BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle review: better tasting water that kept up with family life

RRP at time of testing: £13 | Buy now from Amazon, Robert Dyas or Boots

Our verdict

Keeping two active boys topped up with water shouldn’t involve nagging or a bottle they can’t manage. The Brita Active water filter bottle is light, holds a useful 600ml and is easy for both my five- and six-year-olds to grip and squeeze. I also prefer the taste of the filtered water, although the boys couldn’t tell the difference.

During testing, I could pick out the filtered water beside our Leeds tap water straight away. It tasted fresher and cleaner, and I found myself enjoying water again. I noticed the change in tap-water taste when I moved back from the Middle East, where I usually drank bottled water, so that mattered to me.

The packaging shows how the MicroDisc sits beneath the drinking spout

Squeezing gives a noticeably faster flow, handy after the boys have been running around or when I’ve managed ten minutes of exercise myself. The push-pull spout is comfortable. My gripe is the protective cap: it stays secure, but it comes right off. I discovered in Marrakech how easy it is to leave it behind.

I’ve tested plenty that I keep and use again, but there have been very few products where I’ve actually gone and bought one myself. After two weeks with the sampled blue bottle, I bought a green one so each boy had his own. Three months in, both still work well, with only light scratches and teeth marks on the spouts.

How we’ve tested the BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle

We used the sampled blue bottle daily for two weeks before I bought a green one. Both have now had three months of use: daily through summer, including dog walks and travel, then weekly at home once the boys returned to school. We put water in them and nothing else.

I compared filtered water with our Leeds tap water, drank with and without squeezing, and watched the boys use the bottles. I also checked their fit in the tight pockets of our Fjällräven Kånken, car cup holders and a pram cup holder. Both came to Marrakech, filled with bottled water.

The sampled blue bottle and the green one I bought two weeks later, side by side after three months of use

Despite being dishwasher friendly, I hand-washed both. I've also recently changed the MicroDiscs and checked the spouts and filter areas for grime. After three months, I compared scratches, smells, cloudiness and how securely each bottle closed. A filter swap took under two minutes.

Does the filter improve the taste of tap water?

The difference was clear beside our Leeds tap water: the filtered glass tasted fresher and cleaner to me. The boys couldn’t tell, but they drank from the bottles happily. If you already like your tap water, paying for replacement filters is a harder sell.

BRITA says the MicroDisc reduces chlorine and other substances that affect taste, plus microparticles of 15 micrometres or larger, while leaving calcium and magnesium in the water. I tested taste, not chemical removal and I should mention that it filters water that’s already safe to drink; it doesn’t purify unsafe water. 

Related: For filtered water in your morning brew, read our Russell Hobbs Purity Glass Brita Kettle review.

Does squeezing really make it easier to drink?

The flow is fine without squeezing, but a squeeze sends water through much faster. The body is grippy and soft enough for both boys to manage without feeling flimsy. I’d appreciate that quicker drink after attempting 10 minutes of exercise, too. 

The push-pull spout opens easily with a hand or mouth and hasn’t dribbled after a drink. My eldest sometimes uses his teeth, which accounts for the marks on his.

With the protective cap off, you can see the push-pull spout and the bottle’s squeezable body

Is the BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle cap more useful than it looks?

The cap stays on securely and keeps dirt off the spout. Take it off for a drink, though, and there’s no tether to stop you leaving it behind, which is the one part of the design I’d change.

It did come in handy as an emergency drinking bowl for our two small dogs on a long walk. I emptied it before putting it back on the bottle. Useful, yes; a reason to buy one, probably not.

BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle: how does it work for children?

My boys, five and six, could hold, squeeze and drink from the bottles themselves, though they didn't fill them (you know, because they couldn’t possibly do anything for themselves…). They use different bottles at school, so I can’t vouch for one loose in a book bag.

At 600ml, each holds enough for an active child and works for me between refills. They’re lighter than the boys’ usual stainless-steel bottles, which makes a difference on days out.

