Best water filter pitchers of 2025, tested by editors | CNN Underscored

Best water filter pitcher: Epic Water Filters Pure Pitcher

Best budget water filter pitcher: Brita 10-Cup Pitcher With Elite Filter

Stashing a water filter pitcher in your fridge feels like a rite of passage. You might have had one in your college dorm or your first home, and there may even be one chilling with your produce and condiments right now. It’s the kind of ubiquitous product that doesn’t require a lot of thought to do its job, right? Even a few Underscored staffers have admitted to buying the first water filter pitcher they can find and drinking from it for years. And they’re still around to tell the tale.

But does every filter do the trick? What’s in your water that makes it wise to filter it in the first place? These are the questions to consider before putting a new pitcher in your cart — and we have answers. After putting seven popular water filter pitchers through various trials and analyzing their filtration capabilities, two surfaced as the most worthwhile buys.

Epic Water’s Pure Pitcher removes some of the most common contaminants in tap water, making it a compelling option for households across the US. Though it has yet to be certified, we confirmed its performance by sending water samples to an accredited lab.

The list of contaminants it reduces isn’t as robust, but Brita’s Elite Filter still takes care of harmful pollutants. When deployed in this 10-Cup Pitcher, it’s both low-effort and low-cost.

When you look past brand names and focus on the data, the Pure Pitcher emerges as an undeniable winner. This little-known filter reduces over 200 contaminants, including some of the most common and concerning pollutants: arsenic, lead, nitrate, disinfection byproducts, PFAS and uranium, to name a few.

The pitcher’s wide net takes the guesswork out of buying a filter. Even if you neglect to learn about your water supply and its contaminants (an important step), the Pure Pitcher reduces so many impurities that it’ll work in many homes. It can reduce lead in old cities like Chicago, nitrate in agricultural communities and total trihalomethanes (THMs) in places with heavily chlorinated water.

One of our testers, associate writer Maxwell Shukuya, confirmed its performance by testing his water with Tap Score’s Advanced City Water Test. Before filtering, five contaminants rose above the EPA’s most stringent guidelines, the maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs). Epic reduced all five, eliminating all measurable traces of lead, uranium and THMs.

You’ll pay a pretty penny for this filtration power, however. At $75, the Pure Pitcher is the third most expensive model we tested, and the $50 replacement filters aren’t cheap either. But when you consider the filter’s per-gallon cost (35 cents), the pitcher’s unbeatable lifetime warranty and the included replacement timer, the Pure Pitcher offers a compelling package with few downsides.

Our only criticism is that Epic hasn’t been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Water Quality Association or The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). While this would normally disqualify the Pure Pitcher from earning a top spot, we’ve made an exception given the results of hands-on filtration testing, which confirmed Epic’s filter as one of the best on the market.

A widely accessible pitcher-filter combo, a record of contaminant removal not far behind the best of the best and a price that can’t be beaten make Brita’s 10-Cup Pitcher and its Elite Filter our favorite option for anyone who wants to clean their water without breaking the bank.

The filter here is the key component — Brita sells cheaper products, but we recommend the Elite Filter. Most Brita pitchers at big-box retailers include the brand’s standard (and highly popular) filter. But the Elite Filter, which is easily recognizable by its light blue shell, makes all the difference. Formerly known as the LongLast+ Filter, the Elite Filter removes more than 30 contaminants, including lead, mercury and cadmium. It has the backing of certified testing against NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 standards.

Perhaps most importantly, no other filter in our testing pool achieved this baseline of contaminant removal at such an affordable price. A single Elite Filter costs $20, and a two-pack is typically discounted to $30. With each filter rated for 120 gallons of filtration — or six months of use, by Brita’s estimation — that $30 purchase should have you set for an entire year. The math comes to less than 13 cents per gallon of filtered water.

While taste didn’t factor heavily into our testing — it’s subjective, after all — Brita claims the activated carbon in its Elite Filters will remove chlorine to improve taste and odor. While associate testing writer Joe Bloss’ taste buds found the result slightly better than tap water, the change wasn’t as apparent as with other (more expensive) filters he tested.

Depending on where you shop, Brita’s pitcher will be named “Everyday” (at Amazon) or “Tahoe” (most other retailers, including Target and Walmart). They’re the same. A thumb-operated lid makes it easy to fill the pitcher with one hand. A battery-powered filter reset panel on the underside of the lid tracks how many times you fill the reservoir and will notify you once you’ve filtered 120 gallons. That’ll mean it’s time to swap in a new filter (and reset the panel).

If you want more capacity than the pitcher’s 10 cups, Brita’s $50 UltraMax water dispenser holds 27 cups and fits the same filter. Either way, that Elite Filter — an affordable, basic, effective way to remove harmful contaminants from your water — is hard to beat.

We filled, filtered, poured and drank countless of gallons of water to accurately evaluate each pitcher according to the following criteria.

Shukuya made a common mistake before he understood the complexities of water filtration. He bought a water filter from a well-known brand without doing any research. The problem: Water filters can only target a limited number of contaminants. When he checked the model’s performance data sheet, he discovered it was only certified to remove one contaminant that affects health. Instead of making the same mistake, follow these three steps.

