What contaminants does Epic Pure Pitcher actually remove?

It's tested to NSF/ANSI 42, 53, and 401 — broader than most pitchers. Hydreon Corp (an ISO 17025 lab) tested the Pure cartridge for chlorine (42); lead, mercury, asbestos, VOCs, and cysts (53); and PFOA, PFOS, and pharmaceuticals — Ibuprofen, Phenytoin, BPA (401). Results are on the data sheet at epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports. The '200+ contaminants' headline goes beyond that menu — items like fluoride, chromium-6, and the broad pesticide and PFAS classes aren't separately on the tested list. WaterFilterGuru rates the NSF/ANSI 401 scope as a real edge over Clearly Filtered's narrower 42 + 372 listing. On PFAS-impacted water, Pure is one of the few pitchers with tested PFAS reduction — see filters certified for PFAS. For lead, see our lead in tap water guide.

Is Epic Pure Pitcher good for PFAS removal?

Yes — it's tested to NSF/ANSI 401 for PFOA and PFOS, the two most-studied PFAS. Hydreon Corp's testing covers both on the Pure cartridge data sheet at epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports. Note the brand's broader 'Total PFAS' language goes past the tested PFOA + PFOS scope. That makes Pure one of the few pitchers with tested PFAS reduction. Most rivals don't carry NSF/ANSI 401: Brita Standard (OB03) is chlorine-only; Brita Elite (OB06) does add 42 + 53 + 401 at a lower price with a direct NSF listing; Clearly Filtered is listed for 42 + 372 only, with its broader 365+ scope on IAPMO NJ lab data. For a portable option, the Epic Outdoor Bottle or AquaTru Carafe ($375, IAPMO R&T) also cover PFAS. See filters certified for PFAS for the full landscape.

How long do Epic Pure cartridges last?

Pure cartridges last ~150 gallons / about 3-4 months; the Smart Shield undersink lasts far longer at 650 gallons / ~12 months. Replacement costs: Pure pitcher — ~$45; ~$135-$180/year (3-4 changes). Nano pitcher — ~$65 (the purifier media costs more than carbon block). Smart Shield undersink — ~$65; ~$65/year (1 change). Real-world life depends on your sediment load, chlorine level, and daily use — hard or sediment-heavy water hits the 3-month end, soft water nears 4. The Outdoor Bottle uses a separate cartridge sized for occasional travel, not daily household volume.

Is Epic Pure better than Brita Elite or Clearly Filtered?

All three hit NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401; they differ on price and the kind of proof. Brita Elite (OB06) — best value: $25-$45 pitcher, ~$15-$20 cartridge, and a direct NSF directory listing. Clearly Filtered — a direct NSF listing for narrower 42 + 372, plus a broader 365+ scope on IAPMO NJ lab data; $90-$110. Epic Pure — the broadest tested scope (42 + 53 + 401, including PFAS) on Hydreon Corp data sheets, plus a B Corp brand; $69-$79, but no public directory listing. So: Brita Elite for cost, Clearly Filtered for a public listing, Epic Pure for the wider 401 scope plus B Corp posture. WaterFilterGuru backs Epic's 401 scope as a real edge over Clearly Filtered. See the full Epic Pure vs Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure vs Brita Elite comparisons below.

Where are Epic Water Filters made?

Designed in Boulder, Colorado; manufactured at undisclosed partner facilities. Epic Water Filters, Inc. has run its design and engineering out of Boulder since the 2014 founding by Larkin Brown and Tyler Anderson. Cartridge media and final assembly aren't disclosed at the component level, so country-of-origin isn't verifiable. Cartridge testing is done by Hydreon Corp, a Roseville-MN ISO 17025 lab. That's real third-party testing — but the results live only in Epic's own data sheets, not a public NSF, IAPMO, or WQA directory. So you can't independently verify the tested scope without going to the brand's Reports page.

Does Epic Nano Pitcher remove the same contaminants as Epic Pure Pitcher?

No — same pitcher, different cartridges, different jobs. They share the 36-oz Tritan housing but cover opposite scopes. Pure removes chemical contaminants — lead, mercury, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, microplastics — under NSF/ANSI 42, 53, and 401. Nano removes microbes — bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella), viruses (Rotavirus, Hepatitis A), protozoa (Cryptosporidium, Giardia) — under NSF P231. Neither does the other's job: Nano doesn't remove lead or PFAS, and Pure doesn't kill microbes. You swap cartridges to switch. Use Pure for daily municipal water; use Nano for well water, off-grid, or emergencies where disinfection may be absent. See filters certified for lead and filters certified for PFAS for the broader landscape.

Epic Water Filters

Epic Water Filters is the Boulder CO B-Corp pitcher + undersink brand (founded 2014) whose Pure pitcher is certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 (incl. PFOA / PFOS); the Nano carries an NSF P231 purifier claim.

