I tested both the LARQ and Sans self-cleaning water bottles every day for several weeks, evaluating their different features alongside the price, available sizes and colors, battery life, return policy, warranty and any available app features. I also conducted an informal taste test, which I’ll describe below.
Self-cleaning water bottle taste test
To be clear, UV purification isn’t supposed to change the taste of water. However, I was curious if the added LARQ filtered straw would make a difference or if knowing the UV purification was there would have a placebo effect.
For this informal taste test, I filled both the Sans and LARQ water bottles with tap water, as well as a glass with tap water and another with water filtered by my countertop Brita water pitcher. Then, I enabled the water bottles’ normal modes: a 3-minute UC-V purification cycle for Sans and a 1-minute cycle for LARQ. I kept the filtered straw in the LARQ bottle for this part of the test, since the bottle comes with it.
The taste test of LARQ, Sans, filtered water and tap water.
After tasting tap water from all four containers, my partner and I found that the Brita produced the best-tasting, smoothest experience, followed by the LARQ and then Sans. Though Sans reduced some of the tap water’s chemical-y taste, the LARQ did a better job with its included filtered straw.
Next, I filled the bottles with filtered Brita water. I also kept the glasses of tap water and Brita-filtered water. The LARQ’s straw remained attached. At this point, my partner and I noticed an improvement in the taste of the Sans water, which tasted similar to the Brita water. As for the LARQ water, there was a subtle improvement in both flavor and smoothness, likely because the water was now double-filtered.
Lastly, we tried LARQ’s adventure mode. When used with filtered water, it may taste slightly better, but the difference is hardly noticeable, likely because the filtered straw continues to affect the taste and texture of the water. As for tap water, adventure mode combined with the filtered straw provided a noticeable difference, with a less chemical taste.
In conclusion, because of its filtered straw, the LARQ seemed to have a more positive effect on the taste and texture of both tap and Brita-filtered water. The Sans self-cleaning water bottle reduced some of the tap water’s chemical taste, but it tasted best when used with Brita-filtered water.
This was a very informal, non-scientific taste test that highly depends on your water source and tastebuds. I was just curious to see if my partner and I would notice any differences between the bottles, tap water and water filtered by my Brita pitcher. We are also not water sommeliers, so feel free to take our observations with a grain of salt.
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