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Who doesn’t love a nice crisp glass of ice-cold water? With a refillable, purifying water pitcher, a fresh beverage can be at your fingertips anytime you want. The best water filter pitchers eliminate the need to purchase plastic water bottles frequently, so they’ll help you save money while being an environmentally friendly alternative at the same time!
There’s a whole world of filtered water pitchers out there, advertising their abilities to ionize and clean plain old tap water, whether through reverse osmosis, charcoal filters, or even a little electric zap. But which ones are the best, and how do you know where to spend your money?
I worked with Meggan to find the best water filter pitchers on the market, including budget-friendly options, sleek glass designs, and her personal favorite from Brita.
Table of Contents
Our Top Picks
- What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: Brita Tahoe Pitcher – $31.48 at Walmart
- Best Budget Water Filter Pitcher: Waterdrop Lucid 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher – $21.24 at Amazon
- Best Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher: Waterdrop Chubby Water Filter Pitcher – $24.99 at Amazon
- Best Glass Water Filter Pitcher: Invigorated Water pH Restore Glass Water Filter Pitcher – $72.70 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Water Filter Pitchers
1. What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: Brita Tahoe Pitcher
A Brita loyalist her entire adult life, Meggan keeps the brand’s 10-cup Tahoe pitcher in her home fridge, in part because her kids drink a lot of water. She loves Brita’s Elite filters, which last for about six months and remove 99% of lead, chlorine, cadmium, mercury, benzene, and asbestos in water. “They’re a game changer,” Meggan says.
Meggan has also tried the 27-cup Brita tank, but she found it “tiring to haul out and refill.” With the Brita Tahoe pitcher, Meggan says it’s easier to handle on a daily basis, even though it requires more refills, but also feels that the 6-cup Metro water filter pitcher would be perfect for a smaller family, too.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 10 cups
- Dimensions: 10.22 by 5.68 by 10.39 inches
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 120 gallons
The Pros:
- Ideal size for easy daily use
- Extremely effective at removing particles
- The universal filter fits multiple Brita models
The Cons:
- Only comes with one filter (replacements sold separately)
- Water filters slowly
- Handwash only
What Others Are Saying:
After testing and reviewing various water filter pitchers, People voted the Brita Tahoe “easiest to use,” while Forbes said it was the “best value water filter pitcher.”
Buy the Brita Tahoe Pitcher:
2. Best Budget Pitcher: Waterdrop Lucid 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher
If you want a pitcher that’s effective but affordable, consider Waterdrop’s Lucid 10-cup filtering pitcher. The pitcher — which comes in multiple colors — uses an activated carbon filter to remove over 97 percent of chlorine from your water, as well as calcium, copper, magnesium, mercury, and iron.
The Waterdrop also eliminates odors and tastes from your water, which should taste mountain-brook fresh every time and is about half the price of the Brita. It also is said to remove PFAS – harmful chemicals found in a number of household products.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 10 cups
- Dimensions: 10 by 5.3 by 10 inches
- Weight: 1.98 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 200 gallons
The Pros:
- A great value for the price
- NSF Certified
- Easy to assemble and use
- Indicator light when filter is ready to be changed
The Cons:
- Filters need replacing more often and are harder to find
- Doesn’t change pH of tap water
- Handwash only
What Others Are Saying:
The Waterdrop Lucid Water Filter Pitcher gets an average of 4.6 stars on Amazon out of more than 11,000 reviews. Homes & Gardens also voted it one of the best water filter pitchers.
Buy the Waterdrop Lucid 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher:
3. Best Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher: Waterdrop Chubby Water Filter Pitcher
Alkaline water has gotten a lot of buzz over the past few years, and for good reason. A lot of functional medicine doctors have been singing its praises, calling out patients’ desire to raise the pH of normally pretty acidic tap water in order to slow the aging process and deter chronic diseases.
