Men Must Have

Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired.com

50 Cent is primarily known for two things: cranking out club hits and surviving a nonuple shooting.

Now the rap mogul is trying out a new hustle: ultra-luxe, musician-marketed headphones.

Mr. Cent is hardly the first to venture into this star-studded pool of mediocrity. But here’s where the gambit gets interesting: Cent’s Sync by 50 wireless headphones aren’t a crass vanity project. Under all the requisite swagger is a disarmingly decent pair of cans packed with nifty amenities.

My porcelain-white review unit was surprisingly sturdy and flexible. The leather earcups added some heft, but the padded headband and bendable frame ultimately made for a very comfortable fit. A week in my mosh pit of a messenger bag didn’t even produce scratches or cracks — an admirable feat for non-foldable headphones.

If the stunning white shell isn’t enough, the Syncs literally beg for attention via a pair of brightly flashing SMS logos on the earcups. They send an alert to everyone in the vicinity: “I am listening to music!” Passersby repeatedly stopped me to ask what was up. Each time, I had to awkwardly explain that they were 50 Cent’s new wireless headphones(tm), and that I honestly had no idea why they blinked every six seconds. As it turns out, the headphones have an “Airplane Mode” that takes care of the peripheral light show. But let’s be honest — having to dial back a default annoyance on a product is rarely indicative of good design.

If you can get past the flashy exterior, there are actually a ton of great features here. First off, both the headphones and the included wireless transmitter have integrated batteries that charge over micro-USB. As a lover of wireless gadgets (and an owner of many rechargeable batteries), the quick 90-minute charge time for each was incredibly convenient. And though the rechargeable option is welcome, the lack of a unified charging/base station meant the headphones and transmitter were just dangling while charging.

Setup is simple: I plugged the transmitter (about the size of a Tic Tac box) into my headphone jack, hit a sync button on each end, and I was up and running in a few seconds. The dongle uses Kleer’s 2.4 GHz lossless streaming tech to deliver high-fidelity CD-quality sound. You can walk about 40 feet away from the transmitter before the signal starts to hiccup, and you can sync up to four pairs of Kleer-compatible headphones (of any stripe) to each dongle.

Unlike other celeb-endorsed wireless headphones that treat audio quality as an afterthought, the Syncs actually deliver. Inside the buttery-soft earcups are two custom 40mm drivers. Though they aren’t especially warm, they are surprisingly balanced without being overly bassy. The trifecta of these solid drivers, the “THUMPP” bass boost feature (activated by clicking a button on the right earcup), and a playlist stacked with lossless audio files are where the Syncs really start to shine.

Generally, the better a jacket is at keeping the wet out, the better it is at keeping the wet in. While the wind whips and the rain pelts, you stay dry … until your body temperature climbs and that muggy, wrapped-in-plastic feeling sets in.

Waterproof-yet-breathable fabric technologies are abundant in the outerwear world, but even with rain jackets marketed as “ultra-breathable” (as most are) some condensation still builds up inside the shell, leaving you clammy, wet, and wondering why you wore a jacket in the first place.

With its new Jammu jacket, The North Face is the latest manufacturer to tackle this elusive unicorn of a truly breathable, truly weatherproof piece of outerwear. The special sauce inside the Jammu is Polartec’s NeoShell membrane, which claims to possess the industry’s highest levels of clam-free waterproofing.

The Jammu is an expensive jacket ($400), but the price is made less painful by a handsome look and a smart design. The cut is just generous to allow for light layering underneath, while the soft shell fabric provides enough stretch to keep you from feeling claustrophobic. Pockets placed high on the body allow easy access when wearing a pack harness, and the helmet-compatible hood adjusts to fit anybody’s dome. It seems best suited to hiking, camping, skiing or snowboarding in above-freezing conditions.

The outer layer is complemented by a soft fleece inner lining that gives the jacket a warm, cozy feel. Sandwiched between the two is Polartec’s NeoShell fabric. Thin, waterproof, and super air-permeable, Polartec claims the NeoShell membrane pulls sweat vapor out of the jacket at an extremely low pressure. The result? Heat and moisture supposedly get vented before you get a chance to feel it.

Even though every foul-weather jacket on the market claims to be the most breathable ever, the fact is, it’s pretty hard to test how much moisture a jacket retains when you’re out in the field. Many of the “most breathable jackets in the world” feel very much the same, and most of my tests end with a limp “meh.”

On a testing day that began with rain that turned into snow and ended with an inexplicably hot sun, the Jammu eliminated “meh” from my lexicon.

