(2024 Update) 7 BEST Water Filter Pitchers For Living Pure

Clean water and good health go hand in hand.

Despite all the filtration that happens before the water shows up at the kitchen or bathroom faucet, there can still be unwanted chemicals, compounds, and lingering concerns about what the water brings along with it.

Many consumers understand how important it is to clean tap water to a higher level than what is acceptable to the local health department.

A good water filter pitcher can help make clean and tasty water a reality glass after glass.

People with concerns about their health and those who want a great-tasting glass of water can find a simple, convenient, and affordable solution using a pitcher.

The Best Water Filter Pitcher Might Surprise You

What Is the Best Water Filter Pitcher?

The Pitcher Convenience Is Hard To Beat

What could be easier than filling the pitcher reservoir and waiting a few minutes for clean, purified water?

Water filter systems that go on top of or under the kitchen sink can be expensive to purchase, difficult to install, and hard to maintain.

Many homeowners and office managers don’t have the money, time, or the ability to install a water filtration system but still want clean water for drinking, making hot beverages, and watering the plants.

The simplest solution is a water filter pitcher that can be easily filled and used over and over again.

Switching out used filters is easy to do and doesn’t involve any plumbing tools or climbing under the sink.

The Best Water Filter Pitchers Available

The best water filter pitchers have common features and benefits, but what separates them from the rest of the pack is the higher levels of filtration they accomplish.

Compared to popular consumer brands, these models take filtration to a whole new level.

What I look for is a combination of product features and benefits, technology, convenience to use, and durability.

While there are dozens of products available for water filtration, I’ve found that these 7 I’ve included combine the best features and benefits with value and affordability.

ClearlyFilteredTM 10-cup Water Filter Pitcher

Best for Home
Clearly Filtered Water Filter Pitcher
  • Independently tested to remove Fluoride, Lead, PFAS/PFOA, and over 365 unique contaminants commonly found in tap water
  • Capable of removing harmful chemicals while maintaining beneficial minerals and nutrients
  • American-built filters
  • Tested and certified to exceed NSF/ANSI standards
  • Made with 100% BPA-free Tritan that's approved for contact with water and will never leach chemicals
  • If your filtered pitcher ever breaks, we will replace it free of charge!

The engineers at ClearlyFiltered went after water filtration with a vengeance. I start with this filter pitcher because I think it does the best job right out of the box.

Advanced Filtration Technology

They developed what they call their Affinity Filtering Technology which does a superior job removing contaminants in water.

This product utilizes a two-stage filter that removes 99.7% of more than 230 different contaminants.

That’s more than any other filtration pitcher on the market.

When compared to some of the more popular products out there, this water filter pitcher leaves them all way behind in the number of contaminants removed category.

BPA-Free Materials

In addition to filtering the bad stuff out of the water, the ClearlyFiltered pitcher doesn’t put any contaminants back into it.

Contaminants like BPA and PFOAs can diffuse from plastic containers into the water and affect your health. When most other filters eliminate seven or eight contaminants, this one goes much further than purifying water.

The Best Of the Best

If you’re looking for the top-of-the-line filter product, I think this one fills the bill quite nicely.

Pros
  • Tested and certified to exceed NSF/ANSI standards
  • Removes over 350 contaminants
  • Retains the water’s natural minerals and nutrients
  • Made with 100% BPA-free Tritan
Cons
  • A little heavy for its size
  • Slower filter performance

Check Price

AquaGearTM 10-cup Water Filter Pitcher

Best for Hard Water
Aquagear Water Filter Pitcher – Lead, Chlorine, PFOA/PFOS, Microplastics Filter, 10 Cup, 120 Gallon Filter Life
  • Successfully removes 2000% more contaminants than the leading competitor, including harmful contaminants like lead, chlorine, microplastics, trace pharmaceuticals, PFOA/PFOS, PFAS, and more
  • Retains healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium
  • Filters can be recycled
  • Every time you purchase a filter or pitcher, or recycle a used filter, we help build biosand filters for families in Tanzania
  • Guaranteed For Life. For Real

When the designers and engineers at AquaGearTM developed their 10-cup water filter pitcher, they wanted to beat the competition by producing a filtration process that capitalized on new technology in filter materials.

