Best Survival Water Filters
- Last Updated: October 20, 2022
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Water filters are essential for any survival kit for disaster and emergency situations. It helps you free your mind from the problem of finding a good source of clean water. Everyone knows that having a great and reliable water filter will help you maximize your survival chances.
Thus, we have curated 8 best survival water filters for your survival kits and for you to enjoy, check it out.
In a Rush? The Winner after 19 hours of testing is:
- Ultra-lightweight, portable filter
- Effective filters, surpassing EPA’s standard
- Easy and simple to use
- Great BPA free materials
- Implements corporate social responsibility
Quick Comparison
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
- Ultra-lightweight, portable filter
- Effective filters, surpassing EPA’s standard
- Easy and simple to use
- Great BPA free materials
- Implements corporate social responsibility
Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System
- Excellent 0.1-micron filter
- Versatile, and easy to use
- Comes with a drinking bottle
- Great quality control
- Also incorporates good social responsibility
LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle
- Simple and convenient bottled design
- Replaceable pores and carbon filters
- Great filtration performance with 0.2-microns
- External quality check guarantees quality
Survivor Filter PRO
- An impeccable 0.01-Micron filtration system
- Durable, long-lasting build
- Equipped with complementary features
- Includes a triple filtration system
- Lifetime warranty
Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System
- Provides everything in one package
- Outstanding water flow output
- Good 0.2-micron filtration
- Portable
BOTTLED JOY Filtered Water Bottle
- An excellent two-step filtration system
- Replaceable filters
- Complemented with cleaning accessories
- Guaranteed with an 18-month warranty
- Made with BPA-free materials
MSR TrailShot Pocket-Sized Water Filter
- Practical design and usage
- Portable and compact
- High conversion output
- Great filtration performance
- Surpassed EPA’s standards
Miniwell Gravity Versatile Emergency Water Filter
- Well-built, balanced water filter
- Versatile and multipurpose
- Compact, lightweight and portable
- Impressive water flow rate
- It comes with a lifetime warranty!
Our Reviews
1 LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
This water filter is well-known for its ease of use and portability. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter is a must-have and a great option as a piece of survival equipment in your emergency kit. It offers great portability through its small property and weight. All without sacrificing its build, quality and effectiveness.
Small and Portable
LifeStraw is made with an amazingly compact design. Measuring only 8.7 x 1 x 1 inch and weighs a mere 2 ounces! This provides you with a small, portable, and ultra-lightweight device, perfect for a survival tool. It’s also made with BPA free materials, and its filters surpassed the EPA’s filter standards, with no batteries or pumping needed!
Effective and Easy to Use!
LifeStraw can filter a minimum of 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, and 99,9% of protozoan parasites, up to 0.2 microns. You just must insert the bottom part to any water source and just sip through it like a straw. It is capable of filtering approximately 1000 gallons of water before needing replacement, equivalent to a year’s (even more!) average water consumption.
Cost to Value
With its current price, LifeStraw Personal Water Filter should be one of your considerations while searching for a valuable survival water filter. For you philanthropists, LifeStraw also provides a year’s worth of clean water for school children upon each purchase of its water filter
- Ultra-lightweight, portable filter
- Effective filters, surpassing EPA’s standard
- Easy and simple to use
- Great BPA free materials
- Implements corporate social responsibility
- Lacks more features/accessories
- Doesn’t come with a warranty
2 Sawyer Products MINI Water Filtration System
Next in our list is Sawyer Products Water Filter. Sawyer’s water filter is an exceptionally compact filter with great versatility and features. It also provides great quality assurance, and an amazing water filtration system. All without sacrificing any of its quality, and affordability. Sawyer’s water filter easily went up to our list and it should easily make you consider buying it.
Impressive Filtering Performance
With its filter only weighing 2 ounces. Sawyer’s water filter comes with exceptional filters, with its 0.1-micron filter. Sawyer can guarantee that it’s nearly impossible for bacteria, microplastics, protozoa, or any other solid materials to bypass its filters (up to 99.9999%). Its filter rate is also boasted to filter up to 100.000 gallons of water.
