In this LifeStraw Vs Grayl showdown, I will decide which filter bottle is better for the outdoors.
You will find out everything you need to know about the LifeStraw Go filtered water bottle and Grayl Ultralight in this LifeStraw Vs Grayl comparison. I will use detailed comparisons to give you the best information.
Last year, I was hiking at Mount Rainer National Park with a few friends. There were breathtaking views all around me. The hike I was doing when I first got there was a challenging 12 miles trail.
About halfway through the hike, we ran out of water, but luckily my mate brought a spare LifeStraw Go (review article).
That hike turned out to be excellent.
Today, there are many water filtration systems. So, in this showdown, I will compare two popular water filtration systems so you know which is best for you.
Let’s dive right in.
Grayl Vs LifeStraw Different Features
Comparison of Water Quality
When discussing water quality and purity, two of the most popular branded products are LifeStraw Go and Grayl Ultralight. Both have devoted their development efforts to getting people as much pure drinking water as conveniently as possible.
The LifeStraw Go has become widely known for its donations to impoverished countries that lack access to clean drinking water. It has also managed to receive awards for its survivor filter.
The LifeStraw carbon filter is designed not only to remove waterborne bacteria and protozoa found in many common dirty water sources but it will also to help you avoid foul-tasting odors, microplastics, or chemical residues entering your body when drinking contaminated fluid.
Another well-known option, Grayl, comes with an impressive water purification specification.
If you’re looking to rid a greater variety of contaminants that may be present in any given water source, Grayl’s ability to remove not only common waterborne bacteria and protozoa (as with other popular water filtration mechanisms) but also viruses, microplastics, heavy metals, and chemical residues make it a stand-out choice for water purification.
However, this impressive feature comes at an extra cost of the time taken for some more intensive filtering design that can leave you waiting somewhat longer than might be expected from less sophisticated approaches such as those provided by LifeStraw Go products available on the market today.
When examining both options closely, one may decide in favor of either depending upon their individual circumstance. If your primary concern is access to clean drinking water, and you reside in an area such as the US., then LifeStraw Go will likely provide a more than satisfactory solution that readily meets expectations within reasonable waiting periods are involved.
However, if living in places with compromised sources of uncontaminated fluid (such as Mexico or Pakistan, for example), selecting options from Grayl’s product range may ultimately prove to be better value due to its ability to rid greater levels of contaminants found often there.
Whilst acknowledging both product ranges have their own unique advantages in terms of cost, availability, and practicality, it ultimately comes down to the individual needs as seen by each respective buyer. With a bit more effort, however, one may hope that consumers will be satisfied with their access compared to relative organizations’ quality solutions for everyday water usage.
Comparison of Durability
Comparison of Weight and Size
The Lifestraw Go and Grayl are similar in many ways. However, upon closer comparison of their weight and size, it becomes apparent that one has a considerable advantage over the other.
First to be considered is the weight of each product. The 5.9 ounces makes Life straw an extremely light filtered water bottle made from Tritan. This presents an amazing convenience for users since it will be easy to carry, whether in a bag or hanging from the waist with its strap attachment.
On the other hand, Grayl is also light but comparatively heavier at 10.9 ounces due to its ABS and stainless steel construction, plus an additional filter cartridge installed in the filtered water bottle. With this weight difference, it becomes clear that carrying LifeStraw would be much more comfortable than Grayl for any extended journey or outdoor activity.
Another point where Lifestraw Go has the edge over Grayl is in size. LifeStraw is 9.3 inches tall and 3.2 inches wide, whereas Grayl is bigger with 9.5 inches and 2.7 inches along the respective width & height dimensions.
The slim look of Greyl may be appealing to some, but the notable difference in size makes Lifestraw Go a better option for packing tighter and taking up less space.
Overall LifeStraw is lighter with practically no major disadvantage on its side when it comes to comparison of weight & size against Grayl. Hence one can easily draw a conclusion that purchasing a Lifetraw offers more convenience and utility, making it the ideal option for anyone looking to purchase a lightweight product that is easy to carry.
Comparison of ease of use
Many people that I know don’t mind spending a couple of seconds and a little more work. Other people, mostly lazy or people who do really long walks like me, don’t like work.
First up, the Lifestraw is fairly easy to use with four steps:
- Step 1: Fill the filtered water bottle by unscrewing the lid and scooping water in
- Step 2: Wait 10 seconds
- Step 3: Drink
- Step 4: Empty the filter by blowing out the straw
Second up, the Grayl is also easy to use with three steps:
- Step 1: Fill the filtered water bottle by unfastening the lid, taking out the container, and scooping the water
- Step 2: Press down the container down to the filter.
