Product test
Water on the move: with the Lifestraw Go filter bottle
by Siri Schubert
Drinking water to go: the Larq bottle on trial
23.6.2023
Translation: machine translated
In a series of articles, I take a look at different methods of obtaining drinking water without having to carry it when doing water sports or hiking. In the first episode, I tested the Lifestraw Go bottle. This time, I take a few sips from the Larq self-cleaning water bottle.
When I'm on the water or in the mountains, it can take a long time. I often spend several days at a time in regions where drinking water is not available at every crossroads. That's why I test filters, bottles and small electrical devices that allow me to treat river, stream or lake water in a relatively simple way.
Until now, I've often used the Lifestraw Go filtering gourd, which I introduced in the first episode of the series. Now I want to find out if the Larq self-cleaning water bottle lives up to its promise.
The water bottle comes in a double-walled insulated version and a lighter, single-walled version. For hikes and SUP outings, I opted for the lighter version, with a capacity of 950 millilitres.
Cleaning takes place automatically after activation
At the edge of a lake, I filled the bottle, unscrewed the cap and activated the cleaning mechanism by pressing the cap. The blue LED light indicates that the process is underway. As soon as the light goes out after a minute, the water is ready to drink. Once activated, the mechanism switches itself on every two hours, until you deactivate it by pressing a button. In this way, any bacteria that enter the bottle while drinking are destroyed at regular intervals.
If the body of water is located next to villages or pastures, there are usually restaurants or shops nearby. It shouldn't be difficult to find drinking water or ways to recharge batteries in the meantime, giving you up to ten days' autonomy. If you're drinking water from a mountain stream in a very remote area close to the source, or if you want the battery in your water bottle to last longer than two weeks, normal mode should be sufficient.
An additional filter is required for good taste
I've already drunk just under a litre of UV-C light pre-treated water through the filter and, in terms of taste, it's certainly an improvement over unfiltered water. However, I don't find it optimal that, as with the combination of the LifeStraw Go bottle and Steripen in the first episode of the series, I have to carry two products and purify the water in two stages if I also want to get rid of suspended particles and heavy metals.
On the other hand, the neck of the filter lid is well designed. You can open it with your thumb without touching the mouthpiece. This is more hygienic than other suppliers' water bottles, where you have to extract the neck from the cavity.
Removing bacteria and viruses is more important than great taste
Conclusion: although the combination of filter lid and UV lid gives the best result, I find that integrating the UV light into the lid is a good solution. That's why the Larq water bottle will certainly be present on my next outings. After all, as long as I'm drinking clear water that's relatively low in sediment on an excursion, the elimination of viruses and bacteria is enough to keep me healthy and offers better protection than a fine-pore filter.
Headline photo: Siri Schubert
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
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