Buy PUR Water Filter - geni.us/m6AKW (Amazon) Buy Brita Water Filter - geni.us/o16xWT (Amazon) Buy ZeroWater Flter - geni.us/JNgrW6 (Amazon) UPDATE - We have an updated version of this video where we test 10 water filter pitchers by sending to a 3rd party laboratory for testing, video here - czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html Questions? Ask in the comments! I do my best to respond within 24 hours.
*How to know what contaminants are in your tap:* Step 1: send a sample to a reputable lab. Step 2: enter your Zip Code at (ewg . org / tap/water) Environmental Working Group To collect the sample for a lab, best taken in am/after faucet sat unused all night. Note: Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years. *And legal doesn't necessarily mean safe.* - per ewg . org In many cases, known carcinogens, lead, etc. are in tap water.
@@normandyf4234 None of these units remove fluoride. Take a look at this brand - amzn.to/3qR58qW We tested a different filter from them, but they do also offer fluoride filters.
@@ModernCastle The results an interesting, except they're not in context without a control. Where did the control (unfiltered) water end up in the data?
@@brianstone6463 We decided to exclude the control here as it just felt functionally irrelevant...at least for the type of water that comes out of the Phoenix, Arizona taps. The tap water here, while safe, really isn't something almost anyone would ever drink straight from the tap. It's incredibly hard water, the hardest in the US. For these reasons, we thought it better to exclude it as a control. I know that makes our taste test less than ideal, but that was at least our thinking on why we did it this way.
We love the Zero water filter. Tastes great and knowing the TDS is 0 with their included water tester makes us feel better about our water here in the city.
Nice! I'm glad to hear you like the ZeroWater. My parents also use a ZeroWater and absolutely love it. Though they do end up using a ton of filters...their pre-filtered water has up to 750 TDS score.
@@nabouboulou I think that's a reasonable plan. I found this just a moment ago - amzn.to/2LXqOme - a few drops can add those important trace minerals back to the water.
i just want to salute you for using a double blind test, i have never seen a non-science based channel use a double blind test when presenting "scientific" data before. the only thing i would suggest for future is to use a control cup of normal tap water too.
That's very kind of you. Thanks very much! We do our best to try to make our tests (whether water filters, vacuums, air purifiers, or other stuff) as objective as possible. Thanks for your suggestion. If we do a re-test or new future water filters tests we'll be sure to include tap water as a control.
Thank you this exactly what I was looking for. I sincerely appreciate the time and energy you put into bringing this information to the CZcams community. I got the exact i formation I needed/was looking for. Thank you for the bloopers good to know in not the only person who get tongue tied at times and it gave me a good chuckle. Didnt know I'd laugh at a product comparison video. But I did!!
I've used the higher quality Pur filter for several years now. Love it. Higher quality filters lead also. Interesting side effect, maybe I'm just weird, but I always know when it's time to change the filter because I start getting heartburn from drinking the water. I change out the filter, no more heartburn. Company was recently bought out. I would be interested in a more recent comparison with the filters the new company is producing
I switched to zerowater last week after using a Brita for about 2 years. Before that, I drank mostly bottled water. It took about a day to get used to the different flavor, especially in tea, but I can say now I definitely prefer it. It's much closer in taste to bottled water, while Brita water really only ever tasted like slightly filtered tap. And even though this goes against what the internet thinks, it doesn't attract ions like a magnet due to it's low TDS rating, and quickly go off or stale. I left for the weekend last Friday, and I forgot my YETI at home. When I returned, the water inside smelled and tasted fresh. Had I left Brita water in it, it would've no doubt smelled like stale tap water. And another surprise I found, is the same property extended to tea. When returning from the same weekend, my almost empty pitcher of tea in the fridge just smelled like tea, not like tea that had gone off. The tea smell also doesn't linger forever in my YETI, or the pitcher. This isn't really something I expected to find with the zerowater, but I did. I suppose when you remove 100% of the solids, you remove 100% of the bacteria growing capability. Oh, also, my mom hates tap water and vastly preferred the taste of zero water in a blind taste test as opposed to the tap or Brita. I also came to the same conclusion in a blind test.
@Xposed , I change my water filter out every two months with my zero water. Plus they give you a TDS Tester so you can check periodically and see when it needs to be changed.
Thank you for the information with the taste experiments, prices, area information about water, which filters filter what minerals and time before replacement. It was super helpful!
I live in a beach community and we have town water typical of that in many beach communities. In other words, it tastes bad and smells of chlorine. If you use it to make ice cubes, you will note your drink tasting different after a few minutes. I don't mean that in a good way either. On the advice of friends, I bought a PUR water filter and it improved the taste of both water and ice immeasurably. But the sediment that remained caused a buildup in my countertop ice machine that shortened its life. I replaced my ice maker twice in three years. When the second machine died due to mineral buildup, I decided to do something about reducing the dissolved solids. On the advice of another friend, I bought a Zero Water. It brought my town water from 318 down to 000 with the first batch of filtered water. I change the filter roughly once a month, when the reading gets up to 006. Mineral buildup is tremendously reduced in the ice maker. I did notice the PUR water tasted better than the Zero Water filter made, but it's a slight thing. The important thing to me is that my iced drinks and my coffee both taste as they should with either filter, especially compared to the piss the town supplies. And my ice maker and coffee maker both prefer the Zero Water. If I had to make a recommendation, if you have normal water, go with the PUR; if you have heavily sedimented water, go with the Zero Water.
Great review! Before selling my home, I was drinking water from a reverse osmosis system installed by water soft. The water tested from that system didn't completely remove all of the crap but got the levels pretty low. The water tasted funny but only because I was accustomed to drinking water that wasn't good quality. I can care less about how good water tastes if it isn't as healthy for me as it needs to be. If zero water can filter out all of the garbage then I'm all for it. I'll get used to the taste...health is far more important to me than drinking water that tastes like it has additives to make it more appealing! Good job my man!
I used Brita for many years and the first time I tried zero I switched. When I tasted them side by side the zero tasted like nothing where the brita still had a bit of the tap water taste. The only down side to zero is the price of the filters and it takes much longer for the water to be filtered but the zero water is for sure cleaner.
I have two zero water filters and when the first one gets to 1 I put it in the 2nd one and then use that to filter water and poor it into the 1rst one and the first one last much longer.
@@HelloHello-hk4sx what country do you live in? Zero water filters are literally sold everywhere in America, Walmart, target, every supermarket, bed bath and beyond. Even if you could only find them online whatâs wrong with that? You can get filters without leaving ur house. Buy a multi pack and when ur down to ur last filter order more.
Your videos are like a hidden gem, amazing production quality, keep it up; the numbers don't represent your quality in the market! edit: and this is coming from someone who will sit through 30 minute videos just for the information, YOU HAVE GREAT INFORMATION, and whereas I don't understand the sector of content you make at any level to judge if you hit this aptly, from my vantage point you guys are hitting right near the mark in terms of getting as much useful information out in a entertaining and enjoyable manner without getting overly artsy or overly informative! I don't even really care what other videos you guys make I'll subscribe and check out your channel frequently just for the amazing work you guys put in.
You really are too kind, Justin. Thanks so much! I really appreciate your words of encouragement and feedback. We really strive to get as much info out as quickly and as concisely as possible...and if we can get a few jokes / entertaining moments in that's just all the better :) Thanks so much for subscribing! Hopefully we can keep creating other awesome videos that are just as helpful.
The filters are very expensive, but generally cheaper than the $1.00/gal you'd pay at the supermarket. Roughly, 0.76/gal. @ 15 gal/filter. Of course, absolute price varies by tap water quality. My CA water quality is in the 300 range. Nevertheless, the environmental impact is significant.
I just brought a zero water filter system today. I brought it before watching this video, i wanted to see what everyone else thought. My water taste miles better than my old PUR water filter system. its smells better, and taste better. filtering water using the old PUR system i would be occasionally breath in my glass in between gulps, and i could smell the water, it smelled, like chemicals and just didnt smell that great, now with the zerowater system, i dont have that sulfur smell, or whatever the hell it is making my water smell bad. it taste tollay diffrent
TDS is a limited testing method and you would also need to test the PH levels of the water and should try fresh spring water vs ice melt water from glacier sources from different companies and compare it to your local municipal water and should experiment with some European bottle water and Fiji water and see what kind of results you may get.
One thing people don't understand is that water that has no solids, no salts, no dissolved anything doesn't taste good at all. In fact, lacking those minerals and salts makes the water taste flat (no depth) and sharp (not a good mouth feel). So removing all the solids may sound great, but it's not good drinking water. The question is whether it removes the harmful components in water, not whether it just removes everything. In order for water to taste good and sweet requires a certain level and combination of salts and minerals.
