The Brita earns a Very Good rating for flavor and odor reduction, meaning it filters out all smells but may leave minimal off-tastes. The ZeroWater pitcher receives only a Good rating; it gets rid of odors but not the metallic taste. When it comes to flavor and odor reduction, Brita comes out on top.
Brita's competitor, the Longlast+, is certified for more contaminants (30) and is also rated to last three times longer (120 gallons versus 40).
Best Overall: APEC ROES-50 Reverse Osmosis System
Along with the typical lead and other heavy metals, bacteria, and chlorine, this removes as many as 1,000 different unwanted contaminants from the water. This filtering system uses five separate stages of filtering to remove 99 percent of contaminants.
The PUR filter removes more contaminants compared to the Brita filter. However, during our taste tests and TDS tests Brita performed notably better. Both Brita & PUR offer a variety of pitcher sizes and types.
Most Brita pitchers use a “coconut-based activated carbon” filter that removes mercury and other harmful substances, but is very good at improving water taste as well.
Are Brita Filters Safe? Brita filters are effective at removing contaminants from drinking water. Brita products are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), which means they meet the requirements for providing safe drinking water.
ZeroWater removes more solids than any other pour-through filter. ZeroWater products filter water through its 5-stage filtration cycle, compared to most competitors' 2-step process. ZeroWater significantly reduces lead, PFOA and PFOS, chromium, and other dangerous metals.
With the popularity of Brita, it is important for users to know their facts, starting with, do Brita filters work? Not really. In short, a Brita reduces the contaminants of chlorine, copper and lead, but it does not remove them. Therefore, they're still in your glass of water.
How often should I change my Brita Stream® Filter? Replace your Brita Stream® Filter every 40 gallons, or about every 2 months. If you have hard water, you may need to change filters more often.
As water passes through the filter, the nonwoven element reduces sediment, while the carbon block traps smaller contaminants. * Brita® faucet filters reduce lead, chlorine, asbestos, benzene, particulates and other contaminants. See this chart for a complete list of what Brita reduces or removes from tap water.
Sorry, Zero Water cannot remove bacteria, cysts, viruses and other microbiological contaminants. You should only use treated municipal water with your Zero Water pitcher or bottle.
Summary – ZeroWater Filter Life
Ultimately, the shelf life of a Zerowater filter will depend on the amount of dissolved solids that it's filtering out, and how often you use it. For most Zerowater filter users, a filter will last somewhere between 2-4 months, but precise times will vary.
ZeroWater is the only filter system that gets the TDS value to 0. TDS means Total Dissolved Solids, or the total number of dissolved substances. This means that ZeroWater filters calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium chloride and sulphides from the water. The result is soft water.
Brita can however be helpful in filtering out chemicals and germs from plumbing issues or other industrial metals and lead but ultimately, this resource concluded that unless there is a serious issue, Brita filters added bacteria and do not filter out microorganisms that tap water does naturally, so tap is essentially ...
Activated carbon and ceramic filters don't remove minerals from tap water. Thus, popular Brita filters or other carbon-based or ceramic filters all retain healthy minerals in your tap water, all the while removing dangerous contaminants.
The microbiological quality of filtered water in a commercial water filter system (Brita) was tested in households and in two laboratories. In 24 of 34 filters used in households, bacterial counts increased in the filtered water up to 6,000 cfu/ml.
Although both filtered water and bottled water can provide healthier, better-tasting water, the cost-effectiveness and smaller environmental impact of filtered water beats out bottled water at every turn.
Best Overall: Essentia Ionized Water
It's a supercharged and ionized alkaline water that's filtered through a proprietary process that purifies Essentia's water, making it 99.9% pure.
And more than half of the chemicals found in municipal water are not regulated. Using the right water filter can help further reduce pollutants like lead from old water pipes, pesticide runoff in rural areas and byproducts of chemicals like chlorine that are used to treat drinking water.
Brita filters can feature in tap faucets or certain pitcher jugs or water bottles. People may use these filters to remove the components of water that affect its taste, smell, or safety. Water filters vary in design depending on their purpose, and there is currently no single type that can filter out all contaminants.
Many household filtration systems have been developed to effectively reduce contaminants found in tap water. Both Brita® Faucet Systems and Brita Longlast+® Filters help to reduce 99% of lead present in tap water plus other contaminants like Chlorine, Asbestos, Benzene, Ibuprofen and Bisphenol A (BPA).
No, ZeroWater® 5-stage filtration does not change the pH levels of the water. Continued use of the filter, after it expires, will only deteriorate the ion beads and a reduction in pH may occur.