I’ve had my Steripen Classic for over two years now…

It’s been a great water purifier for me, and I’ve used it in a variety of different situations. Let’s run through the criteria I rated it on:

Functionality: The Steripen can be either swirled around in a Nalgene bottle (or similar) or fitted into a large mouth water bottle, thanks to the rubber washer on the top. I really like this feature. It means suitable containers are readily available. What a great idea.

Ease of Use: One of my only complaints about the Steripen Classic is that the operation requires a bit of memorization. Different functions are indicated by a different series of green and red flashes, with varying lengths. It can be a bit confusing at first. You’ll eventually remember the important ones, but it takes awhile.

Durability: I went with four stars here, simply because it’s an electronic device. When it’s not in it’s sheath it’s quite vulnerable to drops or bumps against other objects. On the plus side, the sheath is well made and pads the Steripen Classic well enough to where I don’t worry about it in my camp box.

Value: The first time you use a water purifier is an eye opening experience. It’s quite empowering to know that anytime you happen across water you could safely drink some. I haven’t hauled water camping in a long time. The freedom it affords, combined with the $99 price tag made me give it 5 stars.

Weight: High marks on the weight as well. The Steripen Classic isn’t even their smallest unit and it still packs easily and is very light.