Hard water (lots of TDS) tastes awful. Zerowater provides water that feels the most like bottled water when drinking. It's true that SOME "solids" can be healthy and even add flavor, but drinking too much water with high TDS (especially areas with 400+) may lead to health issues. My choice is a home Reverse Osmosis system PLUS a Zerowater pitcher afterwards. I live in a super high TDS area.
Unfortunately, many minerals, like a certain amount of calcium, are healthy to have in water and they make it taste better. But I have private well water and it has a TDS (total dissolved solids) of only 160, but it just tastes a little odd and I wonder about arsenic, which the Zero filter filters out. Arsenic is tasteless, unless there are huge amounts of it. So I use a Zero water filter and am used to the flat tasting water and like it. The TDS meter that comes with the Zero filter is amazingly accurate and consistent. I have a charcoal filter that lowers the TDS by only 30 and that surprised me. I've been to Central Florida and other places where the water smelled and tasted like sulfur and was pretty much undrinkable, even though they said it was safe.
I greatly appreciate the time and effort you put in your videos. Youâve really helped me to decide which one to buy for me and my family! Thank you so much.
You're very welcome! If you haven't already, make sure to check out our newest video where we test 10 different water filter brands at a 3rd party lab. The results were really surprising! czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html
Great video. I live in the Phoenix South East Valley and need to filter salt from our soft water for our humidifier in the winter. This gave a clear answer to my question. Thank you!
Thanks, Dena! Another option would be to just turn your salt water system off then let your water run for a minute or so. After that, you'll get un-softened water from your facets. My wife and I do the same with our system to get un-softened water for plants. We'll fill up a few jugs a once a week.
@Sam s The problem we're having is its becoming harder to find the hot evaporative rather than the ultra sonic humidifiers. There is something in our water, even with a water softener, that puts a fine dust in the air when running an ultra sonic humidifier. What we found out though was the Zero water could only treat 10-12 gallons before it tested worse than our tap water so we wound up returning both. We're going to have to order a humidifier as we can't find a hot evaporative locally :-(.
Great video! Just what I was looking for! I was just thinking about how good a Brittany filter was because I figured there was something better out there but now I know itâs the preferred Iâll stick with! Love the taste, id be more concerned if leveled were higher in my state or area! 0 water seems like a great product
I've been loving Zero ever since I tried it 3 years ago or so. We have a Brita tap filter that I use to put into the Zero and it is slightly better than tap > Zero. Now I'm just curious about the Ph levels ...
You can see the exact pH levels (and a ton of other info) in our newest video here - czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html We tested ZeroWater and 9 other water filters in a 3rd party lab to see which one is best!
Derek, Thanks for the review. I have a super automatic coffee maker and the technician who repaired it when I had a problem urged me to get a Zero Water filter because it removed the most TDS. Although super automatics have built-in/replaceable filters, they are not as effective as those you compared. Per his advice, higher TDS leads to more clogging and degradation of the internal components. Test aside, I'd prefer a longer-lasting machine (which are expensive) and the coffee masks any taste difference in the water between Brita and Zero. So I run my water thru the Zero and it is re-filtered in the coffee maker's internal tank.
Yeah, that makes sense. Any appliance is going to do better with less stuff in the water...whether that's a whole home filter system, ZeroWater, a water softener, or something else. Less stuff in the water = greater life for your appliances that use water (coffee makers, showers, tubs, sinks, facets, etc.)
@@ares193 I guess what I'm asking is like...why would that occur? If anything, I would think the opposite would be true. It's the mineral build up / hard water that degrades seals, appliances, and other water related home goods. That's why many homes user water softener systems. Zero is removing more of those minerals, creating water that is less likely to damage the aforementioned items.
@@ares193 I understand what you're saying, but I still don't think that's an issue. ZeroWater is far closer to distilled water than water from the tap, Pur, or Brita. Distilled water is the recommendation for humidifiers, steamers, and all kinds of other appliances for the very reason that the minerals in the water degrade those machines. If there are fewer minerals then those machines would work better. Distilled water is 0 minerals, which is why it's the recommended water type. In any case, this is just an educated guess on my part.
@@ares193 Lol - as tempting as that test sounds, regrettably we won't be able to run that test. I guess we'll agree to disagree on this one. But it's an interesting conversation all the same. Thanks for having it!
We have pretty good water where I live. Out of the tap TDS is anywhere from 130-165ish. Got a Zerowater and it indeed dropped to 000. We did the taste test and the filtered water taste like nothing. The unfiltered had a very slight tangy taste.
I conducted this test after recently acquiring a zero pitcher, already having a pur filter and backup GV distilled water. I was shocked to find that Walmart brand distilled water tested the same as the Zero water and my pur pitcher with a fresh filter tested the same as the tap water.
That makes sense, especially for the distilled water. All distilled water should be 100% free of dissolved solids, if it's not, then it's not distilled. That said, while distilled water is safe to drink, it's not something that's generally recommended - www.webmd.com/diet/distilled-water-overview#1 - there are dehydration and other risks due to the lack of the very dissolved minerals that the distillation process removes.
@@vincer9960 That article doesn't actually say anything about it being unsafe to drink due to it's low TDS rating. I have heard it elsewhere, but as far as I know it's a myth. If it's really something you're worried about, just take a multivitamin. They also contain a fair amount of minerals.
Iâm glad he said that, zero tds also means zero minerals that your body needs, so yes the water may be better tasting but it might not be as good for you, but you should already be getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals from your diet so I wouldnât worry at all. I use a tap filter an I use a pur water pitcher for my fridge. (keep my water cold)
Pur's best filter, their latest ultimate with lead reduction which you didn't use here has better taste than Brita. Most people reading reviews seem to agree too, I may check out that other aquacrest one you used though too in it thanks.
Great review. Together with the other water filter test, I am glad that I bought a Brita bottle. It just does the job for me (I live in a region with fairly good tap water).
This is the best review on CZcams! You deserve 1 million subscribers! Thank you đđż đđ Also I live where water is very hard but I spend too much money on water bottles. Do you recommend Brita to remove lead and other contaminants so that the hard water is drinkable?
You're too kind. Thank you very much! Brita's Lead filter is pretty solid from what I've read. However, weather or not that will make the water drinkable really depends on the source. If the water isn't healthy enough to drink out of the tap unfiltered (even if it tastes bad, but is still healthy), then even through a Brita, PUR, or Zero filter I'm not sure I would really trust it. You may want to invest in a more robust purification system.
I live in the valley as well and our tap water is 486 TDS score, and just put a new brita filter in our pitcher and ran it a couple of times and dropped it to 426 TDS. Wow thanks Brita for not doing crap. Now going to buy ZERO filter.
Sweet just bought the Zero jug and filters through your affiliate link! Thanks for the quality video that addressed all the questions I had in my head.
Here in your neighboring state of CA, a single Zero Water filter will last you a week at best. That's 4 filters every month with each filter costing about 13 bucks, landing you at $52 a month or roughly $624 a year, just for clean drinking water. And if you think it'll taste the same as tap water once it reaches it's due date for replacement, or if you're thinking of extending thr filters life for a tiny bit, you're never more mistaken. Somehow, within a week once TDS levels the filter is outputting about the same as the tap, it will taste like putrid salt water and you'll instantly spit it out as soon as it touches your tongue. Lots of reviews on Amazon has confirmed the same experience. So whether you like it or not, you're gonna be forced to buy those expensive filters, otherwise you'll end up with a brand new paperweight dispenser. Not really the cost affordable option I was hoping for, but I'll just stick to Brita once again.
I don't deny California has hard water, but your estimation of Zero's lifespan feels like hyperbole at best. Based on the data I've seen, Arizona has the highest TDS water in the US by a healthy margin. Water from the taps at my home starts around 550 TDS. The ZeroWater is sitting in the fridge in our office / studio. It's not used as often as a typical home's primary water filter would be, however, over the last 3 months as part of our standard tests and then as part of using it over time the filter has run 10-12 reservoirs full of water through it. Certainly for my family's home we would fill a water reservoir this size perhaps 3-4 times a week. I just re-ran a TDS test to see where it's at and our meter is reporting a TDS of 0. I think for you to say "Somehow, within a week once TDS levels the filter is outputting about the same as the tap" is just wrong. I don't see how any normal use could burn through the filter's life in a week, even living in a high TDS water source area. I say all of this while still fundamentally agreeing with you...Brita is overall a better filter product, in my view. It's less expensive, while still getting the job done. Nevertheless, I think your thoughts around the Zero's lifespan are unfair and inaccurate based on the tests we've conducted thus far.
