REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Packable
Easy to use
Durable foil packaging
REASONS TO AVOID
Corrosive and harmful to humans and animals
Long purification time
For emergency use only
Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets Review
These lightweight, easy to use tablets have a long incubation time and are meant for emergency use only
Affordable, packable, and easy to use when following the warning instructions, we recommend these purification tablets for emergencies only.
Credit: Trish Matheny
By Trish Matheny ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 3, 2022
Our Verdict
Due to the precautionary statements and careful handling of the Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets, our testers do not feel comfortable recommending these tablets for anything other than emergency use. That said, they are ultralight, affordable, and come in foil packaging that is easy to throw in your backpack or emergency kit. The long, 4-hour processing time and the limited use of one tablet per liter are a couple of drawbacks, but that is typical of any chemical tablet treatment. We recommend stashing them in your backpack or emergency kit and crossing your fingers that you never have to use them.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Value For Small Groups |  Best Chemical Treatment Drops | |||
| Price | $18.00 List Check Price at REI | $65 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $25 List Check Price at REI | $15.00 List Check Price at REI | $15.00 List Check Amazon (on sale!) |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | These lightweight, easy to use tablets have a long incubation time and are meant for emergency use only | Simple filtration that is lightweight and reliable for individual use or for a party of 2 or 3 | This ultralight and packable straw filtration system is perfect for solo travelers in North America that want to maximize weight savings or an emergency backup to their favorite filtration system | These drops are a reliable and lightweight option to carry all over the world | The lightest chemical treatment option out there |
| Rating Categories | Katadyn Micropur Pur... | Sawyer Squeeze | LifeStraw Peak Straw | Aquamira Treatment D... | MSR Aquatabs |
| Water Quality (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
| Durability & Maintenance (20%) | |||||
| Treatment Time (15%) | |||||
| Weight & Packability (15%) | |||||
| Specifications | Katadyn Micropur Pur... | Sawyer Squeeze | LifeStraw Peak Straw | Aquamira Treatment D... | MSR Aquatabs |
| Measured Weight (entire kit) | 0.5 oz | 7.9 oz | 2.3 oz | 3.0 oz | 0.1 oz |
| Reservoir Size | N/A | 1L, 2L | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Type of Filter/Purifier | Chemical treatment | Squeeze, in-line, on-the-go | Straw filter | Chemical treatment | Chemical treatment |
| Effective Against Protozoa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Giardia yes; Crypto no) |
| Effective Against Bacteria | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Effective Against Viruses | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Effective Against Chemicals | No | No | No | No | No |
| Removes Particulates | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Filter Pore Size | N/A | 0.1 microns | 0.2 microns | N/A | N/A |
| Freeze Tolerant | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Filter Media or Active Ingredient | Chlorine dioxide | Hollow fiber | Hollow-core membrane microfilter | Chlorine dioxide | Sodium dichloroisocyanurate |
| Number of Liters/Gallons per Lifetime | 20 L / 5.3 gal (20 tabs) | 378,541 L / 100,000 gal | 4,000 L / 1,000 gal | 114 L / 30 gal (per package) | 60 L / 16 gal (30 tabs) |
| Cost/Liter Filtered | 90¢ | <1¢ | <1¢ | 13¢ | 25¢ |
| Treatment Time | 4 hrs | 50 sec | 60 sec | 4 hrs | 30 min |
Our Analysis and Test Results
After reading the warnings and precautionary statements on the Micropur Tablets packaging, we were a little nervous about using them for anything other than an absolute emergency. Keeping that in mind, they are simple to use, require no maintenance, and remain one of the lightest filtration options we tested. However, another drawback is the treatment time which requires 4 hours to kill harmful bacteria, viruses, and cysts.
