
REVIEWS
89 Reviews
Chrystal S
Love this for backpacking in the mountains! It's a great grab-and-go option that allows me to have a portable water bottle for camp and day hikes from the back country. The only thing I don't love is that the description says it's blue, but it's actually more grey.
Warren F
Fast to grab but not my only solution when water is very shallow
Alex B
I got this filter before I did a multi day back country elk hunt this last fall. I loved the light weight compact size of it, and it filtered great and worked as intended when I had to do daily water runs to filter water for drinking. 10/10 worked as advertised and I didn't get sick. If you need a way to filter water I can't see any reason not to run this, it's a little small but it made quick work of filling my 7 liters of water storage.
Carla F
I have used the Katadyn BeFree in Alaska, the Boundary Waters in MN, and in Patagonia. It has been a consistent and reliable water filtration in the most remote areas. In Patagonia, my BeFree filtered water for three people, for 7 days and over 70 miles. As a newer backpacker worried about safe water, BeFree was easy to use. It filled easily in the rivers and streams and is lightweight and easy to pack. I would be careful about where and how you pack it to make sure you don't puncture it on rocks or anything sharp in your pack. To me, this is an essential piece of my backpacking kit.
Brian M
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Simplicity: 10/10… fill the water bag, close the lid and drink! You can carry it in your pocket or attached to your belt loop or backpack with a carrabener. Durability: 8/10 … excellent quality. The nature of what it is, there is some minor risk of puncturing the bag and losing the secondary charcoal filter. Packability: 10/10: maybe my favorite feature. No carrying extra weight or bulk with this. Packs down to nothing and shrinks as you drink the water. Flow rate: 8/10 … quick. As expected for the fiber style filter. A little slower with the secondary filter installed. Ease of cleaning: 10/10: so easy to just swish around the filter in the creak to clean debris. I am curious how effective this method is over time. Katadyn Group gave me this free product to try.
Michael M
Only drawback is the slow flow rate, otherwise a great product. Primarily used to drink chemically filtered water and adjust flavor.
Shawn W
Most convenient filter I’ve used. I’ve taken it on long runs in the mountains and filled up in springs along the way, the flow rate is very fast and easy to get water out of. I always carry one in my hunting pack and fill up when I find a water source . It’s super lightweight so you can squish it and keep the empty bottle in a pocket or pack.
Glen B
I took this on a multi-day trek in 2026 in South America & was so pleased with its performance. I will continue to use my 4L-6L reservoir-style gravity filters when camping/backpacking with larger groups, but otherwise this is the only filter i'll ever use again (aka-throw away those other 'squeeze' filters from the other brand). So happy with this product!
Brian H
Easy to refresh the filter and worked well in remote areas with questionable water purity. Highly recommend for an ultra portable filter.
Jeremy S
I carry these on any long run/hike where I might run out of water. Makes filtering stream water very easy.
Warren F
This opens up a realm of possibilities and reduces need for extra kit
Guy G
Used as backup for hikes and hunting. Compact solution when additional drinking water is required.
Shelly D
The BeFree has always been my favorite water filter. I am really in love with it now. The soft bottle is a double layer and is so much more durable than the previous model. I used to get little pin holes in my previous BeFrees. Not anymore! When I am not using it, I just roll up the soft bottle and tuck it into my backpack pocket. It doesn’t take up much space. I appreciate the finger holder on the top of the filter. That makes it so much easier to hold the bottle while getting water into it. The only draw back to the new design is that if you don’t save the drinking cap on the top of the filter, you have to buy a new complete BeFree because the new filters don’t come with a drinking cap attached. Other than that, I highly recommend the BeFree double layer water filter. It’s just so very convenient.
Liam S
Simple and Easy. Nothing more to describe this filter. used in the backcountry on several backpacking trips from recreational to hunting. Easy to compress and leave in the side pouch and pull out when needed. The AC does take away any nasty taste that would happen if you were to use some less than desirable sources. Would definitely recommend for any time in hot weather as being able to just dunk it have cool water on a hot day.
JOHN C
Second time we hiked the 100 Mile Wilderness and we all used this water bottle (six of us total). I used the 3 liter and that often used as the camp water bottle. Filtered all of our water over the 5.5 days and we never had any issues. This water bottle blows away all the others- so much easier to collect and more efficient to filter. We had one bottle puncture but we were able to duct tape it and still use it. The best water filter!
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