A person may choose to filter tap water if they have concerns over harmful contaminants, wish to change the taste or smell, or have individual healthcare requirements. Additionally, a person should always replace their water filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent contaminating their water with the bacteria buildup that occurs in the filter over time. A 2020 study found that carbon filters — which many Brita brita water dispenser filters use — effectively reduced lead contamination in water to safe levels. To keep Brita filters working correctly, a person should follow installation instructions and replace them every 2–6 months as Brita recommends, depending on the product. Despite regulations, some contaminants can enter tap water after treatment. One of these is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a compound that has links to kidney and testicular cancer.
Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. Daniel is a Canadian farm boy who grew up to be a nerd with a literature degree and too many hobbies to count.
Replacement filters for all Brita products are available for purchase online. It uses the same filter as the stainless steel Premium Filtering Water Bottle. A person can wash and replace the filter within the bottle, and Brita recommends changing the filter every 2 months.
And whereas the Pur has a thumb-flip lid (which leaves your other hand free to run the faucet), the Brita’s entire lid must be removed before you can refill the pitcher (so it’s a two-handed job). Finally, the Brita pitcher’s handle is less comfortable and stable to hold because the concave shape curves away from your fingers, leaving your pinkie and index fingers to do all the work. It can also use the Lead Reduction filters, but you’ll need to buy those brita water dispenser separately. Pur offers a few other pitchers of different design (including the Plus, an 11-cup pitcher that comes with the Lead Reduction filter). We recommend Pur’s Pur Plus Pitcher Replacement Filter or the Pur Pitcher Filter because both have excellent ANSI/NSF certifications, and we found them to be less prone to clogging than the Brita Longlast+. For larger households going through lots of water, we recommend the Pur Plus 30 Cup Dispenser.
First, we ran purified water through each filter and tasted it to make sure the Ultramax isn’t adding any unsavory flavors. Second, we ran some very unpleasant tasting water through the filter — flavored with chlorine and salt — to see if this pitcher from Brita could make it taste a bit better. We had a panel of judges rate the taste of the water before and after to determine scores. The Brita did a little better than average in this metric — worth 15% of the total score — compared to the rest of the group.