After using the Bobble and Brita, I can easily say that this is the best filtration bottle that I''ve used thus far. Technically they all work, but this one works the best out of the three.
In my experiences, the Bobble was hard to squeeze and after a while the plastic seemed to bend to the point where it felt like it was going to crack. It never did, but it felt like that. The cap for the Bobble got lost almost instantly. The Brita filter bottle was made out of more flexible material and also held more water than the Bobble, but would leak through the cap, with or without the loop ring. After about 3 months of use (The normal life of 1 filter) the plastic on the filter that holds it to the spout was cracked, pretty much nullifying all filter capability. I''m not sure exactly when this happened. Also, the little plastic cap for this bottle was lost quickly too.
Which brings us to the Rubbermaid filter. All the problems that I''ve had with the other filter bottles have pretty much been fixed. by this.
Pros:
-The plastic is nicely flexible and always returns to it''s original shape (note that the shape is designed to be squeezed in one direction). It also has a rubber grip near the top for holding it.
-The cap is held on by a tether. One of the other reviewers mentioned that the tether can get in the way, but this is not the case. It has little plastic bumps on the tether such that if you open or close the tether all the way it''ll stick in that position until you pull it out.
-High volume output. when you squeeze it, you get a lot of water pushed through the filter. Considerably more than the other two bottles. The filter also has a 1-way gasket so that after squeezing, it is easy for air to rush into the bottle for the next squeeze.
-Filter Change Indicator. The filter itself has a ring that you rotate around when you first get it to remind you when to change it.
Cons: After two weeks of using this, I can only think of one.
-Lower volume than the Brita. The Brita holds 24 oz. This is 20oz, but it''s more than the bobble''s 13 or 18.5oz.
I don''t think I should have to say that you should only use potable water in this, this is no Lifesaver bottle that can filter raw sewage. But for filtering regular drinking water, this bottle works amazing. It''s very nice to take with me when I go into the city and fill it from public drinking fountains or even regular tap water when I don''t want to buy overpriced water bottles. But overall, I am very impressed by this product. In my opinion, the only way they could improve it is by making a larger volume bottle (only one model exists in different colors at the time of this 7/2011 writing) or by making an insulated one that I could fill with ice. Enjoy!
I ordered four of these bottles. Three purple and one black. The filter in the purple bottles screws into the cap per the description and seems to work well. The filter in the black bottle was of a different type. It had a ring around the top edge and no thread in the middle to screw it into the cap. The problem with the filter not screwing into the cap is that in order to fill the bottle you have to take the filter out by either reaching into the bottle or by tipping the bottle over dumping any remaining water into your hand which has to be there to catch the filter as it falls out. Either refill/removal method is unhygienic and is prone to losing the filter or having it fall into the sink or other place at which you are filling the bottle.
On the theory that the black bottles have a different type of filter I returned it and ordered another purple bottle. Unfortunately, the replacement purple bottle also had a filter that does not screw into the cap. The same item apparently comes in different styles and there is no way that I have found to tell which ones have the filter that screws into the cap and which don''t when placing the order.
The UPC codes for the two different bottle (filter) types is the same. However, on the UPC block of the bottle package there is what appears to be a model number. The bottle with the screw-on filter has a model number of L51783830A. The bottle with the non-screw filter has model number of L51783830B. The Amazon description of the bottle lists the model number as 1783830. It does not indicate whether it is the A or B version. The cap of the B model has a thread receptacle, so it should accept a filter that has a screw thread, but the filter that comes with the bottle does not have that thread.
The package of the screw type bottle has a copyright dated 2010. The non-screw bottle''s package has a copyright of 2011. I don''t know if I can generalize, but it appears that newer bottles do not come with the screw-on filter.
The picture available for the replacement filters shows the screw on thread on the top of the filter. I hope that doesn''t change when I replace the filters.
I am going to return the latest purple bottle.
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I understand now the other comments left about the lid being annoying, you must hold it out of your way or let it hit your face while drinking. It did take some getting used to for me to drink out of this thing. I was dribbling water for a few days until I decided I must suck on the thing in order to not leak water onto myself. The filter really does remove any taste for the water you are drinking. I have poured "Aquafina" into it because I personally feel that that water has a very undesirable taste. It did manage to remove the very distinct taste of it. The filter has a dial for tracking when to change it out and you really have to refill the bottle once it gets to less than half full because it gets harder and harder to drink out of. I haven''t had any leaks so far and except for the first few days of embarrassing moments it''s a purchase.
Update: To my surprise there is way to avoid the cap hitting you in the face LOL! The cap has a small bump and when you pull the loop so that the bump falls under the rim of the bottle it locks in place. The next update will be in about 5 weeks after I return from a trip to Europe. I''ll be living off wine, beer and tap water that hopefully tastes great.
Read Best Reviews of Rubbermaid 20-Ounce Filtration Personal Bottle Here
Pros:
Cheap (both bottle and filter replacements)
Easy to clean
Makes water taste "good" (in my opinion [tested with well water])
Quiet
Durable
Cons:
The cap ring thingy can be annoying at times
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Warning the filter has been changed and as a result this bottle is useless. Bought this bottle earlier this year and was very happy with it, it worked perfectly. When I tried to obtain replacement filters I kept being sent a different type (see pictures submitted by another reviewer at the top), even though the picture was of the one I wanted, with a screw top. The new filters don''t screw into the top, but sit on the top of the bottle, with holes around the edge. So, not all of the water goes through the filter, but worse the lid no longer seals and so the bottle leaks in your bag and dribbles down your clothes when you drink from it. Rubbermaid have now confirmed to me by email that the new type of filter is now the only one available here is their reply "The 1st generation filter refill is no longer available. It has been replaced with the Generation 2 filter. The Generation 2 simply sits in the top of the bottle and the lid screws down to the bottle on top of the filter. It no longer attaches to the filter". It defies belief that someone could have ''improved'' the filter from a simple one that worked perfectly to one that is not fit for the purpose. Looks like I''m not the only one to have this problem as I see other reviewers are commenting.
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Strengths: The pack has nice room and padding for an SLR and a lens.