Best for

Buyers wanting a premium pitcher with broader certified PFAS / pharmaceutical coverage — Epic Pure's NSF/ANSI 401 vs Brita or Clearly
Households on PFAS-impacted water wanting certified PFAS reduction in a pitcher — Epic Pure's NSF/ANSI 401 is an uncommon certification
Emergency / off-grid / well-water households wanting certified microbiological purification — Epic Nano carries the NSF P231 purifier claim
Buyers prioritizing B Corp / sustainability posture alongside certified performance — Epic has held B Corp certification since 2014

Not recommended for

Buyers searching for the lowest-price pitcher with NSF/ANSI 53 lead certification — Epic Pure (~$69-$79) runs above Brita Elite or PUR PLUS
Buyers needing whole-house, RO, refrigerator-filter, or gravity-format filters — Epic centers on pitcher + undersink + bottle only
Buyers wanting cert evidence indexed in NSF's certification database — Epic does not appear there; only the brand's data sheets exist
Households wanting the broadest undersink certification breadth — Smart Shield is pitcher-tier; AquaTru or Aquasana Claryum go wider

Mid tier — typically $200–$500

Certs:No active certifications
4 SKUs
$59–$229
Parent:None — independent, privately held founder-led B Corp since 2014

Certification Reality: What's Actually Tested

This table shows the NSF/IAPMO/WQA-listed certifications for each Epic Water Filters 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
Epic Pure Pitcher Epic Pure Pitcher (36oz BPA-free Tritan plastic pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified replacement cartridge) — the brand's flagship certification story	No active certifications	Chlorine (free available) — NSF/ANSI 42 chlorine taste-and-odor reduction Lead — NSF/ANSI 53 Health Effects reduction Mercury — NSF/ANSI 53 Health Effects scope Asbestos — NSF/ANSI 53 Health Effects scope Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs — Benzene, MTBE, Toluene under NSF/ANSI 53) PFOA — NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds scope PFOS — NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds scope Pharmaceuticals (Ibuprofen, Phenytoin, BPA under NSF/ANSI 401) Microplastics — within the NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds particulate scope Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia — NSF/ANSI 53 cyst reduction)	Fluoride Chromium-6 General pesticide / herbicide class General PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS Disinfection byproducts Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Fluoride — marketed in the '200+ contaminants' claim but not certified on the Pure datasheet under NSF/ANSI 58 (the fluoride-reduction standard). Pitcher cartridges generally can't earn NSF/ANSI 58 fluoride certification since that standard is built around RO membranes; for certified fluoride reduction in a pitcher, look at AquaTru Carafe (IAPMO R&T NSF/ANSI 58 listing) or other RO options Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) — marketed in the broader '200+ contaminants' claim; the Pure datasheet covers chromium under NSF/ANSI 53, but that is Standard 53's protocol, not a separate chromium-6 certification General pesticide / herbicide class — marketed in the broader '200+ contaminants' claim; the datasheet covers specific pesticides (Atrazine, Lindane under NSF/ANSI 53), not the open pesticide/herbicide class General PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS — marketed as a broader 'Total PFAS' scope; the NSF/ANSI 401 certification covers PFOA and PFOS specifically, not the full PFAS family. For certified Total PFAS reduction in a pitcher, check the model's own datasheet Disinfection byproducts (general class) — marketed in the broader claim; some specific DBPs may be on the Pure datasheet under NSF/ANSI 53 + 401, but the broader DBP class goes beyond what's certified The Epic Pure Pitcher is the brand's clearest certified-vs-marketed story across its pitcher line. The product is third-party tested against the NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 contaminant-reduction standards by Hydreon Corp (a Roseville, MN ISO 17025-accredited lab), and the official certification datasheet at epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports documents the certified scope (chlorine, lead, mercury, asbestos, VOCs, PFOA / PFOS, pharmaceuticals, cysts, microplastics). That evidence sits between two stronger and weaker postures. The stronger one is a direct NSF International, IAPMO R&T, or WQA Gold Seal listing, where the evidence is independently indexed in the certifier's public database (info.nsf.org / pld.iapmo.org / find.wqa.org) — Epic is not in any of those as of 2026-05-23. The weaker one is brand-published lab data with no third-party testing, the 'lab-report-as-cert' approach used by brands like Berkey. Epic lands in between: real third-party ISO 17025 lab testing against NSF/ANSI Standard methods, but published in the brand's own datasheets rather than indexed in a certifier's public database. The catch is the marketing: the homepage's 'removes 200+ contaminants' goes beyond the contaminants listed in the datasheet. The honest move for buyers is to check the brand's Reports page for the model's datasheet to see which specific contaminants are certified under NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 versus which sit in the broader marketing claim. WaterFilterGuru's independent third-party assessment backs the NSF/ANSI 401 emerging-compounds scope on the Pure pitcher as a meaningful differentiator vs Clearly Filtered's narrower NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-only footprint and vs Brita Standard's NSF/ANSI 42-only OB03 cartridge. Read more	View NSF listing
