Water Filter Reviews

These filters work fine for improving the taste of water and removing impurities, but when it comes to the way it feels in your mouth Brita takes it up a notch. Brita filters are the only filters on the market that soften water with silver oxide pellets that act just like expensive water softening equipment. From what I can tell the Brita filters (dispensers, pitchers, and replacement filters) are all less expensive than Pur.

Pur makes water filters for campers and backpackers, proving their abilities with water far worse and more suspect than your home tap. Only Katadyn has a better reputation for personal filtration, and Katadyn bought Pur. Rest assured, these are technologically solid and proven filters.

So why Pur? I looked at Brita and Pur back in 1998, and found that Pur was filtering more harmful elements than Brita. While Brita may or may not have caught up, it hasn't surpassed Pur in quality, and I've put my trust in Pur before. Going with proven leaders, especially with your water, is smart.

These filters have low-tech indicators that let you know when an allotaed volume of water has passed through the filter. If your water is generally clean, you can go a week or so past the "expiration" date. These filters are more expensive than Brita filters for pitchers, but I believe Pur is still catching more bad stuff.

Finally, there are no "silver oxide pellets" in Brita filters. Don't take my word for it: check their website for proof. In fact, Brita specifically says it does not filter out sodium, the primary "hard" component of hard water.

So make your choice by visiting each website, and seeing the list of harmful impurities and organisms filtered out; also check micron-sizes of filter elements and filter pores; and lastly, see which company has technology across the entire spectrum of filtration needs. You'll probably be shopping for a Pur 10-pack soon enough...

My roommates always used Brita, but when I moved out and shopped for a water filter on my own, Pur was definitely the better choice. The filters are better-made and have a more-sophisticated filtering process, plus they automatically tell you when it's time to change them. The pitcher-style filter is best because it's easier to move it in/out of the fridge when I want cold/room temp. water, etc (unlike the under-sink ones that are attached to your faucet). I will never go back to Brita.

Price is a little [costly](ok), Installation was fairly easy (good), Water is clean and tastless(great).

I have tried many filtration system (piture, sink, countertop) and I do like this the best. Does not take up room in fridge, no clunkie faucit attachment, and great filtration.

I'd give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
When you first attach the PUR filter, it works beautifully. Water comes out fast, and comes out clean. But fairly soon, and well before the filter is supposedly used up, the filter cuts down on the flow as it gets more and more clogged. After a while it can take 30 seconds to fill up a glass of water. Ours also has a leakage problem that is exacerbated the more clogged the filter is (the leak comes from the plastic covering that tells you how used up the filter is)...Don't know if ours is defective or if this is typical.

We have since bought a PUR pitcher filtration system, and that seems to be more convenient to use because you don't have to sit there like a ... waiting for your glass to fill up.

PUR is superior to BRITA filters, by the way, because they also filter giardia and cryptosporidium, two bacteria that can cause intestinal illnesses. This is especially important if you live in areas with iffy water systems (i.e. St. Petersburg, Russia, which is full of giardia/Mexico) or if you have a weak immune system.

The PUR filters work out to about 25 cents per gallon of filtered water. It costs more to filter dirtier water and less to filter cleaner water.

When you finally throw out the used filter, try cracking it open and having a look at all the nasty gunk that you didn't put into your body. It's definitely worth the price, don't you think?

We recently purchased the Pur water filter that is the horizontal faucet model. It not only works great but it also looks great, too. We purchased the shiny chrome model so aesthetically it blends right in with our faucet and looks fabulous. We had just installed a new faucet not too long ago and the water coming from it did not smell or taste very good. After installing the Pur water filter, the water tastes like bottled water and the odor is completely gone. I had chosen the Pur system over the Brita water filtration system as someone who reviewed the Pur system had said it tackles a couple of bacteria that the Brita system does not like giardia so I was grateful for their input as I didn't realize that. I used to own a Brita model and was never that pleased with the water as far as taste goes, but I am very happy with the Pur faucet model and would highly recommend it. The horizontal model has an easy toggle that enables you to switch back and forth between the filtered water and the unfiltered water for when you don't need the filtered water. The water doesn't flow out as quick when it's filtered but it's worth the wait. The cost was $39.99 but again it seems like it was worth the cost.

