What contaminants does Clearly Filtered actually remove? Per third-party listing vs per the brand's 365+ contaminant marketing?

It depends which evidence tier you ask about. Certified (NSF-listed): one claim — chlorine taste-and-odor reduction on the pitcher (NSF/ANSI 42), plus lead-free plumbing material (NSF/ANSI/CAN 372). Lab-tested (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025): ~122 contaminants per the Pitcher Performance Data — lead 99.34% (152 ppb), PFOA >99.00%, PFOS >99.50%, fluoride >99.54% (2.18 ppm), chromium-6 >99.86-99.97%, arsenic 99.99%, HAA5 >99.98%, nitrate >99.96%, sulfate 99.88%, ammonia >99.99%, plus mercury, cadmium, uranium, radium 226/228, cysts, microplastics, BPA, VOCs, and more. The '365+ contaminants' headline aggregates these by counting subcategories (each haloacetic acid, each VOC, each PFAS variant) separately. Independent reviewer WaterFilterGuru confirmed 100% fluoride (1.1 ppm → 0) and 100% uranium (0.014 ppm → 0) removal in a Colorado test, but flagged 0.0054 ppm of cobalt appearing in the filtered water despite a >98.31% cobalt claim. See our lead in tap water guide and PFAS contaminant page.

Clearly Filtered vs Brita vs Berkey vs Aquasana — what's the difference?

Each sits at a different mix of certification, scope, and price. Brita Elite (OB06) — NSF-listed for NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 (~30 contaminants), every claim certified, cheapest ($30-$45 pitcher, ~$36-$48/yr). Clearly Filtered — NSF-listed only for 42 + 372; the broader PFAS/fluoride/chromium-6/uranium scope is IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab-tested ($90-$140 pitcher, ~$165-$210/yr). Berkey — zero third-party listings, under an active EPA FIFRA order since May 2023; substitutes ISO 17025 lab reports ($400-$500 gravity canister). Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage (AQ-5300) — WQA-listed for 42 + 53 + 401 across 78 contaminants including PFOA/PFOS, under-sink ($170-$260, ~$120-$160/yr). Pick Brita for cheapest certified lead; Aquasana for certified PFAS at the tap; Clearly Filtered for broad lab-tested scope in a pitcher; Berkey only for off-grid gravity (or certified gravity rivals Doulton British Berkefeld / ProOne G3.0). First, check what's actually in your water first — then see the lead in tap water guide and PFAS contaminant page.

How long does the Clearly Filtered pitcher cartridge last, and how often do I replace it?

The pitcher's cartridge is rated 100 gallons — the longest in the pitcher market. Compare Brita Elite (120 gal, narrower scope), Brita Standard (40 gal), and ZeroWater (20-40 gal on hard water). At ~25-30 gallons/month for a family of 4, that's a swap every ~3-4 months. Cartridges run $55-$70 each, or $200-$280 for an autoship 6-pack (~$33-$47 each) — roughly $165-$210/yr, or $130-$190 on autoship. Free-shipping autoship is a convenience win per the Reddit community. The under-sink and fridge filters use different cartridges (~6 and ~12 months). The brand notes slowdown is normal at end of life: 'a slower filtration speed or loss of flow doesn't mean the filter is defective, but rather that it's doing its job.' Hard or heavily contaminated water shortens the interval — check your water quality by ZIP code.

Who owns Clearly Filtered and where is it manufactured?

Clearly Filtered, Inc. is independent and privately held — founded 2011, headquartered at 23121 Antonio Parkway, Suite 130, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688. No parent company, no SEC filings, no disclosed M&A. Manufacturing is in Sturgis, Michigan, per the NSF certifier record; the brand markets products as 'built in the USA' and 'tested by EPA-accredited labs.' Customer service is 877-876-2740. 'Affinity® Filtration Technology' is the brand's trademarked filter media, not a separate company — NSF returns 'No Matching Products Found' for 'Affinity Filtration.' The brand does not disclose component country-of-origin for the carbon media, ion-exchange resin, or Tritan plastic housings.

Is the '99.9% removal of 365+ contaminants' claim third-party certified?

No — it's tested, not certified. The '365+ contaminants' claim aggregates ~122 brand-published reduction rows on the Pitcher Performance Data Sheet, every one from IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing under NSF/ANSI protocols. That testing is real, but ISO 17025 accredits the lab, not the product — one tier below a certification listing under a named standard. The only NSF listing under the brand's name is the pitcher's NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 (chlorine + lead-free plumbing). WaterFilterGuru measured the gap as 'certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' — one certified out of ~122. Is the testing reliable? Largely yes: that same hands-on Colorado test found 100% fluoride and 100% uranium removal, matching the brand's claims. The catch is just breadth of evidence — wide lab-tested scope, narrow certified footprint. First check your water quality by ZIP code, then see the lead in tap water guide and filters certified for PFAS.

Clearly Filtered Water Filters

Q: Is Clearly Filtered NSF certified?

Only partly — and only the pitcher. On the NSF directory, just one Clearly Filtered product is listed: the Filtered Water Pitcher and its replacement filter, certified to NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste/odor) and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (lead-free plumbing material). Neither is a health-contaminant cert. There's no NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, PFAS, chromium-6, cysts), 58, 401, or P473 listing under the brand's name, and the under-sink, fridge, and bottle SKUs aren't NSF-listed at all. The '365+ contaminants' claim instead rests on IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing — real third-party testing against NSF/ANSI protocols, but not certification under them. Before trusting any marketing, check your water quality by ZIP code. See also our lead in tap water guide and PFAS contaminant page.

Clearly Filtered is a US premium pitcher brand marketing '99.9% of 365+ contaminants,' but its only NSF listing is NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 (taste/odor + lead-free); the broader claims rest on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing, not certification.

Best for

Households wanting an NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 certified pitcher with strong evidence — IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing documents 99%+ lead and PFAS
Buyers needing fluoride or uranium reduction in a pitcher — WaterFilterGuru's independent test found 100% fluoride and uranium removal
Households on lead-line or PFAS-impacted water who can absorb the premium price and prefer brand-published lab evidence to zero-cert systems
Premium-pitcher buyers wanting broader tested scope than Brita Elite OB06 — accepting it is brand-published testing, not 53-certified

Not recommended for

Buyers requiring NSF/ANSI 53 certification on lead/PFAS/chromium-6 — the pitcher carries 42 + 372 only; the rest is ISO 17025-tested
Cost-conscious buyers — the pitcher plus refills run ~$165-$210/yr for a family of 4, far above Brita Elite and PUR Plus
Buyers seeking a whole-house or RO system — Clearly Filtered's lineup is entirely point-of-use (pitcher, bottle, fridge, under-sink)
Risk-averse buyers wanting every marketing claim third-party certified — only the chlorine taste-and-odor claim carries an NSF listing

Premium tier — typically $500+

Certs:NSF/ANSI 42, 372
1 SKU
$58–$550
Parent:None — Clearly Filtered, Inc.

Certification Reality: What's Actually Tested

This table shows the NSF/IAPMO/WQA-listed certifications for each Clearly Filtered SKU we tracked, alongside the contaminants the brand markets but which do not appear on the third-party listing. Green chips are third-party verified; amber chips are marketing claims without a corresponding listing. Every row links to the live certifier database so you can verify the listed claim set yourself.

