Frequently Asked Questions

Because our LifeStraw products use a hollow fiber membrane to remove contiminants from water with no chemicals or moving parts, it will not expire.

If the product is allowed to dry and stored in a cool dark place between uses, the LifeStraw will last until the end of it filtering capacity.

LifeStraw filters (LifeStraw, LifeStraw Go) remove 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa present in water using hollow fiber membrane micro filtration. They have a 0.2 micron pore size that physically eliminates bacteria and protozoa from water.

This meets US EPA drinking water standards. LifeStraw filters provide safe water for 1,000 liters (264 gallons). LifeStraw purifiers (LifeStraw Family and LifeStraw Mission) remove 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.999% of virus and 99.99% of protozoa that is present in the water using hollow fiber membrane ultra filtration.

They have a 0.02 micron pore size that physically eliminates the bacteria, virus and protozoa from the water. These purifiers also meet the US EPA drinking water standards. LifeStraw purifiers provide safe water for 18,000 liters (4,755 gallons).

LifeStraw is made of the following materials:

• ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
• MABS (Methylmethacrylate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
• PU (Polyurethane)
• PS (Polysulfone – hollow fibers membranes)
• Polyethylene low density

All materials used in LifeStraw have been tested and approved for drinking water under US and European regulations and are BPA (Bisphenol A) free.

The LifeStraw can filter up to 4,000 liters (1,000 gallons). This would mean, if you used the LifeStraw every day, for all of your drinking water, it will last for almost four years. If you just use it for travel and outdoor activities, it will last much longer.

After every use, back-flush your LifeStraw by blowing a breath of air back into the mouthpiece to purge all remaining water trapped within the filter.

If you have access to clean water, suck some into the filter and back-flush it again. Give it a few shakes and leave both ends uncapped to air dry at room temperature.

The LifeStraw Activated Carbon and Ion Exchange filter lasts approximately 40 gallons (150 liters). We estimate that it should be replaced every 2 months. This assumes that a household uses approximately 2.5 liters per day or refills the 7-cup filter housing approximately 5 times per day. If you are using the product less, you can adjust your estimate of length of time needed before you must replace the activated carbon and ion exchange filter. Another way to tell if the filter has reached its lifetime capacity is if you can detect that the taste of your water has returned to the original tap taste. This may be more apparent for some people than others. Heavy metals and chemicals rely on prolonged exposure to cause sickness so if your activated carbon and ion exchange filter has a short lapse in timespan, you should not be at immediate risk. The membrane microfilter lasts 264 gallons (1,000 liters). We estimate that it should be replaced once per year. This filter ends its lifetime when flow rate becomes drastically reduced or completely blocked out of the filter. It will never allow bacteria, parasites or microplastics to filter through it. This is critical as these contaminants can cause immediate sickness unlike most chemicals and heavy metals found in water.

It takes approximately 5 to 6 minutes to filter each batch (filling the filter housing to the top). It takes about 3 fills to get to the bottom of the handle (which is the max fill line). The capacity is 7 cups (approximately 1.66 liters).