One of the lightest options for water filtration on the market, put these in your emergency kit and hope you don't have to use them. Credit: Trish Matheny
Water Quality
When added to water, the Micropur Tablets release chlorine dioxide in order to kill bacteria, viruses, and cysts, such as cryptosporidium and giardia. The tablets do not remove dirt or particulates from your water, but our testers found that using an old dedicated t-shirt or similar material would help as an additional filter for larger contaminants. We did not give these tablets a high rating for water quality due to the chlorine flavor and particulates still present in the drinking water after the 4-hour purification time.
Our latest round of testing included third party lab results from SGS to help us further evaluate the performance of each filter and tablet. The Micropur was 99.9% effective at eliminating harmful viruses and bacteria; however, the current lab tests are only effective at testing filters that physically remove protozoa. The Micropur Tablets, along with all other chemical tablets we tested, kill the protozoa, but do not remove them from the water. Therefore, we don't currently have the results for tablets and treatment drops when it comes to those harmful components, but we plan to incorporate this into our lab results in the future.
Not the best water quality but sufficient in case of emergency. Credit: Trish Matheny
Ease of Use
The Katadyn Micropur Tablets are easy to use; simply fill one liter of water in a stream, remove one tablet from the individually wrapped pouch, submerge the tablet into the water, and leave the water in a dark place for 4 hours. However, despite the ease of processing, there is a great caveat worth mentioning. After carefully reading the instructions, our testers noticed warnings that the tablets were corrosive and harmful to humans, domestic animals, and aquatic life. Yikes! Furthermore, the tablets should not come into contact with your bare skin or clothing so as to avoid permanent eye damage. The manufacturer also recommends handling with rubber gloves and protective eyewear, which doesn't seem practical for backpacking trips when you're trying to keep it simple and save weight.
Filtration is easy, if a bit time-consuming. As long as you have 4 hours to kill, a reliable water source, and a dark location (say, a backpack), the purification tablets will do their job.
Although a bit of a time-consuming process, the tablets are super easy to use.
Durability and Maintenance
With a shelf life of up to 5 years and a maintenance-free purification system, our testers gave the Micropur tabs high scores for this metric. Katadyn recommends storing them in a cool and dry area, away from the sun. An emergency kit is the perfect spot. Because these tablets can be so harmful and corrosive if improperly used, we recommend storing the foil pouches inside another plastic bag to avoid spills.
Durable packaging and zero maintenance make this a great choice for the emergency kit. Credit: Trish Matheny
Treatment Time
The Micropur Tablets take an extremely long time to process, up to 4 hours when the instructions are followed correctly. Compare that to an average filtration time of less than a minute per liter of water. This extended wait time is just one reason they are not practical for an extended backpacking trip.
After filling your bottle, dropping in the tablet, move your water to a dark environment, and wait 4 hours for the process to be complete. Credit: Trish Matheny
Weight and Packability
These weigh .45 ounces for a pack of 30 tablets, and a full pack can treat the equivalent of 30 L of water. They last up to 5 years before needing to be replaced, so it's a no-brainer to add them to your emergency kit. Since each tablet is individually wrapped, you can modify the number of tablets you bring based on your group's needs.
Highly packable, throw a few packages in your backpack and hope you never have to use them! Credit: Trish Matheny
Should You Buy the Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets?
If you're looking for a backup emergency use filtration system, the Micropur Tablets will work. Easy to use, zero maintenance, and one of the lightest options on the market. Most importantly, they kill all the nasty bugs floating around in your water. Still, there are much better options there — chemical or mechanical — for whatever use case you need.
We're happy these affordable tablets are easy to put in our pack in case of emergency, however, we do not recommend them for any other purposes. Credit: Trish Matheny
What Other Backpacking Water Filters Should You Consider?
For those looking for a lightweight, backup water purification system with fewer alarming precautionary statements, check out the Potable Aqua Purification Tablets. If you're okay with adding a little extra weight for a similar price tag, the Aquamira Water Treatment Drops are the way to go. You can also keep things light and easy with our favorite squeeze system, the LifeStraw Peak Squeeze.
—Trish Matheny
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