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If you love filtered water, whether it’s for the enhanced taste or the reduction of certain contaminants, then you know it’s not always easy to find when you’re on the go. Even if you buy bottled water, it’s not always clear what has been filtered out. That’s why a filtered water bottle is handy: It’s designed to provide purified water, removing contaminants such as chlorine, lead, pesticides and more. Just keep in mind that not all water bottle filters remove the same things, and some only enhance the taste of the water.
Our experts have evaluated just about everything related to water filters — from under-sink filters to shower filters and more. Whether you want a filtered water bottle to bring to the airport, take on a camping trip or enjoy at home, our experts have found the best picks to suit your life.
The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute have reviewed hundreds of water-related products, including water filters and water testing kits. We assess the performance and ease of use as well as safety and sustainability. To evaluate filtered water bottles, we assessed ease-of-use factors such as how simple it is to set up, clean and drink from. When it came to performance, we asked consumers to evaluate whether the filtered water bottle improved the taste of the water. We also spent over 10 hours reviewing third-party test data for some of the filtered water bottles on this list to make sure they matched the brand’s claims of contaminants it can remove.
You can read more about how we evaluate filtered water bottles in our Labs — plus everything you need to know to shop for the best filtered water bottles — at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to filter your water? Check out our guide to the best water filter pitchers.
Brita’s Everyday Water Filter Pitcher is one of our favorite water filter pitchers, so it’s no surprise that we also love the Brita Premium filtering water bottle. One tester stated they loved this bottle for travel because they could confidently fill it up at an airport or hotel room sink and know that their water would taste fresh. The attached strap makes it a breeze to clip it onto your luggage or carry it along with you.
The bottle is available in stainless steel or plastic. The stainless steel is double-walled to keep your water cold, and testers agreed it kept their water cool and crisp all day long. According to Brita, the plastic bottle is BPA-free, and both the plastic and stainless steel filter bottles help reduce chlorine odor and taste as well as some particulates, which the brand shares on its website. Our pros appreciate the easy-to-change filter that requires only a quick rinse before installing it in the straw.
The company recommends that the stainless steel bottle be washed by hand, but the plastic filter bottle can be placed on a dishwasher's top rack. The stainless steel comes in an impressive 32-ounce size or a more compact 20-ounce option. If you prefer a plastic bottle, you can opt for 36- and 26-ounce versions.
It’s hard to beat the price of this filtered water bottle, available in 20-, 24- and 32-ounce sizes, all priced under $20. Although we haven't tested this bottle, our pros appreciate that it's a squeeze bottle. It eliminates the need to sip through a straw, avoiding the common complaint of the extra effort required to drink from many water filter bottles. The trade-off with the squeeze bottle is that it may make a squeaking noise during use, according to some Amazon reviewers. The brand says that the lid is designed to be leakproof and comes with a cap to keep the squeeze top clean.
We love that two different types of filters are compatible with this bottle, so you can choose the one that’s best for you. The brand claims that the blue fitness filter not only enhances the taste of tap water but also helps remove lead, pesticides and chlorine. Philips also states that the green Adventure filter is specifically designed for filtering water from fresh sources, reducing up to 99.999% of viruses and bacteria. Care is easy since most parts are dishwasher-safe.
The Lifestraw Go Series water bottle stands out with its stainless steel and double-wall vacuum construction, which makes the bottle durable and helps ensure your drink stays cold. With the large one-liter capacity, you won’t find yourself needing to refill as often.
This water bottle has two filters: one activated-carbon filter that improves taste by reducing matter such as chlorine, and one membrane microfilter, which effectively removes contaminants such as microplastics, certain bacteria and more. The claims are substantiated by third-party data the brand shares on its website. According to the brand, with this bottle, you can fill up from sources like gas stations during road trips without issue. We didn’t test the bottle in gas stations, but one of our pros successfully used it to drink water in both Mexico and Iceland, from several airport taps and from a waterfall without encountering any issues. Our expert noted that she also uses the non-insulated versions (available in 22-ounce or 1-liter sizes) and loves them as well. Testers like the easy-to-carry large handle and that the bottle is easy to clean. One drawback one of our testers noted is that when traveling on an airplane with this bottle, you need to release built-up pressure by opening the top lid before drinking; otherwise, the contents may leak. The straw is positioned at the center of the bottle, which some testers found easy to drink from, while others prefer a straw that's located closer to the bottle's edge. Hand washing is recommended, but the bottle is dishwasher safe.
