The market is saturated with water filter pitcher brands heavily competing against each other. However, a couple of filter pitcher manufacturers stand out: PUR and Brita. They are very similar and also different in multiple areas.
Both water filter pitchers have a warranty of 90 days, and the capacity of their standard filters is 40 gallons of water, they are both affordable, and are able to remove multiple contaminants. However, PUR is capable of removing twice as many contaminants as Brita.
Brita filters are slightly more affordable than PUR filters and they are also easier to purchase. Though they have the upper hand in convenience and affordability, PUR is superior in filtration efficiency.
PUR vs Brita Quick Comparison
[wptb id=604]No time to read? Here is a summary of the Pur vs Brita water pitcher comparison:
Review Summary – Pur or Brita: Which Is the Best?
In the filter pitcher battle of PUR and Brita products, Brita filters and replacement filters cost less upfront.
Although PUR’s options have numerous positive reviews and their filtration is highly efficient, Brita’s options steal the spotlight with its broad range of attractive designs and long-lasting filter, which doesn’t cost you extra.
When it comes to the number of contaminants they can remove, PUR filters are the better option because they remove much more contaminants than Brita filters.
When it comes to faucet filters, there’s no clear winner. Brita and PUR both have positive reviews for their faucet filter options. However, PUR faucet filter options have a better design and have a Bluetooth feature. This gives it a slight edge over Brita.
Brita may be more popular globally because of its filtration products, but PUR filters hold well against Brita filters. Their costs are similar to Brita’s, and their faucet filters’ design compensates for the basic look of their pitchers.
Conclusively, Brita and Pur filters are so similar, that there is no real winner. You can go for any of them because they are both high-quality brands and can boast thousands of loyal customers.
Filter Media Comparison
PUR Water Pitcher
There are two variants of PUR water filter pitchers: a pitcher with LED and a standard pitcher. Both filter pitchers function very similarly to each other. They both utilize MAXION® Filter Technology.
It has WQA certification for removing mercury, lead, chlorine, pesticides, and many others. To begin filtration, fill the PUR filter pitcher with tap water, then the filter will slowly eliminate contaminants.
The filtration media is a coconut shell media, which has smaller pores than that of activated carbon. These pores block contaminants and retain them on the surface of the filter, allowing tap water to go through.
There’s a replacement for PUR Standard filter and PUR lead reduction filter. The latter is capable of eliminating more contaminants.
Brita Water Pitcher
Like the PUR filter, the Brita filter pitcher gradually gets rid of contaminants. The filter purifies the tap water and makes it taste better for drinking, thereby improving water quality.
The most known filters are the Brita Standard and Brita Longlast Filter. The Standard filter is the one we’re focusing on. It can filter out cadmium, chlorine, mercury, copper, and more.
Brita’s water filter pitcher utilizes carbon block media to filter out water contaminants. It also uses separate fibers as its pre-filter for removing sediments. The Long-Last filter has an identical composition, but it’s 3x more durable than the Standard Filter.
Contaminants Removal
PUR or Brita water filters are not as effective as reverse osmosis filtration in the aspect of contaminants removal. However, for water filter pitchers, PUR and Brita have an incredible filtration range because they can eliminate more contaminants than a typical water filter pitcher.
PUR Filter Pitcher Contaminants’ Range
PUR filters remove the below contaminants:
- Atrazine
- Atelol
- Benzene
- Cadmium
- Bisphenol A
- Carbamazepine
- Taste and Odour (Chlorine)
- Carbon tetrachloride
- Estrone
- Copper
- Linuron
- Microbial cysts
- Mercury
- Particulate Class VI
- Nonyl Phenol
- Particulate Class I
- TCEP
- Simazine
- Trimethoprim
- Tetrachloroethylene
- Zinc
PUR pitcher filter can reduce chlorine by almost 100% and the other contaminants by 92%. It’s your go-to filter pitcher if you’re seeking optimal contaminant removal.
Brita Pitcher Filter Contaminants’ Range
- Copper
- Cadmium
- Taste and odor (chlorine)
- Mercury
- Zinc
They also reduce lead and asbestos from water.
