In my opinion, Clearly Filtered is one of the best options for a water filter that is both affordable & easy-to-use and can adequately filter your drinking water.
I’ll tell you why I’ve come to that conclusion so that you can decide whether this water filter is a good fit for you and your family.
This guide is not sponsored. The water pitcher was gifted, and this article does contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine.
By the way: This review is focused more on the Clearly Filtered pitcher filter, but they do have other products, too (like under-the-sink filters, fridge filters, and water bottles).
Pros & Cons in a Nutshell
PROS of the Clearly Filtered water pitcher:
- It’s a pitcher, so it’s:
- something most people are already used to using
- very little learning curve
- no installation required
- good for renters / people who move a lot
- good for single-person homes who don’t need a big filter
- gravity-fed (no electricity required)
- Relatively affordable for how much it can filter out
- Standard lifespan per filter is longer than the average Brita-type filter (~40 gallons vs. 100 gallons)
- Filters out a lot of contaminants (without stripping the water of beneficial minerals)
- Made of Tritan plastic, which is one of the “least bad” kinds of plastic
- 30-day money back guarantee (you still have to pay for shipping though)
CONS of the Clearly Filtered pitcher:
- May not be a good option for larger households (holds 10 cups)
- More expensive than your average Brita-type filter
- Not plastic-free
- The annual cost of replacing the filters is more than some other brands
- Slight learning curve the first time you use it (you just have to prime the filter, but it’s easy)
I’ve expanded more on all of these points below.
(P.S. If you’re already ready to buy, you can use the code THEFILTERY20 for 20% off. Applicable to the pitcher only.)
1. Very easy to use & fits a variety of lifestyles
Most people are very used to pitcher-style water filters, so there’s very little learning curve involved here. (By contrast, I’ve had a couple of friends & family members tell me they’re intimidated by my AquaTru countertop dispenser! 😅)
It’s lightweight, easy-to-use, and requires no installation or electricity. It’s a great option for renters, older folks, and single-person households.
2. Pretty affordable for what it can do
The up-front cost of a Clearly Filtered pitcher is $81 if you sign up for Autoship (it’s $90 if you don’t).
But when shopping for a new water filter, you should consider the annual cost of replacing the filters, too. The approximate yearly cost for this pitcher is roughly $90 for a single-person household, or $274 for a family of 4. (That also depends on if you buy a single replacement or a 6-pack. It’s cheaper per filter if you buy more at once.)
They have a very helpful and quick quiz (right on the product page) to help you decide how often you should replace your filter based on your household size and what you’ll be using the water for.
Clearly Filtered is more expensive than something like a Brita, but it also filters out a lot more contaminants than a Brita. Not only can it filter out more contaminants, but you can put more water through it. A standard Brita can filter about 40 gallons of water, whereas a Clearly Filtered one can filter about 100 gallons.
So basically, you’re getting a lot more for your money.
But of course, it’s more affordable than fancier filters like an under-the-sink or whole-house filters. This is why I think it’s a great “middle-ground” water filter… It’s high-performance, but not super fancy or expensive.
3. Filters out a lot of contaminants
Clearly Filtered uses “Affinity® Filtration Technology” to filter out over 365 different contaminants. The details of their filters are “proprietary,” which is kind of annoying as a customer, but they do tell you that they use 6 different types of filtration media. That’s a good thing because different types of filtration media can filter out different types of contaminants.
It involves 3 different layers:
- The “Screening Layer” prevents larger particles from passing through
- The “Carbon Later” targets common contaminants like chlorine, VOCs, and certain other contaminants
- And the “Composite Layer” targets other chemicals that carbon alone can’t—like PFAS, microplastics, and more
The Clearly Filtered pitcher can remove the following contaminants at 98% or above:
- Microplastics
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Fluoride
- Pesticides
- Chlorine
- Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)
- Radioactive particles
- Pharmaceuticals
- PFAS (some specific PFAS tested were removed above 99%, whereas others were removed above 95%. None of the PFAS tested were removed below >95.00%.)
They actually have data for its ability to filter over 370 different contaminants, which is pretty impressive!
It is tested to meet NSF/ANSI standards 42, 53, 401 and 473. You can check out all of their lab results and performance data here.