SKU / Model	Standards held	What’s certified	Brand claims but NOT certified	NSF listing
CF-PITCHER-80oz Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz / 10-cup, with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's flagship and only NSF-listed SKU	Performance NSF/ANSI 42 NSF/ANSI/CAN 372	Chlorine (Taste and Odor)	Lead PFOA PFOS Total PFAS suite Fluoride Chromium-6 / Hexavalent Chromium Arsenic Mercury Cadmium Uranium Radium 226/228 Cysts Microplastics BPA Pharmaceuticals Haloacetic Acids Trihalomethanes Nitrate / Nitrite Atrazine Glyphosate Ammonia Sulfate VOCs Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Lead — marketed at 99.34% reduction (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab test at 152 ppb influent); not NSF/ANSI 53 certified PFOA — marketed at >99.00% reduction (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab test at 0.5 ppb influent); not NSF P473 certified PFOS — marketed at >99.50% reduction (lab test at 1 ppb influent); not NSF P473 certified Total PFAS suite — marketed (PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFHxA) but not NSF P473 certified; the claim rests on the brand's lab data Fluoride — marketed at >99.54% reduction (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab test at 2.18 ppm influent); not NSF/ANSI 58 certified Chromium-6 / Hexavalent Chromium — marketed at 99.97% / >99.86% reduction; not NSF/ANSI 53 certified Arsenic — marketed at 99.99% reduction; not NSF/ANSI 53 certified Mercury — marketed reduction (IAPMO NJ lab testing); not NSF/ANSI 53 certified Cadmium Uranium — marketed reduction; independently confirmed at 100% reduction in WaterFilterGuru's Colorado real-world test Radium 226/228 Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Microplastics BPA (Bisphenol A) Pharmaceuticals (Ibuprofen, Atenolol, Carbamazepine, Naproxen) Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) — marketed at >99.98% reduction (IAPMO NJ lab testing); not NSF/ANSI 401 certified Trihalomethanes (THMs) Nitrate / Nitrite — marketed at >99.96% / >99.93% reduction Atrazine (Pesticide) Glyphosate (Herbicide) Ammonia — marketed at >99.99% reduction Sulfate — marketed at 99.88% reduction VOCs (Benzene, MTBE, Toluene) The Filtered Water Pitcher is where the gap between what is independently certified and what is only marketed shows up most clearly. The brand's marketing claim is '99.9% reduction of 365+ contaminants' under the Affinity® Filtration Technology umbrella; the public NSF listing carries ONE certified claim (chlorine taste-and-odor reduction under NSF/ANSI 42). WaterFilterGuru's independent third-party review quantifies the gap as 'Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' — the cert-to-claim ratio in numerical form. The honest read on the evidence: the IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing is real, performed by a recognized ISO 17025-accredited lab in the IAPMO family (formerly QFT, the same lab that has tested filters for multiple major brands), against NSF/ANSI protocols. ISO 17025 accredits the lab's quality-management practices — it does NOT certify the product under a specific performance standard. Buyers searching NSF's certification database for 'is Clearly Filtered NSF certified for lead removal' will see the NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 listing (chlorine + plumbing material) but NO NSF/ANSI 53 listing for lead under the brand name — the lead reduction claim lives in the IAPMO NJ test report, not the NSF certification. Real-world performance is genuinely strong (WaterFilterGuru documented 100% fluoride + uranium reduction on Colorado groundwater), so the evidence quality is meaningfully better than zero-cert brands like Berkey, but materially narrower than buyers reading '365+ contaminants' marketing copy may assume. One more nuance on 'removes' vs 'reduces': the per-contaminant reduction percentages are single-pass laboratory measurements at the test-protocol influent concentrations (152 ppb lead, 0.5 ppb PFOA, 2.18 ppm fluoride, etc.) — not guarantees of equivalent reduction at arbitrary real-world contaminant loads. Read more	View NSF listing
CF-UNDERSINK-3STAGE 3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's premium endpoint at the under-sink format	No active certifications		Lead PFOA PFOS Total PFAS Fluoride Chromium-6 Arsenic Mercury Cadmium Uranium Radium 226/228 Chlorine Chloramines Cysts Microplastics BPA Pharmaceuticals Haloacetic Acids Trihalomethanes Nitrate / Nitrite VOCs Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Lead PFOA PFOS Total PFAS Fluoride Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Arsenic Mercury Cadmium Uranium Radium 226/228 Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Chloramines Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) Microplastics BPA (Bisphenol A) Pharmaceuticals Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) Trihalomethanes (THMs) Nitrate / Nitrite VOCs (Benzene, MTBE, Toluene) The 3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter is the brand's premium endpoint and the SKU where the certified-vs-marketed gap is widest relative to the pitcher. The pitcher carries the NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 certification; the under-sink SKU carries the same 365+ contaminant marketing umbrella with ZERO third-party certifications under the Clearly Filtered name in NSF's, IAPMO's, or WQA's databases — every contaminant claim rests on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing alone. At the $495-$550 retail price point, this puts the under-sink SKU in direct competition with certified alternatives like the Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage AQ-5300 (WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401, ~$260) and the iSpring 3-stage RCC7AK under-sink (NSF/ANSI 58 certified, $200-$300) — both of which carry meaningfully narrower contaminant scope on paper but third-party certification rather than testing on the broader scope. Buyers paying the Clearly Filtered under-sink premium are paying for the broader (lab-tested) contaminant umbrella; buyers prioritizing third-party certification on the lead + PFAS + chromium-6 claims should consider the certified alternatives at the lower price point. Read more	Listing TBD
CF-FRIDGE-UNIVERSAL Universal Inline Fridge Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's refrigerator-format SKU	No active certifications		Lead PFOA PFOS Total PFAS Fluoride Chromium-6 Arsenic Chlorine Chloramines Cysts Microplastics BPA Pharmaceuticals Nitrate / Nitrite Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Lead PFOA PFOS Total PFAS Fluoride Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Arsenic Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Chloramines Cysts Microplastics BPA Pharmaceuticals Nitrate / Nitrite The Universal Inline Fridge Filter at $148.50-$185 is the pitcher's sister SKU: same Affinity® Filtration Technology media platform, scaled to inline refrigerator water-line installation rather than gravity pour-through, but with no certifications (zero NSF, IAPMO, or WQA listings under the Clearly Filtered name for this SKU). The brand markets the same 365+ contaminant claim umbrella as the pitcher, backed by the same IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing, with the same gap between what is certified and what is marketed. The competitive context: OEM refrigerator filters from Whirlpool EveryDrop, Samsung HAF-CIN, and LG LT1000P typically carry NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certifications on the OEM brand (certified on the major contaminant standards) at $40-$60 per filter — Clearly Filtered's fridge filter at $148.50 sits at 2.5-3.7× the OEM price point with a broader brand-claimed contaminant scope but a narrower certification footprint. Buyers prioritizing certification on lead + microplastics + pharmaceuticals in the fridge format should consider the OEM filters; buyers prioritizing the broader (lab-tested) Affinity umbrella choose Clearly Filtered. Read more	Listing TBD
CF-BOTTLE-20oz 20oz Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle (with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's portable single-SKU format	No active certifications		Lead PFOA PFOS Fluoride Chromium-6 Arsenic Chlorine Microplastics BPA VOCs Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Lead PFOA PFOS Fluoride Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Arsenic Chlorine (Taste and Odor) Microplastics BPA VOCs The 20oz Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle uses a scaled-down version of the Affinity media stack — the cartridge is meaningfully smaller than the pitcher's 100-gallon-rated cartridge, so the per-cartridge service life is shorter and the marketing-claim scope is somewhat narrower (the brand's bottle datasheet does not always include every contaminant the pitcher datasheet does). It has no certifications (no NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 analogous to the pitcher), so buyers cannot transfer the pitcher's certification assurance to the bottle. The same gap applies: real-world performance evidence rests on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing, which is narrower than third-party certification. The 4.4-star average is meaningfully lower than the pitcher (4.7) and the fridge filter (4.9) — the brand's product-review feedback signals more mixed real-world experience on the bottle format, likely correlated with the smaller cartridge's tighter operational tolerances. Read more	Listing TBD
CF-PITCHER-REPLACEMENT Pitcher Replacement Filter ([1] on the NSF directory) — the 100-gallon cartridge listed alongside the pitcher housing	Performance NSF/ANSI 42 NSF/ANSI/CAN 372	Chlorine (Taste and Odor)	Lead PFOA PFOS Fluoride Chromium-6 Arsenic Cysts Microplastics BPA Pharmaceuticals HAA5 VOCs Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Lead PFOA PFOS Fluoride Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) Arsenic Cysts Microplastics BPA Pharmaceuticals HAA5 VOCs The Pitcher Replacement Filter is paired with the Filtered Water Pitcher housing on the same NSF entry (model designation [1]) — it carries the same NSF/ANSI 42 + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 certification and the same chlorine-taste-and-odor certified claim. The certified-vs-marketed story applies identically: the cartridge is the consumable that delivers every contaminant-reduction claim the brand markets, the NSF listing covers ONE claim, and IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing covers the rest. The cartridge is the brand's recurring-revenue SKU — at $55-$70 single / ~$200-$280 6-pack, with ~3-4 month replacement intervals on family-of-4 usage, it is the SKU consumers re-evaluate the certified-vs-marketed trade-off on most frequently. Buyers committing to the autoship subscription are committing to a multi-year recurring expense on evidence that is mostly lab-tested rather than certified; that's the framing the brand's own two-tier disclosure on the Pitcher Performance Data page supports being transparent about. Read more	View NSF listing

CF-PITCHER-80oz

Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz / 10-cup, with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's flagship and only NSF-listed SKU

Standards held

Performance

NSF/ANSI 42

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372

What’s certified

Chlorine (Taste and Odor)

Brand claims but NOT certified

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Total PFAS suite
Fluoride
Chromium-6 / Hexavalent Chromium
Arsenic
Mercury
Cadmium
Uranium
Radium 226/228
Cysts
Microplastics
BPA
Pharmaceuticals
Haloacetic Acids
Trihalomethanes
Nitrate / Nitrite
Atrazine
Glyphosate
Ammonia
Sulfate
VOCs

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Lead — marketed at 99.34% reduction (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab test at 152 ppb influent); not NSF/ANSI 53 certified
PFOA — marketed at >99.00% reduction (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab test at 0.5 ppb influent); not NSF P473 certified
PFOS — marketed at >99.50% reduction (lab test at 1 ppb influent); not NSF P473 certified
Total PFAS suite — marketed (PFBS, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFNA, PFHxA) but not NSF P473 certified; the claim rests on the brand's lab data
Fluoride — marketed at >99.54% reduction (IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab test at 2.18 ppm influent); not NSF/ANSI 58 certified
Chromium-6 / Hexavalent Chromium — marketed at 99.97% / >99.86% reduction; not NSF/ANSI 53 certified
Arsenic — marketed at 99.99% reduction; not NSF/ANSI 53 certified
Mercury — marketed reduction (IAPMO NJ lab testing); not NSF/ANSI 53 certified
Cadmium
Uranium — marketed reduction; independently confirmed at 100% reduction in WaterFilterGuru's Colorado real-world test
Radium 226/228
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Microplastics
BPA (Bisphenol A)
Pharmaceuticals (Ibuprofen, Atenolol, Carbamazepine, Naproxen)
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) — marketed at >99.98% reduction (IAPMO NJ lab testing); not NSF/ANSI 401 certified
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
Nitrate / Nitrite — marketed at >99.96% / >99.93% reduction
Atrazine (Pesticide)
Glyphosate (Herbicide)
Ammonia — marketed at >99.99% reduction
Sulfate — marketed at 99.88% reduction
VOCs (Benzene, MTBE, Toluene)

The Filtered Water Pitcher is where the gap between what is independently certified and what is only marketed shows up most clearly. The brand's marketing claim is '99.9% reduction of 365+ contaminants' under the Affinity® Filtration Technology umbrella; the public NSF listing carries ONE certified claim (chlorine taste-and-odor reduction under NSF/ANSI 42). WaterFilterGuru's independent third-party review quantifies the gap as 'Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' — the cert-to-claim ratio in numerical form. The honest read on the evidence: the IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing is real, performed by a recognized ISO 17025-accredited lab in the IAPMO family (formerly QFT, the same lab that has tested filters for multiple major brands), against NSF/ANSI protocols. ISO 17025 accredits the lab's quality-management practices — it does NOT certify the product under a specific performance standard. Buyers searching NSF's certification database for 'is Clearly Filtered NSF certified for lead removal' will see the NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 listing (chlorine + plumbing material) but NO NSF/ANSI 53 listing for lead under the brand name — the lead reduction claim lives in the IAPMO NJ test report, not the NSF certification. Real-world performance is genuinely strong (WaterFilterGuru documented 100% fluoride + uranium reduction on Colorado groundwater), so the evidence quality is meaningfully better than zero-cert brands like Berkey, but materially narrower than buyers reading '365+ contaminants' marketing copy may assume. One more nuance on 'removes' vs 'reduces': the per-contaminant reduction percentages are single-pass laboratory measurements at the test-protocol influent concentrations (152 ppb lead, 0.5 ppb PFOA, 2.18 ppm fluoride, etc.) — not guarantees of equivalent reduction at arbitrary real-world contaminant loads.

