Clearly filtered opponent: jug, water bottle, under the sink

Water filters are A thriving economy based on fear. but People have good reasons to be concerned about drinking water-Chlorine, Microplastics, PFAS Everywhere, heavy metals in the groundwater, and whatever else bothers me tomorrow.

But while most water filters seem to make a lot of promises, only some of them are backed by independent, third-party lab testing — something I was sad to discover while testing and researching countertop, under-sink, and Shower water filters. I feel completely relieved when I see the letters NSF or IAPMO, which are major independent laboratories and certification bodies based in the United States.

These are the bodies that test and certify California filters Clearly filteredwhose pitchers and under-sink systems I tested this month along with a number of other brands. This is important, because Clearly is offering discounts on all of its filters right now. This includes a blanket discount of 10 percent on all filters purchased through its website, and a 19 percent discount if you enter your phone number to receive the promo code.

How Clearly Filtered Filters Work

Obviously it’s been filtered a little bit It’s different from one of its main competitors, ZeroWater, whose filters I also test. ZeroWater removes almost all dissolved solids, including minerals such as calcium and magnesium, from the water that passes through its filter. This is quite a holistic approach, but I’ve also noticed that it usually doesn’t taste as good as water that still has some mineral content.

The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher uses a carbon filter and other media to remove a number of substances, including free chlorine, PFAS, PFOA, and other heavy metals. But it does not remove the mineral content or lower the total dissolved solids in the water at all. Partially due to the activated carbon filter, my testing showed that the filter is indeed thin more Total dissolved solids. (Trace amounts of activator Carbon is not a problem:If anything, some people think it’s good for you.)

It clearly certifies its water jug ​​to filter out chlorine and PFAS according to international NSF specifications. The company also released laboratory results from IAPMO Laboratory In New Jersey it shows the reduction or near elimination of hundreds of other pollutants, not all of which meet international standards. (See all IAPMO lab results here.)

The resulting water still tastes as pleasant as semi-hard water coming out of the tap, without almost all the chloramines (chloramines). Chlorine compound used to disinfect water in Portland, Oregon). The pitcher filter takes about 13 minutes to filter a half gallon of water from the upper tank to the lower tank. But note that the preparation process is a bit tricky, as it involves squeezing the water through a somewhat fragile plastic bag to force it to pass through the filter. This bag is then supposed to be kept for future candidates. Or bought it back for $15 If you lose or puncture it.

This 32-ounce stainless steel water bottle uses similar filtration technology to a pitcher but requires water to be sucked through a filter attached to a washable drinking faucet—a solution that lets you filter water in the wild, wherever you find it. You’ll have to suck on the straw hard to pull the water through the filter, but it’s a mostly elegant solution to instant water filtration — similar in concept to some backpack filter straws but more socially acceptable.

Undersink solution is owner friendly

But the filtration system I find most useful at home is the Clearly Filtered 3-stage under-sink system. In part, it solves a problem for me. A large percentage of under-sink water filtration systems require some level of installation, space for a separate faucet, or even integration with the faucet. As a renter, this makes it difficult for me to think about these things.

But the Clearly under-sink filter installs in line with the water line and works with your existing faucet. It took me less than five minutes to install, without drilling a single hole or having to call my landlord. All I had to do was shut off the cold water line, unscrew the water line at the valve, and connect the water lines to the appropriate connections on the Clearly Filtered system.

Photo: Matthew Corvage

Clearly filtered

3-stage under-sink filtration system

It’s a more expensive system than other systems from Clearly Filtered, but it doesn’t require filling and refilling a jug that takes up space in my refrigerator or on the counter. It also decreased my water flow rate a little, but not enough to bother me. The lab’s reported filtration levels for PFAS are also as good as I’d expect, at or near 99 percent in most cases. My own chemical testing showed that the three-stage filter removed chloramines from my water system to undetectable levels. (The pitcher filter almost achieved this, but not quite).

Note that priming the three-stage filters takes at least 15 minutes from running the tap, although I say I need to run the water for half an hour before the total dissolved solids return to normal levels. This reflects my experience with the carafe, which also requires a few extra filtration cycles to be fully prepared.

However, none of the filtered systems are clearly at the bottom of the market, price-wise. So discounts are highly appreciated, especially in the three-stage system, where percentage discounts pay off the most.