Water-to-Go: The Ultimate Adventure Water Purifier Bottle
If you are a hiker, backpacker, or traveler the last thing you want is to get sick while out on your adventure from bacteria or a parasite in your drinking water. Having a reliable way to filter your water while traveling in different countries or while out on the trail is a must. No matter how pristine and beautiful a lake or stream may appear, there is always the chance that bacteria or a parasite such as Giardia can be lurking below to ruin your trip. In this blog post, I will be doing a gear review on the Water-to-Go filter bottle.
Quick Disclaimer:
I received a Water-to-Go water filter bottle free of charge from the company for the purpose of testing and providing my honest review. I am under no obligation to write a positive review, and the following gear assessment is my own genuine opinions after using this product during numerous hiking and backpacking adventures this past summer.
First Off, What Is Water-to-Go?
Water-to-Go bottles are specialized water filter bottles that make drinking water safe for hikers and travelers and are constructed out of plastic that is made from plants, not petroleum. These Water-to-Go BioPlastic bottles are made from sugar cane (except the lid and filter cover). The top of the sugar cane plants that are harvested to make bioplastic grow back in about 90 days. The waste material from extracting the sugar from the sugar cane is used to create the bioplastic water purifier bottles. Anything not used to create the water bottles' bioplastic is recycled and used as fertilizer back on the sugarcane plants. These sugarcane BioPlastic bottles are produced with 60% less energy and 40% less greenhouse gasses than regular plastic bottles making them much more environmentally friendly.
One Water-to-Go bottle filter replaces 400 single-use plastic bottles that may otherwise end up in landfills, beaches, or oceans. All Water-to-Go bottles are also fully recyclable. The filter itself can be composted. The packaging they come in is also fully biodegradable.
These environmentally friendly water bottle filters also can remove up to 99.9999% of illness-causing contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, heavy metals, and chemicals. The purpose of these filters is to make drinking water safe.
Water-to-Go's Mission Statement
(We envision a world where everyone has access to clean drinking water, free of single use plastics.)
So in short Water-to-Go is an environmentally friendly water bottle filter that makes drinking water safe for hikers and travelers.
Why Would You Need A Water-to-Go Filter?
Quick Answer: To Drink Safe Water
When out hiking and traveling around the globe you need safe drinking water. Traveling abroad many adventurers often get sick from bacteria, parasites, or other substances in water where having an easy-to-use filter can be super handy.
Back in 2017, I was on a trip to Florida and somehow got Giardia Lambia, an intestinal parasite, from either drinking at a water fountain, glasses of water at a restaurant, or from water at the resort I was staying at. This made the end half of my trip miserable and I had to get some antibiotics. Getting sick from bad drinking water can absolutely ruin adventures and vacations. Ever since I got sick from Giardia, I have been extra cautious and want to make sure that I have safe drinking water when traveling or out hiking on the trail. I have also heard many stories of hikers drinking beautiful crystal clear water downstream only to later find a dead elk or mountain goat submerged a bit farther upriver or under the ice of the lake. Yikes! You never know what is in your drinking water and having a filter to keep you safe from bacteria or parasites is a must.
My Review of The Water-to-Go Bottle
After one summer of use, I am really loving this Water-to-Go bottle. I have the (18.5oz55cl) Bioplastic Water Filter Bottle for Travel and my opinions are based on the use of that particular water bottle filter.
I have several other water filter bottles that I have been using over the years on backpacking and hiking trips and have been getting frustrated with how much you have to suck on the straw to get a little bit of water. This is not the case with my Water-to-Go purifier bottle. It has been easy to take a big sip of water each time. Which is really nice when you are extremely thirsty after hiking in the sun up a mountain for hours. After several backpacking and hiking trips, the filter has not gotten clogged like some other brands of water filter bottles I have used over the years and functions just as well as the first hike I took.
I like the Scoop-and-Go design where I can just fill the bottle up, replace the lid, and drink. When backpacking down I often dump out my water bladder and refill my water filter bottle at each creek crossing to lessen my pack weight. Helps with my knee pain going downhill. It's nice to refill this water filter bottle at waterfalls and streams along the way on my hike. I can drink as much water as I would like at lunch breaks at a river, waterfall, or lake without worrying about draining my water bladder too much when I know I still have many miles and lots of elevation gain to go. I like to stay hydrated while backpacking and this water filter helps make that a little easier.
I accidentally dropped this water bottle on the trail several times on sharp rocks because I am a bit clumsy and it didn't break which is a score. I often break things easily and this water bottle has held up with only some minor scuff marks.
