on the go. Complete with a 1-gallon bladder plus and gravity hose, this is a versatile and practical solution that is ideal for use as a camping water filter or as part of a backup emergency disaster kit. Clean and reuse your filter almost indefinitely without ever having to replace it with expensive cartridges. It safely removes 99.999% of bacteria as well as protozoa. Each Sawyer Products filter is triple-tested for performance and safety before the product is released for sale. Perfect to always have in your waterproof backpack wherever you go.

If you are on the search for a portable water filter that will allow you to enjoy purified water anywhere you go, then take a look at this next recommendation from GOpure. It’s small and super convenient and enables you to say goodbye to single-use disposable plastic bottles. Fill up with a fresh source of water anywhere and purify on the go. Whether you’re at the gas station, a shopping mall, or pretty much any indoor or outdoor source of water. If you want to be assured that the water you’re drinking is safe, then you need to use the Gopher personal water purifier. Featuring an advanced ceramic core, the pod inside this water purifier attracts, binds, and absorbs unwanted heavy metals, bacteria, and chemicals for safer, cleaner, and better-tasting water. For more useful survival gear, check out our selection of the best paracord survival bracelets.

Last but by no means least, our final recommendation when it comes to the category of best portable water filters is this impressively powerful product from MSR. The MSR Miniworks Ex might be a little pricier than some of the other portable water filters we’ve reviewed. Still, it’s designed for high volume water cleaning, making it an ideal investment for group hiking or camping trips. It’s capable of cleaning one liter of water every minute and does an excellent job of removing up to 99.9999% of bacteria from water. It meets all the usual safety protocols you’d expect and comes with one replaceable filter cartridge, which can treat up to 2000 liters of water. Measuring just 7.5-inches high b 2.75-inches side and weighing just 1-pound, it’s compact and portable and is even supplied with its own storage bag.