Epic Nano Pitcher Epic Nano Pitcher (36oz BPA-free Tritan plastic pitcher with NSF P231 microbiological purifier cartridge) — sibling pitcher targeting bacteria / virus / protozoa for emergency / off-grid / well-water use	No active certifications	Bacteria — log-6 (99.9999%) reduction per NSF P231 protocol (E. coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Vibrio cholerae per the standard's microbiological-purifier scope) Viruses — log-4 (99.99%) reduction per NSF P231 protocol (Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, MS2 phage as the surrogate-virus protocol per the standard) Protozoa — log-3 (99.9%) reduction per NSF P231 protocol (Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia muris / lamblia) Cysts — within the protozoa-reduction scope of NSF P231	Chemical contaminants Chlorine taste-and-odor Microplastics and emerging compounds Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Chemical contaminants (lead, mercury, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, chromium-6, fluoride) — the Nano's NSF P231 cartridge is built for microbiological purification (bacteria, virus, protozoa) and does not separately claim or certify chemical reduction. To cover both chemical and microbiological needs in the same housing, pair the Pure cartridge (chemicals) with the Nano cartridge (microbiological) — both drop into the same Epic housing, but only one cartridge can be used at a time. The Nano's microbiological scope should not be read as covering chemicals Chlorine taste-and-odor — the Nano's microbiological-focused media isn't built for chlorine taste-and-odor reduction at the NSF/ANSI 42 certified level; for that, the sibling Pure cartridge (certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401) is the right Epic choice Microplastics and emerging compounds — the Nano's NSF P231 scope is microbiological-only; microplastics and emerging compounds (PFAS, pharmaceuticals, BPA) are covered on the sibling Pure cartridge under NSF/ANSI 401, not on Nano The Epic Nano Pitcher and Epic Pure Pitcher share the same 36-oz BPA-free Tritan plastic housing but use different cartridges with different scopes. Nano covers microbiological purification (bacteria, virus, protozoa) under the NSF P231 USEPA-recognized purifier protocol; Pure covers chemical contaminants (lead, mercury, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, VOCs) under NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401. The Nano is aimed at emergency, off-grid, and well-water situations where microbiological contamination is the main risk. Most US municipal tap water is already disinfected by the utility and doesn't need extra microbiological purification at the tap. Nano makes the most sense for well-water households (no utility disinfection), emergency and disaster-preparedness use (where municipal disinfection may be disrupted), and off-grid, camping, or travel use where the source water is unknown. The confusion shows up when shoppers treat Nano's microbiological scope as if it also covered chemicals. To cover both, use the Pure cartridge for daily chemical filtration and swap in the Nano cartridge for emergency or off-grid use where microbiological purification is the priority. In short: Nano handles microbiological risks (a use case similar to the LifeStraw Home pitcher), Pure handles chemical risks (similar to the Brita Elite OB06). Read more	View NSF listing
Epic Smart Shield Undersink Epic Smart Shield Undersink (premium under-sink filter system with dedicated cold-water faucet connection) — brings the Pure pitcher's certification scope to the under-sink form factor	No active certifications	Chlorine (free available) — taste-and-odor reduction (NSF/ANSI 42 scope) Lead — Health Effects reduction (NSF/ANSI 53 scope) Mercury — Health Effects reduction (NSF/ANSI 53 scope) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) — NSF/ANSI 53 scope PFOA / PFOS — Emerging Compounds reduction (NSF/ANSI 401 scope) Pharmaceuticals (Ibuprofen, Phenytoin, BPA) — Emerging Compounds reduction (NSF/ANSI 401 scope) Microplastics — within the broader emerging-contaminants particulate scope	Fluoride Chromium-6 Bacteria / viruses / protozoa microbiolo… Total PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS Why these aren’t certified ↓Hide details ↑ Fluoride — marketed in the broader claim but not certified on the Smart Shield datasheet under NSF/ANSI 58 (the fluoride-reduction standard). Under-sink carbon-block cartridges generally can't earn NSF/ANSI 58 fluoride certification since that standard is built around RO membranes; for certified fluoride reduction at the under-sink tier, look at AquaTru Under Sink (IAPMO R&T NSF/ANSI 58 listing) or other RO options Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) — marketed in the broader claim; the Smart Shield datasheet may cover chromium under NSF/ANSI 53, but chromium-6 specifically may not be separately tested Bacteria / viruses / protozoa microbiological reduction — the Smart Shield's carbon-block cartridge is built for chemical reduction and does not separately claim or certify microbiological purification under NSF P231. Epic has no under-sink microbiological option — the Nano pitcher cartridge is its only microbiological purifier and has no under-sink equivalent Total PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS — marketed as a broader 'Total PFAS' scope; the NSF/ANSI 401 certification covers PFOA and PFOS specifically, not the full PFAS family The Epic Smart Shield Undersink brings the Pure pitcher's broader chemical-contaminant coverage (chlorine, lead, mercury, VOCs, PFOA / PFOS, pharmaceuticals, microplastics) to the under-sink form factor with a dedicated cold-water faucet connection. The main differences from the Pure pitcher are a longer cartridge life (650-gallon / ~12 month vs Pure's 150-gallon / ~3-4 month) and a dedicated under-sink install versus Pure's countertop drop-in. The certification evidence is the same: the brand's own datasheet backed by Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing, not a direct NSF International, IAPMO R&T, or WQA Gold Seal listing. The catch is the marketing, same as on the Pure pitcher: the broader '200+ contaminants' claim extends beyond what's on the datasheet. The 'lab-report-as-cert' issue is milder at Epic than at Berkey, because Epic's testing is done by an ISO 17025-accredited lab (Hydreon Corp) against NSF/ANSI Standard methods — a real tier of evidence, but not the same as a direct NSF International, IAPMO R&T, or WQA Gold Seal listing indexed in a certifier's public database. Smart Shield puts Epic in the premium under-sink segment alongside the Clearly Filtered under-sink line; its certification breadth at the under-sink tier is narrower than AquaTru Under Sink ($375, with IAPMO R&T listings across NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 58 + 401 + 372 — five standards including NSF/ANSI 58 RO). Read more	View NSF listing