NSF listing

View NSF listing

CF-UNDERSINK-3STAGE

3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's premium endpoint at the under-sink format

Standards held

No active certifications

What’s certified

Brand claims but NOT certified

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Total PFAS
Fluoride
Chromium-6
Arsenic
Mercury
Cadmium
Uranium
Radium 226/228
Chlorine
Chloramines
Cysts
Microplastics
BPA
Pharmaceuticals
Haloacetic Acids
Trihalomethanes
Nitrate / Nitrite
VOCs

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Total PFAS
Fluoride
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent)
Arsenic
Mercury
Cadmium
Uranium
Radium 226/228
Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Chloramines
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia)
Microplastics
BPA (Bisphenol A)
Pharmaceuticals
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
Nitrate / Nitrite
VOCs (Benzene, MTBE, Toluene)

The 3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter is the brand's premium endpoint and the SKU where the certified-vs-marketed gap is widest relative to the pitcher. The pitcher carries the NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 certification; the under-sink SKU carries the same 365+ contaminant marketing umbrella with ZERO third-party certifications under the Clearly Filtered name in NSF's, IAPMO's, or WQA's databases — every contaminant claim rests on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing alone. At the $495-$550 retail price point, this puts the under-sink SKU in direct competition with certified alternatives like the Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage AQ-5300 (WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401, ~$260) and the iSpring 3-stage RCC7AK under-sink (NSF/ANSI 58 certified, $200-$300) — both of which carry meaningfully narrower contaminant scope on paper but third-party certification rather than testing on the broader scope. Buyers paying the Clearly Filtered under-sink premium are paying for the broader (lab-tested) contaminant umbrella; buyers prioritizing third-party certification on the lead + PFAS + chromium-6 claims should consider the certified alternatives at the lower price point.

NSF listing

Listing TBD

CF-FRIDGE-UNIVERSAL

Universal Inline Fridge Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's refrigerator-format SKU

Standards held

No active certifications

What’s certified

Brand claims but NOT certified

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Total PFAS
Fluoride
Chromium-6
Arsenic
Chlorine
Chloramines
Cysts
Microplastics
BPA
Pharmaceuticals
Nitrate / Nitrite

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Total PFAS
Fluoride
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent)
Arsenic
Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Chloramines
Cysts
Microplastics
BPA
Pharmaceuticals
Nitrate / Nitrite

The Universal Inline Fridge Filter at $148.50-$185 is the pitcher's sister SKU: same Affinity® Filtration Technology media platform, scaled to inline refrigerator water-line installation rather than gravity pour-through, but with no certifications (zero NSF, IAPMO, or WQA listings under the Clearly Filtered name for this SKU). The brand markets the same 365+ contaminant claim umbrella as the pitcher, backed by the same IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing, with the same gap between what is certified and what is marketed. The competitive context: OEM refrigerator filters from Whirlpool EveryDrop, Samsung HAF-CIN, and LG LT1000P typically carry NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certifications on the OEM brand (certified on the major contaminant standards) at $40-$60 per filter — Clearly Filtered's fridge filter at $148.50 sits at 2.5-3.7× the OEM price point with a broader brand-claimed contaminant scope but a narrower certification footprint. Buyers prioritizing certification on lead + microplastics + pharmaceuticals in the fridge format should consider the OEM filters; buyers prioritizing the broader (lab-tested) Affinity umbrella choose Clearly Filtered.

NSF listing

Listing TBD

CF-BOTTLE-20oz

20oz Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle (with Affinity® Filtration Technology) — the brand's portable single-SKU format

Standards held

No active certifications

What’s certified

Brand claims but NOT certified

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Fluoride
Chromium-6
Arsenic
Chlorine
Microplastics
BPA
VOCs

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Fluoride
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent)
Arsenic
Chlorine (Taste and Odor)
Microplastics
BPA
VOCs

The 20oz Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottle uses a scaled-down version of the Affinity media stack — the cartridge is meaningfully smaller than the pitcher's 100-gallon-rated cartridge, so the per-cartridge service life is shorter and the marketing-claim scope is somewhat narrower (the brand's bottle datasheet does not always include every contaminant the pitcher datasheet does). It has no certifications (no NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 analogous to the pitcher), so buyers cannot transfer the pitcher's certification assurance to the bottle. The same gap applies: real-world performance evidence rests on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing, which is narrower than third-party certification. The 4.4-star average is meaningfully lower than the pitcher (4.7) and the fridge filter (4.9) — the brand's product-review feedback signals more mixed real-world experience on the bottle format, likely correlated with the smaller cartridge's tighter operational tolerances.

NSF listing

Listing TBD

CF-PITCHER-REPLACEMENT

Pitcher Replacement Filter ([1] on the NSF directory) — the 100-gallon cartridge listed alongside the pitcher housing

Standards held

Performance

NSF/ANSI 42

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372

What’s certified

Chlorine (Taste and Odor)

Brand claims but NOT certified

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Fluoride
Chromium-6
Arsenic
Cysts
Microplastics
BPA
Pharmaceuticals
HAA5
VOCs

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Lead
PFOA
PFOS
Fluoride
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent)
Arsenic
Cysts
Microplastics
BPA
Pharmaceuticals
HAA5
VOCs

The Pitcher Replacement Filter is paired with the Filtered Water Pitcher housing on the same NSF entry (model designation [1]) — it carries the same NSF/ANSI 42 + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 certification and the same chlorine-taste-and-odor certified claim. The certified-vs-marketed story applies identically: the cartridge is the consumable that delivers every contaminant-reduction claim the brand markets, the NSF listing covers ONE claim, and IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing covers the rest. The cartridge is the brand's recurring-revenue SKU — at $55-$70 single / ~$200-$280 6-pack, with ~3-4 month replacement intervals on family-of-4 usage, it is the SKU consumers re-evaluate the certified-vs-marketed trade-off on most frequently. Buyers committing to the autoship subscription are committing to a multi-year recurring expense on evidence that is mostly lab-tested rather than certified; that's the framing the brand's own two-tier disclosure on the Pitcher Performance Data page supports being transparent about.

NSF listing

View NSF listing

Check Certification for a Clearly Filtered Filter

This widget shows the third-party-listed certifications for Clearly Filtered SKUs only. Type a model number to filter the list below — every result links to the full breakdown. To search across every brand we track, use the global certification tool.

NSF/ANSI 3721 modelNSF/ANSI 421 model

Search Clearly Filtered models

Filtered Water Pitcher
Clearly Filtered
NSF/ANSI 42, 42, 372
View details

Listings as of Jun 4, 2026.

About Clearly Filtered

Clearly Filtered markets '99.9% of 365+ contaminants' — but its only third-party certification is NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 (chlorine taste/odor plus lead-free plumbing) on the pitcher. It's a US premium brand, founded 2011 in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, built on its proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology (activated carbon, catalytic carbon, and ion-exchange media).

The lineup is all point-of-use — pitcher ($90-$140), 20/24/32oz filtered water bottles, fridge filter, and a 3-stage under-sink filter ($495-$550). No whole-house or RO.

Everything beyond chlorine — lead at 99.34%, PFOA >99.00%, PFOS >99.50%, fluoride >99.54%, chromium-6 >99.86-99.97%, arsenic 99.99% — rests on IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing, not certification. The testing is real, but ISO 17025 accredits the lab, not the product. Independent reviewer WaterFilterGuru scored the pitcher 8.78/10 and confirmed 100% fluoride and 100% uranium removal in a real-world test, while flagging the cert gap as 'certified for 0.82% of reduction claims.'

'Affinity Filtration' is the brand's trademarked technology, not a separate company; the legal entity is Clearly Filtered, Inc.

Founded:2011 (Clearly Filtered, Inc. founded in Rancho Santa Margarita, California; Affinity® Filtration Technology developed internally as the brand's proprietary multi-stage filtration platform)

Headquarters:Clearly Filtered, Inc., 23121 Antonio Parkway, Suite 130, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 USA. Manufacturing facility in Sturgis, Michigan USA (per NSF certifier listing for the Filtered Water Pitcher). Customer service phone 877-876-2740.

Parent company:None — Clearly Filtered, Inc.

