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Filtering water using the Sawyer Mini with a Smart Water bottle.
Photo by Natalie McMillan
Review Part 4: Sawyer Mini, Micro and Squeeze Compared
In this final installment of my review of Sawyer filters, I compare the Sawyer Mini flow rate to the Micro and Squeeze filters.
Paul Bodnar Tech on the Trail 05/09/2019
Paul Bodnar
Tech on the Trail
01/30/2019
A few months ago I posted a review of the new Sawyer Micro Squeeze and found a few pros and cons compared to the Sawyer Squeeze. Today I am following up with an analysis of flow rate of the Sawyer Mini and comparing the flow rate with with the Micro and Squeeze.
No company solicited this review, and I purchased all tested items.
I compared the water flow rate through these three Sawyer filters: Sawyer Squeeze (103 grams), Sawyer Mini (51 grams) and Sawyer Micro (69 grams). All weights were measured when the filter was wet.
The Sawyer Squeeze (left), Sawyer Mini (middle), and Sawyer Micro (right).
Filtration Flow Rate
This bar chart shows the rate of flow through the filters using various containers to squeeze the water through the filter, plus gravity filtration. First, you will notice that the flow rate through the Squeeze (red bar) outperforms the flow rate through the Micro (orange bar) and the Mini (blue bar) using all six containers and gravity filtration.
Next you will notice that the flow rate rate for the Mini is on average 30% less than the flow rate for the Squeeze. This isn’t surprising because the Mini filter is much smaller than the Squeeze filter.
Conclusions
So what did I learn?
- There is no perfect setup — every pro has its con.
- Confirmation that water flows faster through the Squeeze than the Micro and Mini using a variety of containers BUT the Squeeze is heavier than the Micro and Mini.
- The Mini weighs about half as much as the Squeeze but has a flow rate 30% less than the Squeeze.
- The Mini performed poorly when used for gravity filtration — less than half the flow rate of the Squeeze.
Read Parts 1, 2, and 3 of this Sawyer review series:
Review: the New Sawyer Micro Squeeze
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Photo courtesy of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association
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About the Author
Paul Bodnar
Paul has always liked hiking and thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 1997 after college. After years of working in chemistry, he wanted to create a career involving the outdoors, so he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail again in 2010 to do research for his guide book Pocket PCT. He realized that creating a smartphone app for navigating the outdoors would make it easier to keep the data current and provide a better way to navigate. While hiking with Ryan (aka Guthook) in 2010, they decided to work together to create the first comprehensive smartphone guide for the Pacific Crest Trail. Now with the help of a team of great people they have created over 50 guides for trails around the world.