I’ve used a lot of water filter pitchers. Even with the best ones, minor things annoy me: too small; too slow; can’t pour while it’s filtering; etc.
A friend recommended Clearly Filtered’s pitcher, which promised to solve many of these issues. So I got my new Clearly Filtered water filter pitcher delivered, used it daily for a few weeks, and did a full review.
I’d recommend Clearly Filtered’s pitcher for anyone looking for a quick way to improve their water quality and taste – and it has the test data to back it up too. It’s also a stand-out product for removing fluoride – so if you’re concerned about fluoridation, it’s one of the best choices.
Finally, if you’re always in a rush like me, this is one of the only filters with a separate tank for filtering – so you can start pouring (and drinking!) before the filtering has even finished!
What you need to know before buying a filtered pitcher
All water filter pitchers are different. The pitcher that best suits you depends on a couple of things.
Filtration specs
Different filters remove very different amounts of contaminants from tap water. Some remove harmful chemicals, bacteria, and excess minerals, while others do little more than improve water taste.
Certifications such as NSF are an excellent way to determine what a water filter pitcher is designed to remove from your drinking water.
Some pitchers go through extensive third-party certification processes. Different certifications verify that the pitcher filter can remove specific contaminants.
Clearly Filtered don’t have NSF certification – it’s a costly process that requires companies to reveal their intellectual property (Berkey’s are banned in California for this reason). However, Clearly Filtered has its products tested at EPA-accredited labs to prove that its products actually EXCEED NSF’s certification standards.
Filter lifespan
Using a water filter pitcher requires more than just buying one and using it for life. To keep the filter operating at full capacity, you also need to replace the filter inside periodically.
Companies measure filter lifespan in terms of the number of gallons it can effectively filter. Most fall in the range of about 150 gallons per filter. However, some can be as low as 40 gallons.
Check the price of replacement filters if you want to know how much your home water filter pitcher will cost you annually. Clearly Filtered filters are a little pricier than other products because they last longer and do a better job of filtering.
Pitcher size
One of the great things about a water filter pitcher is that it can fit in a fridge. That is if your fridge is the right size! While some users might prefer the largest pitcher, make sure you have somewhere inside your fridge that it can comfortably fit.
Clearly Filtered’s pitcher will fit on the door shelf of most larger refrigerators. If you have a smaller model, you’ll need to put it on a shelf inside.
Filtration speed
This one will depend a lot on your lifestyle and the way you tend to use this kind of product. But generally, the quicker the pitcher can filter a full tank of water the better.
If you don’t drink much water, you may find it easy just to fill up the pitcher before you go to bed, throw it in the fridge and wake up to fresh filtered water. In this case, filtration speed isn’t a big issue.
Conversely, if you’re always drinking and need your filtered water in a rush – you’ll value something that can filter a full jug in a few minutes.
Clearly Filtered’s product is unique in that it filters pretty fast (after using the priming tool – more on that later) but it also has a separate water dam which means you can pour filtered water into your cup, while the unfiltered water still stays inside the jug.
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher Review
The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is one of the best pitcher water filters on the market in 2022. Compared to other popular products, it removes more contaminants than the competition.
From the Clearly Filtered site:
“The Clearly Filtered® Water Pitcher with Affinity® Filtration Technology [removes] up to 99.9% of 365+ harmful and dangerous tap water contaminants. That’s more than the 3 leading brand-name pitchers combined.”
ClearlyFiltered.com
The newest Clearly Filtered model improves on previous editions by including a priming tool to use before attaching the filter to the pitcher. Priming the filter pitcher makes the product ready to use in minutes instead of waiting for the water to diffuse through the filter naturally.
What’s in the box?
- Water pitcher
- Filter
- Lid
- Priming bag tool
- Spec sheet
- Instruction manual
Inside the blue Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher box, I found the water pitcher, filtration details, and instruction manual. The filter came unattached alongside the filter-priming bag.
The pamphlet detailing its filtration capabilities was impressively extensive. Each of the more than 300 contaminants was listed.
The user manual gives instructions for assembly and use. It also describes the unique Affinity® Filtration Technology in detail. You can read the manual here Resources – Clearly Filtered.
Everything else you need you’ll find inside the upper water basin. The filter itself comes in a bag and is sealed with a dated sticker, so you know it’s been quality-checked and not tampered with.
The pitcher itself is made of “100% BPA/BPS-Free medical-grade Tritan materials.” Even though the plastic felt relatively thin, the composite shell felt durable and didn’t smell like plastic. Just make sure you rinse it out a couple of times first to clear out any excess manufacturing materials or dust that might be inside.
The last item I found was the priming bag. It took me a minute to figure out how to use this, so I’ll explain it below.
Using the priming bag
The priming bag forces water into the filter before its first use. The pitcher filter has many layers (described below), so it requires some force to saturate the filter the first time.
Luckily, it’s really easy to use. Start by removing the tape that seals the filter cartridge. Then fill up the blue priming bag with tap water. Holding the bag below the filter, screw them together. Then squeeze lightly until the water begins to flow out of the filter.
