Grayl Geopress Review: Best Water Filter?

The Grayl Geopress is a water bottle with a cartridge system that purifies water. It’s made for hikers, backpackers, and adventurers alike, who often find themselves in situations that require them to drink water from questionable sources.

How does the Geopress work, what is it made from, and how does it compare to the other water bottle filters on the market? I’ll answer all of those questions below because Grayl sent me one to try out!

Who Is The Grayl Geopress For?

The Grayl Geopress is a water bottle filter for hikers, backpackers, and everyone who spends a lot of time outdoors. It’s a must for people who enjoy going on multi-day treks since it eliminates the need for carrying ludicrous amounts of water on you.

This filter can turn water from any source into clean water that is perfectly safe to drink. You can use it with lake water, puddle water, and even toilet water, and get clean and safe water that tastes just as good as Fiji water. It’s a convenient piece of equipment for all hikers, especially those who often stray off the beaten path.

Drinking water from outdoor sources is never 100% safe, and there’s always a chance you could pick up some bacteria that will make your life a living hell for the next couple of weeks. You can avoid this by using a water filter or a bottle with a purification system like the Grayl Geopress.

Size And Materials

Grayl Geopress is a water bottle with a built-in filtration system. It has a 24-ounce capacity, and it will easily fit into the water bottle pockets of standard hiking backpacks.

It is big for a 24-oz bottle, but that’s because it’s made from two separate parts – the outer refill cup that you scoop the dirty water into, and the inner bottle that ends up storing the clean water. Plus the cap, spout, and cartridge.

The water bottle is made from BPA-free polypropylene, food-grade silicone, and ABS plastic. It is a little heavy and bulky, but very tough and durable – the bottle is capable of withstanding drops from a height of ten feet, regardless of the surface you drop it onto.

The inner cup is made from thinner plastic, so it’s not quite as sturdy as the outer cup (but it doesn’t need to be). But when you combine the two, you get one very tough and durable water bottle.

The cap of the Geopress features a carry handle that’s also carabiner compatible, allowing for multiple ways of carrying it. You can attach this to the exterior of your backpack, throw it inside the bag, or just put it in a classic water bottle pocket – everything is smart, and just works with the Geopress.

Another thing that might be on your mind is leak proofing. The inner bottle is 100% leakproof thanks to the sturdy cup, but what about the outer refill cup? Well, the inner bottle actually features a silicone ring around it.

When you’re pressing it into the cup, that ring helps seal the two bottles together. In other words, there’s no way water will leak out of the Geopress, and it’s perfectly safe to just throw it inside your backpack.

With all that in mind, it’s easy to conclude that the Grayl Geopress is not that different from a traditional water bottle, at least in terms of materials, size, and portability. But here’s the thing – when you have a standard water bottle without a filter, you have to carry it around full. The Geopress can stay empty until you’re actually thirsty, so in a way, it’s actually more packable than other bottles.

Filter Type

The Geopress has a press cartridge with ion-exchange activated carbon. But how does it actually work?

Well, there’s an outer cup and a slightly smaller inner bottle with the cartridge on the bottom. You take the outer cup and scoop up any water with it. Then you take it out, twist the cap half a turn to allow the air to vent, and start pressing the smaller bottle inside until all the water from the cup has gone through the filter and inside the smaller bottle.

It’s best to put the refill cup on a hard surface and then press the smaller bottle inside with both hands. When the bottle is brand new, it will only take you about eight seconds to press the filter. With use, the amount of time necessary to purify water increases.

The filter is replaceable, and it has a shelf life of about 10 years. It is capable of purifying water from

• waterborne pathogens
• particulates
• chemicals
• pesticides
• flavors & odors
• heavy metals

So it can be used with pretty much any water source out there. No matter what color the water you scooped up was, the filtered water inside the bottle will be crystal clear.

Filter Efficiency And Longevity

The Grayl Geopress uses a replaceable purifier cartridge located at the bottom of the bottle. It’s designed to last for about 350 cycles, which equates to 65 gallons or 250 liters of water. That’s not a lot of water, and if you spend a lot of time outdoors, this will be a recurring expense. It’s about $30 for a new filter, which is pricey compared to other water filters, especially given the price per liter.

But, how do you know you’ve gone through the 350 cycles if you’re not tracking exactly how much water you’ve consumed from the bottle? It’s quite easy to tell – once the press time starts being 25-30 seconds, it’s time to get a new filter for your Geopress.

