Water-to-Go Active bottle

The Water-to-Go Active bottle fits inside a standard bottle cage, and claims to filter out 99.9999% of contaminates as you drink. It is a great solution for proper wilderness adventures, and cuts down on gear in your pack, but its flow rate is limited and some of the plastics seem poorly chosen.

There are various ways to make water safe to drink, including tablets and UV filters. Each has pros and cons – tablets leave an unpleasant taste, take time to work and do nothing about bits, for instance, while UV filters also take up time and space.

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Water filtration directly in your bottle, then, is an attractive proposition. It takes no time to work, takes no extra space and the filter (allegedly) removes 99.9999% of bacteria, viruses, micro-organisms and heavy metal particles.

While we obviously can't test this as our biohazard lab is currently being wallpapered to match our windtunnel, the filters have been tested (in 2013) by an outfit called BCS Laboratories in Florida – its report can be read here.

I can at least say that, while it doesn't make Welsh stream water less brown or earthy tasting, none of it has killed me or even made me sick when drunk from the Active bottle. Given what could be decomposing upstream, that's a serious win.

The lid is made from BPA-free plastic (which may or may not be healthier for you) and has a flip-up cap to keep the spout clean and sealed. It's wide for the best flow, but inevitably the filter means it's still slower than normal.

Supposedly the Active bottle is squeezable to help with this, but it's pretty stiff and if you force it, water leaks around the lid.

That spout is smooth and all but gripless, too, and several times I almost lost the bottle when attempting to readjust my grip. A lip, or a softer material, would work better for cycling use.

One other gripe: it can't actually hold 750ml with the filter in place. I measured the useable volume around 675ml – still good, but really the specs reflected the reality.

The filter lasts for 200 litres, apparently, or 296 full bottles – a reasonable amount. I am not sure how you keep track though, and there's no way of knowing when it's time to change it. At least the replacements are only £10 each, which is cheaper than similar filters from the likes of LifeStraw and Sawyer.

At £30, the Active bottle looks expensive against a normal one, and expensive against purification tablets too. Against other filter systems, though, it looks good. A LifeStraw Go bottle is €46.95 (£42) for instance, but will not fit in a standard bottle cage. UV filters, meanwhile, are around £70.

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The Water-to-Go Active bottle is excellent for big rides where fresh water supplies can't be guaranteed. It's instant, convenient and durable.

The spout could be friendlier and the bottle walls more flexible but, between dealing with that or facing dehydration/poisoning, the choice is a no-brainer. The flow rate is limited and some of the plastics seem poorly chosen, but even so, it's a great solution for proper wilderness adventures.

Verdict

Makes suspect water instantly drinkable – if you're into adventures, it's brilliant