@@arraiacc You're too kind. Thank you very much. The best way you can support us is by sharing our content with your family and friends. If we make a video that you think is awesome then helping to get the word out is hugely helpful. We can only grow as fast as people find out about us :)
@@ModernCastle HI, VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEO.... BUT I NOTICE THAT YOU DIDNT COMMENT ON THE """"TASTE"""" OF THE WATER AFTER ITS BEEN FILTERED.....THANX----)))
I can't tell you how relieved I was to find your thorough comparison - it's been hard trying to find someone that knows what they're talking about. Thank yoouuuu!! xx
When you do a follow-up video, you should sneak in a test where you filter the first sample through all the filters, mail it in, then when testing is complete, do it, again and compare the results for consistency.
Finally! A comparison that doesn't use the meaningless TDS result. Thanks for providing water filtration information based on actual lab ratings of contaminant removal.
I tested what he mentioned in the video. I took 0 TDS water and added a few drops aceton and the TDS changed to 8 after just a few drops...so its not completely useless
TDS is not meaningless. It is a very important metric. High TDS hard water increases the risk of kidney stones. Go be an armchair online expert somewhere else.
Interestingly, Waterdrop's marketing material advertises their filters as reducing fluoride content, but your findings show no reduction at all. Kudos for not touching the debate on fluoride.
That is very interesting. I hadn't seen that. I did see that Epic made similar claim's about removing flouride, but didn't quite get to the 100% removal they advertise.
5:20 for those who want to jump right to the important part. Thanks so much for this in-depth review, I've just ordered the waterdrop to replace the jug I just broke. I had to get it from Amazon. Locally, they only sell Brita and Zerowater (I'm in a small-ish city in Canada, over an hour away from Toronto). The claims made by Zerowater didn't sit right with me, and I'm glad I looked into it more.
Thank you so much! Moving from South Korea to Michigan, I noticed the stark downgrade in water quality. Even causing health problems(diarrhea, skin irritations etc). Using this guide, I'm doing a lot better.
I'm glad to hear it. Unfortunately, water quality varies widely in the US. And what comes out of the tap is viewed as a bare minimum for safety standards. Water filtration is almost a necessity here in the US. Also - welcome to the US! I hope you enjoy your time in Michigan.
The fact that you had the results laboratory tested was incredibly helpful. I really appreciate the time and effort that went into this, thanks. ... though i'm sorry it you gave you so much stress your hair fell out midway through video :^)
I really appreciate how much work you've put into making this video! it is the ONLY video that gives an accurate comparison between water pitchers filter's performances. After going through the EWG database, I found out that water contamination exists pretty every state that I have lived in... It's scary... I am currently using one of your recommended water pitcher, but I am thinking of switching to a countertop RO system, because they are very similar to water pitchers that requires no installation. The Frizzlife WA99 and Waterdrop N1 are my top choices, but N1 only has two stages comparing to WA99 four stages. It will be interesting to know if more stages are actually better for RO systems. Thank you in advance!!
You're very welcome! I'm glad to hear it's helpful. It really is insane how much stuff is still in tap water even after the city's filtration process. The switch to an RO system is almost certainly going to be better than any passive filter. If you've got the money for it it is a no brainer (especially with how easy countertop RO systems are now).
@@isidbabe This one - moderncastle.com/go/aquatru-counter-top AquaTru Classic countertop RO system I've been testing this in my home and office for around a month. So far, I'm very pleased with the performance. I also sent the water off to the laboratory for testing, it scored a 96 / 100 (better than any passive filter we featured in this video here). I'm working on the contextual review now and then I'll have a video review with all of our assessment and findings. So look for that soon!
@@conniemeeker6485 I can't really speak to their customer service. I've had no interaction with them. However, in terms of the actual purification performance of the RO system, it is objectively the healthiest water we've seen from the 3rd party laboratory data yet (by far).
Thank you for providing the spreadsheet!! Saved me a ton of time because I didn't have to create my own as a followed along with the video!! Subscribed to the channel!
Great test. I live in a region where tap water is relatively clean and highly drinkable. I just wanted a filter that removed some extra taste influencing particles and excess calcium. No need to remove TDS or bacteria. I am glad that Brita does just that job. The water tastes like tap water, while it's just a bit purer.
