Sawyer Mini Vs Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter

Whether you are a camper, hiker, or backpacker, you know that clean drinking water is a necessity. Gone are the days when you’d have to carry tens of water bottles making the adventure tiresome. They’ve become ultra-small that you can conceal them with your hand.

In this article, we will look at the Sawyer Mini water filter and the Sawyer Squeeze water filter. We will look at their features, what they remove, and more.

So, let’s get into it.

Sawyer mini vs squeeze

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Winner

4.7/5

Sawyer Squeeze

The Sawyer Squeeze is a premium water filter that removes most contaminants that are found in most water sources. It is lightweight, portable, and highly effective.

Who is Sawyer?

Well, Sawyer is a company that offers solutions to problems brought about by water, injuries, bugs, and other elements.

It has been in operation since 1984 and it continues to offer some of the most technologically advanced solutions and products.

Its main product line is water filtration systems, insect repellents, sunscreens, and first aid kits.

As you can see, the company aims to protect you, the customer, from some of the illnesses or infections from things we interact with daily.

So why do most outdoor enthusiasts prefer Sawyer products?

For one, their products perform as the company claims. That is, if it’s a water filter, it filters water to the required standards.

Furthermore, they are approved by relevant environmental bodies, undergo rigorous testing, and are made of BPA-free plastics.

And when it comes to price, you get value for your money.

In this article, we will be comparing the Sawyer Mini and the Sawyer Squeeze water filters.

Sawyer Squeeze Vs Mini Water Filter at a Glance

Let’s see how these Sawyer filters compare.

Image PRODUCT/ Features Rating  
WinnerSawyer Squeeze Sawyer SqueezeFilter quality: 99.99% bacteria, protozoa, 100% microplastics
Lifespan: lifetime (you can use it for as long as the filter is functioning)
Annual Replacement Cost: nil/ ($13.99+ for accessories such as straw, cleaning plunger, and water pouches).

Capacity: unlimited (Since it comes with a lifetime lifespan, you can use it to filter as much water as you can).
Flow rate: 1.7 liters per minute
Customer review: 4.7(1,403)
Special Features: in-line adapters, cleaning coupling, mesh carrying bag
Sawyer Mini Sawyer MiniFilter quality: 99.999% bacteria, protozoa, 100% microplastics
Lifespan: 100,000 gallons of water
Annual Replacement Cost: Nil ($13.99+ for water pouches and other accessories)

Capacity: 100,00 gallons
Flow rate: 1.7 liters per minute
Customer review: 4.7 (20,358)
Special feature: water bladder

Sawyer Mini Vs. Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter

Filter quality

Both the Sawyer Mini and Sawyer Squeeze water filters are equipped with hollow fiber membrane filtration material.

This material is used in many filtration methods since it offers exceptional filtration. As such, both filters remove at least 99.99% of the contaminants in the water.

The Sawyer Squeeze filter has a rating of 0.1-micron absolute filtration. This means it can filter 99.999% of bacteria such as cholera and salmonella.

 It also filters 99.999% of protozoa and 100% of microplastics. As you can see, this is an ideal water filter for hiking, camping, and emergency preparedness scenarios.

On the other hand, the Sawyer Mini water filter also filters 99.99% of protozoa, bacteria, and 100% of microplastics.

 Like the Squeeze water filter, it has a 0.1-micron rating.  This means that no contaminant greater than 0.1 microns can pass through the pores.

Both filters meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements meaning they are safe for use. Regardless if you are a senior or a young adult.

They use one filtration process (0.1-micron absolute filtration), meaning you get to enjoy safe drinking water as filtration takes place.

Besides, the ‘U’ shape of the micro-pores ensures that the contaminants are removed effectively as the water flows through.

And if you are into a gravity filter, then these filters got you covered. You can use either the Mini or Squeeze as a gravity filter and fill your water bottle with clean water.

The downside, these filters do not remove viruses and chemicals. The best part, such contaminants are rare in most hiking and camping water sites.

Overall, the Sawyer Mini and Squeeze filters offer much-needed filtration as they use the same filtration technology. In this category, it is a tie.

A man sipping water from his water bottle using the Sawyer Mini water filter

Designs and models

The Sawyer Squeeze and Sawyer Mini water filters are designed for on-the-go filtration. This is because they come in a lightweight and portable design.

The Sawyer Mini filter is lighter, weighing 2 ounces, compared to the Sawyer Squeeze that weighs 3 ounces.

The Mini and Squeeze water filters also come in a black and blue color that resembles what they are meant to filter; water.

However, the Mini filter comes in other colors such as pink, orange, green, black, and camo. This gives you more choices to choose from if you are more into the aesthetic aspect of a product.