The outer shell is remarkably tough, especially given how soft it is. Rain beaded up and rolled off, and snow brushed off without soaking. Foliage couldn’t scuff it; I waded through shoulder-high brush several times, but the tough polyester exterior looked as good as new by the end of the day.

And, as it turns out, the Polartech NeoShell layer is the secret to the Jammu’s success. I built up a decent amount of heat chugging uphill with a 30-pound pack, but the jacket never felt overly hot. The sun eventually poked its head out, but I didn’t want to take off my pack to strip off the Jammu, so I just opened up the pit zips and kept going. I never felt anywhere near clammy.

On a sunny, windy day hike in Lake Havasu, the Jammu repelled 20-plus mile-per-hour gusts all day. But despite the afternoon sun, I never overheated. I was even able to run the last mile down the trail without feeling like I was wearing a sauna suit.

WIRED Breathes amazingly well. Blocks rain like a hard shell. Excellent fit. Fuzzy lining adds warmth and soft touch. Performs well in a multitude of conditions.

TIRED Costs more than a PlayStation 3. No media cord ports. At 1 pound, 10 ounces, it may be too heavy for ultralight backpackers.

Photos: Ariel Zambelich/Wired.com

In a brilliant marketing move, Gerber Gear has repurposed a series of its bushwhacking and survival tools as necessities for the improbable (inevitable?) zombie apocalypse. If you have an ancient stone Mayan calendar in your living room, you know what I’m talking about.

The original limited edition Apocalypse Kit, promoted in conjunction with the AMC series The Walking Dead, quickly sold out. But now it’s back in production to coincide with the show’s second season. The next limited run of Apocalypse Kits will ship in March for $350. Each kit has has seven blades, ranging from small to massive, all squeezed into a highly portable roll-up carrying case.

The individual blades are also available. We took a few of our favorites from the kit — the jungle machete, the camp axe, and the smaller machete — out to the woods and gave them each a few whacks.

Survival Series Parang

With its 13.5-inch curved stainless steel blade, the 19.4-ounce Survival Series Parang jungle machete ($43) was the most effective blade against brush, branches, small trees, and those pesky coconuts. The Parang’s rubber grip keeps slippage to a minimum, whether you’re hacking your way through a thicket or a crowd of undead. The handle is constructed around the bottom of the handle, giving it an extremely sturdy feel and a smooth swing.

WIRED Even weight distribution. Sturdy blade makes short work of thick branches and vines.

TIRED Weight could make an afternoon of hacking a tiring affair.

Gator Machete Jr.

At just over 14 ounces, the Gator Machete Jr. ($20) is a lightweight and wallet-friendly choice for clearing trails. The 10.75-inch stainless steel blade sports a saw on the backside for clearing away thicker brush, and the rubberized Gator grip keeps it steady when you’re working in rainy, wet or sweaty conditions. The partial tang (meaning the handle is bolted to the blade) keeps the weight down and ups the swing momentum, but it gives the Gator Machete Jr. a flimsy, wobbly feel. The blade is also fairly dull out of the package — you’ll need to get it sharpened before using it.

WIRED Light weight means faster swing. Gator grip handle prevents slippage.

TIRED Partial tang construction is flimsy. Needs sharpening right out of the box.

Camp Axe II

Made for heavy-duty backcountry clearing and shelter-building, this big hatchet ($52) front-loads its 34 ounces into a forged-steel head. Combined with a lightweight nylon handle, each swing feels like a blockbuster. A hammer on the back end adds some versatility to the piece, and the 17-inch handle gives you plenty of room for two-handed swings. The Camp Axe II made short work of thick branches, firewood, and just plain annihilated coconuts in our zombie field tests.

WIRED Keeps an edge well. Top-heaviness adds oomph to every swing.

TIRED The handle is so smooth, it could accidentally turn into a tomahawk.

If you call yourself an auto enthusiast, you’ve got to have some love for Mazda. I don’t care if you take factory delivery of a new M3 every four years or have a Mustang logo tattooed on your bicep — when it comes to championing technology that nobody else will, the fifth-largest Japanese automaker can’t be beat.

While the MX-5, RX-7 and first-generation Cosmo earned the company some street (and track) cred, there’s a definite freak flag flying over Mazda headquarters. For almost 50 years, it churned out lightweight, fuel-thirsty Wankel engines until stopping development in 2011. The rear-wheel-drive 929 sedan had a solar-powered sunroof vent before the Prius was a twinkle of code on a screen. And the posh Millenia S featured the world’s first production Miller cycle engine. Even the reskinned Ford Probe that was the MX-6 got four-wheel steering. Focus groups in Mazda’s hometown of Hiroshima must consist of highly imaginative contrarians, the sort of people who drink French beer and Canadian wine.