Repeat this process 2-3 times. After that, you can detach the filter from the bag and screw it onto the filter’s basin.
At this point, your Clearly Filtered Pitcher is ready to go!
After you reach the 100-gallon mark, repeat this process with one of your replacement filters.
Filtration speed: How long does it take to filter?
I filled the water dam completely to the top and then let it filter through. See the video, which is speeded up to 10x.
This is pretty in line with many of the other water filter pitchers that we’ve used. But where the Clearly Filtered stands out is that because of the water dam, you don’t need to wait for it to finish filtering.
As soon as a glass of water is done filtering, you can immediately pour without the unfiltered water getting mixed up into your glass.
More on this is below.
Filtration quality
The Clearly Filtered Pitcher is independently tested to exceed NSF standards 42, 53, 244, 401 & 473. Again, this is much more than many similar products.
With such powerful water filtration technology, the Clearly Filtered Pitcher can substitute for other, more expensive filtration solutions.
Contaminants removed include fluoride, lead, BPA, glyphosate, PFOAs, and hormones.
If you’re interested in fluoride, we found that the Clearly Filtered removes up to 99.% of fluoride and is the most effective water filter that we reviewed in our post here.
The pitcher filters also don’t remove helpful minerals from your water. Some reverse osmosis system users notice that their water is “too soft” because the system removes all of the beneficial minerals at the same time as contaminants.
Pictured: half(!) of the contaminants removed by the Clearly Filtered System – the list continues on the other side!
I was happy to see glyphosate on this list, as this has been a particular concern of mine. Glyphosate is one of the main ingredients in pesticides such as Roundup. A 2022 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review declared it safe for human consumption Glyphosate | US EPA. However, this claim has been contested by several groups, and I prefer to err on the side of caution.
Built-in water dam
One annoying thing about pitcher filters is when there is a slow water flow from the upper reservoir to the bottom basins. Water pitcher users might have to wait up to 10 minutes to get a drink. This can get worse as the filter gets older, too.
The Clearly Filtered Water Filter Pitcher solves this problem of slow filtering by including a water dam in the top reservoir. This allows you to pour filtered water even when all the water hasn’t reached the bottom yet.
Some users report the lid falling off while pouring water out. To prevent this, just make sure you don’t pour a glass while the top reservoir is totally full.
What Clearly Filtered’s Users are Saying
Customer Mary D. appreciated how fast the filter is. And even gives filtered water to her dogs!
Aaron L. was impressed by the filtration but has concerns about the pitcher’s design.
I also noticed the plastic felt thin, but it still felt sturdy in my hands, and I wouldn’t expect it to break without some rough handling. That said, if you are concerned, Clearly Filter’s lifetime warranty and helpful customer service will make you whole again in case there are any cracks.
Finally, Zach L . also noticed a big difference in his drinking water taste:
I’d totally agree with this. The water from the pitcher was noticeably more pleasurable to drink than the water directly from my tap.
Three Reasons the Clearly Filtered Water Filter Pitcher Might Not Be For You + Alternatives
Pitcher doesn’t fit in the fridge
The fridge door is one of the most accessible places to keep a water filter pitcher. You get not only cold but clean water. If your fridge is too small or the shelves are too short for the Clearly Filtered model, consider trying out the Brita Slim Water Filter Pitcher. It has less capacity than the Clearly Filtered, but it’s ideal for tight fridge space.
Looking for a cheaper filter pitcher?
Sometimes a purchase just doesn’t make sense given your financial situation. If you’re looking for a more affordable model, try other Brita Filters. They usually have a lower price tag, and replacement filter bundles can also be purchased cheaply.
This Brita Filter Pitcher is the cheapest we could find on Amazon.
You don’t want to replace the filter so often
I use filter pitchers for my drinking water every day. That means I have to knuckle up and replace the filter every few months. The Purely Filtered Pitcher has an average filter life of 100 gallons.
Replacement Filters can be bought here Clearly Filtered Clean Water Pitcher Filter.
One hundred gallons is a lot of drinking. But maybe that’s not enough for you; perhaps you have a large family or you have environmental concerns? If you live in a large household that drinks a lot of water, a longer filter life could reduce the number of filters you use yearly.
Then you might want to consider buying the Waterdrop 200-Gallon capacity pitcher.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the best water filter pitcher, the Clearly Filtered Pitcher is undoubtedly worth considering.
Clearly Filtered’s filter is more effective at heavy metals and contaminant removal than all the pitchers we tested, and it does it without eliminating the healthy minerals your body needs. It’s also the best for removing fluoride, which we wrote about here. Users often compliment the light water that still keeps a natural taste.
Water pitchers aren’t usually known for thoroughly filtering water without being used in tandem with other filtration methods. So even though Clearly Filtered products come with higher price tags than some other water filter pitchers, you won’t need to worry about using a multi-stage filter system whenever you want to drink water.
If you still drink unfiltered water or buy bottled water, consider the Clearly Filtered pitcher instead.