I find it more than a bit ridiculous that Pur charges 40 dollars for their product and 20 - 25 dollars for their replacement filters. I have owned 3 Pur sink mounted water filters and every one of them has ended up in the garbage within the first year of use. Why? Because they begin to leak at the faucet connection and this leak grows progressively worse over time. Tightening the unit does not help and in fact may make the leak worse. Removing and reinstalling the unit does not help. I have become so frustrated by Pur water products that I will never again purchase anything made by them. I just installed a Brita filter on my sink a couple of days ago and no problems yet and even if any do occur the Brita is more reasonably priced at up to 15 dollars cheaper for the sink mounted unit. Do yourself a favor and avoid this over-priced piece of junk at all costs.

I bought this filter two weeks ago, and I really like it. I did notice a difference in the smell and taste of my water (although almost imperceptible). I just wanted the water cleaned, as I drink a ton of it. The main complaint is that it did in fact leak. I used a little pipe-threading tape, and now it just barely drips. The other problem is how slow it comes out of the filter-- 5 or more minutes to fill a 2 gal. jug. That's a minor point. Finally, I kind of wonder if $20-$30 for the filters might not be a little extreme. Nevertheless, if you understand the real price, and get someone to install it, I would recommend it.

I bought this particular filter and faucet mount for a couple of reasons. First, I had something called chlordane in my water (an insecticide) and I wanted it out. Secondly, my water had a very strong chlorine smell to it. I looked into getting a filter that scrubs chlorine, and maybe I eventually will, but for now this particular filter works fine. I bought the mount because it just happened to be on sale when I went to the store to buy it. I had read a lot of bad stuff about the vertical filters and how they consistently leaked after a few months, but hadn't seen anything like that for their horizontal mounts. I was a little disappointed at first when I installed my filter because it did indeed leak. Fortunately, it doesn't leak from the filter housing, but rather where the filter is connected to the tap. Eventually, that problem went away, though not before spraying water all over my kitchen. I was also not happy with the prospect of having to run my water for five minutes to clean out the filter, but I lived with it. Really, I may sound negative, but I'm actually quite happy that I bought the filter. My water tastes better (though is still heavy) and smells better. I feel better now that I've removed the chemicals from what I'm drinking, and I well pleased with the filter. The water flow is fine, though I've heard it tends to slow down as it gets older. The display to let you know when the filter needs replacing as opposed to just guessing is nice. It's a good little filter unless you're looking to scrub chlorine from your water (it only removes taste and odor) and worth consideration if you just want water that tastes better.

I have always used Pur Water Filtration Systems on all my faucets at home and after awhile the housing starts to show wear and tear from so much use. I liked the idea of this one being a countertop model instead of a faucet mount. I bought it thinking I would like it just as much as my faucet mount ones and boy was I wrong. This thing does nothing but leak. I attached the hose to the faucet per their instructions and set the thing on the counter only to come back in less than hour to find my counter drenched in water and dripping onto the floor as well. The hoses that attach to the back of the unit leak and there is no way to stop it. I am stuck with this thing because the place where I bought refuses to take it back.

We have had this product for a couple of years. We use in our bathroom so we don't have to have bottled water there. We need a new filter, but now I find you have discontinued the item. It is a shame such a good product has been discontinued. Are replacement filters still available?

Just wanted to share that Steven Dennis' review isn't entirely accurate. Brita filters out Giardia and Cryptosporidium as well. http://www.brita.com/202i.html I haven't noticed a real difference between Brita and Pur yet.

I'd give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.
When you first attach the PUR filter, it works beautifully. Water comes out fast, and comes out clean. But fairly soon, and well before the filter is supposedly used up, the filter cuts down on the flow as it gets more and more clogged. After a while it can take 30 seconds to fill up a glass of water. Ours also has a leakage problem that is exacerbated the more clogged the filter is (the leak comes from the plastic covering that tells you how used up the filter is)...Don't know if ours is defective or if this is typical.

We have since bought a PUR pitcher filtration system, and that seems to be more convenient to use because you don't have to sit there like a ... waiting for your glass to fill up.

PUR is superior to BRITA filters, by the way, because they also filter giardia and cryptosporidium, two bacteria that can cause intestinal illnesses. This is especially important if you live in areas with iffy water systems (i.e. St. Petersburg, Russia, which is full of giardia/Mexico) or if you have a weak immune system.

The PUR filters work out to about 25 cents per gallon of filtered water. It costs more to filter dirtier water and less to filter cleaner water.

When you finally throw out the used filter, try cracking it open and having a look at all the nasty gunk that you didn't put into your body. It's definitely worth the price, don't you think?