Filters Performance Comparison
In the performance comparison of Brita vs PUR filters, we will consider three areas:
- The filter’s durability
- Its filtration efficiency
- Its filtration speed
PUR Pitcher Filter
PUR water filters are capable of filtering for two months or 40 water gallons. This is the expected durability of the follow-come water filter before you’ll need to replace the filter.
This is a good deal because a replacement will only cost you roughly $25 for a 3-pack water filter. This equates to 120 gallons of water (6 months). So in a year, that’s only $50. It’s a great deal if you ask us.
Its operating capacity is 11 full cups of water, which will take up to 6 minutes of filtration to produce treated water. For a filter pitcher, this is quite impressive.
Although some reviews have countered this claim saying it takes up to 11 minutes to treat water. However, when you compare this to pitchers that require up to 1 hour to filter water, it’s still very impressive.
Also, note that the filtration speed of these water filters will reduce towards the expiration of their lifespan. This means that you may start seeing changes in speed after five weeks or thereabouts. After the above-mentioned period, it can take up to 30 minutes to filter or treat water.
Brita Pitcher Filter
For Brita’s filter pitcher, filtration speed is slightly slower. It takes about 15 minutes to treat or filter water. Like the PUR filters, Brita filters will require a replacement after 40 gallons or two months.
However, in the Brita vs PUR performance comparison, Brita gains the upper hand with its Longlast filter that can function for six months or 120 gallons before it will require changing.
The Brita Longlast filter also offers you a fair value for your money because it costs just roughly $17 and will last for you half a year. This is the same as a 3-pack for PUR filters, which offers combined durability of 6 months as well.
Brita is comfortably among the leading water filters for a reason; no brand has matched its performance.
It’s also challenging to see a negative review about Brita’s filtration efficiency or speed. A majority of Brita’s first customers are still buying their products today; this attests to the reliability of the filter.
However, if your water is hard (rich in calcium and magnesium), you may need to replace your filter earlier than the expected lifespan (two months or six months). This also applies to PUR filters.
Brita filters are NSF certified, which is valid proof of their filtration performance. Brita’s Long-Last filter is NSF certified to remove 12 contaminants, along with lead. The water filter is as efficient as advertised.
Models and Prices
PUR Filter Models
Water Filter Pitcher: PUR has a variety of water pitchers at varying prices. The most commonly used PUR filter is the Ultimate Basic 7-cup filter. It comes at a decent price compared to a countertop filter or a faucet filter system. The Classic is also available in 11-cup capacity, and this costs more than the 7-cup version as it’s equipped with LED.
Water Dispenser: There’s also the PUR Ultimate Dispenser which has a capacity of 18 cups.
Faucet Filter: PUR has also Faucet Filters which are great alternatives to water filter pitchers.
Brita
Brita filters have more varieties than PUR- up to 15 types of pitcher filters are available. Though they share some similarities, these filters are all different.
For some, the difference is in their appearance, while for others, the difference is in the filters they use. However, all of them are designed with an identical concept.
The most commonly used of these varieties include:
- Grand
- Lake
- 1Rapid Stream Pitcher
- Metro
- Ultramax Dispenser with Longlast filter.
Because of Brita’s consistency in production, they have a wide selection of products, giving existing and potential customers many options to choose from.
Winner of Prices and Models
Brita water filters are cheaper and Brita has more models to offer than PUR. Still, PUR offers better filtration and has virtually all specifications and sizes that you may need. PUR has also more faucet filters than Brita.
Lifespan and Replacement Filters
PUR Filters
PUR’s Standard filter, as well as the lead-free filter, can both last you for up to 2 months or 40 gallons of water. You can also purchase the water filter replacement filter online.
You can also get about 40 gallons of filtered water from the faucet filter before it requires changing. Again, a good value for your money since you’ll be replacing it within 4-6 months.
The MineralClear faucet filter replacement lasts up to 3 months.
Brita Filters
Brita’s Long-Last filter is durable for up to 6 months. The Brita replacement filters for pitchers are great value for your money because you’ll only need one replacement per 6 months. This is more affordable than PUR filters.
