HydroBlu VersaFlow Water Purification Unit with Activated Carbon Filter, 1 Gallon Per Minute Flow Rate

Works as designed, and I like having a carbon filter for improved taste

Gravity purification so you can filter water while doing other things. It works great and fast.

The main reason I chose this filter over the more popular Sawyer filter is because of the carbon element. So many times I have filtered water and have had some sediment or just bad tasting water. Thats is one of the many reasons I chose this filter combo. Another reason being that it can be used with a Smart Water bottle and a CNOC with no adapters. Also, if you would like you can put a reservoir tube on both ends and use it that way. Now for the filtering; without the carbon element the flow rate is good, with the carbon element its lacking. With the carbon element attached, I had to squeeze and push the water through the filter, which for me is not an issue, however it wouldn't work well as a gravity filter. Also when pushing the water through the filter, some of the water came up through the seams. Without the carbon element, the filter performs great, the flow rate is good and could be used as a gravity filter. Now for the water taste; I think the carbon element makes the filtered water taste much better. No sediment or swampy water taste that you sometimes get. And not once have I gotten ill from the filtered water. Cleaning the filter is easy, just attach a smart water bottle at flush. The clear window on the side of the window lets you know how dirty the filter is. If the flow rate was better, this would get 5 stars. PROS: Makes filtered water taste much better Easy to use no extra adapters needed Color Coding of Attachment ends is nice Clear window to show how dirty the filter is Can be used with reservoir tubes CONS: Flow rate with carbon element attached is lackluster Water sometimes came out the seams

So much to love about the VersaFlow. I hike and backpack in the Sierras, and I sought out a lightweight filter with activated carbon because let’s be honest, even the clearest mountain water tastes bad sometimes, even after being filtered for particulates and microbes. I love that this has the removable carbon filter for improving taste. I love that it has female threading on both ends, so I can easily put 28mm reservoirs on both ends without needing an adapter. And it’s very lightweight, too, comparable to or lighter than similar filters. The tradeoff is that the carbon filter does slow the water flow down - you are pushing the water through two filters after all. And the carbon cartridge adds some weight and bulk to my filter kit, although I can leave that part at home if I’m trying to pack really light. And one other slight negative is that I have to be very careful to screw my CNOC Vecto “dirty” reservoir on tightly, or else it leaks a bit. Overall, I’m really happy with this filter so far.

Bought these for hiking in the desert. Can never be too careful. Keep them in a bag in the truck and in all the backpacks when we go hiking. No complaints so far. Mostly we use them to make sure the water we fill up with is clean to drink. I'm a bit on the cautious side getting water from some of the refill stations.

I bought one of these and was happy to have the carbon filter as some water sources have a funny taste. I used this filter for a few trips spanning three years. The first and second year were great and it quickly filter from one CNOC bag to another by gravity alone. If I used pressure I could easily double the flow. This worked great for about a dozen days and supported two people during that time with minimal maintenance. All I did was let it dry out between uses. Then I thought I should do some proper maintenance so I followed their directions and stowed it away. On my last trip I set it up as usual and 20 minutes later only a few ounces went through by gravity. I tried squeezing and that helped but the flow was still slow. This was from a clear silt free source. Over the next day the flow rate improved and started to approach a normal flow but I was skeptical and decided I didn't want to be in the back country and have this fail. So I bought a new one. If this dips out with only a dozen or so days on it I will look for something else.

Great little filter, the charcoal fillet has a pretty short lifespan compared to the purification filter, but is really easy to use and it'll thread into most plastic soda or water bottles so there's some versatility if you puncture a filter bag or something.

We have well water with lots of sediment, this purification filter works well. Removes all visual sediment