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Brita Stainless Steel Filter Bottle Review

An aesthetically appealing filter bottle that's easy to use
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Brita Stainless Steel Filter Bottle Review (The Brita is made to filter particulates and chemical taste, not biology. We did, however, test it out at some local...)
The Brita is made to filter particulates and chemical taste, not biology. We did, however, test it out at some local springs.
Credit: Jon Oleson
Price:  $33 List
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Manufacturer:   Brita
By Jane Jackson and Jon Oleson  ⋅  Sep 22, 2023
73
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 15
  • Closure - 25% 9.0
  • Insulation - 25% 9.0
  • Taste - 25% 3.0
  • Ergonomics - 15% 8.0
  • Material Quality - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

We love the Brita Stainless Steel Filter Bottle for its sleek design, replaceable filter feature, and affordable price tag. This is a great bottle for folks who want to filter the chlorine taste from their water at their home, at the office, or at the gym. It is easy to use, very well insulated, and easy to clean. We love the flip cap design that didn't leak at all during testing. It is also easy to operate with one hand, making it good for driving or computer work. This is our recommended option for professionals or people on the go who are particular about the taste and quality of municipal water sources. See our best water bottle review to see how it compares to the rest of the lineup.
REASONS TO BUY
Sleek shape
Leak-proof flip cap
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Doesn’t filter biology
Low volume
Lacks versatility
Editor's Note: This product review was updated on July 28, 2023, with more guidance on this bottle's specific use.

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Bottom Line This affordable filter bottle will remove the chlorine taste from your tap waterIf you like sipping cold water from a straw all day long then you'll love this well-insulated bottle that even fits in your cup holderA luxurious looking insulated bottle that's light on the walletThis bottle has good insulation but the flip-top lock mechanism is difficult to useThis insulated cycling bottle is an improvement over the traditional squeeze bottle because it keeps liquids cooler for longer
Rating Categories Brita Stainless Ste... Hydro Flask Wide Mo... Iron Flask Insulated Owala FreeSip Insul... CamelBak Podium Dirt
Closure (25%)
9.0
9.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
Insulation (25%)
9.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
7.0
Taste (25%)
3.0
8.0
8.0
6.0
7.0
Ergonomics (15%)
8.0
9.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
Material Quality (10%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
9.0
4.0
Specs Brita Stainless Ste... Hydro Flask Wide Mo... Iron Flask Insulated Owala FreeSip Insul... CamelBak Podium Dirt
Body Material 18/8 Stainless steel Stainless steel 18/8 Stainless steel Stainless steel BPA-free TruTaste polypropylene
Measured Empty Weight 14.2 oz 12.8 oz 10.9 oz 13.4 oz 3.7 oz
Volume 20 oz 24 oz 22 oz 24 oz 21 oz
Bottle Weight / Fluid Capacity 0.7 oz/oz 0.5 oz/oz 0.5 oz/oz 0.6 oz/oz 0.2 oz/oz
Mouth Diameter 1.75 in 1.9 in 2 in 2.5 in 2 in
Base Diameter 3.23 in 2.9 in 2.9 in 3.24 in 2.9 in
Height 10.83 in 12.6in 9.4 in 10.68 in 9.4 in
Body Type Hard-sided/traditional Hard-sided/traditional Hard-sided/traditional Hard-sided/traditional Hard-sided/traditional
Environmental Health BPA-free BPA and Toxin free BPA-free BPA-free BPA, BPS, BPF free
Cap/Lid Type Screw-cap with straw Screw-cap, wide mouth with straw Screw cap, flip top, carabiner straw Screw-on lid with flip cap and straw Screw cap, pop top with spill-proof nozzle
Volume Options 20 oz, 32 oz 18 oz, 20 oz, 21 oz, 24 oz, 32 oz, 40 oz, 64 oz 14 oz, 18 oz, 22 oz, 32 oz, 40 oz, 64 oz 19 oz, 24 oz, 32 oz, 40 oz 21 oz

Our Analysis and Test Results

Our go-to for a bottle with a built-in filter, the Brita Stainless Steel, is impressively sleek, considering its purpose. We've found that filter bottle design has improved greatly over the past few years, and the Brita Stainless is the pinnacle of this technological advance. It's so much like a regular straw bottle that it's easy to forget that there's a filter in it. This bottle is an all-star at insulation, plus it's lightweight, portable, and easy to operate. Brita claims that the filter in this bottle reduces chlorine taste and odor, as well as particulates, which our test results support. However, note that this bottle is not a suitable substitute for filtering water from a natural source. It is meant to be filled with potable water only.

Performance Comparison


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brita stainless steel filter bottle - we never worried about source when filling the brita, as long as it...
We never worried about source when filling the Brita, as long as it was potable.
Credit: Jon Oleson

Closure


The Brita's flip cap is super easy to operate, even one-handed. With the touch of a button, the cap springs back, revealing the oval silicone bite straw. The whole top of the bottle twists off with a 3/4 turn, making it really easy to fill and clean. There is a small open hole in the cap for ventilation that will leak if tipped upside down. The cap plugs this hole when it's shut, however, to ensure that it doesn't leak when closed.


Despite the aforementioned leakage potential when the cap is open, this bottle got a perfect score on the controlled leakage test. The cap clicks shut, so you know it's closed. The button is flush with the bottle to ensure that it doesn't get accidentally triggered in a bag. We can confirm that this bottle won't leak on you as long as you clip the lid shut.

brita stainless steel filter bottle - the brita insulated filtration bottle's flip cap has a flush push...
The Brita Insulated Filtration bottle's flip cap has a flush push button and durable latch to ensure it stays shut.
Credit: Jon Oleson

Insulation


The double-walled stainless steel insulated container seems a bit thicker than most, which is likely why it beat out all the competition on the controlled insulation test. It's not made for hot liquids or anything but tap water, for that matter, but your cold water will stay cold for hours in this bottle.