Great Quality Control and Features
Sawyer knew in order to produce a high-quality, and reliable survival tool. It must implement strict and great quality controls. And every Sawyer’s water filter is performance checked three times during its production. Sawyer also provides you with a drinking pouch, straw, and a cleaning plunger. Just like some filters in this list, Sawyer also gives back to people in need by providing clean water on every purchase of its products.
Cost to Value
Overall, Sawyer’s made an excellent survival water filter. Its build quality ensures its longevity of use and effectiveness. It also provides quality assurance and several accessories for your convenience. Thus, making Sawyer Products Water Filter a great option for your new water filter.
- Excellent 0.1-micron filter
- Versatile, and easy to use
- Comes with a drinking bottle
- Great quality control
- Also incorporates good social responsibility
- Its O-ring seal is prone to breaking
- Lacking customer support services
3 LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle
Another amazing water filter from LifeStraw in our list, LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle is a bigger brother from the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter. Using a water bottle package design, LifeStraw offers a great filtration system just like its brothers and excellent quality control.
Compact, All in One Package
This LifeStraw water filter comes with a bottle design, so you can use it as a regular daily water bottle as well. It’s very convenient to use as you just must fill the bottle with water and the filters will automatically filtrate the water into clean water. Making it very easy to store as it’s in the form of a bottle.
Great Performance and Quality
With a pore size of 0.2-microns, the filtration system of LifeStraw offers complete filtration against microplastic, and turbidity. It’s also capable of filtering 99.9999% bacteria and 99.999% of parasites while also improving the water taste by reducing chlorine and organic chemicals. Every product is also rigorously quality checked by external laboratories with international standard testing protocols.
Cost to Value
Again, this LifeStraw Bottle Water Filter is another excellent option for your survival kit. Especially if you prefer convenience, as this water filter is paired as one with a water bottle. Giving you the convenience and simplicity of use in your hands.
- Simple and convenient bottled design
- Replaceable pores and carbon filters
- Great filtration performance with 0.2-microns
- External quality check guarantees quality
- Lacks complementary features
- The filter is exclusive for the bottle
4 Survivor Filter PRO
Next up is a favorite for diehard clean water fans. Featuring an impressive 0.01-micron filter, Survivor Filter PRO is perhaps one of the best performing filters out there in the market. It also features a triple filtration system with heavy-duty materials. Perfect for an apocalypse emergency.
Impeccable Performance
Boasting a 0.01-micron filter, Survivor Filter PRO can filtrate almost everything. Capable of removing 99.999% of Protozoa, 99.999% of tested Virus, Staph and Bacteria, and heavy metals such as Mercury (99.5%) and Lead (93%). It is all due to their impressive dual hollow membrane fiber and carbon filtration technology.
Magnificent Build Quality and Features
Built to last with the best quality materials, Survivor Filter PRO is made with ABS Materials, Polysulfone Medical-Grade Ultra Filter, Food-Grade Activated Carbon with Steel bar handles. It is also BPA free and comes with several complementary accessories, such as internal filters, tubing, travel bag, detachable drinking cups, and a detailed instructions manual!
Cost to Value
If you’re really looking for an all-in-one package that will do almost everything and lasts for decades. You might consider Survival Filter PRO, with its current build quality and performance. It will be able to deliver you satisfying results even in the harshest environments. It also provides a lifetime warranty for your purchase, a great investment choice considering the value that you will get.
- An impeccable 0.01-Micron filtration system
- Durable, long-lasting build
- Equipped with complementary features
- Includes a triple filtration system
- Lifetime warranty
- Bulkier than its counterparts
- More expensive compared to others
5 Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System
Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter is a handy water filter that uses gravity as its main technology. Equipped with 2 reservoirs, you can easily get clean water by just filling the dirty reservoir with water and let gravity do the work. It boasts an impressive filtration performance and an exceptional flow rate.
Exceptional Performance
Platypus provides you with a 0.2-micron filtration, capable of filtering most bacteria, and protozoa. It also surpassed all EPA/NSF guidelines and can deliver 1.75 liters of clean water in one minute. Making it a very efficient water filter to use, their filters are also replaceable.