4. But it doesn’t filter out beneficial minerals
One of the biggest differences between my Clearly Filtered pitcher and my reverse osmosis AquaTru filter is that the Clearly Filtered pitcher doesn’t get rid of beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium, etc.
The AquaTru removes everything from the water, which means I have to add minerals back into my water. But I don’t have to worry about doing that with the Clearly Filtered pitcher. That’s definitely a selling point.
My personal experience using it
To be honest, there’s not that much to say about using the pitcher. It’s very straightforward.
The main thing I want to tell you that makes it different from other pitcher-style filters is that you have to “prime” the filter every time you put a new one in. (Don’t worry: it’s not difficult.)
You have to do this step because, according to the brand, “the filter has a firm outer layer of filtration media (targeting the smallest contaminants) that is tightly packed. The flushing process uses water pressure to force water through that layer,” which basically ensures the water can begin filtering adequately and in a reasonable amount of time.
All you have to do is:
- Attach the reusable priming bag to the new filter (your new filter should come with a priming bag)
- Fill up the priming bag with water
- Squeeze the bag to force water through the filter
- Repeat 2-3 times
- Keep the priming bag for future use
Note: When I primed my filter for the first time, I noticed a lot of water spilling over the edges of the filter where it’s connected to the priming bag, and not actually going through the filter. I thought this meant it might not be working correctly, but they say it’s totally fine and normal! Clearly Filtered says that as long as your water filters in under 35 minutes, the priming process worked properly.
That brings me to the topic of filtering speed.
I find that it takes about 15 minutes for the water to filter through the pitcher. I’ve heard some people say this is slow compared to your standard store-bought filter, but it’s been so long since I’ve used one of those that I’m honestly not sure.
But the internet tells me that Brita takes an average of 10-15 minutes to filter too, so there may not really be that much of a difference.
Keep in mind that no matter what kind of filter you’re using, you don’t want your water to filter too fast because that can mean it didn’t get enough contact time with the filtration media, and therefore probably wasn’t adequately filtered. So, sometimes slower is better.
One other thing I want to tell you is to make sure the filter is on tight enough. The first time I installed the filter, I could see water running down the side of the filter (instead of through it), like this:
This means that some of the water wasn’t getting filtered.
All I did to fix this was:
- unscrew the filter
- re-apply the gasket ring, making sure it was pressed down all the way into the crevice
- re-twist the filter back on, making sure to make it really tight
And that worked—no more leakage!
But Abbie, it’s made of plastic!
Yes, the pitcher is made of plastic, which is not ideal. But, as I discussed in my guide to the most affordable water filters, here’s why I’m not super concerned:
- It’s made from Tritan plastic, which is one of the “least bad” kinds of plastic. It’s medical-grade, free from BPA/BPS, and is one of the most inert kinds of plastic on the market. (You can read more about Tritan here.)
- The 3 things that increase chemical leaching out of plastic are heat, acidity, and time.
- I’m not worried about the heat aspect because the water in my pitcher will always be either cold or room temperature.
- Water is neutral, not acidic.
- Personally, I drink a lot of water, so the water is never sitting in my plastic filter for long amounts of time. I will say that whenever I leave for a longer amount of time (like on vacation), I will dump the water in the pitcher when I get back and refill it. Or just make sure the is pitcher empty when I leave.
- When you weigh it all out, you’re still getting much cleaner water. Even if a small amount of microplastics may leach from the pitcher to your drinking water, it’s still filtering out a lot more contaminants (including microplastics that are already in your tap water). So to me, it’s definitely worth it.
Now, there are a few non-plastic water filters on the market, such as Boroux (formally known as Berkey), but so far, I haven’t been able to find one that I feel confident recommending in terms of filtration capabilities.
I’d love to see a water filter hit that market that is plastic-free, affordable, and can thoroughly filter drinking water. Until then, I’m okay with using one that’s made from safer plastic for the reasons above.
All of that being said, this is one of the reasons that whole-house and under-the-sink filters might be a better option if it makes sense for you and your family… because you don’t have to worry about the plastic container situation.
But again, if you rent or have other reasons for wanting to go with a regular pitcher-type filter, I personally still think it’s worth using a Tritan plastic filter rather than no filter at all.
If you’re ready to buy, you can use the code THEFILTERY for 20% off (applicable to the pitcher only).
If you have any other questions about the Clearly Filtered water pitcher, let me know below and I’ll try to address them!
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