In our controlled test, where water bottles were set on the grass under the hot sun for six hours, the water inside the Brita only raised nine degrees F, from 65 to 74. This was the top-performing bottle on this test, giving it the title of the most insulated bottle that we tested.

brita stainless steel filter bottle - the brita insulated filtration bottle was one of the top insulated...
The Brita Insulated Filtration Bottle was one of the top insulated bottles, which assures that your liquids stay cool wherever you set it.
Credit: Jon Oleson

Taste


Since it's a filter bottle, we measured its ability to filter chemical taste from tap water and mineral taste from well water. However, it's not made to filter bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, so we left the filtration testing of wild waters to the other filters made for this purpose. The charcoal filter in the Brita did a sufficient job of filtering the chlorine taste from all the municipal sources that we tested. It was the least effective of the three bottles in our lineup at filtering the mineral taste from the well water that we tested. Where we felt it excelled, and our recommended use is as a filter bottle for municipal water sources.


On our controlled taste test to determine whether the components leached chemical flavor into the water, the Brita did not perform as well. We filled each bottle with 100-degree water and let it sit (like a bottle left in a hot car), then tasted the water to determine which materials were the most inert. Surprisingly, even when sipped through the filter straw, the water tasted of plastic. It was actually one of the strongest chemical tastes experienced in the test. To be fair, this bottle is not made to be used with hot liquids. And it's the most insulated bottle that we tested, so the water inside is not likely to reach 100 degrees under ordinary circumstances. It's safe to say you should stick with cold or room-temperature water when using this bottle.

brita stainless steel filter bottle - the brita became our favorite for airport travel because it's easy...
The Brita became our favorite for airport travel because it's easy to fill, well insulated, and removes the chlorine taste from treated water sources.
Credit: Jon Oleson

Ergonomics


This was another test in which this bottle excelled. It's slender enough to fit in a cup holder and easy to grip. The push button cap is simple and responsive, making it great for driving and other multi-tasking situations. This bottle was our favorite to use at the gym or while working since it provides filtered water and easy one-handed drinking. The flexible rubber, hinged carry strap is big enough for a couple of fingers and soft on the hands.


The installation and replacement of the filter is easy — a simple twist locks the filter in place on the bottom of the lid. The straw then operates with ease, meaning no unnecessary sucking is required. Typical of straw-style bottles, there is always a tiny bit of water in the bottom that the straw won't reach. Similar to the filter, the lid itself screws onto the bottle with two full twists.

brita stainless steel filter bottle - the brita fit easily in our cup holders and was easy to carry with...
The Brita fit easily in our cup holders and was easy to carry with us throughout the day.
Credit: Jon Oleson

Material Quality


The stainless steel from which this bottle is constructed is extremely solid. We were impressed by not only the metal components but also the plastic lid and flip cap. These components are typically the first to fail on some stainless bottles, but the Brita inspired confidence. When dropped, it hardly received a scratch on this portion of the bottle. Plus, the hinge design on the carry handle is substantial and well-designed.


The oval silicone bite straw is a unique design that is satisfying to use. You can grip it with your teeth if you need a little extra stability in motion or simply use it like an ordinary straw when stationary. The only questionable component of this bottle is the plastic straw. Brita claims that the bottle is BPA-free, and also, the straw produced a lot of plastic taste, even through the filter, during our hot water test. As we mentioned before, this bottle is not meant to be used with hot water.

brita stainless steel filter bottle - the lid on the brita consists of three parts--the plastic straw, the...
The lid on the Brita consists of three parts--the plastic straw, the carbon filter, and the push button flip top with silicone bite straw. Note that the carbon filter does not filter biology.
Credit: Jon Oleson

Should You Buy the Brita Stainless Steel Filter Bottle?


If you are looking for a filter bottle to remove the chemical taste from municipal sources, look no further; this one is our undisputed favorite. It's sleek, portable, and weighs less than most stainless options out there, plus it conveniently fits in a universal cup holder. It is durable and more or less leak-proof, inspiring confidence when thrown in the bottom of a gym bag or a messenger bag on the daily commute. The easy-to-use button flip-cap had us hydrating with ease. Overall, this is a great bottle but is definitely designed for a specific use, limiting its versatility. We wouldn't recommend putting any other beverages in this bottle besides water. Also, if you need a filter bottle for non-potable sources, then you'll want to look at either of the other two filter bottles that we tested.

brita stainless steel filter bottle - we were thankful for the brita insulated filtration bottle when we...
We were thankful for the Brita Insulated Filtration bottle when we came across questionable municipal water sources.
Credit: Jon Oleson

What Other Water Bottles Should You Consider?


This bottle is only meant to filter already potable water. If you are seeking a filter bottle that will allow you to drink from any source safely, Lifestraw claims their Go bottle can do just that. The Grayl GeoPress is another filter bottle that uses a press design that allows you to filter and then fill other containers. If you prefer an insulated straw-type bottle and you're not worried about filtering, check out either of our award winners, the Hydro Flask Wide Mouth with Straw or the more affordable Iron Flask Insulated bottle. If you just want an insulated vessel that carries more volume, we recommend the Yeti Rambler 26. For a simple yet nearly indestructible container to use in the great outdoors, the Nalgene Wide-Mouth is our longstanding favorite.

Jane Jackson and Jon Oleson