Travel Berkey Review

The Travel Berkey is a high-capacity filtration system designed to deliver cleaner water without electricity, costly installation, or complicated setup. It's a great choice for anyone living off the grid or who just needs something more portable than an under-sink model, but more permanent than a pitcher. Fully gravity-fed, it works well in kitchens, dorms, or temporary setups, and users appreciate the long filter life and reliable heavy-metal removal.

Critical Contaminant Removal

We filtered water from a highly contaminated supply and from regular tap water, and sent samples of both to an independent lab for testing. The Travel Berkey performs very well against many of the most critical contaminants. It did not alter fluoride levels in tap water and was only able to remove 19.5% of nitrate; therefore, you may want to have your tap water tested to see if these specific contaminants are present in high levels.

PFAS Forever Chemicals

PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”, are long-chain carbon molecules that are a byproduct of non-stick coatings. As their name implies, these chemicals stick around for a long time and can be toxic if ingested even in relatively low concentrations. The Travel Berkey achieved 100% removal of the PFAS subtypes that the lab tested for, PFNA and PFBA. This is an impressive removal rate that is usually only found with reverse osmosis (RO) systems.

Heavy Metals

The Berkey also does well with lead, removing 100% from our super-contaminated sample testing, making it one of the strongest options for everyday city water. It provides almost complete removal of uranium (95%), and some arsenic reduction, but only 25%.

It's worth noting that highly contaminated water (like our super-contaminated sludge) can overwork the filter and reduce performance. While most people don't deal with this level of contamination from either municipal water sources or even well water, it's worth noting this limitation. If this is the case for you, the only practical solution will be an under-sink RO system.

Secondary Contaminant Removal

We lumped trace minerals and elements together in this category. Elements like zinc, iron, and selenium are essential for bodily function in small amounts, but in higher concentrations, they can be toxic. The Travel Berkey effectively handles barium, copper, strontium, nickel, zinc, and iron, reducing all to undetectable levels.

It also showed solid performance on vanadium, lithium, and boron, with 80%-90% removal rates for each. Selenium and molybdenum levels were unchanged after filtering, but overall, it delivers strong mid- to high-tier mineral filtration.

Taste

Most users report clean, flavorless water, with most describing it as fresh and crisp. A few noted minor plastic or chemical tastes and some residue at the bottom of the tank, but overall, the Travel Berkey improves the flavor of water compared to unfiltered water.

Maintenance & Setup

The Black Berkey filters must be primed before their first use, and they need to be scrubbed every 3–6 months to extend their lifetime. This process can be moderately tedious compared to simple pitchers with drop in filters. But the system is easier to maintain than a full RO setup. Setup is straightforward, it doesn't require special tools, and there's no need for electricity or plumbing. The stainless steel body is dishwasher safe, which we love as well. Best practice is to wash the upper and lower canisters monthly.

Initial setup and filter replacement is a cinch compared to RO systems, but it takes some time to unscrew old filters and twist in the new. It is a little bit more involved than most pitchers; luckily, you only need to do it once every 4 years or so. Lastly, this rig takes up a bit of space. It'll fit on your countertop, but might not find a home in your fridge.

Operating Cost

Replacement filters come at a steep price; a set of two costs $166. However, each set of two lasts about 6,000 gallons, roughly 4 years. If you do the math for a family of four using one gallon per person per day (a generous usage estimate), the monthly cost of this unit drops to about $41. This is a truly affordable option if you keep it for years, but watch out for that 4 year mark.

Should You Buy the Travel Berkey?

The Travel Berkey is a strong choice for anyone who wants a reliable water filtration system that doesn't rely on electricity or plumbing and has a large capacity that comes in handy for car camping. We like that the container itself is not plastic, and overall, it has impressive heavy-metal and PFAS removal. It doesn't catch all contaminants, and may not be great for those who have robust levels of fluoride and nitrate in their tap water.

What Other Water Filter Should You Consider?