- Step 3: Drink
The winner is the Grayl water bottle by a bit.
Pros and Cons of LifeStraw
Pros
- Everytime you purchase a LifeStraw Go, a child in need receives safe drinking water
- It is light(5.9 oz), convenient, and easily transportable
- It is easy to use for filtered water
- The filtering water bottle is large
- It has an endless life of 1000 gallons with a replaceable travel water filter
- This is a completely leak-proof and durable filtering water bottle
- Cheaper short & long term
- This is made with durable BPA-free Tritan
- Free returning
- Amazon’s Choice
- Many color options
Cons
- If you already have a LifeStraw, you can’t just plug that in to this
- LifeStraw Water is a little difficult to drink
- You have to only use water and never any other liquids.
Pros and Cons of Grayl
Pros
- Rigorous purification to the safest filtered water (Grayl water is great for 3rd world countries)
- Made with extremely durable BPA-free Polypropylene
- It’s light (10.4 oz), very small, and very easily transportable
- Completely leak and waterproof
- Many color options
- Free returning
- Donations are made to many charities for each buy
Cons
- You have to only use water and never any other liquids.
- It has a 40-gallon (300-use) filter lifespan with a replaceable travel water filter
- More expensive
Personal Experience of Lifestraw & Grayl
I have been using the LifeStraw Go for 11 months and Grayl Ultralight for eight months. I am a frequent hiker, camper, and fisher. So, I have used both of these very frequently.
When I first tried the LifeStraw a year ago, I wanted that water purifier. So, a short month after, I got it! It was nice to know that clean water went to children who needed them. To add on, since I live in the US., I haven’t had any major issues with it.
In fact, I really liked LifeStraw Go after three hikes. The filtered water I drank out of there tasted and smelled like regular tap water or bottled water with no bad side effects. I haven’t replaced the filter since I got it, and the river, lake, and pond filtered water I drink out of still tastes good.
I didn’t drink filtered water out of the sewers or any extra dark water place that could contain viruses because I didn’t want to take my chances. However, I think it would be nice to have a sense of security when drinking filtered water elsewhere.
I also thought that whenever I tried to drink out of it, I really had to suck the straw to get out some water. However, after the first suck out of the straw, it became much easier.
One time, I didn’t clear out the backpacking water filters, and when I got a new load of river water, it tasted weird. So, I spat it out and cleared out the backpacking water filters. Then after that, the filtered water tasted normal again.
After that, a friend recommended the Grayl Ultralight to me. He said that Grayl Ultralight was better than LifeStraw – so I bought one.
I wouldn’t say I liked that I had to pay so much more, but I had to see what all the fuss was about.
Now that I had it, I actually felt more secure when taking another drink out of rivers, lakes, or ponds. For obvious reasons, I still didn’t want to drink sewage water.
The first time I drank with it, it took a little longer than the LifeStraw Go because I had to unscrew the lid, scoop water, press down hard for 15 seconds, and then wait an extra 15 seconds. The water tasted about the same and smelled a little better.
To be honest, I couldn’t really feel much of a weight difference between the LifeStraw Go and Grayl Ultralight. I liked that the Grayl was a little smaller because I already have a lot of stuff in my hiking bag, fishing bag, and camping bag.
I liked that I didn’t have to suck on a straw really hard. Instead, I could just pour it into my mouth. This saved me a bit of energy. However, what didn’t save me energy was when I had to press down hard for 15 seconds each time I refilled.
Overall, both the LifeStraw and the Grayl were great, but I felt like my experience was a little better with the Grayl – just for the sense of security and the water smelling slightly better.
Lifestraw Vs Grayl Winner
Like most things, I can’t just give you a straight-up answer. It depends. If you don’t mind the price and would like the ultimate water filter, then I would recommend the Grayl Ultralight.
However, if you mind the price and live in the US (and don’t travel much), you should probably choose LifeStraw.
I personally like the water smelling slightly better and having a sense of security when filtering water. Even though I know that it’s very unlikely that I would find many chemicals or viruses in a mountain, river, or lake, I just like the sense of security.
However, if you don’t really mind these things and you know that the water you’re drinking doesn’t have any dangerous chemicals or viruses, and you want something cheaper than the LifeStraw is the way to go.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this LifeStraw Vs Grayl review!
Check Grayl Ultralight
Check LifeStraw Go