Returning to the States after a mysterious one-year absence, the redesigned Mazda5 is no exception to the corporate-sponsored quirkiness. It’s a six-passenger van, but it’s built on the same C1 platform used by compact cars like the Mazda3, Ford Focus and Volvo C30. At 180.5 inches long, it’s nearly two feet shorter than a Dodge Caravan or Honda Odyssey, but it’s got ample room for four adults and two kids. Mazda’s optimistic euphemism for the 5 is “the space van,” though those sliding rear doors might as well wear a “Student of the Month” bumper sticker.

In Europe, compact MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) like these are huge sellers and almost every automaker offers one. Those cars almost never make it across the Atlantic, which is why the Mazda5 is the only car in its class in the U.S. until the arrival of the Ford C-Max next year. Yes, you can even order the 5 with a stick shift, though only in bare-bones “Sport” guise.

Though I try really hard to remain unbiased — I’ve never worked for an automaker, I don’t take advantage of press junkets, and I even buy my own gas for the cars I’m reviewing — I have to admit I fell pretty hard for the Mazda5. I’ve also got a fridge full of Kronenbourg and VQA Vidal, so take my praise with a grain of salt.

That there are thousands of automotive deviants like me is a fact not lost on company brass. At the vehicle’s launch — coincidentally, an event I watched on YouTube while sitting on my couch, not live at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort where it was held — it was clear brand manager Tetsu Nakazawa takes pride in the 5′s niche status. “I really like to think of this as our hidden gem in our lineup,” he said. “This vehicle does not fit into any traditional segmentation.” You can say that again. Championing lost causes and automotive orphans must be part of some unannounced business plan. Heck, if Mazda had rescued them, Saab would have resumed production of shoe-shaped two-stroke coupes.

The 5 is also unique in that it’s the only car to feature Mazda’s “Nagare” design language. The quickly discarded style was intended to depict motion, apparently through three creased lines that flow along the side of the vehicle. They look better in person than in photographs, but at the very least they’ll hide parking lot dings. From a distance, the van’s low ground clearance and wide rear end give it the look of a macrocephalic Mazda3 hatch.

Photo: Greg Broom

Can’t wait to see The Hobbit? Try shooting your own Middle-earth adventure. The Scarlet is a slightly simplified version of the rigs Peter Jackson used to film his Lord of the Rings prequel. Its Super 35 image sensor and 4K resolution (4096 x 2160 pixels) capture four times the detail of typical HD, making top-of-the-line DSLR footage look like an ’80s home movie.

The Scarlet is fully modular, so you can buy the “brain” (the gray box), then accessorize it with viewfinders, grips, even mounts for lenses from other manufacturers. And when sensor tech improves, just ship the camera back; for a price, Red will swap in the latest and greatest.

WIRED Takes indie film projects to Lucasfilm levels. 5120 x 2700 resolution for stills (even in 12-fps burst mode).

TIRED Can’t shoot 4K video at more than 30 fps. Precise controls for pros = steep learning curve for amateurs.

$9,700 (brain); $15,965 (kit shown here)

The Wacom Inkling tracks the movements of your pen as you sketch on paper, creating a digital version of your drawing. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

As an illustrator who works in both paper and digital media, I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on the Wacom Inkling ever since it was first announced. A physical pen that tracks your drawings and digitizes them on the fly? Can you say “dream tool?”

The Inkling is a two-part gadget, a pen and a receiver. As you draw with the pen, the receiver stays clamped to the top of your notebook where it records your every stroke. Later, you can load up the digital version of your drawing on the computer and do whatever you’d like with it.

Both the pen and receiver run on rechargeable batteries, and you get about eight hours of drawing time from a full charge. The the pen and receiver both fit into a carrying case, where they charge simultaneously (three hours to fill it up) over a single USB connection. The case is small and easy to stow, so you can take it anywhere and clamp it to practically any paper notebook or sketch pad. The device can store about 2GB of data, which the Wacom guys tell me is literally “thousands of sketches.”

The Inkling is very smart. When you clip the receiver to your notebook, it automatically creates a new file, so you don’t have to worry about drawing over previous works. The device also lets you create multiple layers on a single drawing. To start a new layer, just press a button on top of the receiver.

