New LifeStraw Go With 2-Stage Filtration Review

What we tested

New LifeStraw Go with 2-stage filtration
€54.95
Buy it here

Technical features

• Uses replaceable activated carbon capsule to reduce bad taste, chlorine and organic chemical matter for up to 100 liters (26 gallons)
• Uses advanced hollow fiber membrane technology (0.2 microns) to remove waterborne bacteria and protozoa up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons)
• Removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (>LOG 6 reduction), including E-Coli
• Removes 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction), including Giardia & Cryptosporidium
• Available in 5 colours
• Replacement hollow fiber membrane cartridges available
• Replacement carbon capsules available
• Meets US EPA standards
• BPA free

The verdict: the science bit

My reaction to this product is a bit mixed. I’ve been through quite a bit of a “isn’t this a bit overboard” thought process about it, to be honest. But then I started to really think about the product and whether or not I considered it useful given the kind of camping and outdoors activities we take part in.

I can easily recall a camping event where the water arrived in big water carriers and everyone just helped themselves from an external spout. Another event where frankly we went and got bottled water for everything including washing. Boiling all water is great but honestly? It’s pretty tedious and not so helpful when you’ve got little ones delightedly helping themselves from the water carrier all the time, or you need some cold drinking water in a hurry!

I also remember getting caught short on long walks. Risking a quick handful of water from a clean-looking stream. If you know your environment well… if you know it’s likely clean…you washed your hands earlier and everything… is that a sheep over there?

And you know, even at home, sometimes the mains water has a problem, doesn’t it?

In all honesty, I cannot scientifically test the filter on the LifeStraw Go to the limits of the filter design. I’m choosing to trust the literature on the science part, with a healthy dose of being careful. For example, you’d need to rely on filling the bottle without contaminating your hands or the side of the bottle or the lid where the flip top drinking valve is. Even the manufacturer disclaims that, so I think technically I have to as well.

The verdict: the aesthetic bit

What I can do with lots of surety is review this product as a water bottle with a jolly good filter in it – and at this point, if I only consider it as a water bottle, it does seem a tiny bit expensive. So I’ll admit, I’ve tested this aspect of the product far harder than I probably would for any other.

We have the pink version and it’s a solid durable feeling kind of plastic. It doesn’t fripple or dink when you put pressure on it. The top screws off to fill it and change the filters, and there is a flip top drinking valve on the very top. The lid has a nylon holder on a stainless steel D ring and a carabiner clip. The holder can swivel without obstruction as it’s not attached to the lid section.

The first thing I did was fill it half full, screw it up tight and then shook the hell out of it. No leaks. So I got a bit more daring and stood it upside down on the counter for half an hour. No drips, no leaks, not even from the drinking valve section. The nylon holder looks triple stitched and the D ring is seamless: no weak points to pull apart. I haven’t overly weight tested the carabiner. The embossed writing on the lid gives traction on wet plastic to twist it off.

The maximum limit on the outside of the bottle is 650ml. With the lid off there’s the temptation to overfill it but the filter displaces quite a bit. Empty of liquid (but with the filter in) it weights just short of 300g.  This is reasonably light. Full to the 650ml limit and reassembled, it weighs 890g.

The verdict: overall

Overall I think this is a good product. The quality of build is superb: it’s tough, functional and yet extremely light and very pleasing to the eye. I wouldn’t be ashamed to have this at work with the trendiest of water filter bottles appearing on the meeting room table!

My LifeStraw gives me extra peace of mind.

It is just a very little bit awkward to use. The top and the filter are a little bulky to put down safely while the bottle is being filled, and not being connected to the holder means I could drop it if I’m not super careful.

I like it. It’s a nice bit of functional kit that doesn’t look like it’s been borrowed from a natural disaster zone. I like it best because I travel with children and, without immediately become really reckless, I can now trust the water on campsites just a little bit more.

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from
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