I believe this. Their website clearly states the life of their filters is 25 - 40 gallons(probably closer to 25 here in the Phoenix area). I go through about 12 - 18 gallons of water for drinking & cooking by myself each week. So I'd need to buy a new filter every two weeks just for me. I can go back to having spring water delivered every week if I want to pay those prices.
We always used PUR but we recently switched to BRITA and I didn't notice it first but after I woke up thirsty this morning. That ICE-COLD BRITA Purified was was the best tasting water I've had in my life. It was so good that I had to get a second glass even after my thirst was mostly quenched. Even if I had to wait for it to purify some more water. Totally worth it!
The PUR is really the only one I've cleaned (having had it quite a bit longer than the others), and I found it pretty simple. They are basically all plastic parts that sort of break apart, so you can easily wash with soap and water or perhaps even run through a dishwasher. I don't believe the spigots are removable. Even though we haven't cleaned Brita and Zero yet, I don't expect either would be difficult.
Dissolved solids in drinking water is a good thing, as long as itâs minerals the body needs like magnesium. Water that is totally filtered of all dissolved solids usually doesnât have a great taste. Itâs more important to filter out lead, copper, and other contaminants than it is to remove all. This is why once youâre used to drinking high quality mineral water you prefer it to filtered water.
@@thegrumpyhorticulturist Find me an article from a reputable source. Stating that mineral leaching happens when consuming pure water, to the point where your left with hardly any minerals in your body (While eating a balanced diet) then I will believe you, but I doubt you find a educated science written article.
This video is so awesome!!! I drink a lot of bottled water but I have to stop because of the environment, although we do recycle, and because stores have none since covid started! I am still deciding but this was helpful! I love some nice crispy water đ€€
I think ZeroWater is best for me because I will be mainly be using it for making tea and coffee where minerals can affect the taste and overpower the flavor of what you are brewing. I would probably go with Brita if I just wanted daily drinkable water.
I bought the zero water and I've had to replace the filter every 2 to 3 weeks due to the water tasting like lemon. Its becoming very expensive. I might just switch to Brita
Filter replacement is definitely the issue with the Zero. There's no question it removes everything...but that puts a huge toll on the filter and means frequent replacements. Brita, PUR end up being my daily drivers for filter watered. I use Brita in my office and PUR / refrigerator filter at home.
@@ModernCastle but isnât removing all dissolved solids in water bad considering there are some good minerals in there? So therefore just good filtering best because removing all removes all bad but also good so what do you think?
@@agenthawk7972 Exactly. That's the argument against Zero and it definitely makes sense. Zero's thinking is that it's too hard to filter just the bad stuff, so they filter everything so they get 100% of the bad stuff. Which there is some merit to that idea also... It's not exactly a black and white thing no matter which filter style you go with.
@@ModernCastle so what is your opinion because I can see both I mean nothing bad but nothing good or something bad with something good so you donât get out of the bad witch ever way you turn and I want a water filter because I only drink water, my family goes through probably 60-80 bottles of water a week and thatâs a lot so If we or at least I stop drinking bottled water at home it would help reduce some plastic waste especially since the city stoped it recycling program đ€·đŒââïž, so it would help reduce waste and I know that itâs definitely filtered so Iâm just not sure which I want to buy Iâm pretty frugal đ but I still want the best I can get so If itâs more expensive then thatâs ok but whatâs your opinion on this?
Thank you! This was fun to watch. I wish I had seen this before buying my new PUR. I like it and can taste a difference from the faucet but I'd have gone with Brita or Zero instead.
You're welcome, and thank you! You might consider checking out our new video here - czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html We test 10 water filters (including the 3 we featured here) at a 3rd party lab to see how good they actually are.
I have a still for distilled water, but I feel it takes too long and uses too much energy. I also have a reverse osmosis unit bought years ago, but needs new filters, (bought new unit, but haven't replaced yet). Grocery stores have RO dispensers for $.20 to $.45, per gallon, and next to the Gym is a distilled water store $.60 /gallon. After the RO unit failed,, used a Pur picture, it lasted for one filter replacement, then a Berkey (didn't fit under top cabinets) and a Zero water picture, but, I just use the TDS meter. CURRENTLY using 5 gallon Coleman jugs and buying distilled water for making ice and drinking .
Modern Castle I never really use to drink water but Iâm changing my ways, Iâve now stopped drinking fizzy drinks! Next is to cut out eating junk food
Are you being sponsored by or compensated by any of these companies? Would there be any reason for you to be biased on your reviews? Or are your tests completely independent?
I am not. I don't have any type of sponsored relationship (or any other relationship for that matter) with PUR, Brita, or Zero. None of these companies sent me their products for free. I bought them all via Amazon. We do use affiliate links. So when you use them to buy something we may earn a commission. You can see our full disclosures here, details on our testing process, as well as what products we've received for free / bought ourselves / have affiliate links for - moderncastle.com/about/ Let me know if you have any other questions.
@@ModernCastle the pur test is a little messed up because the mineral filter adds minerals to the water so the TDS (total dissolved solids) will be higher. We. All know pur filters better then brita
I like that you used multiple people to test the water, but tasting "better" is a relative thing that really doesn't help that much. I JUST started using the 40-cup ZW and I like the slightly sweet flavor. It dropped the TDS from 321 to 000 (although I doubt the tester, which uses conductivity, actually showed the TDS because there might be non-conductive materials in the water). Another channel I watched use one person per filter to check taste (and forgot smell). I loved that you tested a 3rd-party filter, kinda put Pur to shame. That you used highly contaminated water was excellent. I didn't like how you referred to manufacturer lists of what's removed by each filter, and here's why: you assumed that each company provided a complete list of compounds/elements, and then you incorrectly stated that the Pur filters remove the greatest variety of them, but the chart you showed says "unknown," which means that it wasn't tested. In addition, you made no effort to verify this in any way, such as by pH, chlorine/chloramine tests, or by using a test that would should ALL types of contaminants for the TDS. I liked the speed test was useful. Another channel only tested a single cup, which made it look like ZW was the fastest. One final note - demineralized water isn't the best choice if you aren't getting the minerals you need from food you eat. In the end, this was useful.
Thanks for your feedback, Glenn. I appreciate it. I'll be sure to keep all of your criticisms in mind so that we can try to improve these types of videos in the future. Glad to hear the video was still useful!
Pure water would have no dissolved solids in it to create the extra ions available to allow conductivity through it and give you a resistance measurement that isn't infinite or open circuit when tested. So that tester if zero is how it is reporting an infinite resistance could indicate a pure water with 0 tds = infinite ohms. You would think it would give you the same reading in the water or not on that however and how accurate anything other then infinite ohms would have to be programmed into the resistance measurement by equation or conversion table. To get real water measurements for all substances you need dozens of lab tests that are chemical and other in form outside of just resistance that can't give you measurements on anything accurately. You might be able to just remove all salts and remove enough ions to get open readings on resistance and leave everything else untouched given the quantity of contaminants to water ratio that are being tested for with a TDS value. I'm curious about the zero water filter construction as the pur and brita filters are effective for the chemical physical properties on how they work much on carbon bonds formed with contaminates that are forced through activated carbon structures and particular screen scales that block larger materials from passing. difference
@@NeverSuspects Right. It's way more complicated than a TDS meter can evaluate. Some tests, like pH and chlorine/chloramine are readily available and easy to do, but others...Whew! Their filter isn't that high-tech, mostly just the resin beads. I forget which YTer tore one open and showed everyone. I wonder why they don't use silver?
Dear Steve Buscemi's ginger nephew, Your videos are quite good. You've helped me research a number of different products to buy for my home and I appreciate that. -Love you, Healfy Lunch
Charge Nurse If the Zero Water produced zero Total Dissolved Solids how do you feel that you got scammed? Guess you want more TDS in your drinking water.
i live in Los angeles and my tds is 440+ ive had a bunch of the zero water filters die in as little as 2 weeks its good but too expensive to keep using the taste was great but it just wasnt worth it
Thanks for the review! But please be careful when talking about environmental impact. Water bottles are much lighter and can be actually recycled. Filters are more difficult to produce and often (depending on the manufacturer I guess) have no way to be recycled (unless you cut it open to separate plastic but some people advice against it). I suspect that bottled water is worse after accounting for transport but I want to remind that it's not a simple matter and less plastic isn't always better.
You're very welcome! Check back within the next several weeks...we have a new video where we're lab testing 10 different water pitcher filters. It's going to be super in-depth and insightful!