I found this extremely useful. I was able to incorporate the layering feature into my normal drawing workflow very naturally — lay down a basic sketch first, make a new layer, work on some details, make a new layer, add shadows, new layer, and so on.

The layers also came in handy if I wasn’t sure when to stop on a drawing. Sometimes I overdo my inks. With the ability to add new layers, I could just move on and continue working normally. When I’m done and I’ve transferred the drawing to my computer, if I find I did too much, I can just erase any of the layers I didn’t like.

The transfer process is easy, exporting the drawings requires you to install a bit of proprietary Wacom software on your Mac or Windows PC. You can generate 600dpi layered files for Photoshop or Illustrator (CS3 and later), or Sketchbook Pro (2011 or later). Flat files can also be saved in all the expected image formats (JPG, TIFF, SVG, PDF) for use in any other application.

Once you open up a drawing on a PC, it’s pretty clear the Inkling works best for sketching, concepting and storyboarding rather than creating finished products.

The line work in my digitized drawings wasn’t perfect — don’t expect the digital version of your paper drawing to look like it was imported on a scanner. The processing is adequate, but it’s not quite there yet.

The author's original ink drawing (left) and the Inkling's output (right)

Smaller details get lost, and lines aren’t always in the right place. And if you happen to bump the receiver with your hand or draw too close to it (within an inch), you’ll gunk up the results. It uses infrared and ultrasonic technology to track the pen tip, so line-of-sight obstructions (like fingers or straightedges) between the pen and the receiver can cause hiccups.

Wacom readily admits the Inkling is meant for roughing out ideas rather than creating perfect works of art. If you need 100-percent accuracy, the best option is still scanning.

The pen is very close to a the input pens you’d find on other Wacom devices, like its Intuos desktop tablets. While I appreciated working on honest-to-goodness paper, I wasn’t too fond of the 1mm ballpoint pen tips in the kit. They’re not horrible, but I would hope we’ll eventually see some better tips for drawing. Also, while the Inkling is pressure-sensitive and can detect 1,024 levels of pen pressure (variations in line thickness show up in the digital output), it felt very standard while drawing. I would like to see the sensitivity increase so I can more accurately control the brush size.

Finally, here’s a video showing one of the cooler features: the ability to “play back” your drawing after the fact to see how it evolved over time.

WIRED Slick concept. Easy to use, intuitive. You can rotate the paper or work at any angle. A nice glimpse of what the future of Wacom might hold.

TIRED Accuracy of the digital translation has a way to go. Better for first drafts than finished works. Be careful not to bump it too hard — especially when pressing the “New Layer” button.

If you’re still making excuses about why you aren’t running local data back-ups, this drive is prepared to shoot down every one of your tepid arguments.

With the My Book Live Duo, Western Digital updates its venerable line of network-attached storage devices. The biggest upgrade is in the “Duo” part of the name: This is WD’s first dual-drive NAS, and the addition of RAID means your data should be safe from anything short of a house-frying power surge, or a disaster that levels your entire home.

4TB of total storage is included (a 6TB version is coming), giving you 2TB to work with if you go for a redundant/mirrored configuration. Once you connect the drive — which is largely plug and play, no router futzing required — you then manage all of its features on your primary PC via the passel of applications included.

While WD has upgraded some of its management software, things are still more complicated than they need to be. Novices may be a bit confused deciding whether to use WD SmartWare (for backup configuration and stats), WD Quick View (a drive health widget), or simply open up Windows Explorer to manage files (pretty much the easiest way). There’s also an unnamed web interface to the drive that’s used for everything else. And that doesn’t even mention the three iOS and Android applications you can use to access and upload photos to the device (WD Photos) or manage all your data on the drive (the free WD 2go and the $3 WD 2go Pro).

The best news: WD has mercifully jettisoned the old and buggy system for cloud-based access that was included with its prior NAS, but the new version is still a bit overly complicated to set up. Namely, users have to be created on one screen, then connected to an e-mail address on another. Once that e-mail account receives a confirmation code, then you can actually access the drive via the wd2go.com website. A completely different process is used to configure an account for smartphone access.

It’s understandable, I guess. WD is a company that basically doesn’t do anything except make hard drives, so it’s probably not surprising that its software chops aren’t up to snuff, nor that it fails to understand that consumers who buy a device like the Live Duo don’t want to spend hours managing the intricate details of their storage infrastructure.

The good news is that once you jump through all the configuration hoops, the Duo works exceptionally well. Remote access and local network sharing are all speedy and free of the hiccups that plagued last year’s model, proving that, even though it might have been designed by and for engineers, they got most of it right in the end.