The Waterdrop Chubby water filter pitcher uses a multi-stage filter to remove impurities while adding zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, lithium, iodine, and other trace elements to your water, raising its pH to between 8 and 9.5. It’s also pretty affordable, too.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 10 cups
- Dimensions: 10.4 by 5.3 by 10 inches
- Weight: 2.3 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 100 gallons
The Pros:
- Sleek design
- Advanced filter system
- Adds minerals back to water
The Cons:
- Doesn’t lower water’s TDS (total dissolved solids) value
- Filter needs to be changed more frequently
What Others Are Saying:
Real Simple said the Waterdrop Chubby water filter pitcher is compact, fast-filtering, and has a “cute” design. ZDNet also called it the “best budget-friendly water filter pitcher.”
Buy the Waterdrop Alkaline Chubby Water Filter Pitcher:
4. Best Glass Water Filter Pitcher: Invigorated Water pH Restore Pitcher
A sleek pitcher, the Invigorated Water pH Restore glass water filter pitcher stands out not only for its look but also for its construction. Made entirely of super-strong borosilicate glass, the pitcher keeps water tasting crystal clear thanks to its multi-stage filters, which remove unwanted particles from your water while letting desirable minerals stay. The brand says its pitcher can produce water with a pH of 10, filtering up to 3.5 liters of water at a time.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 15 cups
- Dimensions: 7.5 by 6 by 12 inches
- Weight: 3.42 pounds
- Filter Longevity: 250 gallons
The Pros:
- Sleek design
- Less likely to hold odors with glass pitcher
- Increases alkaline in water
The Cons:
- Bamboo lid can be hard to secure
- Smaller compared to other pitchers
- Heavy
- Expensive
What Others Are Saying
The Strategist named the Invigorated Water pH Restore glass water filter pitcher the best glass alkaline water filter pitcher. Amazon also gave it a 4.2-star rating from more than 1,100 reviews.
Buy the Invigorated Water pH Restore Glass Water Filter Pitcher:
Other Water Filter Pitchers to Consider
Puro Glass Water Filter Pitcher
While we like the small scale of this carafe-like glass water pitcher — making it perfect for office or dorm fridges — it’s a little expensive for the size. Additionally, because it’s seemingly so new to the market, there aren’t a ton of reviews. We’d like to give it a little time to percolate and see how it all shakes out with buyers. The Puro Glass Water Filter Pitcher is available at Amazon for $39.59.
Larq Pitcher PureVis
Anything self-cleaning is pretty darn appealing, so the Larq Pitcher PureVis seems attractive at first glance. The UV cleaning concept is novel, and who doesn’t want to do fewer dishes? That said, at around $170 for an 8-cup water pitcher, it’s hard to get your money’s worth. The Larq Pitcher PureVis is available at Amazon for $168.
ZeroWater 23-Cup Water Filter Pitcher
While we like the idea of a filtered water dispenser inside our fridges, the reality of actually pulling out and reloading the 20+ cup tanks is just a little overwhelming. As I noted above, Meggan used to have a 27-cup water filter and found herself shying away from dealing with it because it’s too heavy, and we agree. The ZeroWater 23 Cup Water Filter Pitcher is available at Amazon for $39.99.
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher
This pitcher has a ton of positive reviews, and for good reason: Its reverse osmosis filtration makes it unique, and the brand boasts that the pitcher removes 99.9% of more than 365 contaminants from tap water. The pitcher seems like a big swing at $110, too, but the real shock is when you go to pick up the filters on Amazon and discover they cost around $60 each. Considering you’re supposed to replace them every four months or so, that kind of total can make the Clearly Filtered pitcher seem really expensive really quickly. The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is available at Amazon for $110.
Why You Can Trust Us
I’m Marah, a longtime food and commerce reporter, so I’ve tested and reviewed innumerable kitchen products. I’m also a filtered water fan myself and have owned no fewer than 10 different pitchers over the course of my life, a few of which made this list.