Always remember, manufacturer's labeling tell you exactly what the filter will do. The Brita I have and bought purposely for helping to remove TASTE and ODOR. As far as all the chemicals through lab testing is what the outcome after the filter as far as minerals etc....is totally irrelevant to me that's it and is OK. I think you have done an excellent video! Thank you.
You're too kind. Thank you very much! We all work really hard here to bring as much objectivity to our tests and reviews as possible. I'm glad to hear we're meeting the mark :)
Thank you so much for this video! I lived in nyc for 18 years and had no big problem with tap water but the place i recently move to seemed like they have old pipes that when water dries it leaves some whiteness which is really gross so i wanted to get a faucet filter and used this video as reference to choose and i ended with waterdrop faucet filter. Did you guys consider doing a shower filter video? It would be SO helpful if you guys make a video on it! Because you guys are the only ones who get an actual lab tests not just what the brands advertises and aesthetics (which is a plus but in the end i want what works)!
You're too kind, Willow. Thanks so much! So glad to hear the video was helpful. Most likely that whiteness is just calcium deposits. Not necessarily dangerous, but not great either. A water softener or water conditioner system may be able to help you as well (that's something that's usually installed in your garage or laundry type room, and it's a much larger tank). Shower filters is something on my list, but unfortunately, pretty far down the list. We're still a very small team (just me and my friend, Kyle, who are working full time on Modern Castle). We're doing our best to get as many great videos out as we can.
Thank you very much for this extensive review! I am beyond interested in knowing the same, specifically including PFAS levels for popular water brands like Evian, etc. and larger popular filtration systems like the big Berkey, reverse osmosis system, etc. Hope you do a video on that!!!
You're welcome! We're definitely hoping to do updated videos like this later this year. RO systems would be cool, as would expending to more water filters (including Big Berkey, among others).
@@minkymandy6065 Maybe we'll just order their most popular filter system and send that water of for lab testing. I'll try and get that into our testing queue soon.
@@qweety123 Indeed - I've heard both really good and really bad things about Berkey. Interested to see how they really perform. I've got it on our content calendar.
I use ZeroWater filter, but only for humidifier use. Completely removing the TDS makes it so that we don't have hard water buildups in the humidifier and it stops our heating unit filter from clogging.
@@ModernCastle This might be difficult to answer/speculative, but do you think the Waterdrop filter would reduce the metals in water enough to make it viable for humidifier use? (I'm particularly trying to avoid the white dust problem with ultrasonic humidifiers.)
@@indestructibleobject It would certainty be better than straight tap water, but not as good as distilled. ZeroWater would be better than Waterdrop in this respect, since those water dust particulates are primarily hard water minerals that become airborne when vaporized. ZeroWater also isn't as good as distilled, but closer, and better than Waterdrop.
Hi Derek. I have been looking at your videos many times. I also carefully examined the lab results sheet. And I believe the best solution would be combining few pitchers together. ZeroWater(71 score) did BRILLIANTLY on most parameters - more than the others- but failed on total THMs(40%) and chloroform(40%). Plus the PH is a bit too acidic- 6.1. The acidity can be easily fixed by adding sodium bicarbonate(baking soda). Now with the THMs and chloroform(I believe this is the reason why the low score of ZeroWater) - you need an extra pitcher. From reading the data sheet - EpicWater(89) could be the best option - it removed 100% of total THMs&chloroform, plus it was the only pitcher that didn’t remineralize(along with ZeroWater). So I believe that combining these two pitchers - ZeroWater&EpicWater - could get us close to 100% of filtering contaminents - even better than AquaTru. What do you think? Thanks.
I would like to see a follow up on the top 3 perfoming filters. Do the filters become a incubator for bacteria during it's recommend time usage? If yes, how much bacteria is added compared to the tap water, how dangerous are those bacterias and can boiling the water kill it?