Portable and Well-Equipped
All parts in Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter are detachable and compact, enabling it to be stored and moved into many places without any trouble. Your purchase includes a 4-liter dirty water reservoir, 4-liter clean water reservoir, a hollow-fiber filter, a shut-off clamp, a storage sack, and a hose.
Cost to Value
Although Platypus offers you a complete package of its product, its cost is a bit heftier compared to its counterparts. So, if you have a big budget for your survival kit, Platypus is a steady and efficient option for you to consider.
- Provides everything in one package
- Outstanding water flow output
- Good 0.2-micron filtration
- Portable
- Cost a lot more than others
- Takes a while to set-up
6 BOTTLED JOY Filtered Water Bottle
Another bottled design water filter is BOTTLED JOY Filtered Water Bottle. With its premium materials surpassing international standards and features, it guarantees a great filtration performance and water taste. It also comes with a warranty and replaceable parts. Great for long-term usage as your main water filter.
Convenient and Replaceable
With the specifications of BOTTLED JOY’s water bottle. It enables you to replace its filters after long-term uses (every 3-months is recommended) and the standalone filter is available for purchase.
Your purchase also comes along with several complementary tools such as a syringe, a brush, and a sponge, helping you with cleaning.
Excellent 2-Step Filtration System
BOTTLED JOY’s filtration system uses two kinds of filters, with the first one using the hollow membrane technology to filter the water from micro bacteria, protozoa, microplastic and turbidity. The second step, implementing a carbon filter to reduce odor and chlorine, improving its aftertaste.
Cost to Value
BOTTLED JOY’s water bottle filter proves itself to be a valuable consideration for your water bottle filters. Its performance is great, the parts are reliable and replaceable, and it also comes with an 18-month guarantee (with a 3-month filter guarantee). Further guaranteeing your satisfaction and the quality of their product.
- An excellent two-step filtration system
- Replaceable filters
- Complemented with cleaning accessories
- Guaranteed with an 18-month warranty
- Made with BPA-free materials
- Requires some effort to drink
- Lacks quality control & assurance
7 MSR TrailShot Pocket-Sized Water Filter
MSR TrailShot Water Filter is next on our list. It’s designed for practical survival situations; it is a tube modeled water filter for convenient use. Its compact and ultralight design makes it a great fit to be used as a survival tool when you need clean water. MSR’s filtration system also surpasses EPA’s clean water standards.
Ultra-Practical Design
Boasting a portable and compact design, MSR Water Filter is only 6×2.4 inches while only weighing 5 ounces. This provides the user with great portability; it also fits in a stash pocket and doesn’t consume a lot of space.
Great Filter Conversion
Besides its high filtration rate against bacteria and protozoa up to 99.99%. MSR Water Filter is also capable of filtering up to 1 liter of water in 60 seconds. Providing reliable amounts of water just when you need it, and an estimate of 2000 liter filter usage before needing replacement.
Cost to Value
Our verdict is, MSR Water Filter could be your go-to for your survival water filter choice. If your priority in a water filter is its portability and practicality. MSR Water Filter could be a valuable option for you, considering its build quality, performance and portability.
- Practical design and usage
- Portable and compact
- High conversion output
- Great filtration performance
- Surpassed EPA’s standards
- Lack of other features
- Prone to clogging
8 Miniwell Gravity Versatile Emergency Water Filter
Last on our list, we have a Miniwell Gravity Versatile Emergency Water Filter. This water filter might just be your perfect companion for survivalists. Capable of filtering a lot of freshwater with a fast flow rate, this water filter is also versatile by offering multiple using styles. Complemented with several important accessories, miniwell’s water filter is a must look in our list.
Multifunctional and Versatile
Did you only have a well? Or a bottle? Or do you drink from a plastic bag? Miniwell’s water filter is capable of filtering all of them, it could be purposed as a straw, or a bottle filter, or even a DIY bucket filtration system! Miniwell provides your purchase with a straw filter, a separate bottle filter, a hose clip, and a bucket connector as well.
