I bought this LifeStraw water filter bottle to prevent traveller's diarrhea — here's my honest review
Amazon reviewers say it's the "best water bottle for travelling."
Folks, I'm just going to be frank: traveller's diarrhea happens. The last two times I went on vacation, I found myself losing a few pounds in the worst way possible while I was meant to be enjoying the sun and the beach. With an upcoming trip to Mexico on the horizon, I decided to look into a way to potentially save myself from the dreaded stomach problem.
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LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle
According to The Mayo Clinic, traveller's diarrhea is usually caused by infectious agents ingested from contaminated food or water. In terms of food consumption, they advise sticking to well cooked items that are served hot and to avoid salads and fruit you can't peel yourself, like grapes and berries.
They also advise against drinking unsterilized water. Access to bottled water was going to be limited where I was staying, so I looked into portable water filtration systems and found myself eyeing the LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle on Amazon Canada. I ended up buying it in order to hopefully get rid of any bacteria or viruses in the water I needed to drink; scroll onwards to find out how my weak stomach fared with it after a week in Cabo!
The stainless steel, insulated water bottle comes in eight colours and four sizes.
- Keeps water icy cold
- Sturdy
- Handle makes it easy to carry or clip to backpack
- Straight-forward design
- A little heavy
The details
The LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle offers all of the benefits of the original LifeStraw — but with the added benefit of having a vessel to drink out of.
It filters out out 99 per cent of bacteria, parasites, microplastics, sand, dirt and cloudiness to prevent you from becoming ill from e. coli, salmonella, giardia and a host of other issues. It also helps to improve the taste of water and reduce chlorine, odours and organic chemical matter.
The bottle itself is BPA-free, stainless steel and insulated. It says it "filters out nasties" so you can fill up your bottle at "airport bathrooms, a tap in Mexico, or a gas station while road-tripping."
What I like about it
Because it's insulated and made out of stainless steel, my water stayed icy cold all day, even when the temperatures soared to 30 C.
It's sturdy. I dropped this water bottle approximately five million times on a variety of different surfaces and it didn't sustain any dents or cracks.
I really like that there's a cap that covers the mouth piece, which is something I've never really considered. Given that I was traveling through all kinds of germ-y conditions, I appreciated that the part of the bottle I'd be putting my mouth on was safe from the outside world.
It's very convenient; I kind of thought it was going to be complicated to use, but all you do is open it, pour in your water, close it, then drink out of it.
The handle on the lid is also very convenient, particularly if you're on the go. It's easy to grab and can be attached to backpacks if necessary.
I did not get traveller's diarrhea! I can't say that my lack of stomach troubles can 100 per cent be attributed to the LifeStraw water bottle, but I can say that this is my first trip to the Caribbean where I haven't needed to reach for the Imodium.
What I dislike about it
Honestly, it's a little heavy. It weighs just over one pound (without water in it), so while I wouldn't say it's overly burdensome, it's definitely heftier than any other water bottle I own. That being said, none of the other water bottles I own have their own filtration system. However, if I was just going to the gym or for a walk in the park where I know I'd have access to clean water, I'd likely opt for one of my lighter water bottles out of convenience.
It's also a little pricey, but I'm not necessarily mad about that; paying $80+ for a water bottle feels a bit outrageous, but with the added LifeStraw, it's worth the price, in my opinion. Just worthwhile to note that it is on the more expensive side!
What others are saying
🛍️ 1,100+ reviews
⭐ 4.4-star average rating
🏅Shoppers say it's the "best water bottle for travelling"
Amazon reviewers praise its "sleek, slim profile" and note that it's "reliable and convenient" as well as "easy to carry."
LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle
"Saves money by not having to constantly purchase bottles of water," writes one shopper.
According to one person who says they were "skeptical" of the bottle, it "kept water cold" and "eliminated the off-taste of even bottled water in Cuba."
Others note that it's "solid," "well-designed" and even go as far as calling it the "best water bottle for traveling."
The verdict
The LifeStraw Water Filter Bottle kept my water cold for hours and was very convenient to use while I was traveling. It's sturdy enough to withstand the battering that comes with airports, buses and general vacation shenanigans and didn't leak or dent after I thoroughly abused it. Most importantly? When I used the bottle to drink water that came from unfiltered sources, I didn't get sick. Again, I can't say with certainty that it's the water bottle that saved me, but I do think it helped reduce the usual gastro issues I normally face while I'm abroad.
It's a little on the heavy side, so I don't think I'll be using it as my every day bottle; however, I most definitely will be packing it with me for any future travels, whether it's to the cottage or overseas.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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