As a classically trained chef and blogger, Meggan Hill is a food and product expert as well. Operating Culinary Hill with an eye toward helping people find success and confidence in the kitchen, Meggan is a big fan of meticulously testing everything she endorses, from delicious make-ahead lasagna to refreshing infused water.
That’s why, when pulling together our list, we started with what we knew and owned ourselves, and then expanded to see other reviews as well. We evaluated each pitcher on price, available features, and durability. We considered alkaline water pitchers and reverse osmosis pitchers, and we looked at glass, metal, and plastic options, all before making our picks above.
Everything to Know Before Buying a Water Filter Pitcher
What to Consider Before Buying a Water Filter Pitcher
Water filter pitchers are great for the health-conscious consumer on a budget. You don’t have to commit to an under-sink filter, and you don’t need to worry about having the space (or patience) for a big corner cooler that you’ll have to struggle to refill every so often. When picking a filter pitcher, you’ll want to consider:
How much water your household drinks every day: If you’re living solo, it’s not worth paying for the biggest options, but if you’ve got a thirsty family full of lots of water bottle-loving kids, constantly refilling a smaller pitcher could get tedious.
What contaminants are in your local tap water: This varies by region and by city, but if your community water system provides water to more than 100,000 people, you should be able to find their Environmental Protection Agency-mandated consumer confidence report online. The EPA requires that suppliers issue these reports every July, detailing the levels of regulated contaminants in the water and how they compare with the agency’s drinking water standards. If you live in an old house with old pipes, you might want to run your own test for lead in the water since it may be lurking somewhere between the main water supply and your faucet.
Type of filtered water: Lastly, you’ll also want to consider what kind of filtered water you want. Are you just interested in getting rid of contaminants, or are you intrigued by the health-boosting claims hovering around alkaline water? If you’re at all interested in the latter, it might be worth ponying up a little extra money for a pitcher with an alkaline water filter.
How Does a Water Filter Pitcher Work?
In most systems, a filter is installed in the lid or reservoir of the water pitcher. As you pour unfiltered or tap water into the pitcher, it’ll flow through the filter and into the pitcher below. Typically, the filters work one of two ways: either chemically, with materials like activated carbon absorbing contaminants from the water, or physically, with a piece of very fine gauze or mesh straining the water to remove larger impurities.
How Often Should I Change a Water Filter?
That depends on what pitcher and filter system you have. Most will note on the filter’s box or listing page how often you should change your filter, but generally, it ranges anywhere from every two to six months, depending on how much water you drink. It’s not the worst idea to do an Amazon subscription for your desired filter, since the filter’s arrival will indicate when it’s time for a change.
Which Water Filter Pitcher Removes the Most Contaminants?
There are a lot of conflicting reports out there, with different brands all claiming their method of filtering water is the best and most complete way. The Clearly Filtered water pitcher does come up quite a bit because of its ability to filter out 99.9% of over 365 contaminants in water. The ZeroWater pitcher also gets a lot of shoutouts, with CNET reporting that it removed 100 percent of both chlorine and total dissolved solids in their tests.
How to Remove a Pur Water Filter from a Pitcher
To remove a Pur water filter from its pitcher, simply twist the base counterclockwise, pulling it up and through the pitcher’s pour tray. Soaking the replacement filter in cold water for 15 minutes before installation will remove excess carbon from the filter, making water taste better and flow through the filtration more easily.
The Best Infused Water Recipes
While every recipe that uses water can benefit from the cleanest, crispest H2O available, we love these infused water recipes, which give plain old water a hint of flavor from fresh fruit, vegetables, or herbs. Pour your newly filtered water into an infusing pitcher holding blackberries, oranges, and ginger, for instance, and you’ll have a drink that’s sweet and zippy. Using watermelon, kiwi, and lime, on the other hand, can help water feel even more clear and refreshing — perfect for a hot summer day.
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
