Before a ride, run or other outdoor activity, I often fill a bottle or two with water from my filter at home then set out on the road. If I need a refill I either buy a bottle of water, defeating the purpose of bringing bottles, or fill from the tap and don’t always appreciate the taste.
CamelBak has taken its Better Bottle design and added an internal filter to create the Groove. This bottle is made of CamelBak’s BPA-free Tritan plastic, and also available in stainless steel. The Groove uses the CamelBak Big Bite Valve where you bite down on a silicon seal and sip from the straw inside. It doesn’t let water out if the bottle falls or is left on its side. The filter is a cylinder of charchoal that’s placed in the straw.I’ve used water filters at home. I’ve had a few Britta pitchers with charchoal filters, and currently have a filter installed in my kitchen sink. I know that sometimes water takes a while to go through the filter, somehow it takes longer as the filter ages. When I saw online video about the Groove I wondered how the water would come up the straw through the filter. Would I have to fight resistance to get hydrated? Then the bottle showed up and I got some hands on time with the bottle. It’s like drinking from the Better Bottle and Bite Valve. Just bite and sip.
Out of the box the Groove is easy to put together. All the pieces except the filter can go in the dishwasher. I put everything in for an initial wash. The bite valve and two straw pieces went in the silverware caddy so they’d stay put during washing. When everything came out I ran the filter under water for about 15 – 30 seconds. I put the filter in the straw and snapped the two pieces of the straw into the bottom of the lid and then filled the bottle with tap water.
Bite and sip. There’s nothing more to it. Water tasted like clean water. The manual said the first few sips could contain little pieces of the charchoal filter, but that didn’t happen. The charchoal is a filter and not a purifier. It improves the taste of water by reducing chlorine in potable tap water at levels far exceeding NSF 42 standard. It works for three months or about 300 refills. The bottle comes in a .6 liter size in the Titan plastic for $25 and stainless steel for $35, each bottle comes with one filter. Replacement filters are available for about $10 for a two-pack or a six pack for $25.
One concern I had was that with some charcoal filters you don’t want the filter to dry out. With this filter, because it’s solid and made for intermittent use, you can let the filter dry out and then insert it back in the bottle and fill with water for use. You don’t need to run the filter under water another time or anything. You still should replace the filter about every three months. If you last used your filter a year ago, you want to replace it before putting your bottle back in action.
While you may get more use out of the Groove in warmer months, the practical nature of the bottle will probably keep it in action throughout the year. It’s great for outdoor activities, but just as good to tote along for other activities.
One thing to note. While the bottle prevents spills through the straw, if you don’t close the cap securely it will leak. I set the bottle down in my car and water spilled onto the car seat even though I had screwed the bottle shut. I’ve checked a few other times and the water stayed sealed inside. Though in general, it’s probably best to keep the bottle upright rather than throwing it in a bag and expecting all its contents to stay dry.