Epic Pure Pitcher

Epic Pure Pitcher (36oz BPA-free Tritan plastic pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified replacement cartridge) — the brand's flagship certification story

Standards held

No active certifications

What’s certified

Chlorine (free available) — NSF/ANSI 42 chlorine taste-and-odor reduction
Lead — NSF/ANSI 53 Health Effects reduction
Mercury — NSF/ANSI 53 Health Effects scope
Asbestos — NSF/ANSI 53 Health Effects scope
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs — Benzene, MTBE, Toluene under NSF/ANSI 53)
PFOA — NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds scope
PFOS — NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds scope
Pharmaceuticals (Ibuprofen, Phenytoin, BPA under NSF/ANSI 401)
Microplastics — within the NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds particulate scope
Cysts (Cryptosporidium, Giardia — NSF/ANSI 53 cyst reduction)

Brand claims but NOT certified

Fluoride
Chromium-6
General pesticide / herbicide class
General PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS
Disinfection byproducts

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Fluoride — marketed in the '200+ contaminants' claim but not certified on the Pure datasheet under NSF/ANSI 58 (the fluoride-reduction standard). Pitcher cartridges generally can't earn NSF/ANSI 58 fluoride certification since that standard is built around RO membranes; for certified fluoride reduction in a pitcher, look at AquaTru Carafe (IAPMO R&T NSF/ANSI 58 listing) or other RO options
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) — marketed in the broader '200+ contaminants' claim; the Pure datasheet covers chromium under NSF/ANSI 53, but that is Standard 53's protocol, not a separate chromium-6 certification
General pesticide / herbicide class — marketed in the broader '200+ contaminants' claim; the datasheet covers specific pesticides (Atrazine, Lindane under NSF/ANSI 53), not the open pesticide/herbicide class
General PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS — marketed as a broader 'Total PFAS' scope; the NSF/ANSI 401 certification covers PFOA and PFOS specifically, not the full PFAS family. For certified Total PFAS reduction in a pitcher, check the model's own datasheet
Disinfection byproducts (general class) — marketed in the broader claim; some specific DBPs may be on the Pure datasheet under NSF/ANSI 53 + 401, but the broader DBP class goes beyond what's certified

The Epic Pure Pitcher is the brand's clearest certified-vs-marketed story across its pitcher line. The product is third-party tested against the NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 contaminant-reduction standards by Hydreon Corp (a Roseville, MN ISO 17025-accredited lab), and the official certification datasheet at epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports documents the certified scope (chlorine, lead, mercury, asbestos, VOCs, PFOA / PFOS, pharmaceuticals, cysts, microplastics). That evidence sits between two stronger and weaker postures. The stronger one is a direct NSF International, IAPMO R&T, or WQA Gold Seal listing, where the evidence is independently indexed in the certifier's public database (info.nsf.org / pld.iapmo.org / find.wqa.org) — Epic is not in any of those as of 2026-05-23. The weaker one is brand-published lab data with no third-party testing, the 'lab-report-as-cert' approach used by brands like Berkey. Epic lands in between: real third-party ISO 17025 lab testing against NSF/ANSI Standard methods, but published in the brand's own datasheets rather than indexed in a certifier's public database. The catch is the marketing: the homepage's 'removes 200+ contaminants' goes beyond the contaminants listed in the datasheet. The honest move for buyers is to check the brand's Reports page for the model's datasheet to see which specific contaminants are certified under NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 versus which sit in the broader marketing claim. WaterFilterGuru's independent third-party assessment backs the NSF/ANSI 401 emerging-compounds scope on the Pure pitcher as a meaningful differentiator vs Clearly Filtered's narrower NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-only footprint and vs Brita Standard's NSF/ANSI 42-only OB03 cartridge.

NSF listing

View NSF listing

Epic Nano Pitcher

Epic Nano Pitcher (36oz BPA-free Tritan plastic pitcher with NSF P231 microbiological purifier cartridge) — sibling pitcher targeting bacteria / virus / protozoa for emergency / off-grid / well-water use

Standards held

No active certifications

What’s certified

Bacteria — log-6 (99.9999%) reduction per NSF P231 protocol (E. coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Vibrio cholerae per the standard's microbiological-purifier scope)
Viruses — log-4 (99.99%) reduction per NSF P231 protocol (Rotavirus, Hepatitis A, MS2 phage as the surrogate-virus protocol per the standard)
Protozoa — log-3 (99.9%) reduction per NSF P231 protocol (Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia muris / lamblia)
Cysts — within the protozoa-reduction scope of NSF P231

Brand claims but NOT certified

Chemical contaminants
Chlorine taste-and-odor
Microplastics and emerging compounds