WIRED Broad Mac, PC, and consumer device support. Works with Time Machine, DLNA devices, you name it. An affordable way to add lots of RAID-protected storage for backup, media serving, or both. Solid performance. USB port available should you wish to expand storage capacity further.

TIRED Files uploaded via iPhone app get renamed. Still no social networking hooks for auto-uploading photos or videos. Costly at $400 (the 2TB version was $170 last year), though that may have more to do with the constantly fluctuating cost of storage drives than anything else.

If you’re still making excuses about why you aren’t running local data back-ups, this drive is prepared to shoot down every one of your tepid arguments.

With the My Book Live Duo, Western Digital updates its venerable line of network-attached storage devices. The biggest upgrade is in the “Duo” part of the name: This is WD’s first dual-drive NAS, and the addition of RAID means your data should be safe from anything short of a house-frying power surge, or a disaster that levels your entire home.

4TB of total storage is included (a 6TB version is coming), giving you 2TB to work with if you go for a redundant/mirrored configuration. Once you connect the drive — which is largely plug and play, no router futzing required — you then manage all of its features on your primary PC via the passel of applications included.

While WD has upgraded some of its management software, things are still more complicated than they need to be. Novices may be a bit confused deciding whether to use WD SmartWare (for backup configuration and stats), WD Quick View (a drive health widget), or simply open up Windows Explorer to manage files (pretty much the easiest way). There’s also an unnamed web interface to the drive that’s used for everything else. And that doesn’t even mention the three iOS and Android applications you can use to access and upload photos to the device (WD Photos) or manage all your data on the drive (the free WD 2go and the $3 WD 2go Pro).

The best news: WD has mercifully jettisoned the old and buggy system for cloud-based access that was included with its prior NAS, but the new version is still a bit overly complicated to set up. Namely, users have to be created on one screen, then connected to an e-mail address on another. Once that e-mail account receives a confirmation code, then you can actually access the drive via the wd2go.com website. A completely different process is used to configure an account for smartphone access.

It’s understandable, I guess. WD is a company that basically doesn’t do anything except make hard drives, so it’s probably not surprising that its software chops aren’t up to snuff, nor that it fails to understand that consumers who buy a device like the Live Duo don’t want to spend hours managing the intricate details of their storage infrastructure.

The good news is that once you jump through all the configuration hoops, the Duo works exceptionally well. Remote access and local network sharing are all speedy and free of the hiccups that plagued last year’s model, proving that, even though it might have been designed by and for engineers, they got most of it right in the end.

WIRED Broad Mac, PC, and consumer device support. Works with Time Machine, DLNA devices, you name it. An affordable way to add lots of RAID-protected storage for backup, media serving, or both. Solid performance. USB port available should you wish to expand storage capacity further.

TIRED Files uploaded via iPhone app get renamed. Still no social networking hooks for auto-uploading photos or videos. Costly at $400 (the 2TB version was $170 last year), though that may have more to do with the constantly fluctuating cost of storage drives than anything else.

Boasting more secret compartments than a drug mule’s Suburban, Scottevest‘s apparel is made to turn you into a walking home office. The company’s new Transformer takes one of its famously geek-friendly jackets and turns it into a drop-top — the sleeves are removable, and they come off easily, without fuss, since they’re held in place using only magnets.

This isn’t one of those zippered convertibles where you need to take the whole jacket off to remove the sleeves. The one-piece arms-and-shoulders assembly attaches via a series of magnets sewn into the cuffs around the shoulders. You can pull off and reattach the sleeves in seconds, all without taking off the vest. It comes in handy if you want to cool off a bit, but you don’t want to ditch the $1,500 worth of gear stashed in your jacket.

And yes, you really can stash a huge hardware payload in here. The Transformer Jacket sports Scottevest’s trademark myriad pockets: dual touchscreen-friendly smartphone pockets, secure ID pockets, a side pocket with a water bottle holder, a tablet (a freaking tablet!) compartment, a camera pocket, a sunglasses pocket with cleaning cloth (deep breath), a keychain clip, a cord management system and a stuff sack for the sleeves. There are so many pockets, the jacket comes with a map outlining the location and intended use of each pocket.

