Bottled water has been around for years. With tap water severally reported in studies to contain harmful impurities, it is unsurprising that many top beverage companies have continued pushing bottled water as the safest alternative. Yet, despite its popularity, many homeowners still seek other ways besides bottled water to obtain safe drinking water for their households. It gets even trickier with the many units designed to serve shoppers across various budget lines.
You can always have options when in the market for the most cost-effective water filtration solution, including offers from Pur®, Brita®, Zerowater®, Waterdrop, Maxblue, and other heavyweights. These brands produce some of the most popular gravity water filter pitchers. However, beyond the initial impressions, each of these brands and products has peculiar features, which, in turn, translate to their unique selling points.

Zerowater® 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher

Zerowater® is renowned for manufacturing various water filtration products. The pitcher line comprises options ranging from 6 to 40 cups capacity, all designed to serve commercial, residential, or RV purposes. In addition, all Zerowater® units are multi-certified and pack special features, meaning you will always get a water filter solution that meets your specific needs.
The water filtration technology in Zerowater® pitchers is an extension of how seriously they take the filtration aspect of their products. The technology focuses on efficiently removing total dissolved solids (TDS) from feed water. Each pitcher has an integrated TDS meter to achieve optimal filtration, resulting in the removal of up to 99.6% of all TDS.
While Zerowater® pitchers are feature-rich, they do not come cheap. You must be prepared for the higher maintenance expenses, especially through filter replacements. This may be why it is not popular among homeowners shopping on a budget.
  • Pros:
  • Provides a TDS Meter
  • Five-stage Ion Exchange Filtration
  • Certified to NSF/ANSI standards 42 and 53
  • Cons:
  • Filter Replacement is Costly
  • Short Filter Lifespan (20 to 25 gallons per filter)

Brita® 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher with One Standard Filter

Brita® is popular for manufacturing and delivering decent water filtration products that cater to removing impurities from tap water. The brand boasts many faucet filter systems and filter water bottles, ensuring that there is something perfect for everyone. These water filters can effectively reduce up to 60 contaminants, including those that make tap waste taste and smell bad.
Brita® water filtration solutions are known to be affordable. That is why you find them in hundreds of thousands of households across the globe. However, a possible downside of Brita® water filter pitchers is their ineffectiveness against TDS.
  • Pros:
  • Affordable Water Filter Solution
  • Easily Accessible Filter Cartridges
  • Cons:
  • Ineffective Against TDS
  • Frequent Filter Replacement ( 40 gallons or 2 months for a Standard filter)

Waterdrop Chubby Water Filter Pitcher

Waterdrop is one of the world’s leading water purification brands committed to ensuring everyone can access high-quality water filtration solutions. The company is headquartered in California, USA, where it rolls out the most advanced water purification products that meet the various needs of individuals and businesses in America and beyond.
Water pitchers from Waterdrop are certified by reputable standard organizations, including NSF, to effectively remove harmful impurities in water. This is not a feat other water pitchers can boast of. The precise and innovative water filter design ensures that each pitcher offers a faster flow rate over different stages of filtration, delivering an overall optimal performance.
The Waterdrop Chubby water filter jug has a cartridge lifespan of three months or 200 gallons, making it one of the most affordable yet efficient water filtration solutions. The Waterdrop water pitcher sports a high-grade, lead-free, and BPA-free plastic frame combined with an elegant wooden handle. Regarding its filtration performance, the water filter pitcher can effectively reduce arsenic, lead, fluoride, and other contaminants, thanks to its combination of natural activated carbon and Japanese-sourced activated carbon fiber (ACF).
The pitcher is also NSF 42 and 372 certified, confirming that it meets or exceeds the best filtration standards on the market.
  • Pros:
  • Lead and BPA-Free
  • 200 Gallon Filter Cartridge Lifespan
  • Gravity Induction Filter Life Indicator
  • Cons:
  • Independent TDS Testing Absent
  • 50% Reservoir Capacity in the Top Compartment