Ownership history

2011
Clearly Filtered, Inc. founded as an independent US consumer-water-filter brand headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California (Orange County). Initial product focus: a single Filtered Water Pitcher SKU with a proprietary multi-stage filtration cartridge marketed against the dominant Brita / PUR / ZeroWater pitcher incumbents on the basis of broader contaminant scope (lead + fluoride + chromium-6 + PFAS reduction beyond the chlorine taste-and-odor entry-tier the incumbents covered).
Mid-2010s
Brand expansion to insulated stainless-steel filtered water bottles (20oz, 24oz, 32oz variants) using a scaled-down version of the Affinity media stack — positioned as a single-SKU drinkable-anywhere alternative to home-based pitcher filtration.
Late-2010s
Universal Inline Fridge Filter and 3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter introduced as the brand's premium endpoint, expanding the platform from pitcher-only to full point-of-use coverage. The 3-Stage Under-the-Sink at $495-$550 represents the brand's highest-retail SKU; the brand does NOT extend to whole-house or reverse-osmosis systems.
2023-2024
Affinity® Filtration Technology branding formally introduced in marketing — the proprietary filter media stack receives a registered trademark designation (® symbol) and dedicated product-page positioning as the brand's structural differentiator vs the broader pitcher/under-sink market. The brand's marketing copy consolidates around the '365+ contaminants' headline claim with the per-contaminant reduction percentages disclosed in the Pitcher Performance Data PDF.
2025
Brand publishes the Pitcher Performance Data page with the explicit two-tier evidence framing: 'The Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher and Replacement Pitcher Filter are certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 372. Additional testing was performed and results were provided by QFT, a lab now operating as IAPMO New Jersey, a division of IAPMO, an independent ISO 17025 certified laboratory.' This is the brand's most transparent disclosure of the split between what is independently certified and what is only lab-tested — the framing the consumer-facing 365+ marketing claim does not always lead with.
2026
Brand operating model: 325,000+ customers cited in marketing copy; 15,000+ aggregate product reviews; sole product-level filtration platform remains Affinity® Filtration Technology; corporate entity remains Clearly Filtered, Inc. of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Privately held; no SEC filings; no announced acquisitions or divestitures.

Filtered Water Pitcher (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

The flagship — and the only NSF-listed SKU. 80oz / 10-cup, BPA-free Tritan.

Certified: NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 (chlorine taste/odor + lead-free plumbing).
Tested, not certified: IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 data for the 365+ claim — lead 99.34%, PFOA >99.00%, PFOS >99.50%, fluoride >99.54%, chromium-6 >99.86-99.97%, arsenic 99.99%, HAA5 >99.98%.
Life: 100-gallon cartridge, ~3-4 months for a family of 4.
Price: $90 (sale) / ~$112-$140; refills $55-$70. 4.7 stars / 4,615 reviews.

20oz / 24oz / 32oz Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottles (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Insulated steel bottles with a scaled-down Affinity media stack — the portable take on the pitcher.

Certified: none — no NSF listing; only IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing, same 365+ claim umbrella as the pitcher.
Variants: 20oz, 24oz, 32oz; refills sold separately.
Price: 20oz is $58.50 (sale) / from $74. 4.4 stars / 530 reviews.

Universal Inline Fridge Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Inline cartridge for refrigerator water lines and ice makers — fits most brands via standard 1/4-inch tubing. The brand's answer to OEM filter lock-in (Whirlpool EveryDrop, Samsung HAF-CIN, LG LT1000P).

Certified: none — no NSF listing; IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing only.
Price: $148.50 (sale) / from $185. 4.9 stars / 532 reviews — the lineup's highest.

3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

The brand's premium endpoint — a 3-stage cartridge stack (sediment + two Affinity stages) hard-plumbed to a dedicated faucet. Always-on filtered water without the pitcher swap.

Certified: none — no NSF listing; IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing only, same 365+ umbrella as the pitcher.
Price: $495 (sale) / $550. 4.8 stars / 447 reviews.

Replacement Pitcher Filter ([1] on the NSF listing)

The 100-gallon cartridge for the pitcher, and the brand's recurring-revenue SKU — ~3-4 cartridges/year for a family of 4.

Certified: NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 (chlorine taste/odor + lead-free plumbing), listed as model [1] alongside the pitcher.
Tested, not certified: the broader 365+ claim shares the IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 tier.
Price: $55-$70 single; ~$200-$280 6-pack (autoship).

Made in Sturgis, Michigan USA — the NSF certifier-record facility for the Filtered Water Pitcher and its replacement filter. The brand markets products as 'built in the USA' and 'tested by EPA-accredited labs.'

Corporate HQ at 23121 Antonio Parkway, Suite 130, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 is the executive and customer-service center, separate from the factory. The brand does not disclose component country-of-origin for the carbon media, ion-exchange resin, or Tritan plastic housings.

Which Clearly Filtered Filter Is Right for You?

We mapped each Clearly Filtered SKU’s NSF-listed certifications against the 10 contaminants people search for most. Where Clearly Filtered doesn’t have a certified SKU, we say so.

Lead

Not the right choice if Lead is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Lead. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

PFAS

Not the right choice if PFAS is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for PFAS. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Fluoride

Not the right choice if Fluoride is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Fluoride. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Arsenic

Not the right choice if Arsenic is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Arsenic. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Nitrate

Not the right choice if Nitrate is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Nitrate. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Chromium-6

Not the right choice if Chromium-6 is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Chromium-6. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Mercury

Not the right choice if Mercury is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Mercury. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Atrazine

Not the right choice if Atrazine is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Atrazine. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Chloroform

Not the right choice if Chloroform is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Chloroform. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

Cysts

Not the right choice if Cysts is your priority — no certified Clearly Filtered SKU for Cysts. Consider an NSF/ANSI 53-listed filter.

How Clearly Filtered Compares

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology) vs Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Feature	Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)	Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher
Format	Pour-through pitcher with proprietary Affinity multi-stage cartridge (activated carbon + catalytic carbon + ion-exchange resin)	Pour-through pitcher with Brita Longlast+ (OB06) activated-carbon + ion-exchange cartridge
Third-party certifier	NSF International (pitcher + replacement filter at NSF/ANSI 42 + 372) + IAPMO New Jersey ISO 17025 lab testing (everything else)	NSF International (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 listing under The Brita Products Company)
NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine Taste and Odor)	Yes (NSF-listed for the pitcher + replacement filter)	Yes (NSF-listed)
NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (Lead-Free Plumbing Material)	Yes (NSF-listed)	Yes (NSF-listed)
NSF/ANSI 53 (Lead, Cysts, PFAS, Chromium-6)	Not NSF-certified for any NSF/ANSI 53 contaminant. IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab-tested for lead (99.34% at 152 ppb), PFOA (>99.00%), PFOS (>99.50%), chromium-6 (>99.86-99.97%), arsenic (99.99%), cysts — a test record exists, third-party certification does not	Yes, NSF-certified for Lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53 (~99% reduction at certified influent). Brita Elite OB06 specifically — the older Brita Standard OB03 is NOT NSF/ANSI 53 certified for lead
NSF/ANSI 53 (PFOA / PFOS / Total PFAS)	Not NSF-certified (lab-tested via IAPMO NJ at >99.00% PFOA + >99.50% PFOS); NSF P473 not held	Brita Elite (OB06) does NOT carry PFAS / NSF P473 certification — Brita Hub system is the PFAS-targeted SKU
NSF/ANSI 401 (Emerging Contaminants — BPA, ibuprofen)	Not NSF-certified (lab-tested via IAPMO NJ for BPA, ibuprofen, atenolol, naproxen, microplastics)	Yes (Brita Elite OB06 NSF-certified for NSF/ANSI 401 including BPA, atenolol, ibuprofen, microplastics)
Fluoride reduction	Yes (brand-marketed at >99.54% reduction via IAPMO NJ testing; WaterFilterGuru documented 100% real-world reduction in Colorado test)	No — Brita activated-carbon cartridges do not target fluoride
Filter life	100 gallons / ~3-4 months on family-of-4 usage (the longest pitcher-cartridge service interval in the consumer pitcher market)	120 gallons / ~6 months on the OB06 Elite cartridge
Pitcher capacity	80oz / 10 cups	10 cups (Brita Elite standard pitcher)
Initial pitcher retail	$90 (sale) / ~$112-$140 regular	$30-$45 (entry-tier pitcher; from $35 typical)
Replacement filter price (single)	$55-$70 per cartridge	$15-$25 per OB06 Elite cartridge
Annual filter cost (family of 4)	~$165-$210 (3-4 cartridge replacements per year at $55-$70 each)	~$36-$48 (2 OB06 cartridges/year at $18-$24 each)

Format

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Pour-through pitcher with proprietary Affinity multi-stage cartridge (activated carbon + catalytic carbon + ion-exchange resin)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Pour-through pitcher with Brita Longlast+ (OB06) activated-carbon + ion-exchange cartridge

Third-party certifier

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

NSF International (pitcher + replacement filter at NSF/ANSI 42 + 372) + IAPMO New Jersey ISO 17025 lab testing (everything else)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

NSF International (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 listing under The Brita Products Company)

NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine Taste and Odor)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (NSF-listed for the pitcher + replacement filter)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Yes (NSF-listed)

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (Lead-Free Plumbing Material)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (NSF-listed)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Yes (NSF-listed)

NSF/ANSI 53 (Lead, Cysts, PFAS, Chromium-6)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Not NSF-certified for any NSF/ANSI 53 contaminant. IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab-tested for lead (99.34% at 152 ppb), PFOA (>99.00%), PFOS (>99.50%), chromium-6 (>99.86-99.97%), arsenic (99.99%), cysts — a test record exists, third-party certification does not