Doesn’t Remove Nutrients Like Some Filters Out There

The AquaGearTM water filter pitcher uses a 5-stage filter that eliminates unwanted contaminants like lead and Fluoride while retaining minerals like calcium and magnesium that help water taste better and which your body needs.

Other competitive products remove calcium and magnesium making the water taste funny and losing the nutritional benefits.

Their 2-micron pore filter does an excellent job removing contaminants while keeping the water tasting fresh.

This filtration system keeps beneficial components like calcium and magnesium in the water where Reverse Osmosis filtration systems remove them, leaving the water in need of flavor enhancement in many cases.

Other Features Worth Mentioning

I like this product because the company manufactures the filter pitcher with 100% US-made components.

The pitcher is 100% recyclable, and it’s made from 100% FDA-approved food-grade materials.

Pros
  • Meets and exceeds NSF Standards
  • 100% BPA-free
  • 100% FDA-approved food-grade materials
  • 100% recyclable
  • Uses a 2-micron filter to remove contaminants
  • Long-lasting filters save money
Cons
  • Slow filter performance

Check Price

Alkanatur Alkaline 10-cup Water Filter Pitcher

Best BPA-Free
Alkanatur Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher removes Fluorides, Chlorine, Heavy Metals, impurities, etc., Alkaline, Ionized, Hydrogenated water, high pH of 9.5, adds magnesium - Most Certified Pitcher
  • BPA free
  • CE, ROHS, and SGS approved
  • Certified by the INSTITUTION CERAMICO FROM GALICIA
  • DOES NOT use ION EXCHANGE RESIN
  • The only filter that purifies and alkalizes without adding sodium
  • Uses an active bioceramic filter
  • Ionizes the water molecules which become powerful antioxidants that eliminate free radicals up to -350 ORP
  • The filter should be replaced approximately every 1690 cups / 400 liters
  • Adds rich magnesium while retaining potassium

This water filter pitcher uses a unique ceramic filtration process to clean the water while infusing Alkaline to help balance the pH levels and improve the taste.

Unique and Efficient Filtration Process

The Alkanatur Alkaline filter pitcher also ionizes the water, making it taste better and helps the body’s immune system perform at peak performance.

The Bioceramic filter system ionizes water as it passes through the filter making the water a powerful antioxidant and eliminating free radicals.

The Pitcher Itself Is as Healthy As the Water It Filters

The folks at Alkanatur also took the issue of contaminating the water after it’s filtered seriously, manufacturing their water filter pitcher from BPA-free materials.

Pros
  • Antioxidant Alkaline Bio-ceramics produce a pH between 8.5 and 9.5
  • Ionized water produces immune system-boosting antioxidants
  • Certified by several certification agencies in the USA and Europe
  • Fast filter performance
  • Eliminates up to 99% of impurities
Cons
  • Small particles of Calcium in water

Check Price

Invigorated Water Stainless Steel 8-cup Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher

Invigorated Water pH Vitality Stainless Steel Alkaline Water Pitcher
  • Made with premium quality steel
  • Equipped with our unique on-the-go filter pouch
  • Filters out harmful materials such as lead & chlorine easily while letting vital minerals like calcium & magnesium through
  • Sleek steel design
  • Each filter can filter up to 8 cups / 1.9 liters of water making it ideal for home, office, and outdoor use
  • The on-the-go filter pouch can filter up to 1700 cups / 105 gallons / 400 liters
  • BPA-free food
  • TUV and SGS Tested with a backed brand membership of The Water Quality Association

Another great favorite on this list.

Say Goodbye to Plastic

The main reason being it’s completely 100% non-plastic. Instead, it’s made from stainless steel.

I was one of many people who asked the engineers at Invigorated Water for a plastic-free pitcher.

Another reason is that the thing just looks damn good. It’s not only fancy-looking but super modern.

Having one at your office will make your co-workers envy.

Small Filters That Pack Quite a Punch

The look is not the only thing that makes this water filter pitcher stand out.

It has its own type of on-the-go filter bag. It removes:

  1. Free radicals
  2. Heavy metals
  3. Bad taste & odors
  4. Fluoride, chlorine, and chloramine

Without affecting the natural taste. Some filters also remove good minerals, like magnesium and iron but this one does not.

High-Capacity Filters

The filter bag is also quite resilient and is capable of filtering up to 1700 cups or 105 gallons of water.

A family of 5 can drink safe revitalizing water for about a month and a half.