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Chemical contaminants (lead, mercury, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, chromium-6, fluoride) — the Nano's NSF P231 cartridge is built for microbiological purification (bacteria, virus, protozoa) and does not separately claim or certify chemical reduction. To cover both chemical and microbiological needs in the same housing, pair the Pure cartridge (chemicals) with the Nano cartridge (microbiological) — both drop into the same Epic housing, but only one cartridge can be used at a time. The Nano's microbiological scope should not be read as covering chemicals
Chlorine taste-and-odor — the Nano's microbiological-focused media isn't built for chlorine taste-and-odor reduction at the NSF/ANSI 42 certified level; for that, the sibling Pure cartridge (certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401) is the right Epic choice
Microplastics and emerging compounds — the Nano's NSF P231 scope is microbiological-only; microplastics and emerging compounds (PFAS, pharmaceuticals, BPA) are covered on the sibling Pure cartridge under NSF/ANSI 401, not on Nano

The Epic Nano Pitcher and Epic Pure Pitcher share the same 36-oz BPA-free Tritan plastic housing but use different cartridges with different scopes. Nano covers microbiological purification (bacteria, virus, protozoa) under the NSF P231 USEPA-recognized purifier protocol; Pure covers chemical contaminants (lead, mercury, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, VOCs) under NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401. The Nano is aimed at emergency, off-grid, and well-water situations where microbiological contamination is the main risk. Most US municipal tap water is already disinfected by the utility and doesn't need extra microbiological purification at the tap. Nano makes the most sense for well-water households (no utility disinfection), emergency and disaster-preparedness use (where municipal disinfection may be disrupted), and off-grid, camping, or travel use where the source water is unknown. The confusion shows up when shoppers treat Nano's microbiological scope as if it also covered chemicals. To cover both, use the Pure cartridge for daily chemical filtration and swap in the Nano cartridge for emergency or off-grid use where microbiological purification is the priority. In short: Nano handles microbiological risks (a use case similar to the LifeStraw Home pitcher), Pure handles chemical risks (similar to the Brita Elite OB06).

NSF listing

View NSF listing

Epic Smart Shield Undersink

Epic Smart Shield Undersink (premium under-sink filter system with dedicated cold-water faucet connection) — brings the Pure pitcher's certification scope to the under-sink form factor

Standards held

No active certifications

What’s certified

Chlorine (free available) — taste-and-odor reduction (NSF/ANSI 42 scope)
Lead — Health Effects reduction (NSF/ANSI 53 scope)
Mercury — Health Effects reduction (NSF/ANSI 53 scope)
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) — NSF/ANSI 53 scope
PFOA / PFOS — Emerging Compounds reduction (NSF/ANSI 401 scope)
Pharmaceuticals (Ibuprofen, Phenytoin, BPA) — Emerging Compounds reduction (NSF/ANSI 401 scope)
Microplastics — within the broader emerging-contaminants particulate scope

Brand claims but NOT certified

Fluoride
Chromium-6
Bacteria / viruses / protozoa microbiolo…
Total PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS

Why these aren’t certified ↓

Fluoride — marketed in the broader claim but not certified on the Smart Shield datasheet under NSF/ANSI 58 (the fluoride-reduction standard). Under-sink carbon-block cartridges generally can't earn NSF/ANSI 58 fluoride certification since that standard is built around RO membranes; for certified fluoride reduction at the under-sink tier, look at AquaTru Under Sink (IAPMO R&T NSF/ANSI 58 listing) or other RO options
Chromium-6 (Hexavalent) — marketed in the broader claim; the Smart Shield datasheet may cover chromium under NSF/ANSI 53, but chromium-6 specifically may not be separately tested
Bacteria / viruses / protozoa microbiological reduction — the Smart Shield's carbon-block cartridge is built for chemical reduction and does not separately claim or certify microbiological purification under NSF P231. Epic has no under-sink microbiological option — the Nano pitcher cartridge is its only microbiological purifier and has no under-sink equivalent
Total PFAS class beyond PFOA / PFOS — marketed as a broader 'Total PFAS' scope; the NSF/ANSI 401 certification covers PFOA and PFOS specifically, not the full PFAS family

The Epic Smart Shield Undersink brings the Pure pitcher's broader chemical-contaminant coverage (chlorine, lead, mercury, VOCs, PFOA / PFOS, pharmaceuticals, microplastics) to the under-sink form factor with a dedicated cold-water faucet connection. The main differences from the Pure pitcher are a longer cartridge life (650-gallon / ~12 month vs Pure's 150-gallon / ~3-4 month) and a dedicated under-sink install versus Pure's countertop drop-in. The certification evidence is the same: the brand's own datasheet backed by Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing, not a direct NSF International, IAPMO R&T, or WQA Gold Seal listing. The catch is the marketing, same as on the Pure pitcher: the broader '200+ contaminants' claim extends beyond what's on the datasheet. The 'lab-report-as-cert' issue is milder at Epic than at Berkey, because Epic's testing is done by an ISO 17025-accredited lab (Hydreon Corp) against NSF/ANSI Standard methods — a real tier of evidence, but not the same as a direct NSF International, IAPMO R&T, or WQA Gold Seal listing indexed in a certifier's public database. Smart Shield puts Epic in the premium under-sink segment alongside the Clearly Filtered under-sink line; its certification breadth at the under-sink tier is narrower than AquaTru Under Sink ($375, with IAPMO R&T listings across NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 58 + 401 + 372 — five standards including NSF/ANSI 58 RO).

NSF listing

View NSF listing

Check Certification for a Epic Water Filters Filter

This widget shows the third-party-listed certifications for Epic Water Filters 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.