I like the size and feel of the water bottle. I wasn't sure what to expect from something made out of sugar cane bioplastic but it feels fine and similar enough to regular plastic. Maybe a bit softer but some plastics are that way as well. The textured grip makes holding the water bottle underwater easier. The water bottle is small enough that it fits easily into my backpack. It is casual enough in design that I would not feel weird using it out in public when traveling in more urban environments. So I am happy that I can easily use this on and off trail.
I love the hard shell of the bottle. The Water-to-go Bioplastic Filter Bottle is now my number one favorite. But as a secondary filter, it would be nice if Water-to-Go made another squeezable version that I could take with me to refill my water bladder. I will use this Bioplastic Water Filter Bottle by Water-to-Go in combination with the Lifestraw peak series collapsible squeeze 650 ml bottle with filter because I do like the convenience of squeezing clean filtered water directly into my water bladder.
The Lifestraw collapsible squeeze does take quite a lot of force and squeezing to get the water into the water bladder. So if Water-to-Go ever made a squeeze-type bottle, I would be very interested and excited to try that after seeing how fast and easy it is to drink out of their bioplastic Water Filter Bottles.
So far this water filter by Water-to-Go has been absolutely amazing. This is a fantastic product and I am now a big fan. I will be taking this Water-to-Go Bottle on all my future backpacking, hiking, and travel abroad trips, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a water filter bottle for their adventures.
How Does The Water-to-Go Filter Work?
The Water-to-Go bottles filter uses a 3-in-1 filter technology to get the best water filtration possible. The filter combines physical, chemical, and electropositive nanofiltration to remove contaminates and give people fresh clean drinking water.
To visualize the 3-in-1 filter technology better, imagine a mesh that filters out the bigger particles. Then inside that nanofiber mesh is activated carbon featuring countless microscopic tiny strands that extend into the pores of the mesh. All of these tendrils are electrically positively charged and they attract the contaminants that primarily carry a negative charge. Like a magnet or lint clinging to a sock or dog hair sticking to your black pants. The contaminants that may manage to bypass the pores and tiny mesh are drawn to the positive charge in the carbon.
Water-to-Go bottles filter 3-in-1 filter technology
- Mechanical filtration – The Water-to-Go bottle filter is engineered to have a fine mesh that blocks the passage of any contaminants from passing through.
- Electrical filtration – an added positive charge is used to further shrink the pore size, to trap even the tiniest contaminants like viruses inside the filter like a magnet.
- Activated carbon – To remove heavy metals, organic compounds, and chemicals activated carbon is used to eliminate these contaminants, bad tastes, and odors from the water.
What Does The Water-to-Go Filter Remove?
The Water-to-Go filter removes up to 99.9999% of illness-causing contaminants including viruses. (Most filter bottles do not remove viruses such as hepatitis, but the Water-to-Go filter does.) In Lab Tests, the filter has removed even super tiny viruses such as polio, some of which can be as tiny as 0.03 microns. The Water-to-Go bottle filter also removes bacteria, parasites (including Giardia), chemicals (including chlorine, fluoride, PFAS “forever chemicals”), pesticides and nitrates, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, chromium), and even microplastics. The Water-to-Go filter has been proven in four independent lab tests on four continents and by over 500,000 customers on all of their adventures.
Quick Recap of What the Water-to-Go Filter Removes:
- Viruses
Including Hepatitis A, Rotavirus, Noravirus - Bacteria
Including E.Coli, Cholera
- Protozoan Parasites
Including Giardia, Cryptosporidium - Chemicals & Pesticides
Including PFAS “forever chemicals”), Chlorine - Particulates
Including microplastics and sediment
- Heavy Metals
Including Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Chromium
These Amazing water filter bottles really do make drinking water in the outdoors and while traveling so much safer and seem to be one of the best water filter bottles I have ever reviewed.
These water filter bottles effectively remove a huge array of metals and chemicals such as Chlorine, Fluoride, Chromium, Mercury, Nickel, Copper, Iron, Lead, Gold, Silver, and Aluminium, as well as volatile organic compounds like Formaldehyde. These bioplastic filter bottles eliminate waterborne viruses such as Norwalk, Hepatitis A, Tota Virus, Polio, Adenoviruses, Enteroviruses, and Reoviruses, along with bacteria including Coliform, E. coli, Cholera, Typhus, Dysentery, Botulism, Vibrio Disease, Campylobacteriosis, Leptospirosis, Legionella (Legionnaires Disease and Pontiac Fever), and various waterborne pathogens and protozoa such as Giardia lamblia, Fasciolopsiasis, Taeniasis (Tapeworm), Echinococcosis, Ascariasis, Coenorosis, Schistosomiasis, Cryptosporidium, Tryonosoma (Sleeping Sickness), Threadworm, Guinea Worm, Hookworm, Roundworm, Pinworm, Onchiocerca, and Fasciola Hepatica/Liver fluke.