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Yes, NSF-certified for Lead reduction under NSF/ANSI 53 (~99% reduction at certified influent). Brita Elite OB06 specifically — the older Brita Standard OB03 is NOT NSF/ANSI 53 certified for lead

NSF/ANSI 53 (PFOA / PFOS / Total PFAS)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Not NSF-certified (lab-tested via IAPMO NJ at >99.00% PFOA + >99.50% PFOS); NSF P473 not held

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Brita Elite (OB06) does NOT carry PFAS / NSF P473 certification — Brita Hub system is the PFAS-targeted SKU

NSF/ANSI 401 (Emerging Contaminants — BPA, ibuprofen)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Not NSF-certified (lab-tested via IAPMO NJ for BPA, ibuprofen, atenolol, naproxen, microplastics)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Yes (Brita Elite OB06 NSF-certified for NSF/ANSI 401 including BPA, atenolol, ibuprofen, microplastics)

Fluoride reduction

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (brand-marketed at >99.54% reduction via IAPMO NJ testing; WaterFilterGuru documented 100% real-world reduction in Colorado test)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

No — Brita activated-carbon cartridges do not target fluoride

Filter life

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

100 gallons / ~3-4 months on family-of-4 usage (the longest pitcher-cartridge service interval in the consumer pitcher market)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

120 gallons / ~6 months on the OB06 Elite cartridge

Pitcher capacity

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

80oz / 10 cups

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

10 cups (Brita Elite standard pitcher)

Initial pitcher retail

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

$90 (sale) / ~$112-$140 regular

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

$30-$45 (entry-tier pitcher; from $35 typical)

Replacement filter price (single)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

$55-$70 per cartridge

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

$15-$25 per OB06 Elite cartridge

Annual filter cost (family of 4)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

~$165-$210 (3-4 cartridge replacements per year at $55-$70 each)

Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

~$36-$48 (2 OB06 cartridges/year at $18-$24 each)

Bottom line: Brita Elite is cheaper and certified for lead; Clearly Filtered claims far more but mostly lab-tested. Brita is NSF-listed for NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 (lead, microplastics, emerging compounds); Clearly Filtered is listed only for 42 + 372, with everything else on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing.

Pick Brita Elite (OB06) if you want NSF-listed lead reduction at the lowest cost (~$36-$48/yr vs ~$165-$210/yr).
Pick Clearly Filtered if you need fluoride, PFAS, chromium-6, arsenic, or uranium — none of which Brita targets — and accept brand-published testing (WaterFilterGuru confirmed 100% fluoride and uranium removal).

For broad scope and a real listing, the Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage is WQA-certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 across 78 contaminants (~$260).

Sources for facts in this comparison

NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Clearly+Filtered
Clearly Filtered NSF certification database entry — NSF/ANSI 42 + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 listing on the Filtered Water Pitcher; one certified claim (chlorine taste-and-odor reduction); 100-gallon service cycle
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=The+Brita+Products+Company
Brita Elite (OB06) NSF International listing under The Brita Products Company; NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cert scope on the pitcher line; lack of PFAS coverage on the Elite line
Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/pages/pitcher-performance-data
Clearly Filtered Pitcher Performance Data datasheet — IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing for lead (99.34%), PFOA (>99.00%), PFOS (>99.50%), fluoride (>99.54%), chromium-6 (>99.86-99.97%), arsenic (99.99%); per-contaminant influent concentrations; two-tier evidence framing
Tier-1 journalismaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-water-pitcher-review/
Independent third-party hands-on test of the pitcher: 8.78/10 overall; 'Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' cert-to-claim ratio; 100% real-world fluoride + uranium reduction in Colorado test

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology) vs Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

Feature	Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)	Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)
Format	Pour-through pitcher (80oz / 10 cups), proprietary Affinity multi-stage cartridge	Stainless-steel gravity canister (2.25 gal), two Black Berkey carbon-block elements
Marketing-claimed contaminant scope	365+ contaminants (Affinity Filtration Technology umbrella)	200+ contaminants (Black Berkey element brand-published lab reports)
Third-party certifier(s)	NSF International (pitcher + replacement filter at NSF/ANSI 42 + 372) + IAPMO New Jersey ISO 17025 lab testing on everything else	ZERO third-party certifications on the Black Berkey element. NSF's certification database search for both 'Berkey' and 'New Millennium Concepts' (the manufacturer) returns 'No Matching Products Found.' Brand substitutes ISO 17025 lab reports (CVR Labs + RAYNU Analytical Labs in India per the Phoenix datasheet)
NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine T&O)	Yes (NSF-listed)	NOT certified
NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (Lead-Free Plumbing Material)	Yes (NSF-listed)	NOT certified
NSF/ANSI 53 (Lead and other health contaminants)	Not NSF-certified; IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab-tested (real third-party testing, narrower than certification)	Not NSF/ANSI 53 certified; brand-published CVR Labs / RAYNU Analytical Labs reports only
EPA regulatory status	No active EPA enforcement	Active EPA FIFRA Stop Sale, Use, or Removal Order (SSURO) Docket FIFRA-08-2023-0038 against Berkey International since May 8, 2023. NMCL v. EPA federal-court litigation pending in the Fifth Circuit; Berkey International v. EPA pending in the First Circuit (oral argument October 27, 2025). Standalone Black Berkey replacement filters have been unavailable as standalone purchases since the SSURO
Filter format service life	100 gallons per pitcher cartridge	~3,000 gallons per Black Berkey element (brand-claimed); two-element default ~6,000 gallons before replacement
Initial system retail	$90 (pitcher sale) / ~$112-$140 regular	~$400-$500 (Big Berkey with two Black Berkey elements pre-installed from pre-SSURO inventory; standalone replacement filters not currently sold)
Real-world contaminant evidence	WaterFilterGuru hands-on Colorado test: 8.78/10 overall, 100% fluoride reduction, 100% uranium reduction; cobalt anomaly flagged (0.0054 ppm detected in filtered water, unexplained)	Tap Score (SimpleLab) editorial documents brand-published lab tests as too short — longest published test ran 200 gallons vs the 6,000-gallon NSF/ANSI 53 protocol requirement

Format

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Pour-through pitcher (80oz / 10 cups), proprietary Affinity multi-stage cartridge

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

Stainless-steel gravity canister (2.25 gal), two Black Berkey carbon-block elements

Marketing-claimed contaminant scope

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

365+ contaminants (Affinity Filtration Technology umbrella)

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

200+ contaminants (Black Berkey element brand-published lab reports)

Third-party certifier(s)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

NSF International (pitcher + replacement filter at NSF/ANSI 42 + 372) + IAPMO New Jersey ISO 17025 lab testing on everything else

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

ZERO third-party certifications on the Black Berkey element. NSF's certification database search for both 'Berkey' and 'New Millennium Concepts' (the manufacturer) returns 'No Matching Products Found.' Brand substitutes ISO 17025 lab reports (CVR Labs + RAYNU Analytical Labs in India per the Phoenix datasheet)

NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine T&O)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (NSF-listed)

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

NOT certified

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (Lead-Free Plumbing Material)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (NSF-listed)

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

NOT certified

NSF/ANSI 53 (Lead and other health contaminants)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Not NSF-certified; IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab-tested (real third-party testing, narrower than certification)

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

Not NSF/ANSI 53 certified; brand-published CVR Labs / RAYNU Analytical Labs reports only

EPA regulatory status

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

No active EPA enforcement

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

Active EPA FIFRA Stop Sale, Use, or Removal Order (SSURO) Docket FIFRA-08-2023-0038 against Berkey International since May 8, 2023. NMCL v. EPA federal-court litigation pending in the Fifth Circuit; Berkey International v. EPA pending in the First Circuit (oral argument October 27, 2025). Standalone Black Berkey replacement filters have been unavailable as standalone purchases since the SSURO

Filter format service life

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

100 gallons per pitcher cartridge

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

~3,000 gallons per Black Berkey element (brand-claimed); two-element default ~6,000 gallons before replacement

Initial system retail

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

$90 (pitcher sale) / ~$112-$140 regular

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

~$400-$500 (Big Berkey with two Black Berkey elements pre-installed from pre-SSURO inventory; standalone replacement filters not currently sold)

Real-world contaminant evidence

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

WaterFilterGuru hands-on Colorado test: 8.78/10 overall, 100% fluoride reduction, 100% uranium reduction; cobalt anomaly flagged (0.0054 ppm detected in filtered water, unexplained)

Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

Tap Score (SimpleLab) editorial documents brand-published lab tests as too short — longest published test ran 200 gallons vs the 6,000-gallon NSF/ANSI 53 protocol requirement

Bottom line: both lean on lab reports over full certification, but Clearly Filtered at least has one real NSF listing and no regulatory cloud. Clearly Filtered holds NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 on the pitcher plus IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing; Berkey holds zero third-party listings and is under an active EPA FIFRA stop-sale order (since May 2023) over silver in the Black Berkey element.

Pick Clearly Filtered if you want a cert-listed pitcher with broad claimed scope at $90 — WaterFilterGuru confirmed 100% fluoride and uranium removal.
Pick Berkey if you specifically want a $400-$500 off-grid stainless gravity canister, accepting zero listings and the EPA context.

For a certified gravity system, look at Doulton British Berkefeld or ProOne G3.0.