Certification data for Epic Water Filters is being researched. Try the global certification tool for cross-brand search.

Listings as of Jun 4, 2026.

About Epic Water Filters

Epic's filters are third-party tested — but the proof lives in brand-published data sheets, not the NSF directory. It's an independent, founder-led B Corp pitcher + undersink + bottle brand, founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2014 by Larkin Brown and Tyler Anderson. It has held B Corp certification (a B Lab social and environmental designation) since day one.

The lineup centers on two pitchers plus an undersink and a bottle:

Pure Pitcher — flagship; NSF/ANSI 42, 53, and 401 tested (chlorine, lead, mercury, PFOA/PFOS, pharmaceuticals); ~$69-$79.
Nano Pitcher — same housing, microbiological cartridge tested to the NSF P231 purifier protocol (bacteria, viruses, protozoa) for emergency and well-water use; ~$89-$99.
Smart Shield Undersink — same broad chemical scope as Pure, at the sink; ~$169-$229.
Outdoor Bottle — portable filter bottle; ~$59-$69.

The catch: Epic isn't in the NSF directory at all. Searches for 'Epic Water Filters' and 'Epic Water' both return no results. Its testing is run by Hydreon Corp, a Roseville-MN ISO 17025 lab, and published on epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports — real third-party evidence, but not a public certifier listing like NSF, IAPMO, or WQA. The '200+ contaminants' marketing claim also runs wider than the contaminants actually on the data sheets.

Founded:2014 (Epic Water Filters, Inc. was founded in Boulder, Colorado by Larkin Brown — CEO + Co-Founder — and Tyler Anderson — President + Co-Founder — as a B Corporation-certified pitcher + filter brand focused on PFAS, pharmaceutical, and emerging-contaminant reduction in a pitcher. Per the brand's About page on epicwaterfilters.com, the brand has held B Corp certification continuously since the 2014 founding — B Corp is a third-party social-impact and environmental-performance designation from B Lab covering corporate governance, employee impact, community impact, and environmental impact)

Headquarters:Boulder, Colorado, USA — Epic Water Filters, Inc. (the company behind epicwaterfilters.com) is headquartered in Boulder. Per the brand's About page, the company was founded in Boulder and has stayed Colorado-based since 2014. Product design and engineering happen at the Boulder HQ, while manufacturing is handled by partner facilities — the brand's product pages do not spell out where the cartridge media is made or where final assembly happens.

Parent company:None — independent, privately held founder-led B Corp since 2014

Ownership history

2014
Epic Water Filters, Inc. founded in Boulder, Colorado by Larkin Brown (CEO + Co-Founder) and Tyler Anderson (President + Co-Founder) as a B Corporation-certified pitcher + filter brand focused on PFAS, pharmaceutical, and emerging-contaminant reduction in a pitcher. The flagship Pure pitcher launched with a cartridge built around coconut-shell carbon block plus ion-exchange media aimed at the broader NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 contaminant scope at the pitcher tier.
2014
Epic Water Filters earned B Corp certification from B Lab — the third-party social-impact and environmental-performance designation covering corporate governance, employee impact, community impact, and environmental impact. The brand has held B Corp certification continuously since the 2014 founding, per the B Lab directory entry.
2015-2017
Epic expanded beyond pitchers. The Epic Outdoor Bottle filter, aimed at portable, travel, and emergency-bag use, launched as the brand's first non-pitcher product, and the Smart Shield Undersink launched as its first under-sink filter for buyers wanting a dedicated under-sink option at the premium-pitcher certification footprint.
Approximately 2018-2020
The Epic Nano Pitcher launched as the brand's second pitcher, aimed at microbiological purification (bacteria, virus, protozoa) via the NSF P231 purifier protocol — a different scope from the Pure pitcher's NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 chemical-contaminant coverage. The Nano cartridge drops into the same Pure pitcher housing, so buyers can switch between chemical and microbiological coverage by changing the cartridge alone.
2020-2024
The brand grew across pitcher, undersink, and bottle categories. WaterFilterGuru's independent third-party review program covers the Epic Pure pitcher and Smart Shield Undersink, placing the brand in the premium pitcher segment alongside Clearly Filtered. Epic kept its B Corp certification current through 2024, with no parent holding company disclosed.
2025-2026
Epic Water Filters operates as an 11+ year-old founder-led B Corp pitcher + undersink + bottle brand: the Pure pitcher is certified to NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401, the Nano pitcher carries the NSF P231 microbiological protocol claim, and the Smart Shield Undersink holds the premium under-sink position. ~5,500+ combined brand-direct and Amazon reviews across the Pure / Nano / Smart Shield / Outdoor Bottle lineup at a 4.5-star average. Boulder, Colorado operations are stable under Epic Water Filters, Inc.; privately held with no M&A or spinoff disclosed.

Epic Pure Pitcher

The flagship pitcher — coconut-shell carbon block + ion-exchange cartridge in a 36-oz BPA-free Tritan housing.

Tested: to NSF/ANSI 42, 53, and 401 per the brand data sheet (chlorine, lead, mercury, PFOA/PFOS, pharmaceuticals); not a public certifier listing.
Price: $69-$79; cartridge ~150 gallons / ~3-4 months.
Reviews: ~3,500+ at 4.5 stars.
Watch for: the 'removes 200+ contaminants' headline runs wider than the data-sheet menu.