When it comes to assembling the filters, it is straightforward since the components are easy to unscrew. This allows you to backwash the filters after use and replace parts may they get broken.

These filters also come with much-needed accessories such as water pouches, a drinking straw, and a backwashing plunger.

For accessories, the Sawyer Squeeze filter offers more flexibility, as we saw in the Sawyer Squeeze review. In that, you can purchase one that comes with 2 (32 ounces pouches) or 2 (64 ounces pouches) and one 16-ounce pouch. The 64-ounce pouches are ideal for carrying extra water rather than for prompt drinking.

Overall, both filters are compact, designed for outdoor activities, and come in Minimalistic designs that allow you to filter water on the go.

Flow rate/capacity

Both Sawyer Squeeze and Mini water filters use the hollow fiber membrane filtration system that has a faster flow rate. These are long and porous micro-tubes that are 0.1-micron in diameter.

 They allow filtration of water as it passes through. As you can tell, thanks to the increased contact with the surface, contaminants are easily removed.

Both filters come with a flow rate of 1.7 liters per minute. From our experiment, we found that you can fill a standard drinking water bottle within 40 seconds when using both.

This fast flow rate is thanks to the minimalistic yet effective absolute micron filtering technology. This means that the water does not have to go through many processes.

Given the flow rate, these filters are not ideal for a heavily contaminated water site. So, ensure to check how contaminated a river is.

There are other portable filters. You can check out our backpacking filter review for some of the best alternative filters.

A man using the Sawyer Squeeze water filter to fill his water drinking bottle

Certification

Well, as expected, Sawyer Mini and Squeeze are certified by the relevant bodies. For example, they are EPA certified meaning that they meet the recommended removal rates.

This means that they are safe for use during your backpacking adventures and other outdoor activities.

In fact, they undergo independent air testing to ensure that there’s zero penetration of pathogens when they are not in use.

Also, they undergo testing by reputable and certified Aquadiagnostics laboratories.

This ensures that you get nothing but the required water filtration requirement.

As such, both water filters make the cut in this category.

Filter lifespan and annual maintenance

The Squeeze and Mini filters come with different lifespans and annual maintenance costs. This is because as you backwash them, they lose their filtration ability.

The Sawyer Mini water filter has a lifespan of 100,000 gallons. This is enough to last you for a lifetime, given it filters a fraction of this per session.

The only thing you need to do is to ensure that you backwash it after a few weeks.

For the Sawyer Squeeze water filter, you can expect a lifetime filter lifespan. In fact, once you buy it, you don’t have to worry about replacing the filter.

Not unless you use it on heavily contaminated water which can contain viruses and chemicals.

When it comes to annual maintenance, this is dependent on how well you use the water filter.

Since you don’t need to replace it, your annual expenses will only come from accessories such as filtration accessory pack, cleaning coupling, inline adapter, water pouches, and bladders.

In short, both filters have little to no annual maintenance cost.

Warranty

The Sawyer Squeeze water filter comes with a lifetime warranty that covers manufacturer defects. The warranty does not cover damage from impact, dings, and bumps.

Also, the warranty does not cover the attached accessories.

The same case applies to Sawyer Mini water filter. You get to enjoy a lifetime warranty.

As you can see, in this sawyer Squeeze vs Mini comparison, both filters afford you generous warranties. As such, they both take the day.

Stand out features

  • Lifetime longevity: The Sawyer Squeeze features lifetime longevity meaning you can use for as many times as possible. Also, it reduces the maintenance cost.
  • Inline adapter: again, the Sawyer Squeeze has an inline adapter that allows you to connect a tube to the hydration pack in a pouch or bag. It also enables you to use the inline adapter without the filter.
  • Mesh carrying pouch: the Squeeze has a mesh pouch for carrying the water bladder with ease as you hike. This is especially handy should you have a full backpack and still want to carry drinking water.

Which Filter Is the Best? Sawyer Mini or Sawyer Squeeze?

As we have seen, both the Squeeze and Mini filters mitigate the need to carry a water bottle. However, each is well-suited for a particular scenario. Let’s find out.

Use Sawyer Squeeze water filter if
+ You want more flexibility since the filter comes with numerous accessories. They include a mesh bag, inline adapters, and cleaning coupling, among others.
+ You do not want to use the filter every time. With the inline adapters, you can connect the drinking hose directly to the water bladder. Just ensure the water is filtered.
+ You don’t want to buy a filter after a set period. It comes with lifetime longevity.
+ You large-capacity pouches. It comes with 64-ounce water bladders.
Use Sawyer Mini filter if
+ You want a lighter water filter since it weighs 1 ounce less.
+ You want to choose from a wide array of colors. The filter features up to five color options.
+ You want a minimalistic filter with fewer accessories to use.
+ You want to replace the filter after filtering up to 100,000 gallons of water.

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