Durable and Great Performance
The Miniwell Gravity Versatile Emergency Water Filter is made with premium medical-grade materials, with decent shock and impact resistance and BPA-free materials. It also has a great performance with its 0.1-micron filter with a 600ml/minute flow rate. Providing a steady amount of water stream in a short period of time.
Cost to Value
With its performance, features, and quality. We consider Miniwell’s water filter an excellent option for survivalists or just outdoor enthusiasts that require a versatile water filter without sacrificing its durability and performance. It is considered affordable within its current price, a recommended option to check out, especially with its lifetime warranty!
- Well-built, balanced water filter
- Versatile and multipurpose
- Compact, lightweight and portable
- Impressive water flow rate
- It comes with a lifetime warranty!
- Difficult to set up the hanging filtration
- Only has a 1-step filtration process
Buying Guide
Effectiveness
Clean water, the most vital resource that we fail to appreciate in our daily life. It is the one that we must ensure in difficult situations, thus we are putting effectiveness as the most important criteria for our evaluation.
Having a water filter is great, but having a reliable, effective, water filter is so much more valuable. The standard for a water filter’s effectiveness usually is above 98%. And we strongly advise you to consider the effectiveness of a water filter as your top priority while searching for one.
Considering our goal of surviving the wilderness with a compact, survival water filter. A reliable survival water filter would come with a pore size of around 0.1-0.2 microns, providing excellent filtration towards bacteria, and solid particles.
But if you’re aiming for an all-in, powerful filter that’s capable of removing viruses and heavy metals. You might find it satisfying to purchase a water filter with a pore size of around 0.01-microns. As 0.1-Microns aren’t small enough to block viruses from passing through.
Portability
Another criterion for a great survival water filter is its portability. Especially if it acts as a disaster kit, a disaster kit should be as compact as possible. Thus, for a water filter to be reliable, it mustn’t take all the space in your bag and be portable, leaving more room for items in your emergency kit.
The portability of a water filter comes with a lot of considerations, with the most important ones being its size and dimensions. Water filters come with various sizes, models, and weight. Our list is curated with hand-picked, small and compact water filters.
Materials
Next in our criteria is its materials. Since it serves as a disaster/emergency kit, the materials of a water filter must be of high-quality and well manufactured. By purchasing and having a well-made water filter. You won’t have to worry about replacing it within a few uses.
There are a lot of manufacturers that provide you with affordable, cheap water-filters, by sacrificing some of its unique properties. Some could sacrifice additional features to cut down their prices, and some would sacrifice the quality of their products for cheap prices.
You should be wary of this and try to avoid low-quality water filters. Because it will never be a great experience for someone to find out that their water filter broke down after the first use, just when they need it the most. And, cheaply made filter materials might contain toxic materials for humans, potentially compromising your health.
Features
Some manufacturers aim for ultra-reliability by providing a super-compact water filter. And some manufacturers aim to provide values by complementing their water filters with extra features or accessories.
But a well-rounded and competent manufacturer should be able to provide a consistent balance between a water filter’s portability and its features. A great product will have a balanced build without heavily sacrificing one of its features.
For you who’s seeking value purchases and wants a more complete in-depth package of a water filter. You can also use its features as one of your considerations while searching for one. This is particularly great considering that you’re purchasing this as your survival tool preparation.
Ease of Use
Finally, we consider that a great, reliable water filter should be comfortable enough to be used by people that never used a water filter before. As a survival tool, a water filter should be easy enough for its user to operate, further increasing its reliability and comfort for the user.
Remembering that there are a lot of models and styles of water filtration in the market. And that some of them have different ways of operating, the least manufacturers could do is create a simple and comfortable water filter to use.
We also urge you to consider the ease of use of a water filter in your consideration before purchasing one. If you’re going to keep it as an emergency unit, you must be able to comfortably use it when you need it so you can rely on it.
Expert Tips and Advice
Set Your Priorities!
