The submerged end is flared, with small holes or slots that allow the brewed liquid in, but block the chunky matter that makes up much of the mixture. The spoon shape helps to scoop out the used mate when you are cleaning your cup. The Bombillas are great if you want to drink mate on the go. They are portable enough to fit in your pocket of backpack, allowing more of a flexibility among the mate consumers. The straw is 6" and will fit most of the shorter gourds(or mugs) that you may be using. The filter does a good job and is fairly easy to clean.