What is the difference between PUR and Clearly Filtered?

We often find that our pitchers are compared to other brands in order to understand which filters work best and remove the most contaminants. Let's take a look at PUR versus Clearly Filtered:

The Pitcher:

PUR's Basic 7-Cup Pitcher is BPA free and can filter up to 40 gallons or last up to 2 months.

Clearly Filtered's Water Pitcher uses Tritan® materials, which are medical-grade and completely free of BPA and BPS. It can filter up to 100 gallons per filter which on average lasts about 4 months. The capacity for the pitcher is 10 cups, which is 3 cups more than PUR's Pitcher—this higher capacity for filtered water means the pitcher doesn't need to be filled up as often.

PUR: 40 gallons per filter (up to 2 months)
Clearly Filtered: 100 gallons per filter (4 months on average)

The Filter:

PUR's basic filter removes 15 contaminants (if you count “taste and odor” as one like they did in their results), including Mercury, Copper, Zinc, and Chlorine. It does not remove Lead (except with a special filter), Fluoride, Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFAS, PFOA, PFOS), and many other harmful contaminants. The pitcher was tested by the WQA to NSF standards 42, 53, & 401. You can view their test results here.

Clearly Filtered removes over 350 more contaminants than PUR's pitcher. The test results, which can be viewed here, are also much more transparent and show a higher percentage of removal rates on average. Clearly Filtered is the only pitcher independently tested to NSF standards 42, 53, 244, 401 & 473.

PUR: Up to 15 contaminants
Clearly Filtered: 365+ contaminants

Cost:

The PUR Basic 7-Cup Pitcher costs $21.99 USD on their website and replacement filters are $26.99 for a 3-pack ($8.99/filter).

The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher with Affinity® Filtration Technology costs $90 USD (or $81 with a filter subscription) on the website and replacement filters are $55 USD (or $49.50 with subscription).

This brings up another important component to consider: subscription. Currently PUR does not offer a subscription plan for any of their products, but Clearly Filtered does. Clearly Filtered’s subscription lets you choose how often you want to receive your replacement filters with the option to add, skip, edit or cancel your subscription at any time. The benefits of subscription include: convenience, free shipping (USA), and 10% off every replacement filter.

PUR 7-Cup Basic Pitcher: $21.99 USD
PUR replacement filter: $26.99 for a 3-pack ($8.99/filter) USD
Clearly Filtered Pitcher: $81 - $90
Clearly Filtered replacement filter: $49.50-$55

Lifespan:

While PUR's pitchers and replacement filters are considerably cheaper, the filters have a much shorter lifespan and therefore need to be replaced more often.

Clearly Filtered's replacement filters last 2.5x longer than PUR's replacement filters.

Summary:

PUR states that their pitchers are "convenient, portable, easy to chill." They are accessible at major department stores like Target and Home Depot. Their filter uses activated carbon and ion exchange to remove a handful of contaminants.

Unlike typical filter technologies that rely on simple carbon, Clearly Filtered's Affinity® Filtration Technology uses 7 proprietary filtration media to create multiple stages of filtration. This technology targets and removes over 365 contaminants—including regulated, unregulated and new and emerging contaminants—to make sure you are protected from the risks we know today and those we could learn about tomorrow. You won't find these pitchers at your standard department stores.

Which filter is right for you?

You’ve done your research, and hopefully you now feel well-informed and ready to make a decision between Clearly Filtered and PUR. If you are looking for premium materials, more extensive contaminant filtering, longer filter life, the option for subscription, and superior technology, Clearly Filtered may be the right choice for you. Explore the full line-up of Clearly Filtered products to learn more.