When Shukuya spoke to experts for his tap water filtration story, they all agreed on one thing: There’s no one-size-fits-all water filter. Not only do contaminants vary widely, but all pitchers have filtration strengths and weaknesses. The upshot: You’ll need to find out more about your water.

The best (and most expensive) option is to test your water with a kit like this one from Tap Score. But you can also consult your utility’s Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), which you find by contacting the utility, using the EPA’s website or searching your city’s name plus CCR in Google. Past all the goofy stock photos, you’ll find water quality results. If you see any contaminants that exceed federal or state standards, find a pitcher that targets them.

Beyond the CCR, you can try the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) tap water database and consider your region’s history. Since the EWG’s health guidelines are far more conservative than the government’s, it’s a good place to look if you’re not seeing any violations on your CCR. Finally, your area’s history will tell you a lot. Old cities are more likely to have lead pipes. Agricultural regions will have higher concentrations of nitrate from fertilizer and manure. The point is to familiarize yourself with likely contaminants so you can target them while shopping.

If you’re crunched for time and skip this step, at least target a list of common contaminants like lead, nitrate, arsenic and disinfection byproducts.

Related article Here’s (almost) everything you need to know about filtering tap water

Once you have a list of contaminants, search for a suitable filter. At a minimum, look for each model’s performance data sheet, which shows the contaminants it reduces. (Can’t find the data? Google the model name plus “performance data sheet,” or email the company.)

If you want to go further, look for third-party certifications from the NSF, WQA and/or IAPMO. When a product has been certified (and not just “tested to NSF standards”), it’s less likely that the company is inflating its data or claims.

Though difficult to navigate, the NSF, WQA and IAPMO certification directories are a good place to start your search. (Oftentimes, you’ll have to search by the replacement filter’s model rather than the pitcher’s name.)

The main certification to look for is NSF/ANSI 53 certification, which pertains to contaminants that cause health problems. See PUR’s PPF951K pitcher filter, for example. Under the NSF/ANSI 53 standard, it’s certified to reduce mercury, copper and benzene, among other contaminants.

However, it’s worth emphasizing that not all NSF standards are relevant. Many companies claim that a filter is NSF certified, but when you dig deeper, you might find that it’s standard NSF 42, which means it’s certified to remove impurities that affect taste, not health.

If you don’t replace your filters, your pitcher becomes a glorified carafe. Filtration performance will drop, water will taste worse and it’ll take longer for water to pass through. Put bluntly: Don’t be lazy. Replace your filters on schedule, or else you risk defeating their purpose.

Clearly Filtered’s certified pitcher removes the most contaminants of any model we tested, according to its performance data sheet. But its lackluster design and premium price kept it out of our top slots. Even so, we think it’s an option for readers unconstrained by budget.

If we ranked models based on contaminant removal alone, Clearly Filtered’s pitcher would be on the podium alongside Epic. According to its performance data sheet, it targets over 365 contaminants, including PFAS, total THMs, lead, nitrate and microplastics. This was borne out in Shukuya’s tests, which found that the filter reduced all notable contaminants in his water.

But Clearly Filtered’s pitcher and filter replacements are expensive — prohibitively so. On top of the hefty $100 investment, replacements for the 100-gallon filter cost around $55, though bundles and subscriptions can lower that price by as much as $10. To put that into perspective, a household of three to four people would have to replace the filter around four times a year, costing as much as $220 (excluding the cost of the pitcher), according to the company’s filter frequency calculator.

You’d think that you’d get premium features for these prices. But this model lacks a replacement reminder, and the pitcher can be frustrating. Each time you make a replacement, for example, you have to purge the filter with an included plastic bag, which feels wasteful and fussy. Normally, these would be nitpicks, but we think you get a better experience and more bang for your buck with Epic’s filter. Still, Clearly Filtered’s pitcher is an excellent choice for readers who can look past the price.

The third-party-certified Pur Plus 11-cup pitcher trailed our budget pick in terms of filtration performance and price but remains a good buy for frugal shoppers who want to target lead.

With nearly identical filtration performance to Brita and cheap replacement filters, this 11-cup pitcher almost earned a top spot. The pitcher was a joy to use, featuring an easy-to-install filter, compact size and filter replacement reminder. Its performance lagged behind premium models from Epic and Clearly Filtered, but it still won points for its third-party certifications and removal of more than 20 contaminants, including lead.

Pur’s main appeal is its price, however. While its performance data sheet skips some common contaminants (nitrate and THMs, for example), few pitchers can compete with the $30 pitcher cost and sub-$20 replacement filters, which cost around 28 cents per gallon (or less if you buy bundles). But when we ran the numbers, Brita’s pitcher had a slight edge, filtering more contaminants for less money.

From the same brand as the personal water filter perfect for hiking and emergency prep, this pitcher keeps pace in contaminant removal but fell in our rankings because of two frustrating qualities.

