Enjoy all the convenience of a classic water filter pitcher at a more affordable price with Bluefall’s Brita Compatible Classic Water Filter Pitcher. This perfect-fit pitcher is compatible with Brita filters and costs more than 40% less than traditional Brita filters. Water pitchers certified by the WQA have a number of certifications that ensure numerous common pollutants are removed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, activated carbon filters do not remove bacteria. On the other hand, a distillation unit does remove bacteria, but they can be quite expensive.
Although many different brands sell water filters, they’re not all created equal. In an effort to give you the cleanest water possible and products that actually work, the New York Post spoke to Brian Campbell, water treatment expert and the founder and “lead water geek” at WaterFilterGuru.com. The Hydros Glass Slim Pitcher will improve the taste and clarity of your brita water filter faucet water by removing chlorine and sediment. It’s great for someone who wants a basic pitcher, plus it will save some space in your fridge with its small 4-in. Our experts found it’s lightweight when filled, weighing a little under 4 lbs. We loved that the filter didn’t require any pre-soaking and was ready to use with only a 15-second flush under running water.
A Pur representative told us that to achieve its lead certification, the Lead Reduction filter has an additional “electro-adhesive” paper filter that sits below the main activated-charcoal and ion-exchange resin filter. Much like static cling makes your socks stick together, the filter uses an opposing electrical charge to capture dissolved metals that its ion-exchange resin missed. brita water filter faucet We found that it removes chlorine to improve the taste as well as other chemicals such as heavy metals, carcinogens, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and more according to our review of third-party lab test data. Not only did it impress as our best overall pick, but it also doubles as our best value pick thanks to both its low upfront and low yearly filter replacement costs.
For the vast majority of us, chlorine reduction is going to be the major concern, and safeguarding against accidental exposure to lead, cadmium and mercury is a peace-of-mind bonus. The ZeroWater pitcher managed to reduce all of the total dissolved solids in my tap water, from an average initial TDS reading of 57 ppm down to zero. Both Brita pitchers with the standard filter tied for second place, with a reduction of TDS from 57 down to 31 (a 45.6% decrease). The stylish (and expensive) Aarke also did well, removing nearly 40% of the TDS from tap water. Obviously, you need this, because no one wants to carry a giant water filter pitcher with them to work.
They’ll also report on secondary standards, water-quality factors that affect taste, color and hardness. With the fluoride-capturing Clearly Filtered pitcher, longer filter times are important to performance as well. But in this case it’s almost unbelievably slow — over twelve minutes to filter one cup with a barely used filter. For this test, the standard Brita filter is a winner at just 40 seconds on average to filter one cup of water.
We verified that it removes contaminants such as chlorine, heavy metals like lead, VOCs, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and more. In addition, it removes over 90% of fluoride, which some may prefer removed while others may not. The tap water we tested had between 0.7 and 1 ppm of chlorine across our tests over one year. We found that any filter we tried in our pitchers, no matter how long it had been in use, would remove all detectable traces of chlorine. The biggest changes in water taste are the easiest to make, so a budget-class Brita filter replacement from the hardware store isn’t actually a bad buy if that’s all you need. But if you’re worried about lead or other contaminants, or if you want a mineral-free taste profile, you’ll need one of these more expensive options.
If you’re worried about the quality of your water or don’t like the smell or taste of your water, investing in a water filter pitcher may be right for you. Refilling a reusable water pitcher can also help reduce the amount of plastic bottles purchased and ultimately recycled or thrown away. Plus, if you’re a cocktail guru, you might use a water pitcher to make the freshest, best-tasting cocktails and/or ice.
The best pitchers get the job done in a little over a minute, while others take up to 43 minutes, on average—or even longer. If you don’t have any strong feelings as to exactly what needs to get filtered out of your tap water, then we recommend one of the many Brita pitchers. If, however, you have specific water contamination concerns like lead, pharmaceuticals, or biological entities, then Pur water filter pitchers will give you peace of mind. In response to the Flint crisis, lead filtration has become one of the most heavily-advertised features of water filters — for example, PUR has an upgraded version of their filters with lead reduction as the only distinction.
The Berkey comes in multiple sizes with the smallest one starting at $345, but according to Berkey, the filters can be cleaned up to 100 times with a 3M Scotch-Brite pad. Over time, this may save money compared to pitchers that need to have their filters changed every few months. We checked that these water filters actually work to remove contaminants and improve taste. You can read more about how we evaluate water filter pitchers in our Labs — plus everything you need to know to shop for the best water filter pitcher — at the end of this guide.