When filtering water from my zero water filter and drinking it right after I can taste something in the water. When I put the pitcher in the fridge to cool, the water taste great. Maybe placebo effect but I feel cooling the water decreases that taste from zero filters.
Chilling water makes almost every water taste better. 1) Cold water suppresses the sensitivity in your taste buds, so you don't taste the impurities 2) Chilled was causes dissolved solids to drop to the bottom of the glass. Try your TDS meter with room temp water vs. chilled water and you'll see a huge difference in even tap water. That said, the taste on your Zero water could indicate that it's time to replace the pitcher. If it's been 2-4 weeks and you're using it regularly then it's time to replace.
Interesting. I watched this video after watching another video that showed that high TDS scores were bad for health. The host suggested a 200+ score was likely to lead to mild health drawbacks, and that rust is likely more prevalent and high water consumption is allowing higher amounts of those contaminants to be introduced into the mix. I live in WA so Iâm assuming that if you use tap water in WA or a state with similar quality water you donât need the Zero Water solution because your water is already pretty good (though central and eastern WA donât fare as well in terms of quality and taste). I think if youâre in places like Arizona you should invest more in your water filtering. I know PUR makes a filter that also removes lead from the mix which the base filter does not - I bet that filter scores a lot better.
Tap water in the US is regulated by EPA means you can drink it. Most bottled water companies just use tap water. This just comes down to taste and what makes you feel better. Like buying organic food. Rural areas on well may benefit from filters more. Manure from live stock can cause coliform which requires a chlorine flush every once in awhile. Where I live I have a lot of decomposed granite, lots of fine particulates can go through. So we use a filter mostly just so weâre not eating granite sand lol
Own the zero water filter for the last five years. Regular tapwater comes out at 258ppm so it is not too bad. Zero recommends changing the filter when the TDS meter shows 0006 which is in my case around 35 days. You are correct about the replacement filters which cost between $12 and $15 each. Last time I purchased ten filters on line from Walmart and the total cost including tax was $80. I am now on my last filter and went back to the web site. The cost is now around $112.00 before tax for a dozen filters. To stretch it, I replace the filter at 110 ppm which is around 45 days. As far as the taste, will investigate the Brita system. Thanks for an excellent comparison,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. If you haven't already, take a look at our updated water filter comparison video here = czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html In it we sent 10 different filters to a lab for testing.
Hi Lydia, I live in Los Angeles ( Glendale, Calif ) and I am thinking to buy Zero Water system. How many filters you go through each month? And is it easy to buy those filters? All online only? I understand they don't have a store front anywhere. Thanks, Chantel
I would like it if you could do another taste test but include water from a Primo water filling station. They have them at grocery stores and some convenience stores throughout the US. I take my empty gallon water bottles, fill them up for 35 cents a gallon, and the water tastes great. And no plastic bottles end up needing recycling until one of them wears out or gets an accidental puncture. I've been using the Primo refill stations for at least 5 years now and swear by them. They used to be called Glacier Water. No idea if Primo bought out Glacier or simply changed the name.
We are going to eventually do an RO water test, but it's going to be a while. However, I can say with confidence Primo water is going to out perform any similar filter purification like Brita, PUR, or Zero. I've read through Primo's documentation, they use a multi-stage purification that includes Reverse Osmosis, so there should be no doubt that Primo would beat Brita, PUR, Zero, and anything else similar.
We have a Costco brand water filter that I believe is a rebranded version of one of the filters tested here but with cosmetic differences. It has a small LCD display on the lid that tells me when to replace the filter element after about a month. I'm wondering what happens as the filter is used. Does it begin passing impurities that it was initially filtering out or does it just slow down and take longer to filter the tap water I pour into it? My present filter element is about a month past due for changing.
When the filter has been fully used it simply stops filtering. So your water still makes it through, but less and less is filtered the longer you go without changing the filter.
Buy PUR Water Filter - geni.us/m6AKW (Amazon)
Buy Brita Water Filter - geni.us/o16xWT (Amazon)
Buy ZeroWater Flter - geni.us/JNgrW6 (Amazon)
UPDATE - We have an updated version of this video where we test 10 water filter pitchers by sending to a 3rd party laboratory for testing, video here - czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html
Questions? Ask in the comments! I do my best to respond within 24 hours.
Did you say that Britta makes another filter that removes even more heavy leads from the water?
@@katherinehunter8690 Yes, the Brita longlast filters, see here - amzn.to/36gHuwP
*How to know what contaminants are in your tap:*
Step 1: send a sample to a reputable lab.
Step 2: enter your Zip Code at (ewg . org / tap/water) Environmental Working Group
To collect the sample for a lab, best taken in am/after faucet sat unused all night.
Note: Legal limits for contaminants in tap water have not been updated in almost 20 years. *And legal doesn't necessarily mean safe.* - per ewg . org
In many cases, known carcinogens, lead, etc. are in tap water.
@@normandyf4234 None of these units remove fluoride.
Take a look at this brand - amzn.to/3qR58qW
We tested a different filter from them, but they do also offer fluoride filters.
What filter is the best for coffee? I know it isn't zero.
Props for the double-blind test đ Finally someone who actually knows what theyâre doing with experiments
Thanks, David! Always happy to see others who appreciate good data :)
Youâre so negative.
@@cheito73 negative ions ftw!
@@ModernCastle The results an interesting, except they're not in context without a control. Where did the control (unfiltered) water end up in the data?
@@brianstone6463 We decided to exclude the control here as it just felt functionally irrelevant...at least for the type of water that comes out of the Phoenix, Arizona taps.
The tap water here, while safe, really isn't something almost anyone would ever drink straight from the tap. It's incredibly hard water, the hardest in the US.
For these reasons, we thought it better to exclude it as a control. I know that makes our taste test less than ideal, but that was at least our thinking on why we did it this way.
We love the Zero water filter. Tastes great and knowing the TDS is 0 with their included water tester makes us feel better about our water here in the city.
Nice! I'm glad to hear you like the ZeroWater.
My parents also use a ZeroWater and absolutely love it. Though they do end up using a ton of filters...their pre-filtered water has up to 750 TDS score.
Do you use the shower filters as well?
@@citylights3452 I haven't (and neither have my parents). We use a water softener system instead.
Iâm interested in getting the zeroWater filter, but since it removes the minerals will i need to get some supplements to compensate?
@@nabouboulou I think that's a reasonable plan. I found this just a moment ago - amzn.to/2LXqOme - a few drops can add those important trace minerals back to the water.
For having only 15K subscribers, Iâd say your channel is highly underrated. Keep up the great work.
You're too kind. Thanks very much!
Hopefully we can finally break through CZcams algorithm this year!
People are most busy watching things that other than wasting time they add Zero benefits to life.
@@rafidhussein80 uhh yeah health benefits are nothing? Really now...đ€đ
i just want to salute you for using a double blind test, i have never seen a non-science based channel use a double blind test when presenting "scientific" data before. the only thing i would suggest for future is to use a control cup of normal tap water too.
That's very kind of you. Thanks very much! We do our best to try to make our tests (whether water filters, vacuums, air purifiers, or other stuff) as objective as possible.
Thanks for your suggestion. If we do a re-test or new future water filters tests we'll be sure to include tap water as a control.
@@ModernCastle Thanks for the response and awesome!
@@Nitroblast You're very welcome!
Thank you this exactly what I was looking for. I sincerely appreciate the time and energy you put into bringing this information to the CZcams community. I got the exact i formation I needed/was looking for.
Thank you for the bloopers good to know in not the only person who get tongue tied at times and it gave me a good chuckle. Didnt know I'd laugh at a product comparison video. But I did!!
You're very welcome! Thank you for the kind words.
I'm glad we got you the info you needed, and a few laughs too :P
I've used the higher quality Pur filter for several years now. Love it. Higher quality filters lead also.
Interesting side effect, maybe I'm just weird, but I always know when it's time to change the filter because I start getting heartburn from drinking the water.
I change out the filter, no more heartburn.
Company was recently bought out. I would be interested in a more recent comparison with the filters the new company is producing
Now this is how you do a review video!!! Good job. It gave me all the information I need.
Thank you very much! I'm glad you found it helpful.
