Comparing the LARQ UV LED system to Steripen and BeFree

[Rex Sanders]

LARQ recently released a larger and lighter 32 fluid ounce bottle. How does it compare to the Steripen and BeFree?

LARQ Bottle Movement
Computing LARQ battery capacity isn’t easy. “One full charge lasts up to 1-2 months based on 3-4 cycles a day. Normal mode lasts up to 4-8 weeks and Adventure Mode lasts up to 10-12 days.” That could be as low as 10 quarts between charges in Adventure Mode, which is appropriate for backcountry water sources.

Steripen Ultra
Steripen clearly states 50 liters between recharges.

Katadyn BeFree 1 liter
A BeFree filter is rated for 1,000 liters.

LARQ and Steripen major differences

• The LARQ uses LEDs which should be more reliable, and costs $12 less.
• The Steripen weighs 7.6 ounces less (or about 6 ounces less with a 1 liter wide-mouth bottle), works twice as fast, lasts five times longer between recharges, and meets EPA standards.

LARQ and BeFree major differences

• The LARQ kills viruses.
• The BeFree costs less than half as much, weighs about 10 ounces less (for the first 10 quarts, even bigger advantage for more), works six times faster, and doesn’t need recharging.

UV LED water sterilization needs to get lighter and use far less power to be competitive against the Steripen and good filters like the BeFree.

— Rex

[Roger Caffin]

If it has not been properly and independently tested to EPA standards (and passed), don’t trust it. All the rest is marketing spin.

Cheers

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Ha,  this is funny as I use Larq as a subject in my design/ethics lecture.

They claim to Neutralizes up to 99.9999%

The funny part to me is that they do not sterilize anything above the light.  This includes the mouth of the bottle where people put their lips & the upper neck.  IMO, this claim is misleading and therfore an ethic violation.  My 2 cents.

[Roger Caffin]

@Jon

You might add that making a claim about health effects without having any independent tests done to justify them is also unethical.

Cheers

[Russ W]

So Jon and Roger…not trying to be ornery, but how is not sterilizing anything above the light any different than a Steripen, which I use by the way. I try to be careful with the original water source, filling, wiping, but you know there are droplets splashed on and around the container rim. I’m not seeing a difference.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Russ
Well, the difference for me is that I use the Steripen in my pot, not in my 1.25 L rocket-base bottles. It would not fit in them anyhow.
Then I wash the neck of the bottle with a little of the treated water before filling the bottle.

Cheers

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

Russ,

I use Larq as an example in my class as it is being sold to people using sport/water bottles.  There claims are:
<h2 class=”large u-marginBm”>Self-cleaning & worry-free</h2>
<h2 class=”large u-marginBm”>Pure water in 60 seconds</h2>
The market segment is going after people who use sports bottles.  The dirtiest part of the bottle will be where your lips contact the rim.   The way the product is designed, there is a lot of room for cross contamination.  Additionally, there is a zone of about an inch above the light that never gets exposed.  So if you fill the level too high, you leave contaminated water in the bottle.  So self cleaning and worry free has a lot of caveats associated with it which diminishes the claims: violating ethics

Backpackers on the other hand (hopefull) know that the water source is contaminated and treat the bottle, lid and edged of the vessel with care.  Roger’s technique is even better.  My 2 cents.

[Russ W]

Rocket Bottle. I like that. I clearly do capture the water to be treated in a bottle for sterilizing and then transfer to a 2 liter Platypus. Surely there are droplets in any container you use that will be above the light, including a pot. I’m not that precise…what am I missing? Maybe it’s so diluted it doesn’t matter?

Jon – I just saw your comments and appreciate the insights. Being careful, selective water source, dilution all important. Heck, I just may be lucky or have the constitution of a buzzard..I thru-hiked the AT in 1983 and treated nary a drop, including the Little Antietam Creek…never got sick.

[Roger Caffin]

@Russ
Yes, of course there could be untreated droplets here and there.

Fortunately, the problems with bacterial and viral contamination come only when the number of bugs exceeds a threshold (per Litre). That is why a treatment which eliminates 99.999% of bugs works: your body can handle the rest.

There are some bacteria which are known to be deadly to humans – and yet we usually have some of those in our body all the time. It’s not the presence of A (ie single) bug which matters; it’s when they swamp your system.

Cheers

[Author]

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