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A First Look at the HydraPak Breakaway+ Bottle Filter System
The new Breakaway+ Bottle Filter is HydraPak’s first bottle designed specifically for cyclists, merging a 590ml bike bottle with a hollow fiber filter for quick access to potable water. We had a chance to take a closer look at the HydraPak Breakaway+ Bottle Filter System ahead of today’s launch…
HydraPak might not be known as a water filtration brand, and you probably know them from their lineup of soft flasks and bladders, but they’ve been working hard to change that. Last year, they expanded their product line to include an entire water filtration system. The system is designed to work seamlessly with their other hydration products, including flasks, reservoirs, and reservoir lines. Each filter removes common waterborne bacteria and protozoa from approximately 1,500 liters of water at a rate of >1L per minute. They kicked things off with several reservoirs, a thread-on 42mm Filter Cap, and a 28mm filter kit for plug-and-play setups.
As of today, HydraPak is expanding its filtration lineup to include products designed specifically with cyclists in mind—a first and exciting milestone for HydraPak. They are expanding with the HydraPak Breakaway+ Bottle Filter System, which is simply a cycling bottle with a water filter integrated directly into the underside of the cap. The recently released Extract Filter offers similar functionality and integrates into the Specialized Purist bottle you already own, but HydraPak’s take on an all-in-one cycling bottle + filter appears to be even more dialed.
The HydraPak Breakaway+ Bottle Filter System consists of two parts: the bottle and the cap/filter unit. The bottle is BPA-free, squeezable, has 100ml indicators up the side, and is compatible with standard bottle cages. It comes in two sizes: 880ml (30 oz) and 600ml (20 oz). Though some other caps can fit okay, Specialized Purist caps do not. The Breakaway Filter Cap will fit onto all sizes of HydraPak Breakaway and Polar Bottles produced after 2007.
The filter itself is made of the same hollow fiber found on the Seeker+ and Flux filter kits. A 0.2 micron pore size removes common waterborne bacteria, such as E. coli (99.9999%), parasitic cysts (99.999%) per EPA Guide Standards and NSF P231, and microplastics (99.999%) greater or equal to 3.0 microns in size. It’s a single-stage filter, and because it’s inside of the bottle, it’s protected while not in use. Like their other filters, it has a lifespan of approximately 1,500 liters of fresh water at a rate of >1L per minute. The filter attaches directly to the base of the cap, which has an integrated rubber cover HydraPak calls the Muckguard. Things get interesting on the top of the cap, where a second twist to drink cap opens the nozzle itself, allowing water to exit and air to enter the bottle while in use. A backflush adapter is included with each bottle to help clean the filter after use.
The 600ml bottle I was sent weighs just 122 grams, or about 45 grams heavier than a standard Purist bottle. This also puts it a few grams less than the Extract Filter when paired with a 22oz bottle. It has a glossy transparent finish that makes it easy to see how much water is inside, and both the rubber cover and twist-to-open cap are relatively easy to operate with one hand.
With the rubber cap removed, it’s just a matter of unthreading the main cap/filter, scooping some water from a lake or creek, and reinstalling the cap. You’re then ready to hydrate. I was surprised at how easy it was to drink from the bottle, requiring just slightly more effort than a standard water bottle. It wasn’t difficult to generate a solid flow by just squeezing the bottle instead of struggling to suck it through. However, just like any other filter, I expect the flow rate will deteriorate over time as the filter gets dirty. Thankfully, it includes a backflush adapter to clean it out, which is a big advantage over the Extract Filter.
Pros
- Bottle cage compatible
- Solid flow rate
- Backflushable
- Lightweight
- Two Bottle Sizes
Cons
- Must replace entire cap/filter unit eventually
- Not as versatile as a collapsible reservoir + standalone filter
- Fairly expensive, although not unreasonably so
- Capacity: 600/880ml
- Material: TPU, POM, ABS, Hollow Fiber, LDPE
- Weight: 122 grams (600ml)
- Place of Manufacture: China
- Price: $48 USD (880ml) / $46 (600ml)
- Manufacturer’s Details: Hydrapak.com
Wrap Up
The technology that the Breakaway+ Bottle Filter relies on isn’t new, and it’s also not revolutionary in the bike or water filtration world. However, it’s thoughtfully integrated into a simple, easy-to-use package that delivers as promised. The mouthpiece mudguard is a nice touch and the rotating cap functions as expected. You can backflush the filter, which should mean you can keep it running smoothly for longer than filters that can’t be flushed. Sure, it’s not as cheap and might not be as versatile as a standalone filter, like a Katadyn BeFree, Sawyer Squeeze, or HydraPak’s thread-on filters, but it works great if you’d rather have an all-in-one system living in your bottle cage that’s ready when you need it.
Further Reading
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