Here is my strategy for fixing the cons of the ZeroWater and keeping all of the pros. There are two downsides to the ZeroWater-- 1) By taking everything out, it begins to absorb CO2 from the air and become acidic. 2) Because you take out all the minerals, the water will absorb a bit of the healthy minerals from your body and you will pee them out. Look up the supposed risks of long term distilled water drinking to see this argument. Some people have had long term health problems after months or years of distilled water drinking. You can quickly and easily fix both of these downsides by 1) adding a little bit of baking soda to the ZeroWater's filtered water to fix the pH, and 2) adding a little bit of sea salt or electrolyte drops to counteract the low TDS.
@@MP-mg7og It's by far the most effective filter in an objective way. I strongly disagree with the video presenters' conclusion, they didn't think through the results at all. As you can see in the video, Zerowater removed 100% of the TDS, the total dissolved ionic solids, whereas the rest of the filters simply allowed the majority of the water's dissolved contents to remain in the water. As you can see at 9:50, the Zerowater removed 10x as much ionic material as its average competitor. As a result, if you look at the rest of the water filters in the bunch such as Pur and Brita, they all failed on the Fluoride test whereas the Zerowater passed. Most of them only removed 33% of the fluroide which is absolutely pathetic. Why would I waste my money on a product that only got rid of 33% of the problem? Fluoride is the worst thing in tap water, it is poison for the thyroid gland and it's a neurotoxin that accumulates in your brain, and it's guaranteed to be there every time you turn on the tap, because our malicious-idiot-run government has mandated we add it to the water supply continuously. Furthermore, there are literally hundreds of possible ionic/metallic compounds that would get counted among the TDS of these water samples. It is not feasible to test for every single one of the possible contaminants. So it's very possible that the positive results from these sorts of tests for most of the water filters are misleading, and they did well at taking out contaminants A and B, but failed with C D E F and G and now you are drinking those poisons unaware. With Zerowater you don't have to worry about that. Because it just takes out everything, 100% of the ionic solids are gone, just like that. And you can test it with the TDS meter included in the box to prove to yourself it is pure. Just think about it. ANY ionic solids in zerowater are ones you add yourself such as sea salt from your source of choice. Overall the peace of mind you get is vastly superior and the results are superior as well. It is true that the Zerowater did not do as well as some of the other filters at removing the Disinfection Byproducts. The Zerowater got beaten by the others in the pack when it came to these non ionic contaminants. I still haven't come up with a strategy to deal with this. But for me, I am much much more worried about fluoride. None of the disinfection byproducts are even close to being as bad as fluoride.
All I know is: 1. Zerowater fixed my getting sick from Nitrates! AND 2. I now take more "electrolytes" than I used to. I am 100% happy to add the electrolytes back in rather being sick in the gut! I also switched to Himalayn Red Salt. I'm doing the best I can to keep this 80 year old body moving down the trail!
Can’t thank you enough for all your work and well thought out scientific process. This is exactly the kind of review I needed. New home. Horrible water. Need a really good filter. 👍👏👏👏
I hate to post negative comments about videos and I truly appreciate the fact that someone went to all the trouble to lab test filtered water in order to "prove" what they are or are not doing, the results posted here from the lab and the lab scores seem to me to be a bit, if not very, misleading. I REALLY appreciate that all the lab results are available for review, as they really reveal some interesting things if one is not too lazy to take a look. The Zerowater filter system absolutely kills the rest of the filters in most of the categories and to have it listed close to the bottom seems strange to say the least. Someone already commented that the chloroform is the single (or almost only) area that the Zerowater filter didn't surpass the others and they were penalized by the lab for that, possibly harshly. The other posted that mentioned this also noted that this can easily be handled by letting your water evaporate away the chloroform by boiling for a few minutes and leaving uncovered for a few hours. Don't believe me? Check the lab results and compare ALL the items checked for. Pay attention to the Langelier Saturation Index results as those also skew the numbers. I'm not accusing anyone of anything underhanded but it might pay to see how the raw data stacks up to the scores based on the lab's weighting. Compare the #1 filter, Waterdrop, to the Zerowater and judge for yourself if the 93 verses the 71 score reflects the truth or not. YMMV.