What Bothers Me

It’s strange that after all this time and energy they’ve put into designing this pitcher they could have put the same into the handle design.

Every now and then the screw comes loose and I have to retighten it with a screwdriver.

Pros
  • Made from stainless steel
  • 100% free from plastic
  • Removes tons of contaminants without affecting the natural taste of the water
  • Stylish modern design
  • Long-lasting filter
  • Portable filter bag
Cons
  • The handle comes loose once in a while

Check Price

BIO CERA Alkaline Antioxidant 6-cup Water Filter Pitcher

Best 6 Cup
BIO CERA Alkaline Antioxidant Water Filter Pitcher (Includes 2 FREE Cartridges) BPA-Free, Toxin-Free Mineralized Alkaline Water Ionizer, Activated Carbon Filter - Up to PH 9.5
  • Provides clear, clean safe water to be used for tea, coffee, cooking, and drinking
  • Ionizes tap water turning it into mineral-rich health-promoting water that is alkaline in pH with antioxidant properties
  • Made with Biocera Ceramic ball. Biocera Ceramic balls are certified by NSF International against NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for material requirements only
  • Reduces heavy metals, such as lead, copper, and zinc, as well as chlorine, water hardness, organic pollution, and pesticides
  • 100% BPA free

This pitcher from BIO CERA caught my attention with its own type of filter technology – the Biocera balls.

About Biocera Balls

They are made from many sorts of crystals (sapphire and ruby are among them) which remove free radicals and bacteria.

Their side effects are increasing the water’s pH level (up to 9.5) and enriching it with antioxidant properties.

This was tested and confirmed by NSF International.

These balls combined with the classically activated carbon filter, and PP and coarse pre-filters not only remove bacteria, dirt, water hardness, organic pollution and pesticides, chlorine, heavy metals such as lead, copper, and zinc, but also ionize your tap water turning it into mineral rich health promoting water.

As Safe as It Can Possibly Be

Because the engineers really put a lot of effort into our health and wellbeing, they excluded any BPA plastic compounds.

Super Easy Filter Replacement

Changing the filters is a breeze, taking you at most 5 minutes.

And because the pitcher informs you when you need to replace them, worrying if the filters are still doing their job is a thing of the past.

Bonus Filter Cartridges

You get to 2 additional cartridges with your pitcher so you’ll drink clean healthy water for a very long time.

Overview

Pros
  • BPA free
  • NSF certified
  • 2 additional filter cartridges
  • Removes a ton of contaminants
  • Increases pH
  • Provides clear, clean, and safe water
Cons
  • Short-lasting filters
  • Small capacity

Check Price

LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass Water Filter Pitcher

Best for Lead
LifeStraw Home 7-Cup Glass Water Filter Pitcher Tested to Protect Against Bacteria, Parasites, Microplastics, Lead, Mercury, and a Variety of Chemicals (White)
  • Protects against bacteria, parasites, microplastics, lead, mercury, and chemicals including PFAS, chlorine, organic chemical matter like pesticides and herbicides, dirt, sand, and cloudiness
  • Retains essential minerals like magnesium and potassium that are good for your health
  • Made from shatter-resistant glass

Another pitcher not made from plastic.

Made From Glass Instead of Plastic

It’s not made from stainless steel like the one from Invigorated Water mentioned above but from glass.

Unlike most ordinary glass pitchers (which are brittle and therefore shatter on impact), this one is made from shatter-resistant glass.

This feature is a huge plus for my clumsy hands.

One of Few Pitchers Capable Of Removing Tons of Impurities

Now, the company claims that this pitcher is the only “water filtration pitcher that protects against bacteria, parasites, microplastics, heavy metals including lead, mercury, and chromium III, and organic chemical matter like pesticides and herbicides.”

While this is not actually true, it’s actually one of the few pitchers capable of filtering all of these contaminants.

Despite removing all these health hazards above it does not remove the good stuff like magnesium, potassium, carbon, and sodium that are essential to our health and proper mind and body functioning.

Every Purchase Saves Lives

Now surely you’ve become aware by now that LifeStraw is more than aware of how important pure water is in our lives.

And you’re right – they actually are more than that.

Every time you, I, or someone else buys something from them, a school child in need receives safe water for an entire school year.

Talk about saving lives.