The Larq bottle boasts a sleek design with a detachable carabiner clip, making it convenient for travel and commuting. Similar to Larq's filter pitcher, which is our pick for the best water filter pitcher to remove bacteria, the brand's bottle helps remove lead, heavy metals, chlorine and particulates; these claims are supported by independent lab test data available on Larq's website.
It comes in both 25- and 17-ounce sizes. The 17-ounce bottle is one of the smaller filter bottle options that we tested, and it's good for someone who wants a slim, portable bottle rather than a larger size that may not fit into a cup holder. One tester stated that the 25-ounce size fits easily into a side pocket of their backpack. They found the drinking spout easy to open and close. Our testers gave this bottle high scores for its durability and light weight. Notably, one tester praised the ease of drinking compared to other filter bottles that often require more effort to suck water through the filter, a common issue with water filter bottles. One downside is that the opening is relatively small, so it’s difficult to hand wash without a bottle brush. Even though Larq recommends hand washing, the bottle is dishwasher safe.
In our research, we saw the Grayl filtered water bottle frequently recommended as a travel pick because the brand claims it filters out a wide variety of contaminants, including certain viruses and bacteria that other water filter bottles do not eliminate. According to Grayl, the filtered water bottle effectively eliminates particulates, chemicals, protozoa and heavy metals.
While we haven’t tested this bottle ourselves or reviewed the scientific data to validate the brand's claims, we did find that Amazon reviewers stated the bottle worked well for their travels or outdoor adventures. Unlike other filter bottles that require sucking water through a straw that houses a filter, the GeoPress works by pressing the water through the filter first, making drinking easier. To filter the water, fill the outer cup to the fill line with unfiltered water, then place the inner press into the outer cup; on a flat surface, push the lid and inner cup down. The pressure from pushing filters the water into the inner cup, which is ready to drink. The filter can handle 65 gallons before needing to be replaced, making it one of the longest-lasting filters on this list.
We like this Clearly Filtered water bottle thanks to its clear design that allows for easy monitoring of water intake — an excellent choice if you need help hitting your daily hydration goals. According to the brand, this filter bottle effectively removes over 220 contaminants, including chlorine, fluoride, lead and more, while retaining beneficial minerals. Although we haven't independently verified the data, the brand provides test results on its website.
The manufacturer states that the bottle is made with BPA and BPS-free medical-grade Tritan plastic, which Clearly Filtered claims offers the "gloss and sparkle of glass" while being shatter-resistant, unlike traditional glass bottles. With a 24-ounce capacity and a weight of less than half a pound, it's also a convenient option to take with you when you leave the house. The one downside is that the filter needs to be changed every 25 gallons, which is more often than others we've tested.
We love the Contigo filter water bottle whether we’re running errands or just sipping at home, especially when it comes to everyday use with tap water. Multiple testers raved how impressed they were with the taste of the filtered water, noting that it significantly improved the taste of their regular tap water compared to other water filter bottles they've tried. One tester even said, “It tastes better than my refrigerator-filtered water.” This isn’t surprising considering it removes 99% of the chlorine taste and odor, a claim we verified with independent test data.
The attached loop on the handle makes it easy to carry, and the soft pop-up straw makes drinking more comfortable. Overall, testers liked this water bottle and will continue to use it, but it is harder to suck water through the straw than some other water filter bottles they’ve tried.
Our Good Housekeeping Institute experts sifted through the filtered water bottles on the market and then narrowed them down based on our categorical expertise. Our lab pros spent over a month researching, testing and getting feedback from panelists for some of the filtered water bottles on this list.