Sources for facts in this comparison

NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Clearly+Filtered
Clearly Filtered pitcher NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 certification — real third-party cert, narrow scope, 100-gallon service cycle
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Berkey
Berkey absence from NSF's certification database under both 'Berkey' and 'New Millennium Concepts' company-name searches — confirming zero third-party certifications on the Black Berkey element
EPAaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://yosemite.epa.gov/OA/RHC/EPAAdmin.nsf/Filings/70BF71F4C6BC372C852589AA0000E556/$File/FIFRA-08-2023-0038%20SSURO%20BerkeyInternational%202023.pdf
Active EPA FIFRA SSURO Docket FIFRA-08-2023-0038 against Berkey International, May 8, 2023 — confirms the regulatory enforcement context that distinguishes Berkey from Clearly Filtered on the legal-risk dimension
Tier-1 journalismaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-vs-berkey/
WaterFilterGuru direct head-to-head 'Clearly Filtered vs Berkey' comparison documents the structural cert-evidence + EPA enforcement differential as the primary editorial framing for buyers comparing the two brands

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology) vs ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Feature	Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)	ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)
Format	Pour-through pitcher, proprietary Affinity multi-stage cartridge	Pour-through pitcher with 5-stage ZR-001 / ZF-201 filter (ion-exchange resin-heavy stack)
Marketing-claimed contaminant scope	365+ contaminants (Affinity Filtration Technology umbrella)	99.9% TDS reduction (the brand's headline claim; in-lid Ready-Read TDS meter included)
Third-party certifier(s)	NSF International (pitcher + replacement filter NSF/ANSI 42 + 372) + IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing on the broader claim	Not in NSF's certification database under 'Zero Technologies', 'Zero Water', or 'ZeroWater' company-name searches. Third-party certifications live at IAPMO R&T (pld.iapmo.org under Zero Technologies, LLC) — IAPMO NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 on the legacy ZR-001/ZF-201 filter (lead, mercury, PFOA/PFOS, chromium-6)
NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine T&O)	Yes (NSF-listed)	Yes (IAPMO-listed under Zero Technologies, LLC)
NSF/ANSI 53 (Lead, Mercury, PFOA/PFOS, Chromium-6)	NOT certified; lab-tested via IAPMO NJ at 99.34% lead, >99.00% PFOA, >99.50% PFOS, >99.97% chromium-6	Yes (IAPMO-certified for Lead, Mercury, PFOA/PFOS, Hexavalent Chromium on the legacy ZR-001/ZF-201 filter)
NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (Lead-Free Plumbing Material)	Yes (NSF-listed)	Not separately listed under this standard on IAPMO PLD; cert scope is 42 + 53
Fluoride reduction	Yes (brand-marketed at >99.54% reduction via IAPMO NJ testing)	Brand-claimed fluoride reduction via ion-exchange resin, but the legacy ZR-001 filter is NOT separately certified to NSF/ANSI 58 for fluoride — only the new 2024 Culligan with ZeroWater Technology filter (ZEROFXX) carries the broader IAPMO NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cert covering fluoride
TDS / Mineral Retention	Affinity media stack PRESERVES beneficial minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium) — the brand markets 'doesn't target healthy minerals' as a structural differentiator vs ZeroWater	5-stage ion-exchange resin REMOVES 99.9% TDS including beneficial minerals (calcium, magnesium); the brand markets this as 'pure water' but TDS is an aesthetic-taste-and-mineral parameter (NSF/ANSI 42), NOT a health-contaminant indicator — the TDS-as-health-metric framing is ZeroWater's signature point of confusion
Filter life	100 gallons per Affinity cartridge	~20-40 gallons per ZR-001/ZF-201 filter (significantly shorter; ion-exchange resin saturates faster on high-TDS water)
Initial pitcher retail	$90 (sale) / ~$112-$140 regular	$30-$45 (entry-tier pitcher; ZD-010RP typical)
Annual filter cost (family of 4)	~$165-$210 (3-4 cartridges/year at $55-$70)	~$120-$200 (6-10 ZR-001/ZF-201 cartridges/year at $15-$25 — high replacement frequency on hard water)

Format

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Pour-through pitcher, proprietary Affinity multi-stage cartridge

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Pour-through pitcher with 5-stage ZR-001 / ZF-201 filter (ion-exchange resin-heavy stack)

Marketing-claimed contaminant scope

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

365+ contaminants (Affinity Filtration Technology umbrella)

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

99.9% TDS reduction (the brand's headline claim; in-lid Ready-Read TDS meter included)

Third-party certifier(s)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

NSF International (pitcher + replacement filter NSF/ANSI 42 + 372) + IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing on the broader claim

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Not in NSF's certification database under 'Zero Technologies', 'Zero Water', or 'ZeroWater' company-name searches. Third-party certifications live at IAPMO R&T (pld.iapmo.org under Zero Technologies, LLC) — IAPMO NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 on the legacy ZR-001/ZF-201 filter (lead, mercury, PFOA/PFOS, chromium-6)

NSF/ANSI 42 (Chlorine T&O)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (NSF-listed)

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Yes (IAPMO-listed under Zero Technologies, LLC)

NSF/ANSI 53 (Lead, Mercury, PFOA/PFOS, Chromium-6)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

NOT certified; lab-tested via IAPMO NJ at 99.34% lead, >99.00% PFOA, >99.50% PFOS, >99.97% chromium-6

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Yes (IAPMO-certified for Lead, Mercury, PFOA/PFOS, Hexavalent Chromium on the legacy ZR-001/ZF-201 filter)

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (Lead-Free Plumbing Material)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (NSF-listed)

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Not separately listed under this standard on IAPMO PLD; cert scope is 42 + 53

Fluoride reduction

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Yes (brand-marketed at >99.54% reduction via IAPMO NJ testing)

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

Brand-claimed fluoride reduction via ion-exchange resin, but the legacy ZR-001 filter is NOT separately certified to NSF/ANSI 58 for fluoride — only the new 2024 Culligan with ZeroWater Technology filter (ZEROFXX) carries the broader IAPMO NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cert covering fluoride

TDS / Mineral Retention

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Affinity media stack PRESERVES beneficial minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium) — the brand markets 'doesn't target healthy minerals' as a structural differentiator vs ZeroWater

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

5-stage ion-exchange resin REMOVES 99.9% TDS including beneficial minerals (calcium, magnesium); the brand markets this as 'pure water' but TDS is an aesthetic-taste-and-mineral parameter (NSF/ANSI 42), NOT a health-contaminant indicator — the TDS-as-health-metric framing is ZeroWater's signature point of confusion

Filter life

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

100 gallons per Affinity cartridge

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

~20-40 gallons per ZR-001/ZF-201 filter (significantly shorter; ion-exchange resin saturates faster on high-TDS water)

Initial pitcher retail

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

$90 (sale) / ~$112-$140 regular

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

$30-$45 (entry-tier pitcher; ZD-010RP typical)

Annual filter cost (family of 4)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

~$165-$210 (3-4 cartridges/year at $55-$70)

ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

~$120-$200 (6-10 ZR-001/ZF-201 cartridges/year at $15-$25 — high replacement frequency on hard water)

Bottom line: ZeroWater is certified for lead and PFAS; Clearly Filtered claims more but mostly lab-tests it. ZeroWater's legacy ZR-001 filter is IAPMO-listed (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53) for lead, mercury, PFOA/PFOS, and chromium-6 — a real listing equal to NSF. Clearly Filtered is NSF-listed only for chlorine + lead-free plumbing, with the rest on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 testing.

Pick ZeroWater if you want IAPMO-listed lead + PFAS at the entry-tier pitcher price.
Pick Clearly Filtered if you need fluoride, uranium, radium, or arsenic, which ZeroWater's legacy filter doesn't cover, and accept lab testing over a listing.

For broad scope and a listing, the 2024 Culligan with ZeroWater Technology filter (ZEROFXX) is IAPMO-listed to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401.

Sources for facts in this comparison

NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Clearly+Filtered
Clearly Filtered pitcher NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 certification — real NSF cert on chlorine + lead-free plumbing material
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Zero+Technologies
ZeroWater (Zero Technologies, LLC) absence from NSF's certification database — confirming third-party cert lives at IAPMO PLD rather than NSF International
IAPMO listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://pld.iapmo.org/companies/zero-technologies-llc
ZeroWater IAPMO R&T listing under Zero Technologies, LLC — NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 cert for lead, mercury, PFOA/PFOS, hexavalent chromium on the legacy ZR-001/ZF-201 filter
Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/pages/how-our-filters-work
Brand-official Clearly Filtered 'How Our Filters Work' documents the Affinity media stack's mineral-retention design as a deliberate differentiator vs TDS-removal pitchers like ZeroWater; explicit position that TDS is not a health-contaminant indicator

Looking for a broader comparison? See our full pitcher filter roundup.

Explore other brands: APEC Water Systems, AquaBliss, Aquaboon, AquaTru, iSpring, Kind Water Systems, Multipure, LifeStraw, Whirlpool, Solventum, SpringWell Water Filtration Systems, Pentair, Omnipure, Pelican Water, Crystal Quest, Hydroviv, Brondell, Bluevua, Berkey, ZeroWater, Aquasana, Express Water, Frizzlife, Epic Water Filters, Culligan, Waterdrop, PUR, Doulton, Brita, and Propur.

What Reddit Says About Clearly Filtered

These quotes are paraphrased — not verbatim — from public Reddit threads. Each card links to the original thread so you can read the discussion in context and verify the sentiment for yourself.

r/preppersPositive

“An r/preppers thread evaluating Clearly Filtered against the prepper-favorite Berkey gravity systems framed the brand as 'the best water pitcher and best filter on the market' from a community perspective, with the caveat that the comparison is structurally apples-to-oranges (pour-through pitcher vs gravity stainless canister) — confirming Clearly Filtered's standing as a serious cross-format alternative in the prepper community despite the format mismatch.”