Pros
  • Removes A LOT of contaminants, including pesticides and herbicides
  • Made from shatter-resistant glass
  • Nice sleek design
  • Filters quickly
  • Doesn’t filter out essential minerals and other beneficial nutrients
Cons
  • Small capacity of only 7 cups

Check Price

OXA Alkaline 10-cup Water Filter Pitcher

Best for Fridge
OXA Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher - 2.5L Pure Healthy Water Ionize, Two x 60-Day Filters, BPA-Free, Clean Toxin-Free Mineralized Alkaline Water Purifier
  • Utilizes 7-stage cartridge of ion exchange resin, activated carbon, ion ceramic ball, far infrared ceramic ball, mineral balls, and PP pad
  • Removes chlorine, odors, heavy metals, 90% of zinc, copper, lead, and pollutants
  • Removes free radicals and eliminates toxins with powerful ANTIOXIDANTS
  • 2400 cups / 153 gallons / 600 litres filter life
  • Simple and convenient easy-fill lid to allow you to fill the reservoir without removing the cover
  • Specially designed for refrigerators
  • Certified by well-known international certification SGS, TUV, RoHS, BSI, ISO 9001:2000

Refresh your tap water and body with this pitcher by OXA.

Multi-Stage Advanced Filtration Technology

You won’t regret it as it uses its own patented advanced 7-stage filter technology made from ion exchange resin, activated carbon, ion ceramic ball, far infrared ceramic ball, mineral balls, and PP pad.

This removes the most common pollutants found in tap water, including chlorine, zinc, copper, lead, mercury, and cadmium.

Long-Lasting Filters

You get 2 long-lasting and cost-effective filters that are able to filter up to 2400 cups or 153 gallons of water. A family of 3 can use them for about 3 months and a half.

Because the filters also greatly decrease limescale in water, descaling your appliances like kettles or espresso machines will be much less frequent.

Comfy Grip

The handle isn’t the only thing here that’s ergonomic. The whole pitcher is. It’s specially designed for the fridge so there is no need to worry if it will fit in or not.

Say goodbye to bottled water and hello to OXA water filter pitcher.

Pros
  • Very efficient and cost-effective filters
  • Elegant ergonomic design
  • Removes most common contaminants
  • BPA free
  • SGS certified
Cons
  • Sometimes the lid gets stuck and is difficult to remove

Check Price

What To Look For In A Water Filter Pitcher

water filter pitcher

One of the most important features I look for in a water filter pitcher is capacity.

A 10-cup capacity means I have enough clean water to brew up some coffee or make dinner.

Smaller capacity water filter products aren’t as convenient as it takes a little while for the filtered water to replenish after re-filling it.

On the other hand, too large of a pitcher and it won’t fit easily into the refrigerator door or on the shelf.

Pure water is important, but I don’t want to give up too much space and for smaller refrigerators, this can be a problem.

Another feature I look at is filtration purity.

The more contaminants a filter removes, the better the water will be.

Replacing Filters

brita water filter pitcher replacement

When investigating which filter pitcher will work best, I think it is important to understand how long the filters will last.

The filters themselves can be a little pricey in some cases and I don’t want to spend my retirement savings to get clean water.

Filter duration depends upon the type of technology used for filtering the water.

Like all things in engineering, to get a benefit, you usually have to give a benefit up.

For water filter pitchers, this involves the filter’s materials and processes.

The better a filter does removing contaminants, the more often it has to be changed.

The goal here is to find the balance between water purity and filter economics.

Technology Is Key

activated carbon filter diagram

There are a lot of different ideas, designs, and engineering methods for purifying water.

The filter process is controlled by the materials used as well as the filter’s flow capacity.

The finer the filter the better a job it will do eliminating unwanted contaminants, however, this will also affect the water flow through the filter.

In some cases, the higher the level of filtration slows the water flow through the filter requiring more time to fill the empty pitcher.

In other cases, the filtration process is augmented by the addition of compounds or materials that enhance the flavor of the water or its pH balance.

Every filter manufacturer has its own philosophy when it comes to creating a filtering process and each different method produces water with varying characteristics.

Don’t Be Fooled By Marketing Campaigns

Many consumers watching TV or cruising around the internet find popular brands of water filter pitchers offered.

There are 2 or 3 major brands that seem to dominate the marketplace.

Upon investigation, the top-selling brands fail to purify many chemicals, compounds, and contagions, focusing only on removing the main worries of sand and silt as well as chlorine and lead.

