Long gone are the days of Brita water in every household. I think we can all agree that we want a filter that actually removes contaminants. You may also be on the hunt for a water filter pitcher that makes alkaline water. In my comprehensive Aquagear water filter pitcher review, you’ll learn everything you need to know before you decide if this is the pitcher for you.
I know there are a lot of options to choose from, and the best place to start when choosing the best water filter pitcher is with the company profile. Who is Aquagear? Are they transparent? Company transparency is often overlooked, and it’s one of the key factors in all of my reviews.
In my Aquagear water filter pitcher review, you’ll learn all the key features of this pitcher, a bit about Aquagear, replacement filter cost and life, and of course, my review with all the pros and cons of owning this pitcher.
We’ll also see if the Aquagear pitcher makes alkaline water since I know you might be looking for those alkaline h2O benefits everyone is after.
Are you ready? Let’s start with the key features.
Key Features
- 100% Food-Grade and BPA-Free Materials
- Five-stage 2-micron filter made in the United States (1st filter included)
- Third-party tested by ISO-accredited labs (ISO is the head honcho when it comes to international quality control standards)
- Filter removed 98.6% of fluoride on the most recent test report
- The filter removes lead, chlorine, chloramines, chromium 6, mercury, VOCs, arsenic, and other contaminants (2,000% more than leading water filter pitcher brands)
- Filter does not remove essential alkaline minerals including calcium and magnesium
- 100% recyclable and vegan
- Lifetime guarantee and customer support
- The Aquagear Foundation brings clean water to people in need around the world
- Filter Life: 150 gallons or 6 months (3x longer than standard Brita filter)
- Capacity: 8 cups of filtered water
- Dimensions: 11” Height x 5.5” Depth x 10.5” Width
How to Use the Aquagear Pitcher
The following items will arrive in your Aquagear package:
- The pitcher
- 1 filter
- The flushing assembly
- Instructions
When you receive your pitcher, it’s best to wash all the parts except the filter with warm soapy water. Make sure to use a non-abrasive sponge to avoid scratching the plastic.
Once you’ve allowed the pitcher to air dry completely, it’s time to flush the filter.
Other considerations:
- Aquagear recommends washing the pitcher (minus the filter) at least once every three weeks with warm soapy water
- Keep your pitcher away from the sun to avoid potential algae or bacterial growth inside the reservoir
- Be sure to put the flushing assembly for the filter somewhere you won’t forget for later use
Replacement Filters
One of the greatest advantages of owning the Aquagear instead of a Brita is the longer filter life.
Where to buy Aquagear replacement filters
The best place to buy Aquagear replacement filters is right online through Amazon.
Click the image below to check the current price and read more about Aquagear’s filters at Amazon #ad:
How long do Aquagear filters last?
Aquagear rates the filter life at 150 gallons or six months. You’ll know when it’s time to replace the filter because the filtering rate slows to a trickle.
Do Aquagear filters remove fluoride?
Yes, they do. The latest test result on 7/24/18 using EPA Method 300 shows a fluoride reduction of 98.60%.
What’s in Aquagear’s filters?
Here’s what’s inside Aquagear’s filters:
- Activated coconut carbon
- CRM ion exchange media
The filter removes up to 99.9% of tap water contaminants without removing essential minerals.
Does the Aquagear pitcher make alkaline water?
Now for one of the most important questions: Does this pitcher make alkaline water?
The answer is yes and no. Why? It depends on the pH of your source water.
Here’s a list of key points:
- Unlike reverse osmosis filtration or the Zero water filter, the Aquagear filter does not strip all the minerals from your water.
- The Aquagear can slightly raise the pH of your tap water because it removes acidic contaminants while leaving healthy alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium intact. This is why the resulting pH depends on the mineral content of your tap water.
- If your water starts out as acidic, there’s a good chance that it’ll remain slightly acidic.
- You won’t get as high of pH as with other alkaline water filter pitchers.
- The “ion exchange media” in the filter does add minerals to your water.
What to expect?
Below are the conclusions I drew:
- The filtering time may feel slow, and it can vary between filters
- Get peace of mind knowing that this filter removed fluoride
- The filter is not NSF-certified, and Aquagear does not disclose the name of its third-party lab
My Aquagear Water Filter Review
After reading through the current Aquagear water filter info and learning everything there is to know about this pitcher, I feel qualified to offer you my two cents.
Likes
- I like that the pitchers are 100% BPA-free and recyclable.
- Aquagear will send you a postage-paid return label for used filters to recycle them.
- Fluoride removal is a must-have feature for me, and Aquagear (supposedly) removes over 98% of fluoride.
- The longer filter life is nice. Only needing to change the filter twice a year is a lot better than every few months.
- The quick filter flush – Other water filters sometimes require multiple flushes before you can start drinking filtered water. These flush sessions can take hours.
- The lifetime guarantee and customer support
- I like what the company is doing to help those in need with their Aquagear Foundation.
- I like that the filter does not remove essential minerals.
Dislikes
- It seems to me that the company has a quality control issue with the filter since a lot of people reported waiting forever for the water to filter.
- The reservoir only holds 1/2 gallon of filtered water. I sometimes drink a gallon of water a day, and if the filter takes as long as people say it does, I’d be irritated for sure. The guy who purchased the 2.5-gallon jug to make large batches had the right idea. If not, the capacity is too small for multiple people or a family.
- The gentleman who pointed out that Aquagear doesn’t post the names of the third-party labs doing the tests or the original copies on their website made a good point. I prefer a higher level of company transparency.
- I prefer to drink alkaline ionized water for its health benefits. While I do think the Aquagear filter removes contaminants, it doesn’t ionize the water like a home water ionizer or make true alkaline water.
Final Thoughts
The Aquagear water filter pitcher is certainly a major step up from a Brita or other similar water filter pitchers.
If you’re looking for purified water that has minerals in it, buy the Aquagear with confidence that it’ll deliver what you want.
One of my main gripes with the Aquagear pitcher is the slow filtering process. It’s a mixed bag between people waiting minutes and people waiting hours.
If they clean up that issue and post the original water test reports online, I think the Aquagear will be more deserving of a spot in the best water filter pitcher conversation. Until that happens, it feels like too much of a dice roll to me.