I switched to zerowater last week after using a Brita for about 2 years. Before that, I drank mostly bottled water. It took about a day to get used to the different flavor, especially in tea, but I can say now I definitely prefer it. It's much closer in taste to bottled water, while Brita water really only ever tasted like slightly filtered tap. And even though this goes against what the internet thinks, it doesn't attract ions like a magnet due to it's low TDS rating, and quickly go off or stale. I left for the weekend last Friday, and I forgot my YETI at home. When I returned, the water inside smelled and tasted fresh. Had I left Brita water in it, it would've no doubt smelled like stale tap water. And another surprise I found, is the same property extended to tea. When returning from the same weekend, my almost empty pitcher of tea in the fridge just smelled like tea, not like tea that had gone off. The tea smell also doesn't linger forever in my YETI, or the pitcher. This isn't really something I expected to find with the zerowater, but I did. I suppose when you remove 100% of the solids, you remove 100% of the bacteria growing capability.
Oh, also, my mom hates tap water and vastly preferred the taste of zero water in a blind taste test as opposed to the tap or Brita. I also came to the same conclusion in a blind test.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I'm glad to hear the ZeroWater worked out well for you.
I agree , Zerowater tastes great! I have tried Brita and it was ok. I havenât tried the Pur.
@Xposed , I change my water filter out every two months with my zero water. Plus they give you a TDS Tester so you can check periodically and see when it needs to be changed.
@Xposed It depends on the mineral content of your tap water. Mine is less than 100 tds to begin with, so I get about 5 months out of a filter.
Thank You!! In regards to your yeti; I thought you need to use distilled water? I see it on the packet NeilMed sinus rinse.
Thank you for the information with the taste experiments, prices, area information about water, which filters filter what minerals and time before replacement. It was super helpful!
You're very welcome! I'm glad to hear it was helpful.
Nice review/comparison. Answered my questions without all the "fluff". Great job!
You're welcome!
Ive had brita for years now and just picked up a zero last week and love the water it makes way better. It just seems extremely clean and refreshing.
I agree. Try to run some pre-filters first to save ZeroWater expensive filters.
I recently got the brita and so far very satisfied
Getting the brita for sure. Thank goodness for this review. I'm buying for the taste.
I live in a beach community and we have town water typical of that in many beach communities. In other words, it tastes bad and smells of chlorine. If you use it to make ice cubes, you will note your drink tasting different after a few minutes. I don't mean that in a good way either.
On the advice of friends, I bought a PUR water filter and it improved the taste of both water and ice immeasurably. But the sediment that remained caused a buildup in my countertop ice machine that shortened its life. I replaced my ice maker twice in three years. When the second machine died due to mineral buildup, I decided to do something about reducing the dissolved solids.
On the advice of another friend, I bought a Zero Water. It brought my town water from 318 down to 000 with the first batch of filtered water. I change the filter roughly once a month, when the reading gets up to 006. Mineral buildup is tremendously reduced in the ice maker.
I did notice the PUR water tasted better than the Zero Water filter made, but it's a slight thing. The important thing to me is that my iced drinks and my coffee both taste as they should with either filter, especially compared to the piss the town supplies. And my ice maker and coffee maker both prefer the Zero Water.
If I had to make a recommendation, if you have normal water, go with the PUR; if you have heavily sedimented water, go with the Zero Water.
Great review! Before selling my home, I was drinking water from a reverse osmosis system installed by water soft. The water tested from that system didn't completely remove all of the crap but got the levels pretty low. The water tasted funny but only because I was accustomed to drinking water that wasn't good quality. I can care less about how good water tastes if it isn't as healthy for me as it needs to be. If zero water can filter out all of the garbage then I'm all for it. I'll get used to the taste...health is far more important to me than drinking water that tastes like it has additives to make it more appealing! Good job my man!
Thanks! Appreciate your kind words and sharing your experience.
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I used Brita for many years and the first time I tried zero I switched. When I tasted them side by side the zero tasted like nothing where the brita still had a bit of the tap water taste. The only down side to zero is the price of the filters and it takes much longer for the water to be filtered but the zero water is for sure cleaner.
The zero water filters are also harder to find. I've never seen them in physical stores, just a few online but their usually sold out or copy cats.
I saw someone say that the Zero tastes like bottled water? Do you find that true? If so which bottled water?
I have two zero water filters and when the first one gets to 1 I put it in the 2nd one and then use that to filter water and poor it into the 1rst one and the first one last much longer.
@@HelloHello-hk4sx what country do you live in? Zero water filters are literally sold everywhere in America, Walmart, target, every supermarket, bed bath and beyond. Even if you could only find them online whatâs wrong with that? You can get filters without leaving ur house. Buy a multi pack and when ur down to ur last filter order more.
@@whatoh3407 I couldnât tell you what brand but definitely a higher quality brand not just a cheap supermarket water.
Your videos are like a hidden gem, amazing production quality, keep it up; the numbers don't represent your quality in the market!
edit: and this is coming from someone who will sit through 30 minute videos just for the information, YOU HAVE GREAT INFORMATION, and whereas I don't understand the sector of content you make at any level to judge if you hit this aptly, from my vantage point you guys are hitting right near the mark in terms of getting as much useful information out in a entertaining and enjoyable manner without getting overly artsy or overly informative! I don't even really care what other videos you guys make I'll subscribe and check out your channel frequently just for the amazing work you guys put in.
You really are too kind, Justin. Thanks so much! I really appreciate your words of encouragement and feedback.
We really strive to get as much info out as quickly and as concisely as possible...and if we can get a few jokes / entertaining moments in that's just all the better :)
Thanks so much for subscribing! Hopefully we can keep creating other awesome videos that are just as helpful.
You are so peaceful to listen to. The explanation below the video is perfect details.
You're too kind. Thank you very much! I'm glad to hear the video was helpful!
This is such a great video. Seriously, good job
Thank you so much!
This is excellent. Thank you for taking the time
You're very welcome. Thank you!
Zero water tasted like it was coming out from a water bottle. I love it. Pity it IS expensive, but I'm real picky about how my water tastes.
The filters are very expensive, but generally cheaper than the $1.00/gal you'd pay at the supermarket. Roughly, 0.76/gal. @ 15 gal/filter. Of course, absolute price varies by tap water quality. My CA water quality is in the 300 range. Nevertheless, the environmental impact is significant.
No way. Way better then bottle water.
What about the lack of minerals ?
Thanks ever so much for the reviews!
You're welcome! Glad you like them!
Came for the great review, stayed for the awesome bloopers! Lol Thanks for the great work!
Lol, thanks, Alex. Glad to hear you like the video (and bloopers)! :P
I just brought a zero water filter system today. I brought it before watching this video, i wanted to see what everyone else thought. My water taste miles better than my old PUR water filter system. its smells better, and taste better. filtering water using the old PUR system i would be occasionally breath in my glass in between gulps, and i could smell the water, it smelled, like chemicals and just didnt smell that great, now with the zerowater system, i dont have that sulfur smell, or whatever the hell it is making my water smell bad. it taste tollay diffrent
TDS is a limited testing method and you would also need to test the PH levels of the water and should try fresh spring water vs ice melt water from glacier sources from different companies and compare it to your local municipal water and should experiment with some European bottle water and Fiji water and see what kind of results you may get.
Im worried about the high TDS filter of zerowater removes minerals as well, any advice? Supplements maybe?
Great info video! Thank you for helping me decide
You're welcome!
Thnx for post. I need to find a Zero water filter that fits in my Pur and Brita pitchers.
What a lovely video very unbiased
Thank you
That's very kind of you. Thanks very much.
One thing people don't understand is that water that has no solids, no salts, no dissolved anything doesn't taste good at all. In fact, lacking those minerals and salts makes the water taste flat (no depth) and sharp (not a good mouth feel). So removing all the solids may sound great, but it's not good drinking water. The question is whether it removes the harmful components in water, not whether it just removes everything. In order for water to taste good and sweet requires a certain level and combination of salts and minerals.
I disagree. Water tastes fine to me. Not all water tastes the same for everyone. Love mine.
just put a dash of Himalayan salt you now have the minerals in your water.
Water's main purpose is to hydrate, not taste like anything. You don't need minerals from water, that's what your diet is for.
Water with no minerals is dead water.
Hard water (lots of TDS) tastes awful. Zerowater provides water that feels the most like bottled water when drinking. It's true that SOME "solids" can be healthy and even add flavor, but drinking too much water with high TDS (especially areas with 400+) may lead to health issues.
My choice is a home Reverse Osmosis system PLUS a Zerowater pitcher afterwards. I live in a super high TDS area.
Outstanding presentation. 6 min. of great information
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
Unfortunately, many minerals, like a certain amount of calcium, are healthy to have in water and they make it taste better. But I have private well water and it has a TDS (total dissolved solids) of only 160, but it just tastes a little odd and I wonder about arsenic, which the Zero filter filters out. Arsenic is tasteless, unless there are huge amounts of it. So I use a Zero water filter and am used to the flat tasting water and like it. The TDS meter that comes with the Zero filter is amazingly accurate and consistent. I have a charcoal filter that lowers the TDS by only 30 and that surprised me. I've been to Central Florida and other places where the water smelled and tasted like sulfur and was pretty much undrinkable, even though they said it was safe.