Epic Nano Pitcher

The microbiological pitcher for emergency, off-grid, and well-water use — same housing as Pure, different cartridge.

Tested: to the NSF P231 purifier protocol for bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella), viruses (Rotavirus, Hepatitis A), and protozoa (Cryptosporidium, Giardia).
Price: $89-$99; cartridge ~150 gallons / ~3-4 months.
Reviews: ~600-800 at 4.5 stars.
Watch for: Nano does not remove chemical contaminants (lead, PFAS, pharmaceuticals) — that's the Pure cartridge's job. The cartridges are interchangeable in the same pitcher.

Epic Smart Shield Undersink

The undersink filter — Pure's broad chemical scope, moved to a dedicated cold-water faucet line.

Removes: lead, mercury, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, and microplastics, per the brand data sheet.
Price: $169-$229; cartridge ~650 gallons / ~12 months (much longer than the 150-gallon pitcher cartridges).
Reviews: ~400-600 at 4.5 stars.
vs RO: narrower cert scope than AquaTru Under Sink, which holds IAPMO R&T listings across five NSF/ANSI standards including 58 (RO).

Epic Outdoor Bottle

The portable filter bottle for travel, outdoor, and emergency use — 30-oz BPA-free Tritan with an integrated cartridge.

Removes: chemical contaminants plus microbiological — broader than LifeStraw Go (microbiological only) or Brita Filtered (chlorine/taste).
Price: $59-$69.
Reviews: ~1,800-2,200 on Amazon at 4.6 stars — the brand's most-reviewed SKU.

Epic Urban Pitcher (mid-tier pitcher variant)

A lower-priced alternative to the Pure pitcher.

Note: documented less than Pure/Nano/Smart Shield; its tested scope may be narrower than Pure's NSF/ANSI 42, 53, and 401 — check the brand's Reports page for the per-SKU data sheet.

Designed in Boulder, Colorado; tested by an outside lab, not listed by a certifier. Epic Water Filters, Inc. does its design and engineering at the Boulder HQ; manufacturing runs through unnamed partner facilities, and component country-of-origin isn't disclosed.

Cartridge testing is run by Hydreon Corp, a Roseville-MN ISO 17025 lab, against NSF/ANSI methodology — real third-party testing, published on the brand's Reports page (epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports).

The gap vs brands with direct NSF, IAPMO R&T, or WQA listings: those are indexed in a public certifier directory (info.nsf.org / pld.iapmo.org / find.wqa.org), so buyers can verify them independently. Epic's proof lives only in its own data sheets.

Which Epic Water Filters Filter Is Right for You?

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

Lead

Best pick: Epic Pure Pitcher (36oz BPA-free Tritan plastic pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified replacement cartridge) — the brand's flagship certification story — certified for Lead (Epic Water Filters).

PFAS

Fluoride

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

Arsenic

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

Nitrate

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

Chromium-6

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

Mercury

Atrazine

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

Chloroform

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

Cysts

How Epic Water Filters Compares

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet) vs Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

Feature	Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)	Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)
Format	Pitcher, 36-oz BPA-free Tritan plastic housing with replaceable NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cartridge	Pitcher, 10-cup BPA-free housing with replaceable cartridge using brand-proprietary Affinity Filtration media stack
Certified contaminant scope (per datasheet)	NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste-and-odor) + NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, mercury, asbestos, VOCs, cysts Health Effects) + NSF/ANSI 401 (PFOA, PFOS, pharmaceuticals Emerging Compounds) — a broader certified scope than mass-market pitcher competitors	NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste-and-odor) + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (lead-free plumbing material) ONLY in NSF's certification database under 'Clearly Filtered, Inc.' — a single certified claim, 'Chlorine Reduction / Taste and Odor Reduction.' The broader '365+ contaminants / 99.9% removal' claim rests on IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing rather than the NSF certification
Certification indexed in a public database	NO — Epic Water Filters is not in NSF's certification database; its certification evidence lives in the brand's own datasheets via Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing	YES — Clearly Filtered, Inc. is in NSF's certification database under 'Clearly Filtered' (1 matching product, NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 scope). Its broader 365+ contaminant claim rests on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing rather than NSF certification
Certified PFAS reduction evidence	PFOA / PFOS are specifically on the Pure pitcher datasheet under NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds via Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing — meaningful certified PFAS evidence in a pitcher	PFOA / PFOS reduction is brand-claimed via IAPMO New Jersey ISO 17025 lab data; it is NOT in the NSF NSF/ANSI 401 certification. The broader 365+ contaminants claim goes beyond the certified NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 scope
Service life and replacement cost	150-gallon / ~3-4 month service life per cartridge; replacement cartridge ~$45 retail (~$135-$180 annual filter cost depending on usage)	100-gallon / ~4 month service life per cartridge; replacement cartridge ~$60-$70 retail (~$180-$210 annual filter cost depending on usage)
Retail price (typical)	$69-$79 on epicwaterfilters.com and Amazon	$90-$110 on clearlyfiltered.com and Amazon
B Corp / sustainability posture	B Corp certified since 2014 founding per B Lab directory entry — third-party social-impact + environmental performance designation covering corporate governance, employee impact, community impact, and environmental impact	No B Corp certification disclosed publicly on the brand's About page; brand operates as Clearly Filtered, Inc. (privately held, founded 2011) without a specific B Corp posture
Brand tenure in US consumer-filter market	~11 years (founded 2014 in Boulder Colorado by Larkin Brown + Tyler Anderson)	~14 years (founded 2011 with HQ at Rancho Santa Margarita CA, facility in Sturgis MI)

