Standard water pitchers with carbon filters may be the water filtration system of choice for many, but those who learn about the advanced filtration technology behind Clearly Filtered’s Water Pitcher with Affinity® Filtration Technology are quick to opt for an upgrade. Our proprietary technology uses a unique blend of 6 medias to remove up to 99.9% of 365+ contaminants.   If you opt for single-use bottles of water as a "cleaner alternative" to your tap water, you may be surprised to find out that the water often comes from the exact same source. Keep reading to learn why bottled water may not be the best option for consumers in search of a clean water source.

A filter’s performance is determined by the filtration materials used. 

Standard filters use simple loose carbon media to reduce carbon-bonded chemicals. This can include as little as five contaminants, as the focus is on reducing chlorine, mercury, cadmium, copper, and zinc levels in water. These basic filters focus on improving the taste and smell of your water above all else. 

When focusing on major contaminants that have a taste, odor, or color, these companies are operating on the assumption that a customer believes all contaminants can be detected through taste or smell when very few contaminants actually fall into this category.

You’re left with the perception of clean water because it may smell or taste better, but in reality, carbon filters tend to leave behind many chemicals and contaminants to pass right through into your drinking water. 

At Clearly Filtered, our advanced filtration technology can remove up to 99.9% of hundreds of contaminants – without stripping it of healthy minerals – so that you can have drinking water that won’t compromise your health and safety. 

Our proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology uses a unique blend of 6 different filtration media designed to target up to 73x more chemicals, contaminants, and toxins than typical carbon filters. Our innovative blend of advanced materials work together to capture contaminants by ionically binding to them at microscopic levels.

A major difference between Clearly Filtered filters and standard carbon filters is the number of barriers the water must go through before it is cleaned. Basic water pitchers feature single stage carbon filters that allow water to pass through quickly, but compromise filter effectiveness in order to do so. 

Our water pitchers use a 3-stage filter to maximize the effectiveness of our filters so that they actually trap contaminants. 

Stage One: The Screening Layer 

The delicately woven screen prevents larger particles and sediment from ever entering the filter. This protects your health and extends your filter’s lifespan. 

Stage Two: The Carbon Layer

The carbon media targets common contaminants like chlorine, chemicals, and other impurities that affect taste and smell. Most filtration devices stop here, leaving you vulnerable to hundreds of dangers you can’t taste or smell.

Stage Three: The Composite Layer 

This blend of absorption materials targets hidden hazards that slip by ordinary filters, including microscopic contaminants that are often the most dangerous.

With Clearly Filtered, a slower flow rate makes for a more effective filtration system.

While most standard filters focus on improving the test and smell of water, Clearly Filtered’s water filters can remove up to 99.9% of 365+ harmful chemicals and contaminants in tap water. To put that into perspective, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) only regulates 94 contaminants in tap water. Of those 94, many harmful pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and pharmaceutical drugs are not included. 

Clearly Filtered goes above and beyond what the EPA requests for tap water testing. All of our products have been independently tested and verified by EPA-accredited laboratories at levels exceeding NSF standards whenever the standards are applicable. 

Our testing protocol is as follows:

1. A filter is selected at random from our shelves in order to ensure that we are testing the exact same filter we are sending to our customers. Independent NSF-certified labs evaluate our water filter performance through a series of tests in a controlled environment. Contaminants are tested at much higher concentrations than usual.

2. To start, the lab creates spiked solutions of various contaminants at levels much higher than normal.

3. Each sample solution is run through the filter and tested to determine the final maximum removal percentage of those contaminants.  

4. The results for each filtration system are compiled and shared on our website. 

5. The process is repeated as new contaminants emerge to ensure our filters go beyond regulations to provide the utmost protection. 

At Clearly Filtered, we aim to be on the forefront of filtration – that’s why we proactively test our filters against new and emerging contaminants, not just the ones that are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Case in point, we were the first to test (and prove our removal rate of up to 99.99%) glyphosate, which is the main active ingredient in RoundUp Weed Killer that has been linked to cancer. All of our testing data is shared on our website to maintain full transparency with our customers. You can learn more about our filter performance here.

When it comes to filter longevity, the Clearly Filtered pitcher leads with a filter life of 100 gallons.

Standard water pitchers typically have a filter lifespan of 40 gallons and call for a replacement every 2 months on average, whereas our filters last much longer with a lifespan of 100 gallons. 

The discrepancy between the lifespan of a standard carbon filter and the lifespan of Clearly Filtered’s filters all come down to one thing: the quality of materials. As you can imagine, a filter is only as good as the quality of the materials used. 

The Clearly Filtered 3-stage filtration process allows for more surface area, contact time, and volume of filtration media which results in a much longer filter life and much more effective filtration.

Autoship is a service aimed to make sure that drinking clean water is easy and convenient for you and your family. With autoship, you can expect to:

• Never miss a filter change with automatic deliveries

• Save 10% on replacement filters

• Fully customize and modify your shipment schedule – pause, skip, adjust, or cancel your deliveries at your own convenience, no strings attached 

All in all, if you’re looking for a filter that improves the taste and smell of your water, then standard carbon filters will get the job done. However, if you’re looking for filters that are proven to remove up to 99.9% of hundreds of contaminants for clean and safe drinking water, then Clearly Filtered is the filtration system for you. 

Upgrade your water now with Clearly Filtered. Choose from our premium line of water filtration systems so that you can have clean water that you never have to worry about.