Super Speedy Summary Review

I’ve reviewed the original LARQ bottle here and nearly a year later this is still my favourite water bottle. This latest version from LARQ is much lighter in weight and like the original uses a UV light that burst every 2 hours inside to sterilize any bacteria and keep the water fresh. The new ultra light stainless steel versions has 2 size options 24 oz and 32oz both of which are bigger than the original bottle.

The purifying laser is USB rechargeable and the bottle is well built and sturdy even when dropped and the new 2 tone silicone coating helps protect it too. The USB charge holds for weeks of use. It also comes in a range of colors. Its great to see that the USB charger port on the bottle is also now water proofed as well.

Lighter, tougher and more waterproofing on the electronics combined with 2 increased size options makes this a superb ‘Second Generation’ offering from this luxury brand and if you are happy with losing the ‘keep it cool/keep it hot’ double wall of the original you also get a bottle that’s significantly cheaper than the original.

In Depth Review

Anyone that has lots of water bottles for sport and outdoors will know what I mean when I talk about ‘That Smell’. The invention of a self cleaning Water bottle from LARQ  meant that the single most disgusting thing about my outdoor gear was finally solved. This new offering from LARQ builds on their initial bottle and adds some new features that make this even better.

Reach for the Lasers

At a touch of a button, the 280nm UV-C light from the lid neutralizes up to 99.9999%* of harmful, odor-causing germs. You get this ‘Alexa’ like reassuring glow when its doing what it does. You can also press the rubberised top yourself and make it glow, which I do more to impress people with my hi-tec bottle than for any real reason.

The Bottle Intelligently activates every 2 hours on its own, blasting the water and inner surface in purifying UV light. This means you know the water stays fresh and germs don’t multiply. In testing ( and using the previous version) I was amazed out how long I could keep water in this bottle without it ever smelling bad.

Water Power

I found that charge lasts up to 1-2 months and recharges via USB . I used it on adventure mode where it does a more frequent and in depth clean and it was still working 3 weeks later. Charging up with a standard USB cable seems to take about an hour. The lid will glow a reassuring green when charging, then turns solid green when fully charged .

Materials

This bottle is a single wall stainless steel bottle which makes it lighter but this trade off means it wont keep liquids cool or hot for hours. I tested the larger version in ‘obsidian black’ which has a hard wearing silicone finish to it that I really like. I also tested the smaller version in a coral pink color.

Cleaning with Light

The special type of light the bottle lid emits is ideal to eradicate germs, triggering a photochemical reaction that destroys their DNA. UV-C light is widely used today in hospitals to sterilize patient room surfaces.

Clumsy Proof

In testing I dropped it a few times with no issues on the electronics or the bottle itself, I also left it regularly in the fridge with no issues.

The bottle is also airport friendly ( obviously without the liquid in!) and I found that when I splashed the lid and recharging USB port with water and it didn’t break anything. I wouldn’t submerge the lid in water, but it seems pretty resistant to the odd splash and leaving out in the rain.

Idiot Proof

The lid emits the UV light so naturally the first thing I did was to take it off and try to shine it round the room. The guys at LARQ have put a failsafe in the lid to prevent the light from shining when the lid is off so there is no risk of damage to eyes. Instead you get a polite but judgmental orange glow on the cap to tell you the laser has been deactivated because the cap is not screwed into the bottle.

Outdoor Survival Tool ?

The previous version had a few queries online from people asking about using this abroad to purify water from dodgy sources. Just keep in mind here that this is NOT a water purifier. You cannot scoop dirty puddle water and then sip a cool fresh clear water bottle a few seconds later. What this does is purify and then maintain purity, of water you put in. At the very least the water needs to be clean and clear to the eye.

This bottle WILL remove bacteria but it WILL NOT remove any dangerous chemicals from water. That’s up to you to use your common sense on the source you choose to fill the bottle from .

Warranty

The LARQ bottle comes with a 1 year warranty too which is good to see given the electronics inside.

Verdict

This water bottle is cheaper than the original bottle and my inner nerd LOVES it. It is the first of its kind to be self cleaning. It uses a UV light burst every 2 hours inside to sterilize any bacteria and keep the water fresh. The stainless steel 17 oz bottle is USB rechargeable and vacuum sealed to help keep water cool for hours. The bottle is well built and sturdy even when dropped and the USB charge holds for weeks of use. It also comes in a range of colors.

Technical specifications

• Built-in UV-C LED
• Single-wall bottle (not intended for hot beverages)
• Electropolished 18/8 stainless steel (BPA free)
• Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
• MicroUSB connector
• Proprietary powder coating
• Interchangeable premium food-grade silicone sleeve

In the box

• The LARQ Bottle
• USB charging cable
• Quick start guide