Very helpful thank you!
You're very welcome!
I greatly appreciate the time and effort you put in your videos. Youâve really helped me to decide which one to buy for me and my family! Thank you so much.
You're very welcome!
If you haven't already, make sure to check out our newest video where we test 10 different water filter brands at a 3rd party lab. The results were really surprising!
czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html
Great video. I live in the Phoenix South East Valley and need to filter salt from our soft water for our humidifier in the winter. This gave a clear answer to my question. Thank you!
Thanks, Dena!
Another option would be to just turn your salt water system off then let your water run for a minute or so. After that, you'll get un-softened water from your facets.
My wife and I do the same with our system to get un-softened water for plants. We'll fill up a few jugs a once a week.
@Sam s The problem we're having is its becoming harder to find the hot evaporative rather than the ultra sonic humidifiers. There is something in our water, even with a water softener, that puts a fine dust in the air when running an ultra sonic humidifier. What we found out though was the Zero water could only treat 10-12 gallons before it tested worse than our tap water so we wound up returning both. We're going to have to order a humidifier as we can't find a hot evaporative locally :-(.
Great video! Just what I was looking for! I was just thinking about how good a Brittany filter was because I figured there was something better out there but now I know itâs the preferred Iâll stick with! Love the taste, id be more concerned if leveled were higher in my state or area! 0 water seems like a great product
You're welcome! Glad to hear it was helpful.
I've been loving Zero ever since I tried it 3 years ago or so. We have a Brita tap filter that I use to put into the Zero and it is slightly better than tap > Zero. Now I'm just curious about the Ph levels ...
You can see the exact pH levels (and a ton of other info) in our newest video here - czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html
We tested ZeroWater and 9 other water filters in a 3rd party lab to see which one is best!
Thank you this was so helpful!
You're so welcome!
Derek, Thanks for the review. I have a super automatic coffee maker and the technician who repaired it when I had a problem urged me to get a Zero Water filter because it removed the most TDS. Although super automatics have built-in/replaceable filters, they are not as effective as those you compared. Per his advice, higher TDS leads to more clogging and degradation of the internal components. Test aside, I'd prefer a longer-lasting machine (which are expensive) and the coffee masks any taste difference in the water between Brita and Zero. So I run my water thru the Zero and it is re-filtered in the coffee maker's internal tank.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Any appliance is going to do better with less stuff in the water...whether that's a whole home filter system, ZeroWater, a water softener, or something else. Less stuff in the water = greater life for your appliances that use water (coffee makers, showers, tubs, sinks, facets, etc.)
@@ares193 How / why would ZeroWater degrade the seals faster? There's less stuff in it to degrade the seal.
@@ares193 I guess what I'm asking is like...why would that occur?
If anything, I would think the opposite would be true. It's the mineral build up / hard water that degrades seals, appliances, and other water related home goods. That's why many homes user water softener systems.
Zero is removing more of those minerals, creating water that is less likely to damage the aforementioned items.
@@ares193 I understand what you're saying, but I still don't think that's an issue.
ZeroWater is far closer to distilled water than water from the tap, Pur, or Brita. Distilled water is the recommendation for humidifiers, steamers, and all kinds of other appliances for the very reason that the minerals in the water degrade those machines. If there are fewer minerals then those machines would work better. Distilled water is 0 minerals, which is why it's the recommended water type.
In any case, this is just an educated guess on my part.
@@ares193 Lol - as tempting as that test sounds, regrettably we won't be able to run that test. I guess we'll agree to disagree on this one. But it's an interesting conversation all the same. Thanks for having it!
We have pretty good water where I live. Out of the tap TDS is anywhere from 130-165ish. Got a Zerowater and it indeed dropped to 000. We did the taste test and the filtered water taste like nothing. The unfiltered had a very slight tangy taste.
I conducted this test after recently acquiring a zero pitcher, already having a pur filter and backup GV distilled water. I was shocked to find that Walmart brand distilled water tested the same as the Zero water and my pur pitcher with a fresh filter tested the same as the tap water.
That makes sense, especially for the distilled water. All distilled water should be 100% free of dissolved solids, if it's not, then it's not distilled.
That said, while distilled water is safe to drink, it's not something that's generally recommended - www.webmd.com/diet/distilled-water-overview#1 - there are dehydration and other risks due to the lack of the very dissolved minerals that the distillation process removes.
@@ModernCastle So are you saying drinking water from a zero filter is dangerous since it, just like distilled water, lacks vital minerals?
@@vincer9960 That article doesn't actually say anything about it being unsafe to drink due to it's low TDS rating. I have heard it elsewhere, but as far as I know it's a myth. If it's really something you're worried about, just take a multivitamin. They also contain a fair amount of minerals.
Iâm glad he said that, zero tds also means zero minerals that your body needs, so yes the water may be better tasting but it might not be as good for you, but you should already be getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals from your diet so I wouldnât worry at all. I use a tap filter an I use a pur water pitcher for my fridge. (keep my water cold)
@@jordanlytle3153 what's the brand of your tap filter?
Pur's best filter, their latest ultimate with lead reduction which you didn't use here has better taste than Brita. Most people reading reviews seem to agree too, I may check out that other aquacrest one you used though too in it thanks.
Thank you. You helped me decide which one to get for my RV. Iâm going with Brita.
You're welcome! I'm glad my video could help.
Great review. Together with the other water filter test, I am glad that I bought a Brita bottle. It just does the job for me (I live in a region with fairly good tap water).
You're welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful.
This is the best review on CZcams! You deserve 1 million subscribers! Thank you đđż đđ
Also I live where water is very hard but I spend too much money on water bottles. Do you recommend Brita to remove lead and other contaminants so that the hard water is drinkable?
You're too kind. Thank you very much!
Brita's Lead filter is pretty solid from what I've read. However, weather or not that will make the water drinkable really depends on the source. If the water isn't healthy enough to drink out of the tap unfiltered (even if it tastes bad, but is still healthy), then even through a Brita, PUR, or Zero filter I'm not sure I would really trust it.
You may want to invest in a more robust purification system.
@@ModernCastle Gotcha! Thank you so much for the reply đ
@@chantewaters150 You're welcome!
I live in the valley as well and our tap water is 486 TDS score, and just put a new brita filter in our pitcher and ran it a couple of times and dropped it to 426 TDS. Wow thanks Brita for not doing crap. Now going to buy ZERO filter.
Use Brita as a pre-filter. It will prolong life of your ZeroWater filter.
Sweet just bought the Zero jug and filters through your affiliate link! Thanks for the quality video that addressed all the questions I had in my head.
You're very welcome. Glad I could help!
Great video fun and informative thank you
Thanks very much!
Great video! I'm going with Brita! Thank you.
You're welcome!
Here in your neighboring state of CA, a single Zero Water filter will last you a week at best. That's 4 filters every month with each filter costing about 13 bucks, landing you at $52 a month or roughly $624 a year, just for clean drinking water.
And if you think it'll taste the same as tap water once it reaches it's due date for replacement, or if you're thinking of extending thr filters life for a tiny bit, you're never more mistaken. Somehow, within a week once TDS levels the filter is outputting about the same as the tap, it will taste like putrid salt water and you'll instantly spit it out as soon as it touches your tongue. Lots of reviews on Amazon has confirmed the same experience.
So whether you like it or not, you're gonna be forced to buy those expensive filters, otherwise you'll end up with a brand new paperweight dispenser. Not really the cost affordable option I was hoping for, but I'll just stick to Brita once again.
I don't deny California has hard water, but your estimation of Zero's lifespan feels like hyperbole at best.
Based on the data I've seen, Arizona has the highest TDS water in the US by a healthy margin. Water from the taps at my home starts around 550 TDS.
The ZeroWater is sitting in the fridge in our office / studio. It's not used as often as a typical home's primary water filter would be, however, over the last 3 months as part of our standard tests and then as part of using it over time the filter has run 10-12 reservoirs full of water through it.
Certainly for my family's home we would fill a water reservoir this size perhaps 3-4 times a week.
I just re-ran a TDS test to see where it's at and our meter is reporting a TDS of 0.
I think for you to say "Somehow, within a week once TDS levels the filter is outputting about the same as the tap" is just wrong. I don't see how any normal use could burn through the filter's life in a week, even living in a high TDS water source area.
