A Tried and True Green Product Review … okay, we’ve given it a go, and here’s what we think of the reusable Hydros Water Bottle:

The concept is great: this BPA-free, made in America, reusable water bottle comes with a replaceable filter so you can turn on the tap, fill the bottle and stay hydrated while on the go. By now, we all know the planetary and monetary values of using reusable water bottles as opposed to disposable one-offs. If your pipes deliver inferior H2O, it’s key is to use a reusable bottle that will filter it.

Does it work? Well, yes, to a certain degree, and as far as I can tell. The filtered Hydros water tastes and smells fine. As stated on the company website: The new Hydros Fast Flow Filter™ reduces chlorine, chloramine, and particulates from tap water quicker than your pitcher filter. The filter is enhanced with natural, triclosan-free IonArmour® antimicrobial protection actively defending against the odor-causing bacteria found in other bottles.

Since a water testing meter was not provided, I used a TDS (total dissolved solids) digital water testing device that I happened to have (comes with the ZeroWater Pitcher) and compared 3 different glasses of water from my tap:

• Straight out of the tap, my water is drinkable & registers about 400 mg of “unwanted stuff.”
• With the Hydros filter, it registered about 378 mg, a small degree of improvement.
• With a ZeroWater Pitcher, the filtered water registered 0 mg of bad stuff, a huge improvement. Granted, the ZeroWater pitcher filters the water with a much bigger filter and different technology, so consider it simply as a “go-by” in this simple comparison.
• According to the EPA, if water registers 500, you should start being concerned about drinking that water.

On the upside, the Hydros Bottle is phthalate-free, lightweight, has a sexy shape, holds about 2 cups of filtered water and is easy to use. The company recommends replacing the filter about every 3 months. As part of its core mission, and as a socially responsible company, Hydros donates one dollar from the sale of each water bottle toward Project Gundom in Cameroon, a water infrastructure project designed to be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

The Hydros Bottle is available in 5 colorways. It retails for about $29.99; a 4-pack costs $99.99. Individual filters cost $9.95 or you can purchase a 3-pack for $24.95 online.

total disclosure: we thank Hydros for providing one reusable bottle and replacement filter for the purposes of this Tried and True Review. We are affiliates of Hydros Bottle; they appear in our sidebar as affiliate links.