Thanks for your feedback. In my view, the notion that Zero (or any purifier for that matter) only missed "one contaminant" is a weak argument. The simple truth is that some contaminants are more dangerous that others. Chloroform is one of those contaminants. Moreover, if the purpose of a filter is to provide safe drinking water...and yet I still have boil my water after it's gone through your filter, then the filter did not do a good job. I really don't understand this line of thinking that accepts that boiling drinking water is a reasonable step you'd take. In any case, that is my view of these lab reports and their analysis. I don't think the lab is trying to be deceptive or biased.
Hey there! SimpeLab here. We provide the Tap Score water testing kits. We should mention that the laboratories themselves do not penalize the filters. The evaluation is provided by Tap Score and is meant to provide a measurement for the best possible health outcome. The labs that run the tests don't provide comments on what they find. That's done entirely by Tap Score. The Tap Score ranking considers a variety of factors, particularly those that may affect your health. So the number of items filtered is not how the score is calculated. The number of -dangerous- items and how well they were filtered is what matters. Hope that helps clarify a bit. :-) TLDR: The labs don't evaluate the results. The results are evaluated by Tap Score/SimpleLab.
@@ModernCastleJust to piggyback on your comment - unless you’re boiling your water outside, you’re also not actually reducing your exposure to chloroform. Maybe one could make a case that breathing it in is somehow less carcinogenic than drinking it, but as you said, why not just get a filter that removes it altogether? Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the great review! All I know is that I started getting sick in the stomach/intestines in 2019. I had been drinking "purified water" from the "street machines" for 20+ years. I found out I was getting sick from "Nitrates/nitrites". Zero Water "CLAIMS" to filter out 100% Nitrates. SOOOO, Now I buy the "street filtered water" and run it thru my ZERO filter. I don't get sick anymore! Zerowater WORKS for me.
Huh? sounds like SOMEONE (@sjhorton1184) is biased. and what do you mean: "Compare the #1 filter, Waterdrop, to the Zerowater.." that's exactly what this test DID! SMH...and yeah, let me get a filter that I still have to boil the water after since it failed at removing a harmful contaminant. FAIL. THINK MCFLY, THINK
Living in Europe and after owning many water filters including a brita which makes water taste like metal I can hands down say that Zero Water has been the best filter to date with a very natural cleaning process and for Europe it is ideal 🙂
@@varieedeventualii it has a really nice resin based filter it knocks other filters when it come to softening water, it didn't remove chloroform because I guess it lack activate carbon. Until they fix the filter, i would use zerowater and other more carbon based filter
@@fares3651 there is another video where someone cuts apart the filters, and most only have activated carbon as the filter, zero water has more complext stuff going. There is also a disclaimer that they didn't use multiple water samples, so I'm not sure they might have even properly set them up to filer best. Seems rather odd, because another videos show you zero has some of the best filtration.
About Brita I just got that about 30 minutes ago I had some sitting out in the kitchen wasn't refrigerated and it ended up tasting like water but usually when it's fresh it doesn't
I live in Canada and I'd say the same. Our national broadcasting company (CBC) had a series called "marketplace" where they tested all these water filters, and zerowater came out on top, way better than Brita. I also just prefer the taste of zerowater over Brita.
Thanks for making the introduction! I hadn't heard of Epic Water Filters; very impressive test results posted on their website (but for the Nano filter only). Looks like it even reduces Radium 226/228 (which we have here in Tampa, FL at 19X EWG's safe levels guidelines).
Thank you for testing these and comparing them. My favorite Lifestraw Home 10 cup water filter pitcher wasn't among them though. Would love to see you test it and compare against Brita.