All Scottevests can be used as covert tech smugglers, but the Transformer’s removable sleeves are a feature unique to this new jacket. If it starts getting too warm, just pop the sleeves off and stuff them into the designated interior pocket (still got that map?). You can either pull the sleeves off from the front, tugging the upper arms toward the wrists, or you can reach back, grab onto the flap of material between the shoulders, and pull forward over your head. To put the sleeves back on, there’s no need to try to line everything up carefully. The magnets are placed well and the sleeves seem to find their way home without much help, snapping right on.

I was first skeptical about the need for a vest like this. Or, more accurately, whether any normal human has enough devices to warrant all those pockets. But I do hate having to cram my jeans with my wallet, my keys, my iPhone and other necessities when I’m traveling. It turns out the internal pocket system is very well-thought-out, and that the cord management system is excellent. When you listen to your MP3 player or the iPad in your pocket, the cords run through a series of loops up to a felt-lined collar that folds down over the cords and keeps everything from tangling up. And when you’re done listening to whatever, there are even individual bud pockets on the inside of the jacket, just below the ears, to stash your earpieces.

I was able to walk around carrying my iPhone, iPad, wallet, sunglasses, a GoPro HD Hero camera, spare SD cards, my keys and my travel docs in my jacket, all at once. I loved the earbud feature — it pretty much eliminated the untangling and earbud wrangling that I loathe.

My one main complaint is that when the jacket is fully loaded, it looks pretty bulky, and it feels that way, too. It’s hard to ignore an iPad digging into your liver when you bend over to tie your shoes. That said, I am pretty eager to see if Scottevest will ever put a MacBook Air pocket somewhere in there.

WIRED Zillions of pockets allow you to carry everything short of a desktop in your jacket. Just about renders backpacks obsolete. Converts from a jacket to a vest and back with ease.

TIRED Otherwise-handsome gear junkies might not look good in a vest. May send jocks into a rage when they see what a nerd you are.

Photos by Ariel Zambelich/Wired

The Bobble Mini is one of several bottles we tested with an integrated carbon filter. Photo by Ariel Zambelich/Wired

We live in one of the countries where easy access to clean, safe drinking water has long been the norm. Compared to some parts of the world, we’re spoiled silly. And yet, for some reason, we still buy a whole lot of bottled water.

According to data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation released in September 2011, Americans drank 8.75 billion gallons of bottled water in 2010. That’s roughly 28 gallons per American, and a 3.6 percent rise over 2009. Of course, the vast majority of it comes in single-use plastic bottles. These are a waste — they cost a dollar or two each, the contents have to be transported long distances, and the bottles themselves aren’t always recycled properly.

The Environmental Protection Agency developed new guidelines in 2010 for drinking water that made it safer and better-tasting. But many Americans just can’t swallow the facts, insisting their tap water lies beyond the threshold of drinkability.

How do we wean these nay-sayers off the cursed disposable plastic bottle? Try giving them a bottle with an integrated filter.

Several companies are making very affordable reusable bottles with active carbon filters inside. For $10 or $15, you can buy a bottle that can remove chlorine and other contaminants from tap water, improving the taste while reducing the fiscal and environmental burden associated with single-use disposables. Replacement filters are as cheap as $2 or $3 each.

I had the opportunity to review four filter-enabled water bottles that are made for use with tap water. Mind you, these aren’t designed to purify water from a lake, stream or other natural source that’s potentially contaminated with Giardia or some other nasty bug, so keep your inner outdoorsman at bay.

My first specimen was the Bobble Mini, which looks like a baby bottle. It comes in three sizes — 34 ounces ($13), 18.5 ounces ($10), and 13 ounces ($9) — and the smallest one, which I tested, certainly feels like a baby bottle. The plastic body is soft, so much so that Bobble warns against squeezing it too hard. But the body’s hourglass design looks modern, and it’s easy to grip. The filter and pop-up cap come in an array of vibrant colors, too.

Before you drink from it, you have to fill it up once and squeeze the water out to remove the carbon dust from the filter. This initial rinse is standard practice with carbon filters. After that, the water tasted great, although getting enough of it with each squeeze was difficult. I found myself having to suck on the Bobble’s cap with a little extra force to get the amount of water I wanted each time. Not exactly problematic, but it felt like more effort than should be necessary with a water bottle. Bobble says each filter is good for 40 gallons, or about two months.

Next, I tried the CamelBak Groove, which comes in 20 and 25-ounce versions ($25 and $27). It sports a beautiful, rigid plastic body you can buy in a variety of muted colors. There are also stainless-steel versions ($35 to $37) which would be right at home on a hiking or camping trip. All the CamelBak Grooves come with an integrated loop handle so you can carry it with a finger or attach it to a pack.