Pur® 11 Cup Water Filter Pitcher

Pur® has held its own in the industry over the last few years. Their filtration solutions have been advertised to reduce 2x more contaminants than Brita®’s leading pitcher filter (Brita® pitcher filter OB03). This is one of the reasons it is popular among target consumers. The Pur® product line comprises various filtration systems, but their water filter pitchers and faucet filters are customers’ favorites.
The Pur® water filter offers a filter life of two months. This translates to frequent replacement and a high filter replacement cost. Customers who prefer having options will also be disappointed at the single color of this model. In addition, users have pointed out the occasional spilling of unfiltered water when pouring and the failure of the LED indicator in this model.
  • Pros:
  • Suitable for Dishwashers
  • LED Filter Life Monitor
  • Cons:
  • Available in one color only
  • Filter Replacement is Frequent (40 gallons or 2 months)

Maxblue Zero TDS Water Filter Pitcher

Maxblue was a refrigerator water filter replacement manufacturer in its early days. It was renowned for making the replacement water filter for the GE RPWFE refrigerator. However, the brand has metamorphosed into a manufacturer of a wide range of high-quality and cost-effective water purification products, especially for consumers interested in replacement filter elements for refrigerators.
The Zero TDS water filter pitcher is powered by an innovative technology that removes TDS from the feed water. This is the one if you are in the market for a pitcher capable of achieving 0 TDS. The six-stage filtration is also effective against other contaminants like heavy metals, chlorine, lead, and fluoride. In addition, it prevents the accumulation of limescale during filtration, ensuring your filtered water is 100% healthy.
There is also a gravity induction indicator and an LED indicator to better monitor the filter life.
  • Pros:
  • 0-TDS Technology
  • Six-stage Filtration
  • Lead and BPA-Free
  • Gravity Induction Indicator System
  • Cost-effective
  • Cons:
  • One-color Design
  • Filter Replacement is Frequent (1 month)

How Important are Water Filter Pitchers?

We do not need water pitchers to live a healthy lifestyle. However, they are essential complementary accessories to many households. Unfortunately, unless we are ready to test our tap water regularly, we risk having harmful impurities in the water we drink, especially for those who depend on municipal and natural water sources.

The EPA has grouped drinking water contaminants into the following categories:

  • Physical contaminants, such as sediment or organic material suspended in the water of lakes, rivers and streams from soil erosion.
  • Chemical contaminants, such as nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs.
  • Biological contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites.
  • Radiological contaminants, such as cesium, plutonium and uranium.
Choosing the correct water purification mode is the only way to effectively protect your loved ones from the harm of these impurities. Suppose you are in the market for a filtration system that can remove these various contaminants. In that case, you should strongly consider water filter pitchers from top brands like Maxblue, Pur®, Waterdrop, Brita®, or Zerowater®.

Improve the Smell and Taste of Water with Filters

The benchmark for comparing top water pitchers is how effectively they remove contaminants like hydrogen sulfide, zinc, chlorine, lead, and others from the water. We determined which five brands did better than the others based on the results, especially regarding reduced odors and smell. Most pitchers were effective against bad odors but not bad smells. However, filtered water from pitchers from Waterdrop, Maxblue, and Zerowater® has been shown to be the cleanest among other top competitors.
a girl holding a glass of water and thumb up

Not All Water Pitchers are The Same

You can correctly access the capabilities and qualities of any water pitcher by checking its certification mark. Certain filters cannot remove some contaminants, so it is advisable to test your water regularly. If you find heavy amounts of pharmaceuticals, hormones, metals, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your water, you can choose the water pitcher that can remove these by checking the NSF certifications.

Finally…

Irrespective of which water pitcher manufacturer you pitch your tent with, you will most likely get an effective water filtration solution if you choose any of those brands mentioned above. All you have to do is select the one that fits your budget and specific needs. Start by testing your water source to see what contaminants you are up against and the best water filter pitcher to remove them.

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