Ever since we got our new well installed several months ago, I’ve had a new appreciation for “fresh” water. Turn on the water in our tap and you’re getting fresh, clean water, straight from an underground river located some 700 feet into the mountain. You can’t get much fresher than that.
Unfortunately, when you travel, you don’t always know where the water you’re drinking is coming from. Some cities provide reclaimed water as tap water. Reclaimed water, in case you weren’t aware, is sewage water that has been heavily treated with chemicals and purifiers to make what was flushed down your toilet “ready to drink” (and I almost feel bad typing those words.) Some countries blatantly tell you not to drink tap water – period.
While most of the US only uses reclaimed water for landscaping or agricultural purposes (like watering parks), some cities are starting to use reclaimed water as drinking water. While this may all be fine and dandy for the environment, I have a mental thing about drinking water that was formerly swimming with…well, let’s not go there.
At the same time, I drink water – whether I’m at home or travelling. So, I need a solution for helping me get over the “do you know where this water came from” question. A couple years ago, I posted this little trick for how to get free filtered water at most hotels. This is a way more affordable option than paying for those absurdly priced $4 bottles of water that sit on the table glaring at you.
The other incredibly convenient solution is a Brita Soft Squeeze Water Filter Bottle. You might have heard of these before – notably from the commercial where the woman walks up to an Eskimo, hands him the Brita water bottle and says “It’s from the drinking fountain at the mall.” The truth is, that water drunk through the Brita Soft Squeeze Water Filter Bottle actually does taste better than tap water. “All Brita® bottles are NSF certified to reduce the taste and odor of Chlorine and particulates.” Since most of the country uses chlorine to help make water fit for human consumption, you can taste the difference when you drink from the Brita bottle.
The Brita Soft Squeeze Water Filter Bottle is one of my new must-haves when I travel. The soft plastic makes it perfect for stuffing into my carry-on bag, and once I get through security, I can fill it up at the nearest drinking fountain.
At the very least, drinking from my Brita filtered water bottle helps me forget about where the water came from and allows me to just enjoy a drink of water.
Do you filter your water?
Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. Your experiences may be different. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a free product from the manufacturer or their representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.
This would be so cool to have when traveling! My MiL lives in Arizona, and she has the hardest water I’ve ever come across!
I love this bottle. I have two, one in blue and the other in pink, and I take them to the gym with me and pretty much everywhere else! The handle is a HUGE benefit!
I have a Brita tap filter that I use, we have terribly hard water here, it’s awful! Love that soft squeeze water filter bottle though, so great!
I have a Brita pitcher and this water bottle is really great for traveling Thanks for the info.
I really like this idea. I have put it on my get list for this coming Christmas. Yes, I am buying for 2013 Christmas. I know… what’s wrong with me?
I need to get these botrtles for my family. We are bottled water people…I do recycle…but this WOULD be better….
We also have filtered water in our home i dont know what id do without it lol
I need to get these bottles.I drink a lot of water and this would help out in the long run.It would save a lot of money for me.
I had stopped buying replacement filters for my filtration pitcher to save money. Then my stomach started bothering me after drinking about 12 ounces of water, so I’m back to filtering my water.
We always bring jugs of water from home along on trips.
Mmmm…my mouth was watering at your water. I have water softener at home and the water is yuck. I drink water from work…it’s good but don’t know the source. Eek. Love the brita soft bottle.
What a great idea for travelling, especially overseas.
Yes, I love filtered water. Tap water just tasted bad to me.
For a very simple molecule, water performs an enormous number of functions in the human body. For instance, water is responsible for lubricating just about every bodily process, just like oil in a car. It works in digestion to keep food moving through our bodies. It is also what allows the cartilage and connective tissue in our joints to stay flexible. Even your eyes require a lot of water to continue working properly. When you become dehydrated, your flexibility reduces and you have a much higher chance of injury.
Water also helps us maintain our body temperatures. This effect is most obvious when we sweat. The evaporating water helps cool down the surface of our skin. That is not the only way that water helps, however. If you spend a lot of time in a cold environment, it can help keep heat closer to the core of your body and prevent you from cooling down too fast.