You can purchase a replacement for a Brita faucet filter for a slightly higher price than PUR’s faucet mount replacement filter.
The Brita faucet filters last longer. While the PUR faucet filter is durable for 2-3 months, Brita’s faucet filter is durable for up to 4 months and can be bought at almost the same price as PUR’s.
PUR vs Brita Pros and Cons
Pros of PUR Filter Pitchers
Removes More Contaminant than Brita
PUR filters are more effective in removing water contaminants than Brita’s. This is the best advantage PUR water filters have over Brita water filters. While Brita’s systems can remove up to 60 contaminants, PUR systems are capable of removing up to 70 contaminants.
There isn’t much difference in their water quality or taste, but since you’re paying almost the same amount for a PUR filter as a Brita filter, PUR offers a better value for your money.
Good Value for Money
PUR’s filters have a decent price range. Between the upfront cost of a water pitcher to the cost of a replacement filter, there are many options to help you cut costs. You can also purchase packs of 2, 3, or 4 filters which can save you a lot of money in the long run.
Hitch-Free Filtration
If you’re in the market for a highly efficient water pitcher, PUR’s pitcher options should be your go-to systems because they tick all boxes. They have a simple design, and the installation process is easy. Even if you’re a first-time water filter user, you won’t be put off by PUR’s options because of its ease of use.
Cons of PUR Filter Pitchers
The Lead Removal System Is More Expensive
PUR’s lead reduction filter is regarded as the company’s attempt to make a bit more profit from its product sales. While this isn’t a bad move, it’s kind of an overkill because you’re paying more money for this lead filter. On the contrary, Brita’s Standard filters are capable of lead removal for a lower upfront cost.
Since many customers or users want their filtered water free of lead, PUR should consider this and make lead removal a general feature for all its filter options.
Basic Design
As much as PUR’s pitchers are very efficient in producing filtered water, they are very basic in their design. Basically, these pitcher jugs are in varying sizes and contain water filters that give you filtered water. The design is neither eye-catching nor modern. Not that they are ugly, but the aesthetic appeal is low. Appearance matters!
Less Easy to Purchase
Though PUR filters are not hard to get, they are not easy to find as Brita filters.
Pros of Brita Filter Pitchers
Filters and Replacements Are Cheaper
Similar to PUR, Brita filter options are pocket-friendly. As a result, Brita is regarded as one of the most popular water filter companies. It’s great that you can purchase their pitcher filters and faucet filters at very affordable prices. Since its inception, there haven’t been noticeable differences in the price tags of Brita’s pitcher options. This played a key role in giving them a huge customer base.
NSF Certification
Every one of Brita’s products has NSF certification. This is industry-standard external proof that their filtering options perform as they advertise. Brita’s best filter, the Brita Longlast filter has NAS certification for being able to remove up to 12 water contaminants.
Attractive Designs
When it comes to a comparison of appearance or design between PUR and Brita, Brita clearly comes out on top. Not only do Brita pitchers come in any style and shape, but it also ticks every preference you can think of. This means that Brita always has an option that will suit it irrespective of your taste.
If you’re interested in functionality and design, Brita’s pitchers should be your go-to option. However, the same doesn’t apply to their faucet filters. Brita’s faucet filters have a less appealing design.
Easy to Purchase
You can purchase Brita filters at several retail outlets, so it’s easy to find one near you.
Cons of Brita’s Pitchers
Their Faucet Filters Are Not as Impressive
It seems evident that Brita paid more attention to their water pitchers than their faucet filters. Though Brita faucet filter options have received many positive reviews, there are complaints about short lifespan, leakage, and poor water flow.
It’s safe to assume that based on what we know of Brita’s standard, their faucet filters are a slight disappointment.
Unable to Eliminate or Filter Out Microbes From Your Water
If you’re in the market for a filter that can eliminate bacteria or viruses, Brita’s options shouldn’t be on your checklist. But, in their defense, only a few filtration systems can eliminate microbes from water.
So don’t even think of using a Brita pitcher to treat water sourced from wells, rivers, or lakes. It simply won’t work.
