My husband was excited to be given the Katadyn Befree water Filter as a gift this past year, and we were both equally excited to test it out while backpacking this summer. This filter had a lot of things going for it, being so compact and lightweight, however, the BeFree had a few shortcomings as well.

Read our full review here to find out what we liked, what we didn’t like about the Katadyn BeFree, and why I ultimately ended up buying the Platypus Quickdraw filter for myself instead.

Weighing in at 2.3 ounces and taking up very little space, I see the appeal of the Katadyn BeFree. The hollow fiber filter boasts being easy to clean and does meet the EPA standards for removing harmful organisms, protozoa, and bacteria up to 1,000 liters.

How to use the Katadyn BeFree water filter

Luckily, the Katadyn Befree Filter is very easy to use and doesn’t leave too much room for user error. Try it out at home with some tap water first just to get a feel for it and thoroughly wet the filter right before a trip. Or at least let it soak in water for a couple of minutes on the trail before trying to squeeze water through it (it will go much more smoothly, I promise.)

Simply fill up the soft water bottle with the potentially contaminated water that you want to filter, then screw on the filter itself to the top of the soft water bottle.

Open the small cap cover and squeeze the water into your designated clean water bottle, cook pot or your mouth. Be careful not to let stream water from the outside of the soft water bottle run into your clean water bottle. We did this by holding the BeFree soft water bottle more sideways than directly over our clean, drinking Nalgenes.

How to clean the Katadyn BeFree Filter

As with most things in the backpacking world, prevention is key. Obviously, you’ll still have to clean your filter sometimes, but you can do yourself a favor and prevent clogs and buildup by using the clearest water sources possible or filtering out debris with a bandana or other cloth when filling up your soft water bottle, so that fewer particles end up in the filter itself.

To clean the Katadyn BeFree filter, fill the soft water bottle with clean water, attach the filter and vigorously shake and swish it around.

How long do Katadyn BeFree water filters last?

This question isn’t as straightforward as it seems and we’ve heard mixed results. The Katadyn BeFree filters say they last up to 1,000 liters, depending on the water quality. The flow rate will start to seriously diminish as the filter ages or it starts to become clogged with particles or buildup from less than ideal water sources.

Once you notice that the filter is getting harder to use or squeeze water out of, it’s probably time to replace it. Some hikers report needing to replace the filter after every extended 14+ day trip, which is more often than you might think!

Other things can compromise your filter like letting it freeze, especially when it’s wet, or physical damage like a far drop or being crushed under significant weight.

Always carry an alternate form of water treatment like chemical drops or tabs as a backup to water filters, in case your filter reaches the end of its life in the middle of a backpacking trip!

Does the Katadyn BeFree filter remove Giardia and viruses?

After doing a little digging on whether or not the Katadyn BeFree water filter effectively removes or kills Giardia, I have found some interesting tidbits and no definitive answers. According the fact sheet from the Katadyn Group, the BeFree was only tested to remove E. coli, enterococcus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

I guess that’s cool, but a little disappointing that Giardia and Cryptosporidium weren’t specifically included in the tests. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t remove Giardia, but doesn’t instill warm fuzzies in me about it either.

Then I came across another interesting resource from the CDC helping us interpret the terminology used on water filter packaging. More specifically they point out that the EPA does not approve or test filters or register them based on their ability to remove parasites. I mention this because most backpacking filters boast meeting EPA standards…. but that suddenly lost some of its value for me.

The CDC also clarifies that water filters need to explicitly say they have an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller, because some water filter with a nominal 1 micron filter will allow 20% to 30% of 1 micron particles (like Cryptosporidium) to pass through. I have not been able to find many outdoor-specific water filters that make this differentiation between absolute and nominal, so this also makes me a little nervous and skeptical.

The most sure fire way to remove all harmful bacteria and parasites is to boil your water for at least 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 6,500 ft. Boiling water is not always practical or possible, so the next best alternative is the CDC’s recommendation to make filtered water safer to drink by also using a chemical treatment afterward.

What we liked about the Katadyn BeFree filter

The Katadyn BeFree water filter isn’t all bad. There were a few things my husband and I liked about it on our backpacking trip in the Lost Creek Wilderness and it actually saved our butts when my Aquamira part A bottle surprisingly ran out of drops!

Pros of the BeFree water filter

• It is very compact, compact enough to fit in a chest pouch, hip belt pocket or shoulder strap pouch.
• It is very lightweight, at only 2.3 ounces.
• It is very easy to use.

What we don’t like about the Katadyn BeFree filter

While the Katadyn BeFree filter wasn’t horrible, we can’t say it’s the best either. It did work, I guess, but that’s the bare minimum we expect from our outdoor gear.

Cons of the BeFree water filter

• There is no way to backwash it. While the swishable EZ Clean Membrane seems like a good idea, sometimes swishing just isn’t enough bish.
• There is no way to really tell if it’s working or if it’s been damaged or if it needs to be replaced.
• Even using this for the first time, on a multi-day trip, the flow rate seemed slow.

Katadyn BeFree vs Platypus Quickdraw

A thread in a hiking Facebook group caught my eye recently because my husband has the BeFree filter. Dozens of hikers were complaining and reporting similar issues about the Katadyn BeFree filter, that there’s no way to backwash it, that it becomes clogged too quickly, that the flowrate dies too soon, that there’s not way to tell for sure when it needs to be replaced, it went on and on.

We had also seen some of these issues first hand and I saw too many hikers recommend the Platypus Quickdraw water filter as an alternative, so I had to look into it more. The Quickdraw was too good to pass up, so I bought one for myself!

What I love about the Platypus Quickdraw:

• It’s ultralight at 2.2 ounces and very compact. It can be completely detached from a water bottle and sealed up to keep in your sleeping bag or pocket at night.
• It can be easily backwashed in the field or cleaned using the same shake-to-clean method as the BeFree.
• It filters 3 L per minute vs 2 L per minute on the BeFree.
• The integrity of the filter can be tested in the field (which is bomb!)

Another reminder to always carry a backup to any water filter you choose, whether it’s a new, replacement filter or a chemical treatment or be prepared to boil your water to purify it.

If you’ve used the Katadyn BeFree water filter on any backpacking trips, let us know what you think about it in the comments below.

For more backpacking gear reviews and recommendations, check out:

• Best Pocket Knives For Hikers and Backpackers
• Tips To Lighten Your Pack Weight
• Best Lightweight Sleeping Pads For Backpackers

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