Design

The LARQ Bottle PureVis has a nice, clean design. The first thing I noticed is that the bottle definitely has some weight to it at around 13.5 ounces. The double-insulated wall helps keep your water cold for extended periods of time and also helps prevent the bottle from “sweating” on the exterior.

I was disappointed to find that there is no carrying strap or hole for a carabiner on the bottle, which makes it a little less convenient to carry. However, there are first party and even third party sleeves available.

I also found that the exterior of the bottle seems to scratch very easily after brushing my bottle up against a wall. You can see the scratch in the attached photos.

Performance

The cap contains a UV-C LED light that shines down on the water to sanitize it. After filling the bottle and placing the cap back on top, simply tap the button on the cap to initiate a 1-minute light cycle (double-tapping the button initiates a 3-minute cleaning cycle for a more thorough cleaning, what LARQ refers to as “Adventurer Mode”). The bottle will automatically perform a 10-second cycle every two hours to help maintain the water and bottle’s cleanliness.

The manufacturer notes that adding ice or fruit to the bottle can reduce the effectiveness somewhat as the UV-C light can’t reach every nook and cranny to sanitize it. You can give the bottle a shake while the cycle is active to help make sure everything in the bottle gets exposed to the UV-C light. Therefore, non-clear liquids (such as coffee) are not ideal as the light can’t really penetrate them.

It’s hard to test the effectiveness of the UV-C light without lab testing, but based on day-to-day usage, the bottle hasn’t developed a musty smell or moldy spots like normal water bottles typically do if they’re not regularly washed.

I’m a little lazy about keeping my water bottles clean, so I’m very happy to have a water bottle that cleans itself. The manufacturer still recommends washing the bottle from time to time, but it’s nice not having to worry about it after every single use. Additionally, I feel a little more confident filling the LARQ water bottle from random water fountains as I know most bacteria and viruses are presumably neutralized.

Battery Life

The battery recharges with a Micro USB cable (included) and virtually any USB charger (not included). It takes about an hour to charge and can last up to a month when using the “normal” 1-minute sanitation cycle.

Our Verdict

8.8

Great

The self-cleaning technology in the LARQ water bottle makes it ideal if you’re a little lazy like me and don’t wash your reusable water bottle as often as you should. It’s also handy if you get your water from some iffy sources from time to time and want to make sure it is bacteria and virus free. However, the exterior seems to scratch too easily.