With the wide variations of water filters in the market, it may be confusing at first to pick the best water filters for yourself. Especially if you’re intending to keep it as an emergency tool for survival. Thus, you first must create a list of priorities about what you’re looking for in your water filters. You can start off by listing your criteria evaluation by ranking to help you.
Quality First, Money Later
It might seem tempting to purchase a cheap product in your search. But do know that you must make sure that the water filters you’re purchasing are proven to be reliable and well-built. It is recommended to invest in a proper filter that will last decades with you rather than a cheaply made one that will break down after several uses.
Proper Maintenance is a Must!
If you’re expecting your water filter to save you in a dire situation, you must first learn how to save your water filter. By knowing how to properly maintain your water filter and take proper care of it, you can ensure the longevity of your water filter.
Other Factors to Consider
Versatility
Versatility is another factor to consider upon purchasing your water filter. Since you’re purchasing it for a survival situation, a versatile water filter that could be operated through a lot of terrains might be very helpful.
Every water filter is made to filter its water in some way. Thus it is important to figure out what kind of terrain or wilderness you’re going out to and purchase a water filter that is compatible with it, but you don’t have to worry about it if you’re able to get your hands on a versatile water filter.
Model
Just like most of the common products in the market, a water filter also comes with various models. Thus, it’s important to find out what kind of model works out for you.
There are several common water filter models in the market currently, starting from a simple straw filter design, a water bottle design filter, and a gravity-reservoir filtering design. For your best buying experience, try to purchase the most comfortable filter model that you like to use.
Capacity
The capacity of a filter is also considered as important as everything else. Some filters are made with a specific flow rate and a specific water capacity. There are filters with a 500ml flow rate/minute until 1.7 liters flow rate/minute.
Depending on your water needs, and the capacity that you usually use. You might have to consider the water filter’s capacity of water flow, and filter capacity before requiring a replacement. This will help you prepare your best in obtaining the most suitable water filter.
Protection
Protection is another important factor that isn’t included in our evaluation because it’s already covered by a filter’s effectiveness. But it doesn’t mean that you must overlook it as well.
Water filters have different sizes of filters that can filtrate several microorganisms, microplastics, and other entities. But there are some restrictions that some water filters have, for example. If you’re looking to filter viruses in your water, you must purchase a minimum of a 0.01-micron equipped filter.
Thus, it is important to remember the purpose of your purchase, do you aim to only filter microorganisms, or also viruses and other heavy metals?
Accessories
For you value hunters, accessories will be a great factor for you to consider. There are plenty of manufacturers that provide you with only a single piece of a water filter. Thus, making you purchase a few amenities to maximize a water filter’s function.
So, keep an eye out for manufacturers that sell you a whole package of stuff in their water filter. Usually, there are sellers that include a set of filters, a pouch bag, straps, and tubes for your convenience. And don’t forget that aiming for a seller that includes a warranty for you is always a great option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are there viruses in the water?
A: Some contaminated water sources may contain viruses; the most observed viruses are hepatitis A and B that are of fecal origins. Thus, it is recommended to purchase a water filter that's capable of filtering viruses as well. Filters that could filtrate viruses start from as small as 0.01-microns.
Q: Is a water filter capable of removing chlorine?
A: Yes, most of the water filters can remove chlorine. Especially the ones with second carbon filtration, a carbon filtration filtrates chlorine and several contaminants and impurities as well. This filter assures that your water won’t be foul-smelling or foul tasted.
Q: Do water filters soften water?
A: Unfortunately, no, a water filter doesn’t soften water. If you’re aiming to soften water, it might be wiser to purchase a water softener as a water filter only filtrates your water from harmful chemicals, microorganisms, and heavy metals.
Q: What happens if I don’t replace my filters?
A: In the long term, if you didn’t replace your filters after a long usage it could be a health risk for you. The way filters work are they prevent dangerous materials, chemicals, and microorganisms from being consumed through their membrane filter cells. After long term usage, the poisonous buildup that has been accumulating throughout your usage might harm and cause damage to your health. Thus, it is advised to follow your water filter guide and recommendation about when to change the filters.