View thread

r/waterMixed

“An r/water discussion documented how ChatGPT (and by extension AI-mediated discovery) routinely surfaces Clearly Filtered as the headline 'best water filter' recommendation when users ask about broader-than-Brita contaminant scope — the community response acknowledged the brand's strong real-world chlorine-removal experience while flagging that reverse-osmosis remains the gold-standard PFAS removal architecture for buyers prioritizing certified scope over format convenience.”

View thread

r/waterfiltersMixed

“Community feedback on the r/waterfilters subreddit consistently weighs the Clearly Filtered pitcher's broader contaminant-claim scope against the higher annual filter cost — users with fluoride or PFAS concerns who have specifically tested before-and-after via Tap Score or SimpleLab generally report results matching the brand's marketed reduction claims, while cost-conscious users gravitate toward Brita Elite or PUR Plus despite the narrower contaminant scope.”

View thread

r/HomeImprovementNeutral

“An r/HomeImprovement whole-house filtration recommendation thread surfaced Clearly Filtered as the point-of-use complement to Aquasana / APEC / Pentair whole-house systems — community framing positions the brand as the 'drink-the-water tap-level polish' rather than the load-bearing infrastructure layer, consistent with Clearly Filtered's point-of-use-only product strategy and absence of a whole-house SKU.”

View thread

r/BuyItForLifeNeutral

“An r/BuyItForLife thread comparing Aquasana, Clearly Filtered, and Berkey concluded that the Clearly Filtered pitcher is the cost-effective entry point for users prioritizing contaminant scope at the pour-through tier — with the trade-off that the recurring ~3-4 month replacement cycle means it does not fit a pure 'buy it for life' framing the way a 600,000-gallon Aquasana Rhino whole-house tank does.”

View thread

Quotes verified on 2026-05-23.

Clearly Filtered Customer Reviews Summary

15,000Total Reviews

4.7

Average

What Customers Love

The Filtered Water Pitcher and Replacement Pitcher Filter carry a genuine, independently verifiable NSF/ANSI 42 + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 certification, listed at info.nsf.org under 'Clearly Filtered' at 23121 Antonio Parkway Suite 130 Rancho Santa Margarita CA, facility Sturgis MI.
The marketed contaminant scope (365+ per the Affinity Filtration Technology umbrella) is broader than any major pitcher competitor, including fluoride, uranium, radium 226/228, PFAS suite, chromium-6, and arsenic that Brita Elite OB06, PUR Plus, and ZeroWater legacy do not target.
At 100 gallons per replacement, the pitcher cartridge has the longest service life in the consumer pour-through market (vs Brita Elite 120 gal at narrower scope, Brita Standard 40 gal, ZeroWater ZR-001 20-40 gal on hard water), partly offsetting the higher per-cartridge cost.
The Affinity media stack preserves beneficial dissolved minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium), which the brand positions as a differentiator vs ZeroWater's remove-everything TDS approach — a plus for buyers who prefer mineral-retaining filtration.
WaterFilterGuru's independent Colorado test confirmed the brand's lab claims hold up in real-world use, measuring 100% reduction of both fluoride and uranium.

Common Concerns

Certification scope is far narrower than the marketing umbrella implies — WaterFilterGuru quantifies the gap as 'Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' (1 certified claim out of ~122 marketed contaminant categories on the pitcher datasheet), the brand's signature certified-vs-marketed gap.
Annual filter cost on the pitcher (~$165-$210/yr for a family of 4 single-purchase; $130-$190 on autoship) is meaningfully higher than Brita Elite OB06 ($36-$48/yr) and PUR Plus ($60-$80/yr) at the entry tier — justified by the broader scope, but unfavorable for cost-conscious buyers.
Slow flow rate is a recurring product-page complaint — a full 80oz pitcher typically takes 5-15+ minutes depending on water hardness and filter age; the brand calls slow flow a normal cartridge-saturation signal, but the friction is higher than Brita or PUR.
WaterFilterGuru's test flagged a 0.0054 ppm cobalt anomaly — detected in the filtered water but not the unfiltered, despite the brand's >98.31% cobalt reduction claim — an unexplained result that was the main hit to the contaminant-reduction sub-score.
Premium pricing across the lineup ($90-$140 pitcher; $148.50-$185 fridge filter; $495-$550 under-sink system) is hard to justify for cost-conscious buyers or against commodity OEM fridge filters ($40-$60 typical); the brand explicitly targets premium buyers who prioritize broader scope.

Across the catalog, Clearly Filtered's products carry a roughly 4.7-star average over more than 6,000 product-page reviews, with the Universal Inline Fridge Filter the highest-rated at 4.9 stars (532 reviews) and the 20oz Stainless Steel Bottle the lowest at 4.4 stars (530 reviews).

Brand-cited '325,000+ people like you trust us' customer-base claim and '15,000+ customer reviews' aggregated across the product catalog; product-page review counts include 4,615 reviews / 4.7 stars on the Filtered Water Pitcher, 532 reviews / 4.9 stars on the Universal Inline Fridge Filter, 530 reviews / 4.4 stars on the 20oz Stainless Steel Bottle, and 447 reviews / 4.8 stars on the 3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter.

Independent third-party hands-on review by WaterFilterGuru (8.78/10 overall on the Filtered Water Pitcher) confirms strong real-world contaminant-reduction performance: 100% fluoride reduction (1.1 ppm → 0 ppm), 100% uranium reduction (0.014 ppm → 0 ppm) on Colorado treated groundwater. The brand's IAPMO NJ ISO 17025-tested reduction claims hold up under independent real-world testing for the headline contaminants.

Sources for Clearly Filtered review data

Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/
Brand-official home page documents '325,000+ people like you trust us' + '15,000+ customer reviews' aggregated across the catalog; product-page review counts; corporate operating model
Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/products/clean-water-pitcher
Brand-official Filtered Water Pitcher product page documents 4.7-star average / 4,615 reviews; 80oz / 10-cup capacity; 100-gallon filter life; retail $90 (sale)
Tier-1 journalismaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-water-pitcher-review/
Independent third-party hands-on review awards 8.78/10 overall; quantifies the cert-to-claim ratio at 'Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims'; documents 100% real-world fluoride + uranium reduction in Colorado treated groundwater test; flags 0.0054 ppm cobalt anomaly in filtered water
Tier-1 journalismaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://qualitywaterlab.com/pitchers/clearly-filtered-water-filter-pitcher-review/
Independent third-party (Quality Water Lab) review documents the Clearly Filtered pitcher's positioning in the broader-scope pitcher market vs Brita / PUR / ZeroWater incumbents

Review data aggregated from verified Amazon purchases. Individual results may vary.

About Clearly Filtered Marketing Language

Some claims on Clearly Filtered packaging and product pages are frequently confused with what the underlying third-party certifications actually cover. The note below documents one such mismatch with primary-source citations so you can verify the specifics yourself.

Clearly Filtered markets 'up to 99.9% of 365+ contaminants' removed — but its only NSF certification is for chlorine taste/odor plus lead-free plumbing material; the rest rests on the brand's own lab testing, not certification.

Bottom line: 'tested' and 'certified' are not the same — and almost all of Clearly Filtered's 365+ claim is tested, not certified. Every product (pitcher, bottles, fridge filter, under-sink) shares the same Affinity® Filtration Technology marketing umbrella, but the certification behind it is much narrower. Two tiers:

Certified (NSF-listed) — only chlorine taste-and-odor reduction (NSF/ANSI 42) plus lead-free plumbing material (NSF/ANSI/CAN 372), and only on the Filtered Water Pitcher and its replacement filter (100-gallon cycle). That's the brand's entire NSF footprint as of 2026-05-23. No NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, PFAS, chromium-6, cysts), 58, 401, P473, or 177.
Tested, not certified — lead 99.34% (at 152 ppb), PFOA >99.00%, PFOS >99.50%, fluoride >99.54% (at 2.18 ppm), chromium-6 >99.86-99.97%, arsenic 99.99%, HAA5 >99.98%, sulfate 99.88%, and the rest. All via IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing.

The brand is honest about this on its Pitcher Performance Data page: testing was done by 'an independent ISO 17025 certified laboratory.' But ISO 17025 accredits the lab, not the product — a one-time testing record, not an annually re-verified certification listing under a named standard. An independent reviewer (WaterFilterGuru) quantified the gap as 'certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' — one certified claim out of ~122 marketed.

What to watch: the reduction percentages are single-pass lab figures at the test influent (e.g. 152 ppb lead) — homes with much higher loads may see less. Real-world results are still strong: WaterFilterGuru measured 100% fluoride (1.1 ppm → 0) and 100% uranium (0.014 ppm → 0) removal in Colorado, though it flagged one oddity — 0.0054 ppm of cobalt appearing in the filtered water that wasn't in the unfiltered. And 'Affinity Filtration' is a trademark, not a company; NSF returns 'No Matching Products Found' for it, and the legal entity is Clearly Filtered, Inc. (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA; factory in Sturgis, MI). Net: better evidence than zero-cert brands like Berkey, but NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 covers chlorine and plumbing material — not lead, PFAS, or chromium-6 performance.