Is it easy to take out and about?

Both fit the tight drink pockets on our Fjällräven Kånken, as well as in our car cup holders. Plus, they’re light enough that I barely notice carrying one on a dog walk.

We took both to Marrakech and filled them with bottled water. This is a taste filter, not a purifier, so I wouldn’t use it to make unsafe tap water drinkable - but I’ll admit, it did make me feel slightly better about drinking water on holiday.

There’s no insulation, sadly. Cold water can cause a little condensation, although ours didn’t warm up especially fast.

Related: Our guide to the best kettles for hard water looks at limescale in the kitchen.

Will the BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle leak in a bag?

Ours haven’t leaked when we’ve tightened them properly. The screw-top section has dripped a little when it wasn’t secure, enough to make me check it, though not enough to soak a bag.

I’m yet to put them in school bags, but I’d recommend checking the screw top before packing one beside anything that must stay dry. Like a homework book. 

My eldest’s preferred opening method has left a few teeth marks on the green bottle’s spout

How easy is it to clean and change the filter?

Hand-washing has been easy. After three months of water-only use, neither bottle has grime around the spout or filter, staining, smells or cloudiness.

BRITA says the bottle is dishwasher-safe up to 55°C with the MicroDisc removed, though I haven’t tried that. I found having the MicroDisc and storing it in a clean, safe space while the bottle was in the dishwasher a bit of a faff. It recommends a new disc after 60 litres or four weeks. Each bottle came with two.

I checked the instructions the first time; after that, changing a disc took less than two minutes. In fact, I replaced them for the first time recently during our back-to-school sort out. A little longer than Brita recommends, I’ll admit. 

How has it held up after three months?

Both survived daily summer use, travel and dog walks, then weekly use at home. There are light scratches and teeth marks on the spouts, but neither feels softer or looser. The blue sample had a two-week head start and still feels much the same as the green one.

That’s three months of family use, not a long-term durability test. We’ve only used water and hand-washed them, so I can’t speak to juice or repeated dishwasher cycles.

Each MicroDisc comes individually wrapped; swapping one took me less than two minutes

BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle: is it worth the money?

The dark green bottle has an RRP of £13 with two MicroDiscs included. Replacement discs are an ongoing cost: BRITA says each lasts up to 60 litres or four weeks. I haven’t bought any yet, so I’d check the current price per disc before comparing it with an ordinary bottle - though when I looked, you can get a pack of six filters from Brita for around £30. 

I would replace one if it went missing. Buying the green one myself after just two weeks says more about its value to us than a star rating could, even with the loose cap and filter costs.

Who is the BRITA Active Water Filter Bottle best for?

It suits families who want better tasting water in a light bottle children can use themselves, and adults who want a faster drink after exercise. It’s been particularly handy for travel with water we know is safe to drink.

Look elsewhere if you need insulation, an attached cap or a bottle you can put in a school bag without checking the screw top. It won’t purify untreated water.

Final verdict: is this the right water filter bottle for you?

With two active boys, I need water bottles they can actually use without handing them straight back to me. The BRITA Active gets that right. My five- and six-year-olds can grip it, open the spout and squeeze out a decent drink, while the 600ml capacity lasts between refills. I like the fresher taste enough that I’ve started enjoying our Leeds tap water again. The boys haven’t noticed that part, but they’re happy to use the bottles, which is the more useful test in our house.

I bought the green one myself after just two weeks with the sampled blue bottle, so each boy could have one. Three months on, I’d replace either if it went missing. I’d still keep an eye on the unattached cap, tighten the screw top before packing it and budget for replacement filters. 

For family days out and travel with water that’s already safe to drink, those are fair trade-offs for a bottle that’s light, easy for the children and pleasant for me to drink from.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of hands-on testing. We never accept payment for coverage, and our verdicts are independent and honest. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, which helps fund our work - but it never influences our opinions.

All prices are correct at the time of writing.

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