The Best Water Filters in 2016- Reviews & Comparisons
Home filtering water is a much smarter, much more environmentally-friendly option compared to buying water bottles. Not only is it cheaper, it’s more beneficial to not be recyling hundreds to thousands of water bottles per year. Brita, Zero Water, Pur, Mavea, and Bobble are the companies that are the topic of this comparison, and which company carries which bottles and what type of filtration they would use and what that means for the person drinking the water.
Brita
Brita is the company I myself have seen the most, and wonder if the same holds true everywhere else. I see Brita everywhere. Gas stations around my location even carry the water filters, so that’s a huge plus for Brita for the ease of convenience.
Brita makes both water bottles and containers for water, all powered with filtration. Brita’s online store has a selection of hard and soft plastic bottles, all of which are BPA certified. The hard water bottles are able to be washed in the dishwasher, while the soft plastic bottles have to be washed by hand with soap and warm water. These bottles contain anywhere from 500mL of water up to a full liter of water. Brita also makes faucet filter systems, allowing tap water to be instantly filtered for home use.
Brita has various water filters to be used with specific water bottles. The larger gallons-storing containers have more expensive filters that can last up to 40 gallons or a 6 month lifespan. The personal water bottles are small tubes that can last up to 10 gallons or a 2 month life span. Each filter uses Brita-patented technology which combines a coconut-based carbon with exchange resin, which essentially holds and captures contaminants like copper, mercury, and cadmium.
Brita does have an online store which allows for coupons and discounts, and their products can be found in a variety of stores like Kroger, Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer’s and more. The two pictures included are good examples of typical Brita design, with a nice clean transparent look and the filter typically well-integrated into the design itself. Brita can range from mildly expensive to more expensive, depending on which product.
Zero Water
Zero Water produces more elegant, traditional-looking water containers. They make primarily hard plastic products, which are BPA certified and able to be washed in the dishwasher. Zero Water makes only containers and does not make water tap filtration systems. ZeroWater has three types of filters available, depending on the water container. ZeroWater’s advantage over the other filter companies lies in the design of its container, which is actually a tumbler with a straw. The design is reminiscent of a soda cup, and the container itself holds around 800 mL of water, so it’s a great investment for someone like me who works at a desk setting and frequents the water fountain.
All of ZeroWater’s filters use ionic exchanging to filter out materials similar to the Brita. However, their filters are a bit cheaper than Brita’s, and ZeroWater produces a 4.5 gallon holding tank that uses ZeroWater’s own patented 5-stage filter technology, which is a filter compatible with any container than can hold a Brita filter.
Zerowater has some pictures attached, with their design being a nice futuristic-blue color. They specialize in larger volume tanks, so the tank pictured holds 2L, while the aforementioned 4.5 gallon tank is a large blue cylinder. Their price range all over, typically on the more expensive side of things, though.
Pur
Pur only produces faucet filters and water pitchers and dispensers; no personal bottles can be found from Pur. Pur uses MAXION technology, which is Pur’s own unique approach to blending carbon and ion exchange to remove and trap contaminants from the water.
To my knowledge, I’ve only found Pur products around WalMart and Bed Bath & Beyond, so that misguides me to place them on the same level as “As Seen on TV” products. Their containers are nothing impressive, with a 7-cup pitcher with LEDS being available for $33. The 11-cup pitcher is available for $44, while a water dispenser is available for $38 – none of these are impressive prices, to be blunt and honest. Brita and ZeroWater both produce cheaper, larger containers, and their dispensers are cheaper than Pur’s. Pur does produce a faucet dispenser, though.
Pur filters are more expensive, and like I said before, I have never actually seen the filters around my area in any stores other than the two I previously listed. Pur’s filters last the same as the others, with average filters lasting for around 40 gallons or the estimated filter life. Pur’s filters are estimated to last 2 months in pitchers and 3 months in filters. Their design is reminiscent of Brita’s filters, and can range from cheap to mildly expensive.
Mavea
Not only does Mavea create pitchers and containers, but they also produce a variety of other products that don’t exactly pertain to filtering water. They have a hot beverage system patented, which allows for K-cups and Mavea’s own instant-coffee technology. Mavea also has a more ethical responsibility in their business plan, and insist on recycling most or all materials that go into creating their products. As a result, the cost of Mavea’s products are a bit higher than any of the other brands listed, but Mavea has the right idea since home water filtration is all about reducing waste and cost.
Mavea also has a professional division, and is available widely in both Europe and the United States. I wasn’t able to find any stores that carry Mavea products by me, but they do ship on large products, whether they’re for home or business. Mavea is more reminiscent of a company that has a wide share of customers, and if they’ve stuck around, then they’re not a bad deal. Since they’re an environmentally friendly firm with environmentally friendly products, their prices tend to be more expensive.
Bobble
Bobble is more geared towards average consumers, featuring a unique design that’s curvy and bubbly looking. They use the same ionic-separating filter methods as mentioned before, with the bad stuff clinging to ionic bonding carbons and giving you a refreshing, non-toxic drink.
Bobble is very curvy looking and a unique, recognizable design and can be found at retailers like WalMart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Target – typically, middle-level markets would carry Bobble products. Bobble also has their own online store, which features products like a solo water bottle that holds up to 550mL and a jug that holds nearly 2L. Their filters are available in a 2-pack for the smaller water bottle, and a single replacement for the 2L jug. The filters last for 30 refills for the water bottle and up to 3 months for the jug.
The Verdict
Your choice of a water filter brand should depend on your location (meaning, what is available to you; not all brands are available in every area) and what you need. Only a few of the mentioned brands made large multi-gallon tanks, namely Zero Water, Mavea and Brita. However, if you needed a smaller water bottle, your choice of a brand would depend on which one personally appeals to you – Bobble is the most unique looking one, since it has a fun curvy design. But as always, prices can vary from brick-and-mortar stores and online stores, so shopping around to find the best deal is always advised.
