Review: GRAYL Water Filtration Cup


Filtration Cup Specifications
  • Weight: 19.6oz
  • Material: 18/8 SS (BPA Free)
  • Dimensions: 9.1in (23cm) x 2.8in (7cm)
  • Capacity: 16oz (500ml) per use
  • Best Use: Urban Exploration/Travel
  • Made in China, Designed in the USA. Filter Media Made in USA.
  • Price: $69.95
The Filter Specifications
  • Flow Rate: 16oz (500ml) in 16 seconds (2 liters/min)
  • Life Span: 300 Uses (40 gallons or 150 liters)
  • Weight: 2.3oz (65g)
  • Size: 2.9in (7.3cm) x 2.7in (6.7cm)
  • Materials: Food grade plastic and silicone, G3+ Filter Media
  • Best Use: The Filter is sufficient for most people in the USA. The filter strips water of nasty chemicals, flavors and odors and filters 99.99% of the bacteria (such as E. Coli)
  • Price: $19.95 for single filter or $49.95 for a 3 pack.
The Purifier Specifications
  • Flow Rate: 16oz (500ml) in 30 seconds (1liter/min)
  • Life Span: 300 uses (40 gallons or 150 liters)
  • Weight: 2.9oz (82g)
  • Size: 2.9in (7.3cm) x 2.7in (6.7cm)
  • Materials: Food grade plastic and silicone, G3+ Filter media
  • Best Use: Ideal for international travel and outdoor adventures. The Purifier removes everything The Filter does, plus 99.999% of protozoa (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) and viruses (Hepatitis A, SARS, Rotavirus)
  • Price: $39.95
Our Thoughts:
Seattle is known world wide for its coffee culture and their quality of coffee roasting. So it should be of no surprise to see entrepreneurs from the area, use the French coffee press principals and apply it to water filtration. What crafty little buggers, eh? Nancie Weston of Seattle did just that, founding Grayl in 2012, and after 11 prototypes, the Water Filtration Cup has been perfected and released.


At first glance you'll notice the cup has a contemporary yet, incredibly rugged design. Available in 3 different finishes, all having a variety of accent colors, if that's your thing. The cup has a weighty feel to it and feels nice in the hands, which is a good thing if you intend to use it everyday. In my opinion it seems the cup was engineered for those who are on the move everyday, in need of a reliable product that delivers quality hydration. 

The Filter, which is included with the cup, is rated more towards removing flavors, odors and chemicals. It also removes bacteria such as E.Coli. However, The Filter can be easily swapped for The Purifier. (Sold Separately) The Purifier is intended for outdoor adventures and international travel as it removes everything The Filter does, plus protozoa and viruses. These filters use electroadsorption technology, which is a bit different then your standard mechanical filters. Grayl calls this technology G3+, which is incorporated into both filtering canisters and has 3 different aspects, think of these as working layers. G1 is a triple ion charged mesh used to capture bacteria. G2 uses activated carbon derived from coconut husks, which removes odors, flavors, chemicals, and heavy metals. G3 is an anti-microbial agent which inhibits growth of mold, bacteria, fungus, and mildew between uses. 


For being just a simple water filter, this cup has features! The cup can be disassembled into 4 main pieces. The outer cup, the inner cup, the filter canister of your choosing and the lid. The outer cup incorporates a fill line so you don't make a mess when pressing your water. It also has a plastic bottom to protect counter tops and the interior of your car from being marred. The inner cup has 5 metal protruding stubs at the top, which allow the twist lock lid to make a positive, leak free seal. The base of the inner cup is threaded to match the filter canisters. There is also a keyway for the filter locking ring which keeps the filter from unthreading itself. The filter canister has 2 food grade silicone o-rings which allow the filtering process to be mess free. Replacing the filter canister is quite simple, pull the filters locking ring tab out, free from the keyway and unthread.

Conclusion:
While using the water filtration cup I did notice a few minor issues. The U shaped pin which locks the handle down to the lid could be a weak point after high use. This can be solved by holding in the button on the handle while swinging it into the open or closed position. Perhaps if a newer version is released the pin might be a bit heftier? With only a 16oz capacity, it left me wanting more, which is okay when there is a source of water close by. I usually carry a bottle with twice the capacity on hikes, perhaps one could fill an extra bottle or two at the water source using the Filtration Cup. Due to the nature of a press design, there is always 2oz or so of unfiltered water in the base of the outer cup. Just something to consider if you are paranoid/OCD about cross contamination. It would be neat to see a lid for the outer cup to make it a bit more functional as a stand alone piece. However these issues are far from deal breakers. Whether you're traveling abroad in undeveloped countries, out for some urban exploration or in the office collecting water from the sketchy drinking fountain that no one seems to clean, the ruggedly built Water Filtration Cup has you covered.

***Update Feb. 20, 2014***


Grayl addressed and solved the weak point on their lids. As noted above the lid has a handle that locks into the open or closed position. The U-shaped pin that locked the handle into either position was somewhat weak and was easily tweaked if you weren’t careful. They solved the issue by using a solid & more robust pin. Once again, this proves their attention to detail and their interest in keeping satisfied customers is phenomenal. With this update, in my opinion you should have years if not decades of trouble free use. Thanks Grayl!

                                                   Before
                                                   
                                                   After


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the GRAYL Water Filtration Cup for free from GRAYL in consideration for review publication.