Even as press time increases gradually, the cartridge will still protect you from ingesting bacteria and harmful toxins. But it does become less efficient, so it’s best to get a new filter as soon as you notice that the press time is longer than it should be.

Another way to tell that it’s time to replace the filter is if stops purifying as well as it did before. If you scoop in water into the outer refill cup that’s yellow and it stays yellow after you’ve pressed the filter inside, that water is not safe for drinking and you need a new cartridge ASAP.

Ease Of Use

Is the Grayl Geopress easy to use? Absolutely – just scoop water with the cup, press the filter inside for about 8 seconds, and that’s it. You have 24 ounces of clean water at your disposal, and you’re free to drink them whenever you like.

It takes about 8 seconds to press the water through the filter when the bottle is brand new, and that’s quicker than most other similar options on the market. That time will increase over time, and when it reaches 25 seconds or more, it’s time to get a brand new filter.

Also, it’s worth noting that the bottle cap features soft pads on the sides, which make it easier to grip the bottle press it into the outer cup. They are non-slip and ergonomic, making this entire process as effortless as it should be.

In fact, every surface of the bottle that you need to touch in order to purify the water is a non-slip surface, ensuring that you always have enough grip.

One thing to note is that the more turbid the water, the harder it gets to press the filter. Especially if there’s a lot of sand or dirt in the water – you should scoop the water with a different cup, allow it to settle, and then transfer it into the refill cup of the Grayl Geopress. It’s not something you must do, but it will make purifying the turbid water quicker and easier.

Cleaning And Maintenance

How easy is it to clean the Grayl Geopress? It’s really easy. Grayl says that all you need to do is rinse the separate components with clean water and that’s it. You’re not supposed to use detergents with the water bottle, especially not to clean the cartridge.

Is rinsing with tap water enough to thoroughly clean the Geopress? Probably not. But it’s not something you need to worry about, thanks to that awesome cartridge that filters just about anything. Also, it’s not a bad idea to rinse the refill cup with hot water, just in case, there are any bacteria left inside. Don’t keep it with the glasses and cups you usually use at home, and you’ll be fine.

Better Than The Competition?

The Grayl Geopress is neither the first nor the only water filter of its kind. So, how does it compare to other popular options like Lifestraw and Sawyer?

They function similarly, with the main difference being the position of the filter. With the Geopress it’s at the bottom, but with the competing brands, the filter is the drinking spout. Some of the competing bottles also let you take out the filter and use it independently of the bottle, and that wouldn’t work with the Geopress.

The main difference between this water bottle and the others is that options like Sawyer and Lifestraw have straw filters that purify water while you are drinking it. The Geopress, on the other hand, purifies the water when you’re pressing the filter into the bottle.

As soon as the smaller bottle is in the cup, all of the water inside is clean and safe for drinking. With the Grayl purifier, you can easily transfer clean water into a different container, which isn’t the case with filters like Lifestraw.

It’s also worth noting that the disadvantage of the Geopress is that you’ll need to put it on something in order to press that filter inside. It’s the most convenient to put it on a level surface, but any hard surface will do. That’s something you don’t need to worry about with the other brands.

What about pricing? All the water filtration bottles are similarly priced. Lifestraw is the most affordable out of the bunch, but it’s not capable of filtering heavy metals. Sawyer’s filtered bottles that can filter heavy metals cost as much as the Geopress, but have a smaller capacity and longer filtration time. Overall, the Geopress does seem to be the best bang for buck currently available.

Pricing And Value

The Grayl Geopress is about $90. Sometimes there are deals on certain colors, and you can get it for $10-20 less. The replacement cartridge alone is $30, but that’s an expense that will come after you’ve used the bottle for a while.

That’s expensive for a water bottle, but not necessarily for the Geopress. There are many cheaper alternatives out there, but most of those aren’t capable of filtering heavy metals, which is reason enough to splurge on the Grayl Geopress.

Whether it makes sense for you to spend so much money on a water bottle really depends on your travel and hiking habits. If you travel a lot and spend most of that time outdoors, then it’s definitely something you should consider getting. Especially if you’re no stranger to multi-day hikes and drinking water from questionable sources.

This water bottle is also good for just filtering tap water. If you often travel to places where it’s not entirely safe to drink tap water, this could be a handy item to have in your bag.

On the other hand, if you already own a similar water purifier, or you don’t spend that much time outdoors, the Geopress is not a necessity. It’s a convenient item to have and it might come in handy sometimes, but you can also substitute it with a $20 Lifestraw water filter.