WaterU is a brand that I imagine no one has ever heard of. That makes it harder to trust to buy, but makes the prices lower. I was deciding between this bottle and the Camelbak Groove.
****Comparison to other bottles:****
In the past, I owned a Bobble. No problems with leaking, but the sound it makes while refilling air became absurdly annoying. Not to mention how rude or uncomfortable it would be to take more than one sip in class or in the library. I think the sound got even louder with use. And my biggest issue is that when I was really thirsty, I would have to drink, wait, drink, wait, drink, wait...
I did some research to replace the bobble (it was filter replacing time anyway). My choices were either to get another bobble or get a brita or get the popular (on Amazon) Rubbermaid bottle. The Brita was out because everyone said it leaks, it''s just a matter of how much. I almost fired away and got the Rubbermaid after the great reviews, but then I sorted by date and realized pretty much every recent review complained about the new design of the filter that causes it to not filter some water and/or leak.
So I dug deeper than the big 3 and found the Camelbak Groove, the WaterU FreshSip, OKO H2O Advanced, and Aqua Vessel Tritan Filter. The last 2 were too expensive at $20-25 for a brand that I don''t know and for little reviews, plus I probably wouldn''t spend that much even if it was made by a well-known company.
So it came down to the Groove and the FreshSip. The Groove would be $17 for 20oz or $20 for 24 oz while the FreshSip is $7 for 24 oz. I have a camebak Antidote reservoir with an in-line filter for backpacking. Again, it''s a filter not a purifier, so I could fill at a potable tap and just get better taste. The filter is a slim carbon cylinder which looks just like the one they put in the groove. The groove apparently has the bite-like rubber mouthpiece just like the reservoir. On a reservoir, a bite valve makes sense, so you can suck water when you want to and not have if drip out at other times. If you really want to, you can also close the chamber. However, on a bottle that you can just close and open a flip straw and isn''t sitting on your back, the bite valve is a little overkill. Reviews were complaining about the force needed to suck water out. So for the reasons I laid out, coupled with the higher price (over double!), I figured I''ll get the FreshSip and worse comes to worst, I''m out $7+tax.
****Bottle Details:*****
I received the bottle and proceeded to wash it out and run water through the filter like you do with any other carbon filter. The first time I drank from it, I still got some carbon bits in my mouth, but it''s non-toxic so it''s not a big deal. The bottle is hard plastic so it feels a lot sturdier than my bobble which always felt ready to break (though it never did). The straw with the filter pretty much reaches the bottom, so you don''t have any unreachable water. One of the pictures on here and the wateru website shows blue in the middle of the bottle, as well as the cap and filter. Apparently that''s an older model, now the bottle is clear and only the cap and filter are colored. Also according to WaterU and/or "DSC" (I guess the company behind WaterU), the new filter filters 40 gallons (about 200 bottle refills) instead of 20 gallons (100 bottles). After dealing with their quick and courteous customer service via email, it turns out that they''re sending out the new bottles and filters even though the tag that comes with the bottle says 20 gallons. I thought I got the old bottle, so they sent me a new one without me even requesting it, and when I got the new one, I realized it was the same as the one I ordered. They confirmed that indeed they''re shipping out the new ones on Amazon, just the insert that comes with the bottle says 20 gallon even though the filter is actually 40 gallon. Definitely 5* in customer service.
*****So the actual bottle REVIEW:*****
Here''s what really makes these straw bottles (or at least the FreshSip) better than the other ones. Because it''s upright, it means they can design another hole other than the water hole for air to go in as you suck water out! No more waiting for air to fill the bottle in between sips!!! The hole is surrounded by a piece of rubber (like an o-ring) and when you close the straw, a little peg in the side of the straw goes into the hole to block it from leaking and indeed it doesn''t leak. So you can''t drink with the bottle upside-down (why would you want to?), but you can carry it upside-down when it''s closed without a problem. The sucking has a little more resistance than a normal straw, but it''s really not tough by any means. I would say drinking a Jamba Juice smoothie has more resistance than this bottle.
No leaks, no noise, no waiting for air to refill, easy to drink, and inexpensive. What else can you ask for?
I''ve been drinking distilled and/or filtered water for ~14 years now (been using a Brita pitcher but am considering switching to a more thorough filter to use at home, such as the Zero water pitcher) and have recently started seeing bottles with filters in them. I love the concept, they are inexpensive (you can buy this one at Walgreens for 6.99), replacement filters are cheap, and it encourages me to drink more water. Brita also makes a bottle with a filter but I was concerned after reading dozens of reviews complaining of the bottle leaking (another advantage to this bottle is that holds more liquid that the Brita one). This bottle uses a straw so there is no problem with any leaking. The water is a bit hard to suck through the filter but I''d rather deal with that than with a leaky bottle. I don''t know how many particles/impurities/dissolved chemicals are filtered out (I assume that it doesn''t filter any more or less than Brita''s bottles -I''m basing my guess mainly on the fact that they are similarly pricedand I personally think that distilled water is the preferred option though it isn''t always convenient) but the water does taste better so hopefully this filter makes it healthier too.
Buy WaterU® FreshSip Filtered Water Bottle Now
Whether I''m at the gym or on the go in the car, this is the perfect water bottle. It fits perfectly in any cup holder, hence my mentioning the gym (treadmill bottle holders), which doesn''t accommodate my Nalgene. But I can literally tote this with me around the city; to the local zoo water fountains, at the mall while shopping, etc. I fill it up and the water tastes great because it''s going through the filter. I know I''m getting clean water. I don''t have to worry about taste or a water source because it''s going through a filtration system before it gets to my mouth. Best yet I can take it through the airport empty, fill it when I get through security, and I don''t have to pay $5 or $6 for a bottled water. No violations of too many liquids, and I don''t get robbed at the airport convenience stores!!! If I knock it over it doesn''t spill out through the spout either. Grips great and easy to clean. This is a great gift too, especially for campers! I highly recommend it.
Read Best Reviews of WaterU® FreshSip Filtered Water Bottle Here
This water bottle is great! Easy to use, easy to clean, water tastes great, bottle is fairly cheap compared to other filter bottles, and the replacement filters are also cheaper compared to other brands! On the label, it says that 1 filter can do up to about 100 fills. At this price and quality, it''s worth it to get as opposed to continuously buying packs of 24 water bottles. And you''re saving on plastic bottle waste! What''s not to like? Give it a try!
EDIT: I have used it daily now for several weeks. I''d like to add that I''ve dropped it about 3x on tile floor and carpet, and it hasn''t cracked or leaked. Also, I bring it with me to school everyday and place it in the water bottle pouch/net on my backback. It doesn''t leak or spill no matter what position it''s in (especially laying down)!
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I just wanted a simple water bottle with a straw that would fit in my cup holder. So I didn''t want to pay extra for something fancy. I found this one was not only reasonably priced, but had the bonus of a water filter, so I decided to buy it. I use it every day and it''s exactly what I needed.
This piece is adequate. For me, at least, it doesn''t heat up as quickly as advertised. Also not much pressure but that is to be expected. It will serve its purpose though.
