REASONS TO BUY
Replaceable filter
Unique purpose
Well-made
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Small capacity
Can only be used with water (no other liquids)
LifeStraw Go Review
This bottle provides filtered water on the go, but this also restricts its overall versatility
Credit: LifeStraw
RELATED: Best Water Bottles of 2023
Our Verdict
The LifeStaw Go is a bottle designed for a very specific use. The bottle has a straw and integrated filtration system, which takes up a large part of the bottle's overall volume. We found it somewhat difficult to drink from the straw since water is being drawn through the system as you drink. All that aside, the LifeStraw bottle is unique in that it allows you to hydrate with quality drinking water no matter where you are. The manufacturer claims that the bottle can filter water from any source safely. This could be a great water bottle to carry on short day hikes where it could be refilled from streams along the way.
Editor's Note: This product review was updated on March 25, 2022, to give more recommendations on what we would buy.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
LifeStraw Go | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | $23.97 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $45 List $39.95 at REI | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $33 List $31.49 at Amazon | $22 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Replaceable filter, unique purpose, well-made, durable | Well-insulated, great carrying handle, easy to clean, stainless-steel straw | Simple design, inexpensive, lightweight | Sleek design, affordable, low-profile for filter bottle | Affordable, insulates well, has interchangeable lids, easily portable |
| Cons | Expensive, small capacity, can only be used with water (no other liquids) | Heavy, expensive | Made of plastic, doesn't fit in all cupholders | Limited to water use only, small capacity | Paint chipping after a few months of use, flip cap seemed to lack security |
| Bottom Line | This bottle provides filtered water on the go, but this also restricts its overall versatility | A thoughtfully designed bottle with an impressive feature set that works extremely well | This bottle is recommended because it is simple, lightweight, durable and has a solid feature set | A bottle that is aesthetically appealing and effective at providing filtered water without leaks and other mishaps | This is one of our favorite bottles because it's easy to use, just the right size, lightweight and inexpensive |
| Rating Categories | LifeStraw Go | Klean Kanteen TKWid... | CamelBak Eddy+ Trit... | Brita Stainless Ste... | Simple Modern Summit |
| Ease of Use (40%) | |||||
| Durability (25%) | |||||
| Weight (20%) | |||||
| Taste (15%) | |||||
| Specs | LifeStraw Go | Klean Kanteen TKWid... | CamelBak Eddy+ Trit... | Brita Stainless Ste... | Simple Modern Summit |
| Body Material | BPA-free plastic | 90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel | BPA-free plastic | 18/8 stainless steel | 18/8 stainless steel |
| Empty Weight | 10.0 oz | 20.1 oz | 7.1 oz | 13.9 oz | 15.7 oz |
| Volume | 19 oz | 32 oz | 32 oz | 20 oz | 32 oz |
| Bottle Weight per Fluid oz Capacity | 0.53 oz | 0.63 oz | 0.22 oz | 0.7 oz | 0.5 oz |
| Mouth Diameter | n/a | 2.6 in | 2.3 in | 2 in | 2.25 in |
| Base Diameter | 3.14 in | 3.6 in | 3.8 in | 2.8 in | 3.5 in |
| Height | 9.25 in | 10.36 in | 9.25 in | 10.75 in | 9 in |
| Body Type | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional | Hard-sided/traditional |
| Free of Materials | BPA-free | BPA-free | BPA, BPS, BPF free | BPA-free | BPA-free |
| Cap/Lid Type | Bite Straw | Screw cap, twist top | Screw cap, flip top | Screw-cap with straw | Screw Cap, flip top |
| Volume Options | 10oz, Flex | 12 oz, 16 oz, 20 oz, 32 oz | 14 oz, 25 oz, 32 oz | 20 oz | 14 oz, 18 oz, 22 oz, 32 oz, 40 oz, 64 oz, 84 oz |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Go is a small volume bottle with an integrated filter. We had a hard time figuring out the best use for this bottle, as it is too small and cumbersome to use backpacking, and cannot filter large quantities of water. For short hikes near a water source, the LifeStraw is useful because it can be refilled anywhere. This means you can carry less water, and thus have a lighter load. The bottle is also useful in an urban setting where you may not have access to filtered water all the time.
Performance Comparison
We found it difficult to suck water through the straw, since it is attached to a heavy-duty filter inside the bottle.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Ease of Use
The underwhelming score that the LifeStraw received in this metric is due to the difficulties we had drinking out of the filter-straw. The filter also takes up a ton of volume in the bottle itself, which reduces the overall capacity of the bottle drastically. You have to suck on the straw pretty hard to get water through the filter, which can get tiring after a while. When we had the bottle full of drinkable water (which we usually did), we often took the lid off and skipped the straw and filter altogether.
The LifeStraw is made up of three components, making it easy to take apart and clean. That said, bottles with integrated straws can be a challenge to keep clean in the long term.
Durability
We found the Lifestraw to generally be a very durable bottle in terms of durability. The hard-sided, BPA-free plastic bottle saw no real damage throughout our testing period, and we didn't run into any issues with the filter, either. LifeStraw recommends replacing the filter after 4000 liters (or 1000 gallons). The filter is the weakest point of this bottle, and it can be easily replaced.
Drinking filtered water from the LifeStraw. The filter is a nice feature for road trips when you are filling up water without having the option of filtered water out of the tap. The LifeStraw eliminates this issue.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Weight
The LifeStraw is on the heavier side of the plastic bottles in this review in terms of weight. This high tech bottle weighs in at 10 ounces. The extra weight, of course, comes from the integrated filter, which weighs a bit on its own. This is a bit of a detraction because it also takes up a fair amount of space in the bottle, reducing the capacity. If you are set on filtering your water, then the weight is less of a concern, but it is something to be noted.
The filter takes up a lot of space inside the bottle, reducing the overall versatility of the LifeStraw.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Taste
Because it has a built-in filter, it is no surprise that the LifeStraw Go gets a relatively high score regarding taste. The hollow fiber membrane and integrated activated carbon capsule filters bacteria and reduces chlorine and bad taste. Obviously, this bottle makes water taste good! The downside is that the bottle is only made for water, meaning you cannot put any other liquids in it. The straw can collect a bit of flavor, and if you are constantly filling the bottle with bad-tasting water, a slight smell can develop. The filter itself also traps flavor, which is another reason to only use water in this bottle.
Here, the LifeStraw is shown next to the Thermos Intak. They are comparable in size, but the Intak has a larger capacity since it lacks LifeStraw's filter.
Credit: Jane Jackson
Should You Buy the Lifestraw Go?
The LifeStraw Go is a unique bottle with a number of positive features and a few downsides. If you are looking for a bottle with an integrated filtration system, this bottle is a great option, and it is not insanely expensive. However, it's not a very versatile option. It is difficult to drink out of, has a fairly small volume, and can only be used to hold water. If you think you will find yourself in scenarios where this bottle is useful, go for it. Otherwise, we might recommend more versatile options.
What Other Water Bottles Should You Consider?
Our favorite filter bottle from testing was the Brita Stainless Steel Filter Bottle, but it should be noted that the Brita is only for filtering impurities out of already potable water. If you don't plan to filter from streams but just want to make the local tap water taste better, we recommend the Brita, as it's much easier to drink from and is a great bottle overall. If you don't really need the filtration aspect but just want a good bottle to take into the backcountry (ideally with a separate filtration system), we recommend the classic and durable Nalgene Wide-Mouth.
—
Jane Jackson
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