We’ve used CamelBak products on mountain climbs and bike races around the globe. Now, the brand has a product we keep in our fridge.
The CamelBak Relay, new this week, is a water filtration pitcher. You pour water in at top and it filters “at the speed of your faucet.” The water inside is filtered and ready to drink.
CamelBak touts the Relay filters water “10X faster than the leading competitor.” It was fast in our test, essentially pouring straight through the filter hatch and inside the vessel.
The company explains “a unique, pleated carbon-based double filter… filters water twice — once as the pitcher is filled and again as water is poured.”
It removes 97% of chlorine, taste and odor, CamelBak cites. The filter lasts four months with regular usage.
We got water from a tap source in Minneapolis at the GearJunkie office. The pitcher improved the water’s taste, though it was subtle. (Minnesota has good tap water to start with.)
One of the employees who generally skips tap water in favor of filtered from her home was drinking out of the Relay and commenting on the fresher taste.
This system does not knock out microbes and is not intended to treat or purify water. CamelBak built the Relay to compete against housewares brand products that let you convert tap water into something a little more “clean.”
The Relay is available starting this week for $36.99 at Target, Amazon.com, and at CamelBak.com.
—Stephen Regenold