We dedicated over 10 hours initially reviewing pages of data from various water bottle brands that were from independent labs or had the data readily available on the brands' websites, to ensure these filtered water bottles remove what they claim, such as getting rid of specific chemical or physical contaminants. Our Executive Director of the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab, Birnur Aral, Ph.D., did a final review, verifying the test results to make sure the data was accurate about contaminant removal and purification claims.
We tested the ease of installing the filter and the overall user-friendliness of each bottle, such as whether it's easy to hold, open and drink from. We reviewed how long each filter lasts before it needs changing, the available bottle size capacities, the materials used and whether the bottles and parts are dishwasher-safe.
We had testers use the water bottle in their daily lives. They provided feedback on ease of use, whether they perceived the bottle to be lightweight and durable, whether it effectively kept their drinks cold and whether the filter improved the taste of the water.
✔️ Filtering ability: Not all filtered water bottles remove the same contaminants. If you have specific needs, be sure to check what contaminants the filters claim to remove. Many brands now share this information on their websites, or you can try reaching out to the company's customer service.
✔️ Spout style: Many bottles filter the water by placing a filter at the bottom of a straw, which requires you to suck through the straw to filter the water. This makes it harder to drink the water compared with a standard straw, and it's a common complaint about filtered water bottles. If this style doesn't suit you, you may want to look for one that doesn't require a straw and filters water through a different method, such as squeezing the bottle or pressing a filter through the water before drinking.
✔️ Material: Filtered water bottles come in different materials. Insulated stainless steel filtered water bottles generally keep your water cool for a longer time than plastic bottles. However, plastic styles are often lighter, making them easier to carry around.
✔️ Capacity: You'll want to choose a water bottle with a capacity that will suit your needs. Larger sizes will require fewer refills but may be more cumbersome to take on the go. Smaller water bottles may be easier to wedge into a full tote or fit in a car cup holder — just keep in mind they will need more frequent refilling.
✔️ Filter replacement frequency: Each filter has a different threshold for how much water it will filter before it needs replacing. Look for a longer-lasting filter if you tend to forget to change the filter or simply prefer to change it less frequently. Keep in mind, no matter which bottle you choose, it won’t work if the filter isn’t replaced as recommended. Birnur Aral, Ph.D., says, “The performance of the water filter depends on the quality of the water source and whether or not the filter is replaced on schedule.”
✔️ Price: Along with considering the upfront cost of a water filter bottle, you’ll want to take into account the price of filter refills and how often you need to change them, which will impact the overall price in the long run.
This guide was written by Jamie Kim, a freelance writer with a consumer products background, who specializes in product testing and reviews. She has tested over 25 water filter products, and she regularly tests water filter–related products and water-dispensing products. She tested many of the bottles on this list and oversaw the consumer testing for this story.
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation lab, where she oversees all content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear. She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013 and is trained in classic culinary arts; she tests water filter products year-round.
Birnur Aral, Ph.D, is the executive director of the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab, and she has over a decade of R&D experience. She evaluates the contamination-removal claims behind each of our water filter picks. Birnur played a lead role in GH's investigative story Is Your Tap Water Safe? and recently assessed the SafeHome brand DIY water testing kits for the Good Housekeeping Seal. She also helped the brand fine-tune its marketing claims and instruction inserts for the kits, including those for Lead, City Water and Well Water.
Jamie Kim is a consumer products expert with over 17 years of experience in areas of product development and manufacturing. She has held leading roles at both mid-size consumer goods companies and one of the most notable and largest apparel brands in the world. Jamie has contributed to several of the GH Institute Labs, including Kitchen Appliances, Media and Tech, Textiles and Home Appliances. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and working out.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
Birnur (she/her) led the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute from 2007 to 2023. In addition to overseeing product testing and GH Seal applications, she conducted our annual Beauty Awards selection process and was an active leader in GH’s green initiatives, including the Sustainable Innovation Awards and Raise the Green Bar Summit. In addition to earning M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering, she also has a professional certificate in sustainability management from Columbia University.
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