I say all of this while still fundamentally agreeing with you...Brita is overall a better filter product, in my view. It's less expensive, while still getting the job done. Nevertheless, I think your thoughts around the Zero's lifespan are unfair and inaccurate based on the tests we've conducted thus far.
Greaaaat I just bought zero water
Natasha Letourneau how is it, I just got it and itâs the purest and cleanest water Iâve ever tasted
I believe this. Their website clearly states the life of their filters is 25 - 40 gallons(probably closer to 25 here in the Phoenix area). I go through about 12 - 18 gallons of water for drinking & cooking by myself each week. So I'd need to buy a new filter every two weeks just for me. I can go back to having spring water delivered every week if I want to pay those prices.
Just changed out my Brita filter - love the video! Making freshly purified ice cubes now lol
Sounds great!
We always used PUR but we recently switched to BRITA and I didn't notice it first but after I woke up thirsty this morning. That ICE-COLD BRITA Purified was was the best tasting water I've had in my life. It was so good that I had to get a second glass even after my thirst was mostly quenched. Even if I had to wait for it to purify some more water. Totally worth it!
Thanks for sharing!
Which one was easiest to clean? Are the spigots removable?
The PUR is really the only one I've cleaned (having had it quite a bit longer than the others), and I found it pretty simple. They are basically all plastic parts that sort of break apart, so you can easily wash with soap and water or perhaps even run through a dishwasher.
I don't believe the spigots are removable.
Even though we haven't cleaned Brita and Zero yet, I don't expect either would be difficult.
Dissolved solids in drinking water is a good thing, as long as itâs minerals the body needs like magnesium. Water that is totally filtered of all dissolved solids usually doesnât have a great taste. Itâs more important to filter out lead, copper, and other contaminants than it is to remove all. This is why once youâre used to drinking high quality mineral water you prefer it to filtered water.
Exactly ! WHO doesn't vouch for the 0 TDS either. They've set it to about 250, if I'm not wrong.
I prefer Brita. I had the zerowater. I wondered often if it caused nutrient leeching.
@@thegrumpyhorticulturist Find me an article from a reputable source. Stating that mineral leaching happens when consuming pure water, to the point where your left with hardly any minerals in your body (While eating a balanced diet) then I will believe you, but I doubt you find a educated science written article.
@@christophermunoz2568 You didn't know water removes minerals from our bodies lol
Awesome video man, at first I thought it was sponsored haha
Thank you!
We only rarely do sponsored videos and when we do the very first thing we say in the video is "This video sponsored by [brand name]".
I really like this channel lol haha thanks for the bloopers đ€Ł
My pleasure :)
i got the zero for christmas and so far i really like it!!
Nice!
Wow that is a thoughtful christmas present, it's not expensive yet it could change someone's life that hasn't thought about water quality.
Iâm using zero and I absolutely love the taste. Not to mention the toxics removed. I absolutely love it. The other Two good in their own places.
I swear by zero water even with its high price ranking
Same
I actually use aburky then the zero filter then a 1 tesla magnet to restructure the water
Loved the video I was able to make an educated and informed decision about my water filters I got PUR just cuz I needed to stop using water bottles
Thank you! I'm glad to hear it was helpful.
This video is so awesome!!! I drink a lot of bottled water but I have to stop because of the environment, although we do recycle, and because stores have none since covid started! I am still deciding but this was helpful! I love some nice crispy water đ€€
Thank you!
I think ZeroWater is best for me because I will be mainly be using it for making tea and coffee where minerals can affect the taste and overpower the flavor of what you are brewing. I would probably go with Brita if I just wanted daily drinkable water.
That's a fair point.
I haven't tried tea yet with the Zero, but maybe I'll make a point to do that this week.
but you are boiling the water?
I bought the zero water and I've had to replace the filter every 2 to 3 weeks due to the water tasting like lemon. Its becoming very expensive. I might just switch to Brita
Filter replacement is definitely the issue with the Zero. There's no question it removes everything...but that puts a huge toll on the filter and means frequent replacements.
Brita, PUR end up being my daily drivers for filter watered. I use Brita in my office and PUR / refrigerator filter at home.
Amazon prime
@@ModernCastle but isnât removing all dissolved solids in water bad considering there are some good minerals in there? So therefore just good filtering best because removing all removes all bad but also good so what do you think?
@@agenthawk7972 Exactly. That's the argument against Zero and it definitely makes sense.
Zero's thinking is that it's too hard to filter just the bad stuff, so they filter everything so they get 100% of the bad stuff. Which there is some merit to that idea also...
It's not exactly a black and white thing no matter which filter style you go with.
@@ModernCastle so what is your opinion because I can see both I mean nothing bad but nothing good or something bad with something good so you donât get out of the bad witch ever way you turn and I want a water filter because I only drink water, my family goes through probably 60-80 bottles of water a week and thatâs a lot so If we or at least I stop drinking bottled water at home it would help reduce some plastic waste especially since the city stoped it recycling program đ€·đŒââïž, so it would help reduce waste and I know that itâs definitely filtered so Iâm just not sure which I want to buy Iâm pretty frugal đ but I still want the best I can get so If itâs more expensive then thatâs ok but whatâs your opinion on this?
Thank you! This was fun to watch.
I wish I had seen this before buying my new PUR. I like it and can taste a difference from the faucet but I'd have gone with Brita or Zero instead.
You're welcome, and thank you!
You might consider checking out our new video here - czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html
We test 10 water filters (including the 3 we featured here) at a 3rd party lab to see how good they actually are.
Very helpful video!
Glad it was helpful!
Which water filter should I order?
For most, I think the Brita is the best choice overall.
It's also the one I would personally use.
I subbed because of the bloopers
We live to serve :P
I have a still for distilled water, but I feel it takes too long and uses too much energy. I also have a reverse osmosis unit bought years ago, but needs new filters, (bought new unit, but haven't replaced yet). Grocery stores have RO dispensers for $.20 to $.45, per gallon, and next to the Gym is a distilled water store $.60 /gallon. After the RO unit failed,, used a Pur picture, it lasted for one filter replacement, then a Berkey (didn't fit under top cabinets) and a Zero water picture, but, I just use the TDS meter. CURRENTLY using 5 gallon Coleman jugs and buying distilled water for making ice and drinking .
Thank you so much for sharing. i will go for the Zero Water Filter. thanks.
You're welcome!
I got the brita one and I have to say Iâve been drinking about 2.5 litres of water a day, only got it about 4 days agođ
Lol...staying well hydrated at least!
Modern Castle indeed, it does taste fresher tho than tap water Iâve found
@@brucewhite7943 Oh massively. I've been drinking filtered water through Brita and others since college. It's hard to imagine going back.
Modern Castle I never really use to drink water but Iâm changing my ways, Iâve now stopped drinking fizzy drinks! Next is to cut out eating junk food
I love Greek honey aswell Omg
Great job! Suuuuubscribed đ
Thank you (for both your kind words and the sub!) We're happy you're here
I tried filter water once but it made me feel not so great. does filters for water take out key minerals out that might effect my health?
Cool. Getting a Brita and ZeroWater. Thank you. đđđ
You're welcome!
Are you being sponsored by or compensated by any of these companies? Would there be any reason for you to be biased on your reviews? Or are your tests completely independent?
I am not. I don't have any type of sponsored relationship (or any other relationship for that matter) with PUR, Brita, or Zero. None of these companies sent me their products for free. I bought them all via Amazon.
We do use affiliate links. So when you use them to buy something we may earn a commission.
You can see our full disclosures here, details on our testing process, as well as what products we've received for free / bought ourselves / have affiliate links for - moderncastle.com/about/
Let me know if you have any other questions.
@@ModernCastle the pur test is a little messed up because the mineral filter adds minerals to the water so the TDS (total dissolved solids) will be higher. We. All know pur filters better then brita
I like that you used multiple people to test the water, but tasting "better" is a relative thing that really doesn't help that much. I JUST started using the 40-cup ZW and I like the slightly sweet flavor. It dropped the TDS from 321 to 000 (although I doubt the tester, which uses conductivity, actually showed the TDS because there might be non-conductive materials in the water). Another channel I watched use one person per filter to check taste (and forgot smell). I loved that you tested a 3rd-party filter, kinda put Pur to shame. That you used highly contaminated water was excellent.
I didn't like how you referred to manufacturer lists of what's removed by each filter, and here's why: you assumed that each company provided a complete list of compounds/elements, and then you incorrectly stated that the Pur filters remove the greatest variety of them, but the chart you showed says "unknown," which means that it wasn't tested. In addition, you made no effort to verify this in any way, such as by pH, chlorine/chloramine tests, or by using a test that would should ALL types of contaminants for the TDS.