What Is The Weight & Portability of Water-to-Go Filter Bottle?
The Bioplastic Water Filter Bottle for Travel (18.5oz/55cl) that I received to review weighs only 3.5 oz (99 g) and has a height of 8.5 in (220mm). So this bioplastic from sugarcane water filter bottle is small and light enough that it is easy for me to bring with me on all my adventures. I like that it is small enough that I can toss it in the side of my backpack even if I am still using a water bladder for the majority of my drinking water. I can still bring this water filter with me on everyday hikes, backpacking trips, or even in my carry-on at the airport.
What Is The Durability of Water-to-Go Filter Bottle?
These water bottles themselves are designed for adventures. Backpacking, Hiking, and traveling. They seem to be extremely durable. I have dropped my water bottle from heights that would have dented my metal water bottle and the bioplastic bottle only had minor scuffs.
The 26 oz Water filter is good for about 200 liters / 52 gallons, or the equivalent of three months of continuous, daily usage before the filter on the bottle needs replaced. The 18 oz bottle lasts for about two months or 130 liters / 34 gallons of uninterrupted use. So the filters seem to not last as long as other brands but seem to filter out more contaminates and work faster and easier at filtering water than other water filters out there. But if you do not use it often and only go backpacking occasionally, one filter could last years.
How Easy Is It To Use The Water-to-Go Filter Bottle?
One of the things I really like about the Water-to-Go Filter Bottles is how easy they are to use. You just unscrew the cap, fill the bottle up in a pond, lake, stream, or drinking fountain, screw on the lid with the filter, and take a sip. As you suck the water through the filter the water is purified as you drink. This process is extremely quick where you can drink filtered water seconds after stopping to fill up at a stream alongside your trail or at the top of an alpine lake. This method eliminates the long tedious process of pumping water through a filter to fill your water bottle or waiting a half hour for iodine tablets to purify your drinking water.
Using The Water-to-Go Filter Bottle Is Super Easy!
-
Unscrew the lid with the replaceable filter that is attached
-
Fill up the bottle
-
Screw the lid back on
-
Take a Drink
On a quick side note before using your Water-to-Go Filter Bottle for the first time, you may want to fill the bottle to submerge the filter for 15 minutes. After that, you should be good to go. If you use this filter often most likely you only need to wait 15 minutes once but if your filter has been sitting unused for several weeks and the filter has dried out completely you may have to wait 15 minutes before use again to reactivate the filter.
How Long Does The Water-to-Go Filter Last?
The Water-to-Go filters work for about 200 liters or 53 gallons depending on how you use it. For example, if you are filtering extremely dirty water with heavy silt or sediment, the filter life will be less than if you are using it on cleaner water. On average if you fill the water filter bottle up 2-3 times a day the filter will last for about 3 months. If you are not using it that frequently you will get more life out of the filter. As the Water-to-Go filter comes to the end of its life the flow rate of the filter will become much slower. This slowing down of the filter will give you the signal that it is time to replace the filter. On average these water filter bottles replace 400 single-use plastic bottles.
Can The Water-to-Go Filter Bottles Go In The Dishwasher?
All of the Active bottles, BioPlastic bottles, and Classic bottles are dishwasher safe. The Go! 18oz/50cl bottle and lid need to be hand washed only. But while most of the Water-to-Go Filter Bottles are dishwasher safe, the water filter is NOT dishwasher safe. Make sure you remove the filter before putting the bottle in the dishwasher.
Overall Thoughts
I am very happy and impressed by this water filter bottle by Water-to-Go. It will now be a main staple in my backpacking, hiking, and travel gear. I love that this bottle is a bioplastic made out of ethically harvested sugar cane instead of petroleum and is better for the environment. I love that it is lightweight and a small travelable size for adventures. But most of all what impressed me the most was how little suction you needed to take a drink of water. I would recommend this water bottle to all my hiker friends and family.
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I have the 50cl bottle. The elastic gasket on the filter did not seal tightly, so some unfiltered water came out of the nozzle. I have solved it by wrapping Teflon tape around the thread of the filter, but since all the water that comes out of the nozzle now passes through the filter, you have to suck harder and less water flow comes out.
Sorry to hear about the gasket on your bottle! Maybe you got a defective one. Have you tried reaching out to the company? They might be able to help you out. I’ve been using my Water-to-Go bottle for over a year now on a bunch of multi night backpacking trips and day hikes and haven’t had any issues with leaks or water flow. Hope you get it sorted!