The 4 Best Water Filter Pitchers (2026): PFAS, Microplastics | WIRED
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Heavy metal is best absorbed as music. You don't want it in your water. If you're a renter, or can't afford expensive whole-house or under-sink filters, your best and most convenient line of defense against PFAS forever chemicals or lead may be to find the best water filter pitcher to fit in your fridge door.
It's not just Brita anymore. A new generation of water filter companies now promises clean and healthy water to an American public newly and justifiably wary about PFAS “forever chemicals,” lead, or microplastics in their water. But health and filter claims can be hard to sort through. Not all filter companies have certified their claims with international testing bodies. And not all third-party testing is equal.
If your biggest worry is removing the most contaminants from your water, especially PFAS, the pitcher you want is likely the ZeroWater Pitcher from Culligan ($40). But note that this pitcher also removes helpful, tasty minerals ike calcium and magnesium. Clearly Filtered ($100) is an an excellent, though more expensive, filtered water pitcher for removing PFAS and other chemicals without reduced mineral content.
For this buying guide, I've privileged filters that are efficacious against cancer-associated PFAS and PFOA “forever chemicals,” because around half of Americans may currently be exposed to these chemicals in their water supply, amid slackening federal oversight. But if you're in the half of the country without PFAS exposure, the best-designed pitcher is the Brita Everyday Elite ($42), which does little for PFAS or fluoride, but is otherwise certified for removing perhaps the broadest number of potential health hazards.
But note that most of these fridge pitchers, including the best-certified, contain plastic. If you want to avoid this, I suggest you look instead at my head-to-head testing of stainless steel gravity-fed water filters for your countertop. For other guides to a contaminant-free life, look to WIRED's coverage of the Best Shower Water Filters, Best Backpacking Water Filters, Best Air Purifiers, and Best Indoor Air Quality Monitors.
Best Water Filter Pitchers
Best Performing Water Filter PitcherCulligan ZeroWater Filtered Pitcher
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$40 Amazon
Best Water Filter Pitcher for Tasty WaterClearly Filtered Filtered Water Pitcher
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$100 $90 (10% off) Clearly Filtered
Best Fast Water Filter PitcherBrita Everyday Elite Water Filter Pitcher
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$49 $41 (16% off) Amazon
Best Antimicrobial Water Filter PitcherLifeStraw Home Water Filter Pitcher
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$50 $38 (24% off) Amazon (10-cup plastic)
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- Best Water Pitcher Filter for Overall Performance: Culligan
- Best Water Pitcher Filter for Taste: Clearly Filtered
- Best-Designed Water Filter Pitcher: Brita Everyday Elite
- Best Against Microbes: Lifestraw Home Pitcher
- Other Water Filters Tested
- How I Test Water Filter Pitchers
- Does My City Use Chlorine or Chloramine
Best Water Pitcher Filter for Overall Performance: Culligan ZeroWater
Photograph: Matthew Korfhage
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Culligan
ZeroWater Filtered Pitcher
$40 Amazon
The Cullligan uses ZeroWater's proprietary reverse osmosis system, which among all of these pitchers is best tested and certified according to NSF standards to remove the most troublesome contaminants from your water—including PFAS and PFOA “forever chemicals,” lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium. Chlorine disappears. Particulates disappear. A helpful and accurate electronic meter comes attached to the pitcher and will detect the total dissolved solids in the filtered water. When the number climbs above zero, it's time to replace the filter.
This breadth of certifications and testing, particularly with regard to forever chemicals, places the Culligan atop my list as the water filter I'd trust most. The efficacy at removing PFAS and PFOA has also been attested to by nonprofit public health group the Environmental Working Group. The ZeroWater filter also removed total chlorine levels to utterly undetectable amounts in my own home testing, which likewise verified the total dissolved solids (TDS) results from Culligan's attached meter.
The filter is more affordable than other high-performing pitchers. And it comes in a variety of sizes to best fit your fridge. But this does not mean the water pitcher is the most convenient. It's not. Filtering takes 7 to 10 minutes for a 5-cup top reservoir, approximately middle-of-the-road as far as speed goes. And you can't pour from the filtered reservoir while the top reservoir still has water in it, lest unfiltered water slosh out the top.
Alas, that TDS meter reading of zero also means that helpful and tasty calcium and magnesium also disappear when filtered through t