I liked the speed test was useful. Another channel only tested a single cup, which made it look like ZW was the fastest.
One final note - demineralized water isn't the best choice if you aren't getting the minerals you need from food you eat.
In the end, this was useful.
Thanks for your feedback, Glenn. I appreciate it.
I'll be sure to keep all of your criticisms in mind so that we can try to improve these types of videos in the future.
Glad to hear the video was still useful!
@@ModernCastle I hope my input will assist your team in the future! Thanks!
Pure water would have no dissolved solids in it to create the extra ions available to allow conductivity through it and give you a resistance measurement that isn't infinite or open circuit when tested. So that tester if zero is how it is reporting an infinite resistance could indicate a pure water with 0 tds = infinite ohms. You would think it would give you the same reading in the water or not on that however and how accurate anything other then infinite ohms would have to be programmed into the resistance measurement by equation or conversion table. To get real water measurements for all substances you need dozens of lab tests that are chemical and other in form outside of just resistance that can't give you measurements on anything accurately. You might be able to just remove all salts and remove enough ions to get open readings on resistance and leave everything else untouched given the quantity of contaminants to water ratio that are being tested for with a TDS value. I'm curious about the zero water filter construction as the pur and brita filters are effective for the chemical physical properties on how they work much on carbon bonds formed with contaminates that are forced through activated carbon structures and particular screen scales that block larger materials from passing. difference
@@NeverSuspects Right. It's way more complicated than a TDS meter can evaluate. Some tests, like pH and chlorine/chloramine are readily available and easy to do, but others...Whew!
Their filter isn't that high-tech, mostly just the resin beads. I forget which YTer tore one open and showed everyone. I wonder why they don't use silver?
Dear Steve Buscemi's ginger nephew,
Your videos are quite good. You've helped me research a number of different products to buy for my home and I appreciate that.
-Love you,
Healfy Lunch
Lol, thanks very much! I'm really glad to hear it!
Thank u for dis video đ
You're welcome!
Well I just purchased the zero filter so đ€·đ»ââïž
Iâm pregnant so this is why
I honestly love Zero Water xD
Man I just got a PUR filter last week đ€ŠđŸââïž dang you CZcams đ
@@s_pru23 lol ... they both do the same
Wow thatâs crazy but I donât remember anyone asking
@@DirtyWizard334 like how no one asked for your input?
Zero water is easily the best filter system, those other 2 unfortunately doesnât filter much
TDS is not bad, it includes healthy minerals too.
Thank you for this fantastic video! Finally a video that also includes how long it takes!! Thank you
You're welcome! I'm glad it was helpful.
I like how he says everything detailed even though I don't want to know it and still interesting and shows the cost
We aim to please
its worth getting used to the taste of the zero filter water.
My wife told me I got scammed for buying a zero water filter over other brands. Apparently I was right.....Again đ
The wife is always right even when not đ€Ł
@@aliyar2255 well she was right. I got scammed because I never received my order.
Charge Nurse
If the Zero Water produced zero Total Dissolved Solids how do you feel that you got scammed? Guess you want more TDS in your drinking water.
zero water removes the most stuff
well your wife is wrong because they sell it at CVS even the filter.
Thank you for this as well!
My pleasure!
i live in Los angeles and my tds is 440+ ive had a bunch of the zero water filters die in as little as 2 weeks its good but too expensive to keep using the taste was great but it just wasnt worth it
Thanks for the review! But please be careful when talking about environmental impact. Water bottles are much lighter and can be actually recycled. Filters are more difficult to produce and often (depending on the manufacturer I guess) have no way to be recycled (unless you cut it open to separate plastic but some people advice against it). I suspect that bottled water is worse after accounting for transport but I want to remind that it's not a simple matter and less plastic isn't always better.
True
Whoâs here from the add
Oh is there a new TV ad for one of these companies?
@@ModernCastle yeah zero.
Phenomenal job!
Thank you!
Thanks for this vid!
You're very welcome!
Check back within the next several weeks...we have a new video where we're lab testing 10 different water pitcher filters. It's going to be super in-depth and insightful!
3:04 ... waaaay too intimate for a water purifier video lmao
Lol...wait till you see our vacuum reviews
Thank you! Because ever since quarantine, NYC's tap water has been smelling just like Clorox
You're welcome! Glad the video could help :)
Okay, so what happens if you double up.
Run water through Zero first, then PUR after.
Results?
When filtering water from my zero water filter and drinking it right after I can taste something in the water. When I put the pitcher in the fridge to cool, the water taste great. Maybe placebo effect but I feel cooling the water decreases that taste from zero filters.
Chilling water makes almost every water taste better.
1) Cold water suppresses the sensitivity in your taste buds, so you don't taste the impurities
2) Chilled was causes dissolved solids to drop to the bottom of the glass. Try your TDS meter with room temp water vs. chilled water and you'll see a huge difference in even tap water.
That said, the taste on your Zero water could indicate that it's time to replace the pitcher. If it's been 2-4 weeks and you're using it regularly then it's time to replace.
Interesting. I watched this video after watching another video that showed that high TDS scores were bad for health. The host suggested a 200+ score was likely to lead to mild health drawbacks, and that rust is likely more prevalent and high water consumption is allowing higher amounts of those contaminants to be introduced into the mix. I live in WA so Iâm assuming that if you use tap water in WA or a state with similar quality water you donât need the Zero Water solution because your water is already pretty good (though central and eastern WA donât fare as well in terms of quality and taste).
I think if youâre in places like Arizona you should invest more in your water filtering. I know PUR makes a filter that also removes lead from the mix which the base filter does not - I bet that filter scores a lot better.
Tap water in the US is regulated by EPA means you can drink it. Most bottled water companies just use tap water. This just comes down to taste and what makes you feel better. Like buying organic food. Rural areas on well may benefit from filters more. Manure from live stock can cause coliform which requires a chlorine flush every once in awhile. Where I live I have a lot of decomposed granite, lots of fine particulates can go through. So we use a filter mostly just so weâre not eating granite sand lol
Own the zero water filter for the last five years. Regular tapwater comes out at 258ppm so it is not too bad. Zero recommends changing the filter when the TDS meter shows 0006 which is in my case around 35 days. You are correct about the replacement filters which cost between $12 and $15 each.
Last time I purchased ten filters on line from Walmart and the total cost including tax was $80.
I am now on my last filter and went back to the web site. The cost is now around $112.00 before tax for a dozen filters. To stretch it, I replace the filter at 110 ppm which is around 45 days.
As far as the taste, will investigate the Brita system. Thanks for an excellent comparison,
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
If you haven't already, take a look at our updated water filter comparison video here = czcams.com/video/HeRGnHuYol8/video.html
In it we sent 10 different filters to a lab for testing.
Great Video !
Thank you!
This was great!
Thanks, Vinny!
I love my zero water filter but living in CA, I do go through a lot of filters.
Hi Lydia, I live in Los Angeles ( Glendale, Calif ) and I am thinking to buy Zero Water system. How many filters you go through each month? And is it easy to buy those filters? All online only? I understand they don't have a store front anywhere. Thanks, Chantel
@@chantellucky4565 we probably replace 1 every other month. It is easy to order packs of 3 or more replacements online
Nice filter comparison, thanks
You're welcome
I would like it if you could do another taste test but include water from a Primo water filling station. They have them at grocery stores and some convenience stores throughout the US. I take my empty gallon water bottles, fill them up for 35 cents a gallon, and the water tastes great. And no plastic bottles end up needing recycling until one of them wears out or gets an accidental puncture.
I've been using the Primo refill stations for at least 5 years now and swear by them. They used to be called Glacier Water. No idea if Primo bought out Glacier or simply changed the name.
We are going to eventually do an RO water test, but it's going to be a while.
However, I can say with confidence Primo water is going to out perform any similar filter purification like Brita, PUR, or Zero. I've read through Primo's documentation, they use a multi-stage purification that includes Reverse Osmosis, so there should be no doubt that Primo would beat Brita, PUR, Zero, and anything else similar.
We have a Costco brand water filter that I believe is a rebranded version of one of the filters tested here but with cosmetic differences. It has a small LCD display on the lid that tells me when to replace the filter element after about a month. I'm wondering what happens as the filter is used. Does it begin passing impurities that it was initially filtering out or does it just slow down and take longer to filter the tap water I pour into it?
My present filter element is about a month past due for changing.
When the filter has been fully used it simply stops filtering. So your water still makes it through, but less and less is filtered the longer you go without changing the filter.