HydroBlu
HydroBlu MUV Nomad Water Filter Bottle
- Protection: 6/10 What it removes from water, and how well that is proved.
- Flow rate: 3/10 How fast clean water comes through when it is new. Real flow drops as it clogs: see Ease of use.
- Weight: 5/10 How much it adds to your pack.
- Ease of use: 7/10 Filling, squeezing or pumping effort, how fast it clogs in peaty or silty water, and how easy it is to clean.
Travel abroad, where tap water may carry viruses as well as bacteria
- Type
- Bottle
- Removes viruses
- Yes
- Flow
- Not published
- Weight
- 283 g
- Rated life
- 341 L
Where to buy
Ultralight Outdoor Gear £40.99 In stock. Free delivery. The shop sells it as HydroBlu. HydroBlu's own site lists the MUV range under its Renovo Water label, and its manual is signed 'Renovo Water | Hydroblu'. Free tracked UK delivery.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Protection
From maker's figures 6/10What it removes from water, and how well that is proved. 6: A bit better than average.
A Nanalum electrostatic filter (no pore size given). HydroBlu's lab report on the MUV3 module (the module in this bottle's box) shows E. coli and MS2 virus both reduced by 99.9999%, each cited to NSF/ANSI P231 (it is a test report, not a certificate, and dates from 2018). It shows no test on protozoan cysts: the manual claims protozoa (Giardia, Cryptosporidium) only in words. Protection 4 needs bacteria and protozoa tested and 5 needs protozoa tested as well, so with protozoa claimed and not tested the closest band is 3. Bacteria and viruses are tested to a named standard, which few bottle filters match. HydroBlu's own pages give lower figures than the lab report (99.999% bacteria, 99.99% viruses), and we quote those.
Flow rate
Estimate from maker's specs: filter type (no flow rate published) 3/10How fast clean water comes through when it is new. Real flow drops as it clogs: see Ease of use. 3: Below average. Fine for some trips, not others.
Estimate from maker's specs
Weight
From maker's figures 5/10How much it adds to your pack. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
HydroBlu's page gives the weight twice: about 283 g in the product details and about 241 g in the features list. We band the heavier one; both are in the 150–299 g band. The UK shop lists 230 g. This is the bottle with the filter fitted.
Ease of use
Estimate from maker's specs: filter type 7/10Filling, squeezing or pumping effort, how fast it clogs in peaty or silty water, and how easy it is to clean. 7: Better than most.
Estimate from maker's specs
In short
Good for
- Travel abroad, where tap water may carry viruses as well as bacteria
- Drinking from a tap or a doubtful source on a trip with no stove
- Someone who wants one bottle that filters as they drink
- Not for most UK hill use: viruses are rarely the risk, and a filter that cannot be backflushed is a poor trade for weight
Strengths
- HydroBlu's lab report shows 99.9999% of E. coli and MS2 virus removed, to NSF/ANSI P231
- One of few bottle filters here to claim viruses as well as bacteria and protozoa
- Carbon in the filter cuts chlorine, taste and some metals and chemicals
- Drink-through bottle with the filter and hose built in
Weaknesses
- About 283 g with the filter fitted, which is heavy for a plastic travel bottle
- HydroBlu publishes no flow rate (its lab report ran at 0.5 L/min), and the Nanalum module cannot be backflushed
- Short life: the module is rated at about 341 L, then it needs a new MUV3 module
- No cyst test in the lab report, so the protozoa claim is words only
- HydroBlu's page and lab report disagree on the removal figures, and its page gives two weights
- HydroBlu does not say the filter is safe after freezing, so it is not for winter hill use; it is a travel bottle
- Only one UK shop found
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.