Sources

NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Clearly+Filtered
Primary-source NSF certification database entry under 'Clearly Filtered' — ONE matching manufacturer / ONE matching product (Filtered Water Pitcher + Replacement Pitcher Filter) under NSF/ANSI 42 + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372; single certified claim row (Chlorine Reduction / Taste and Odor Reduction); 100-gallon service cycle; manufacturer at 23121 Antonio Parkway Suite 130 Rancho Santa Margarita CA; facility Sturgis MI
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Affinity+Filtration
Primary-source NSF certification database absence under 'Affinity Filtration' — 'No Matching Products Found' confirming Affinity Filtration is a brand-name proprietary technology trademark owned by Clearly Filtered Inc., NOT a separate listed manufacturer
Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/pages/pitcher-performance-data
Brand-official Pitcher Performance Data page documents the two-tier evidence framing in the brand's own copy: 'certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 372' on the pitcher + 'additional testing was performed and results were provided by QFT, a lab now operating as IAPMO New Jersey, a division of IAPMO, an independent ISO 17025 certified laboratory' on everything else — primary-source brand-published disclosure of the split between what is certified and what is only lab-tested
Tier-1 journalismaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-water-pitcher-review/
Independent third-party (WaterFilterGuru) hands-on review awarding 8.78/10 overall; 'Performance Certification: Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' — the cert-to-claim ratio quantified at 1 NSF-certified claim out of ~122 marketed contaminant categories; 100% real-world fluoride + uranium reduction in Colorado test; 0.0054 ppm cobalt anomaly in filtered water flagged
Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/
Brand-official home page documents the 'INTRODUCING AFFINITY® FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY' banner (registered trademark mark); '365+ contaminants' headline claim; '73x more dangers than typical store-bought filters'; corporate copyright footer naming Clearly Filtered, Inc. as the legal entity
Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/pages/about-us
Brand-official About Us page documents 2011 founding year; Affinity Filtration Technology developed internally as the proprietary filter media platform — confirming the trademark-not-entity status of 'Affinity Filtration'

Verified 2026-05-23.

Frequently Asked Questions About Clearly Filtered Water Filters

Only partly — and only the pitcher. On the NSF directory, just one Clearly Filtered product is listed: the Filtered Water Pitcher and its replacement filter, certified to NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste/odor) and NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (lead-free plumbing material).

Neither is a health-contaminant cert. There's no NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, PFAS, chromium-6, cysts), 58, 401, or P473 listing under the brand's name, and the under-sink, fridge, and bottle SKUs aren't NSF-listed at all.

The '365+ contaminants' claim instead rests on IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing — real third-party testing against NSF/ANSI protocols, but not certification under them.

Before trusting any marketing, check your water quality by ZIP code. See also our lead in tap water guide and PFAS contaminant page.

Sources: ^[1] ^[2]

How We Researched Clearly Filtered

Our brand assessments follow a four-tier source ladder. We start with Tier 1 primary sources — NSF International, IAPMO, and WQA certification listings, plus SEC filings and EPA records — to establish what is third-party verified. We then layer in brand-official statements (corporate sites, datasheets, support pages) for context, tier-1 journalism for independent reporting, and community signals (Reddit threads, Amazon reviews) for real-world ownership experience. Every claim on this page traces back to one of the citations below.

Reviewed by TapWaterData Editorial.

Last full review: 2026-05-23 · Next scheduled review: 2027-05-23

All sources (13)

NSF listingAccessed 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Clearly+Filtered
Primary-source NSF certification database entry under 'Clearly Filtered' — one matching manufacturer / one matching product (Filtered Water Pitcher + Replacement Pitcher Filter) under NSF/ANSI 42 + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372; single certified claim row 'Chlorine Reduction / Taste and Odor Reduction'; 100-gallon service cycle; manufacturer address 23121 Antonio Parkway Suite 130 Rancho Santa Margarita CA 92688; facility Sturgis MI; phone 877-876-2740. The entire third-party NSF certification footprint of the brand as of 2026-05-23
NSF listingAccessed 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Affinity+Filtration
Primary-source NSF certification database absence under 'Affinity Filtration' — 'No Matching Products Found' confirms Affinity Filtration is a brand-name proprietary technology trademark owned by Clearly Filtered Inc., NOT a separately listed manufacturer entity. Establishes that 'Affinity Filtration' is a trademark, not a company, for the corporate-structure question
Brand officialAccessed 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/pages/pitcher-performance-data
Brand-official Pitcher Performance Data page documents the two-tier evidence framing in the brand's own copy: 'The Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher and Replacement Pitcher Filter are certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 372. Additional testing was performed and results were provided by QFT, a lab now operating as IAPMO New Jersey, a division of IAPMO, an independent ISO 17025 certified laboratory that is capable of testing following NSF/ANSI protocols.' Primary-source disclosure of the split between what is certified and what is only lab-tested + per-contaminant brand-published reduction percentages
Brand officialAccessed 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/pages/about-us
Brand-official About Us page documents 2011 founding year; Affinity Filtration Technology developed internally as the brand's proprietary filtration platform; brand mission framing for the consumer-water-filter category
Brand officialAccessed 2026-05-23
https://clearlyfiltered.com/
Brand-official home page documents the 'INTRODUCING AFFINITY® FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY' banner (the registered trademark mark on the proprietary tech); '365+ contaminants' headline marketing claim; '73x more dangers than typical store-bought filters' comparative claim; '325,000+ people like you trust us' customer-base claim; corporate copyright footer 'Copyright © 2026 Clearly Filtered, Inc. All Rights Reserved' confirming the legal entity
Tier-1 journalismAccessed 2026-05-23
https://waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-water-pitcher-review/
Independent third-party hands-on review and lab testing of the Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher — 8.78/10 overall score; 8.24 Contaminant Reduction sub-score; 10.00 Filtration Rate sub-score; 'Performance Certification: Certified for 0.82% of reduction claims' cert-to-claim ratio quantification; 100% fluoride and 100% uranium real-world reduction on Colorado treated groundwater test; 0.0054 ppm cobalt anomaly in filtered water flagged
Tier-1 journalismAccessed 2026-05-23
https://waterfilterguru.com/clearly-filtered-vs-berkey/
Independent third-party direct comparison of Clearly Filtered vs Berkey gravity systems — documents the structural cert-evidence + EPA enforcement differential as the primary editorial framing for buyers comparing the two brands
Tier-1 journalismAccessed 2026-05-23
https://qualitywaterlab.com/pitchers/clearly-filtered-water-filter-pitcher-review/
Independent third-party (Quality Water Lab) review documents the Clearly Filtered pitcher's positioning in the broader-scope pitcher market vs Brita / PUR / ZeroWater incumbents; comparative testing data on contaminant reduction at the pour-through tier
NSF listingAccessed 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=The+Brita+Products+Company
Brita Elite (OB06) NSF International listing under The Brita Products Company — the apples-to-apples competitor cert reference for the Clearly Filtered vs Brita Elite head-to-head comparison
NSF listingAccessed 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Berkey
Berkey absence from NSF's certification database under both 'Berkey' and 'New Millennium Concepts' company-name searches — confirms zero third-party certifications on the Black Berkey element, the competitor cert reference for the Clearly Filtered vs Berkey comparison
Brand officialAccessed 2026-05-23
https://www.aquasana.com/info/aquasana-certified-products-pd.html
Aquasana brand-official certified products page documents the Claryum 3-Stage WQA-tested-and-certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 + 53 + 401 covering 78 contaminants — the competitor cert reference for the Clearly Filtered vs Aquasana under-sink-tier comparison
Reddit threadAccessed 2026-05-23
https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/tvbbnr/any_thoughts_on_clearly_filtered_water_filters/
r/preppers community discussion of Clearly Filtered vs Berkey-style gravity prepper systems — community-level validation of the brand's cross-format positioning
Reddit threadAccessed 2026-05-23
https://www.reddit.com/r/water/comments/1mji5u3/chatgpts_best_water_filter_recommendation_is/
r/water community discussion of Clearly Filtered as a frequently AI-surfaced 'best water filter' recommendation — documents the brand's standing in the AI-mediated discovery context vs RO-architecture alternatives

Clearly Filtered Water Filters

Best for

Not recommended for

Certification Reality: What's Actually Tested

Check Certification for a Clearly Filtered Filter

About Clearly Filtered

Ownership history

Filtered Water Pitcher (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

20oz / 24oz / 32oz Stainless Steel Filtered Water Bottles (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Universal Inline Fridge Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

3-Stage Under-the-Sink Filter (with Affinity® Filtration Technology)

Replacement Pitcher Filter ([1] on the NSF listing)

Which Clearly Filtered Filter Is Right for You?

How Clearly Filtered Compares

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology) vs Brita Elite (OB06) Pour-Through Pitcher

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology) vs Berkey Big Berkey + Black Berkey Elements (Gravity Stainless-Steel)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher (80oz with Affinity® Filtration Technology) vs ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZD-010RP with ZR-001 / ZF-201 Filter)

What Reddit Says About Clearly Filtered

Clearly Filtered Customer Reviews Summary

What Customers Love

Common Concerns

About Clearly Filtered Marketing Language

Clearly Filtered markets 'up to 99.9% of 365+ contaminants' removed — but its only NSF certification is for chlorine taste/odor plus lead-free plumbing material; the rest rests on the brand's own lab testing, not certification.

Frequently Asked Questions About Clearly Filtered Water Filters

Is Clearly Filtered NSF certified?

What contaminants does Clearly Filtered actually remove? Per third-party listing vs per the brand's 365+ contaminant marketing?

Clearly Filtered vs Brita vs Berkey vs Aquasana — what's the difference?

How long does the Clearly Filtered pitcher cartridge last, and how often do I replace it?

Who owns Clearly Filtered and where is it manufactured?

Is the '99.9% removal of 365+ contaminants' claim third-party certified?

How We Researched Clearly Filtered

All sources (13)

Stay Informed About Your Water Quality