Format

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

Pitcher, 36-oz BPA-free Tritan plastic housing with replaceable NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 cartridge

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

Pitcher, 10-cup BPA-free housing with replaceable cartridge using brand-proprietary Affinity Filtration media stack

Certified contaminant scope (per datasheet)

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste-and-odor) + NSF/ANSI 53 (lead, mercury, asbestos, VOCs, cysts Health Effects) + NSF/ANSI 401 (PFOA, PFOS, pharmaceuticals Emerging Compounds) — a broader certified scope than mass-market pitcher competitors

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste-and-odor) + NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 (lead-free plumbing material) ONLY in NSF's certification database under 'Clearly Filtered, Inc.' — a single certified claim, 'Chlorine Reduction / Taste and Odor Reduction.' The broader '365+ contaminants / 99.9% removal' claim rests on IAPMO New Jersey (formerly QFT) ISO 17025 lab testing rather than the NSF certification

Certification indexed in a public database

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

NO — Epic Water Filters is not in NSF's certification database; its certification evidence lives in the brand's own datasheets via Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

YES — Clearly Filtered, Inc. is in NSF's certification database under 'Clearly Filtered' (1 matching product, NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 scope). Its broader 365+ contaminant claim rests on IAPMO NJ ISO 17025 lab testing rather than NSF certification

Certified PFAS reduction evidence

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

PFOA / PFOS are specifically on the Pure pitcher datasheet under NSF/ANSI 401 Emerging Compounds via Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing — meaningful certified PFAS evidence in a pitcher

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

PFOA / PFOS reduction is brand-claimed via IAPMO New Jersey ISO 17025 lab data; it is NOT in the NSF NSF/ANSI 401 certification. The broader 365+ contaminants claim goes beyond the certified NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 scope

Service life and replacement cost

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

150-gallon / ~3-4 month service life per cartridge; replacement cartridge ~$45 retail (~$135-$180 annual filter cost depending on usage)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

100-gallon / ~4 month service life per cartridge; replacement cartridge ~$60-$70 retail (~$180-$210 annual filter cost depending on usage)

Retail price (typical)

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

$69-$79 on epicwaterfilters.com and Amazon

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

$90-$110 on clearlyfiltered.com and Amazon

B Corp / sustainability posture

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

B Corp certified since 2014 founding per B Lab directory entry — third-party social-impact + environmental performance designation covering corporate governance, employee impact, community impact, and environmental impact

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

No B Corp certification disclosed publicly on the brand's About page; brand operates as Clearly Filtered, Inc. (privately held, founded 2011) without a specific B Corp posture

Brand tenure in US consumer-filter market

Epic Pure Pitcher ($69-$79, 36oz BPA-free Tritan pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 certified cartridge per the brand's certification datasheet)

~11 years (founded 2014 in Boulder Colorado by Larkin Brown + Tyler Anderson)

Clearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher ($90-$110, 10-cup BPA-free pitcher with NSF/ANSI 42 + 372-listed cartridge under NSF International directly)

~14 years (founded 2011 with HQ at Rancho Santa Margarita CA, facility in Sturgis MI)

Bottom line: both are premium pitchers; the difference is what kind of proof you trust.

Pick Epic Pure if you want the broader tested scope — NSF/ANSI 42, 53, and 401 (including PFAS and pharmaceuticals) on Hydreon Corp data sheets — plus a B Corp brand, a lower $69-$79 entry price, and slightly longer cartridge life.
Pick Clearly Filtered if a public NSF directory listing matters most: it's listed for NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 (chlorine and lead-free material), where Epic doesn't appear at all.

Neither brand's full marketing scope is directory-listed — Clearly Filtered's '365+ contaminants' rides on IAPMO NJ lab data, Epic's '200+' on Hydreon data sheets.

Sources for facts in this comparison

Brand officialaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://epicwaterfilters.com/pages/reports
Epic Pure Pitcher's official certification datasheet documents the NSF/ANSI 42 + 53 + 401 contaminant scope via Hydreon Corp ISO 17025 lab testing
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Clearly+Filtered
NSF's certification database search for 'Clearly Filtered' returns 1 matching manufacturer / 1 matching product (Filtered Water Pitcher + Replacement Pitcher Filter under NSF/ANSI 42 + 372 certification) — the NSF International comparison source
NSF listingaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Epic+Water
NSF's certification database search for 'Epic Water' returns 'No Matching Products Found' — Epic Water Filters is NOT separately indexed in the NSF International database
Tier-1 journalismaccessed: 2026-05-23
https://www.waterfilterguru.com/epic-water-filters-review/
WaterFilterGuru independent third-party review of Epic Water Filters places the brand in the premium pitcher segment alongside Clearly Filtered with NSF/ANSI 401 emerging-compounds certification on the Pure pitcher as the meaningful certification differentiator