Based solely on its ability to remove contaminants, the LifeStraw Home 10-Cup Pitcher does its job well. Like much of the competition, its filtration is certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401 standards. It also meets NSF/ANSI 473 standards for reducing PFOA and PFAS and NSF P231 standards for bacterial and parasite removal.

A two-filter system does the trick in differentiating LifeStraw. A carbon filter reduces heavy metals such as lead, plus other chemicals. Then, a membrane microfilter removes bacteria, parasites and microplastics. The thoroughness is appreciated, but the dual nature of the setup adds complexity that other filters don’t have. The carbon filter lasts only 40 gallons, while the membrane is rated to span 260 gallons. Buying a year’s worth of filters for $75 lowers the cost to a competitive price (about 30 cents per gallon), but it’s asking a lot of users to track multiple filter lifespans without any features to assist.

Then there’s the pitcher itself. It’s nearly 13 inches tall, the largest of any pitcher we tested, and that size made it difficult to pour when full. Because its handle was so close to the top of the pitcher, the weight distribution was such that a smooth pour required two hands. While that may sound trivial considering this was an exercise mostly focused on water filtration and safely hydrating, keep in mind you’ll have to deal with this slight annoyance several times every day. That was enough to sour our evaluation.

ZeroWater’s filtration goal is to remove all the total dissolved solids (TDS) in your water. The results taste great — but is that really the goal?

If you’re buying a water pitcher to turn your tap water into the crispest, best-tasting water, the ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour Pitcher will do that. The difference was obvious when Bloss tasted its water next to every other pitcher in our pool. ZeroWater altered the taste to a degree the competition didn’t match. It was similar to bottled water.

But the filtration method that delivered that taste is complicated. ZeroWater’s five-stage filters are IAPMO-certified and tested to NSF/ANSI 53 standards. Its goal in filtration is to remove all total dissolved solids (TDS), and much of that quest can be beneficial because it reduces harmful metals like lead and other inorganic undesirables like PFOA/PFOS. But by removing all TDS, you lose things like the much-discussed naturally occurring mineral fluoride, which can be good for your teeth at proper levels, and other safe-in-moderation minerals like calcium and potassium. So it’s important to realize that TDS aren’t necessarily indicative of harmful contaminants or water quality.

ZeroWater includes a battery-powered meter to measure the water’s TDS. Bloss’ tap water registered over 300 parts per million before filtration and 0 ppm afterwards. According to ZeroWater’s filtration guidance, that would mean he’d need to replace his filter after about 15 gallons — a paltry number compared to other filters we tested.

With an entry price far beyond that of the competition, LARQ’s pitcher had a hard time keeping up despite delivering a clean taste.

The Larq Pitcher Pure Vis packs a few features its competitors don’t have. An optional smartphone app helps you track filter life and hydration goals, though there are already plenty of apps that will help you monitor your water intake for free. Plus, a UV-C light that periodically illuminates the pitcher can halt the growth of bacteria. Our hesitance in valuing this element stems from the fact that we haven’t seen enough evidence bacteria growth is an issue in properly maintained pitchers or filters.

However, if you opt for the Larq Pitcher PureVis, partner it with the brand’s Advanced Filter (the blue one) and not the Essential Filter (the white one). The former is tested to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 standards and can guard against lead, PFOA/PFOS and a long list of additional contaminants. The latter is cheaper and removes a much shorter list of contents.

None of this performance is bad — but it’s expensive. The Pitcher PureVis is $168 when not discounted, which is the priciest among our pool. The Advanced Filter also lasts only 60 gallons, and at $75 for a three-pack, costs nearly 42 cents per gallon of filtration. Even though we liked some of the qualities of this pitcher — its trap-door lid and smooth pour spout among them — there isn’t much of a reason to spend this kind of money when more affordable options we’ve tested work just as well.

With regular cleaning, a water filter pitcher should last many years. It’s the filters that you need to monitor and replace frequently. Our two favorite water filter pitchers — The Epic Water Filters Pure Pitcher and Brita 10-Cup Pitcher With Elite Filter — earned our recommendation because their filters last a long time and include mechanisms that remind you to replace your filter. Staying on top of that will ensure your pitcher and filter perform up to their respective standards.

Water is dispensed into a top reservoir, where it drips through a filter — each brand we tested has its own proprietary methods and unique design — to remove contaminants and pollutants. It then exits the filter and fills the lower level of the pitcher, ready to be poured out and consumed.

CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors with many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when it makes sense to ensure we are testing each product accurately and listing the pros and cons of each item.

Here, writers Joe Bloss and Maxwell Shukuya pored over filtration data and scrutinized each pitcher to find the best water filter for most people. Shukuya also incorporated the experience and knowledge he gained from his tap water filtration story, wherein he spoke to five water experts and tested Clearly Filtered and Epic’s filtration performance. CNN Underscored has also covered filtered water bottles and shower filters.

Joe Bloss is an associate writer for CNN Underscored who tests and reviews products across a variety of categories, including kitchen appliances and smart home tech. He also really likes birds.

Maxwell Shukuya is an associate writer for CNN Underscored who covers updates across a variety of verticals. He has a particular passion for gear, especially when it comes to coffee, hiking and climbing.