The fact is that there are over 200 contaminants in most municipally supplied drinking water and even more in water that comes from wells.

In my opinion, it’s more important to get the job cleaning the water than advertising with glitzy, Hollywood-produced commercials using catchy slogans and smiling housewives.

Commonly Asked Questions

Are Water Filter Pitchers Worth It?

If your water is contaminated and you need to filter it, then getting yourself any sort of filter is a huge investment.

Even though tap water is regulated in the US, it’s not always completely pure. That’s why 40% of Americans filter it.

Therefore, yes! Water filter pitchers are worth it.

Unlike under sink or countertop water filters that require a lot of time and fuss to be installed and properly set up, you just fill the pitcher up, put it in the fridge, and you’re done. Easy.

You see, a lot of homeowners and offices don’t have the luxury of time or money to install such a system. Another reason is that some people aren’t DIY enthusiasts.

Also, hiring a plumber to do the job for you is another big expense.

Many people are also renting apartments, rooms, etc., and they don’t want to work on something that isn’t theirs and/or know very well that they won’t be living there for long (like students in a dorm).

You don’t order cable for a port-a-potty.

Charlie Harper, Two and a half men

Another advantage pitchers have is portability. You just pick one up and off you go.

That’s why they’re so popular amongst travelers, campers, students, and similar groups that tend to move a lot.

To Summerize:

YES, they are worth it, especially if:

  • You don’t have the time nor money to install an under sink water filter or a similar water filtration system
  • You’re renting and don’t intend to stay there long
  • You’re a camper, traveler, student, or a similar person who moves a lot
  • You can’t shell out a couple of hundred bucks for a water filter
  • You like the convenience of using pitchers

Do Water Filter Pitchers Really Work?

Despite having tiny filters, they do more than a great job removing contaminants from the water.

This is more than true for all of these pitchers mentioned in this article.

I have mentioned several times on my site that bigger isn’t always better.

Again, this is the case.

Pitcher filter cartridges aren’t that much bigger than a grown man’s fist but are very effective at not only removing debris and limescale but also far more dangerous contaminants like heavy metals and bacteria.

Because pitchers don’t use reverse osmosis, they have a hard time removing some elements like viruses, and certain protozoa. This, of course, shouldn’t concern you if your tap water comes from a pipeline and not from a well or a local pond.

Just like with all types of filters, having just one type won’t make the water 100% pure. Some contaminants will always remain in the water. If you want to achieve this kind of purity, you need to combine several water filtration systems (like under sink reverse osmosis and pitcher).

The good news is that the body is capable of removing small amounts of contaminants by itself and if your tap water is already being filtered at the plant, doing something like this is overkill.

Are Water Filters Better Than Bottled Water?

Contrary to popular belief, bottled water is not always filtered (at least in the US).

Basically, you’re buying bottled tap water, the same water that comes from your tap.

Also, most bottles are made from plastic because it’s way cheaper and quicker to manufacture than glass.

They are mostly single-use: when you empty the bottle you throw it away.

This creates thousands of tons of garbage every year, polluting the environment.

Did you ever wonder why that “natural-spring water” bottle has an expiration date? The date is not for the water at all but for the bottle.

After some time, the plastic starts to deteriorate and begins leaching toxic chemicals into the water.

Now you know.

These are the reasons why water filters are better than bottled water.

They are expensive to buy but after the purchase, the cost of maintaining them doesn’t come as close as buying several bottles of water every day.

Check the math and see for yourself.

Clean Water Matters Now More Than Ever

Given all the health concerns circulating through every culture on the planet, there’s real value to having purified, clean water to consume.

A healthy body demands clean water to operate at peak performance levels.

Athletes know iodized water with lots of antioxidants helps them train better, perform better, and feel better after workouts.

Folks with allergies and people who drink water from wells must have consistent and safe filtering to avoid introducing things like pesticides and biological agents into their food and drinks.

Good health starts with clean, safe water and better health is achievable with filtered water.

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best water filter pitcher

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About Mario 148 Articles
I am the owner of Kitchen Guru Ideas. I've set up this site so I can share my kitchen tips and hacks that have been passed on to me from my parents and grandparents and show you how a wonderful experience cooking is and not just a way to save money. Even in this hectic lifestyle, there is time to prepare and most important enjoy a home-cooked meal.

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