@@ModernCastle thank you! I was looking and searching everywhere for a comparison of water filter pitchers that included different components that a mere TDS water tester meter can’t measure. I had done enough research to find and read the actual lab reports for Lifestraw from their internal lab data (available for free online) as well as external lab report (also Available online). But couldn’t find any other companies that made those actual lab reports public with lab name and actual lab report (certificate of analysis) visible. Plus, I found zero water filter pitcher actually adds microplastics to the water. It also added another substance that was harmful. And most reviewers have no idea what substances to test for when they reviewed their “best water filter pitcher” on YT. Your current video was the only one that covered all the aspects I was searching for, so I hit subscribe so fast! Thank you again for doing this. Even my paid subscription which I got specifically for lab test data didn’t compare so many brands and didn’t test for uranium and a bunch of other stuff. Your video made my Day, my Week! My Month! 🙌 👏
@@seraphinajadeite You're too kind. I'm glad to hear our video had all the info you needed! We really do our best to pile as much objective data in as possible to our reviews and comparisons. We've got lots of cool stuff coming in 2022, including best air purifiers, best cordless vacuums, most quiet air purifiers, best uprights, best robots, and more. Thanks for the sub and welcome to the family! :) PS - if you find yourself in the market for a new mattress, check out our new mattress testing lab here - naplab.com/ (we also have a young TH-cam channel for that website)
This is a wonderful idea for a video! I am extremely curious to know how the results would stack up for a larger sample size of water sources. I recognize doing this would require a lot of time and resources but if you are able to do more tests in the future that would be awesome! I'd love to see the biggest cities especially, ie NYC, DC, LA, etc. Anyways, excellent video! :)
Thanks, Michael. Expanding water sources and filter types is definitely something we'd like to do in the future. If there is enough interest over time in this video we'll most certainly have updated videos coming.
@@chefgav1 you clearly haven't ever heard of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which is in the US and is a large part of the USA's food supply.
My husband & I used to live in Bullhead City, AZ, for years. We finally relocated Mat 2019, to SE Idaho. I can vouch for the fact that the water in Bullhead City was so bad, it sent me to the ER, twice. The ER doctor told us to NEVER drink the water from the tap, as it has high levels of Calcium...and phosphorus that damage the kidneys. No ontrlligent person should ever drink from the tap, in Arizona or Nevada. And taking a shower...ugh....it felt like acid was being poured on my body.
Recently I ran into Oxalobacter Formigenes, basically. The chlorine in the water, and other antibiotics, kills off this bacteria, along with MANY MANY others that are almost impossible to get back into your gut because they die in stomach acid. Once the bacteria is weakened or gone, it can't break down the oxalates from the food you want and water you drink. The results are many associated health problems such as arthritis (rheumatoid and osteo), osteoporosis, anemia, low red blood cells cound, Gout, kidney stones, etc. Because this bacteria isn't breaking chemical bonds into separate atomic and molar particles that your body can use. And those oxalates can end up in cartilage, joint fluids as Gout or in the kidneys where they attract and bond more oxalates and insoluble calcium to form kidney stones. Going back to hippocrates "all disease begins in the gut", combined with the fact that they know that your body is 50% or more bacterial/fungal cells and 50% or less human cells... each microbiological organism and enzyme has a purpose ever if we don't understand it. And they know this. Why do you think they throw antibiotics AT EVERYTHING? They know by killing off the gut bacteria and the microfuana in the body they can cause unlimited diseases and health issues that will have a person in the hospital constantly and on so many prescriptions it will make your head spin. The more sick and unhealthy you are, the more they profit. Also.. not only does the chlorine and chloramine kill off good bacteria and potentially cause cancer. But remember this video mentioning chloroform? Yeah, it's a sedative, in fact was what was originally used for surgeries way back in the day. Want to keep a populace sedated and unaware?
looks like you have a pretty nice new house, there are millions of older homes with lead issues...would LOVE to see a test against lead. But this test was super helpful and huge kudos to your approach. Thanks!!!!
Very few people drink tap water here in the Philippines. Bottled water businesses on every block virtually, but there is a difference in their quality also, so I will be purchasing a filter also. Appreciate the data.
For PUR faucet water filter, the green light means nothing regarding if a filter is still good or not. It simply is keeping track of the times used or the days/months. If after three months it goes from green, to yellow, to red and you take out the filter and put that same exact filter you just took out and is three months old back in, it will show green again. That little button or lever in the filter is only paying attention to time, not the actual quality of the filter. Something to think about.
@@msladydi123 some one mentioned on an official PUR water filter video, that a piece of rubber washer for a valve or something is discontinued and the water filters now just bubble the bad water with the filtered water, making it practically useless. Not sure how true that is, but it was a cost saving feature if it was for PUR.
I have already seen it done and Zero Water filter beating out all you mentioned . I still have Zero Water filter picture . I take Zero Water filter first and used Sawyer Water filter .
@@richpryor9650 Hi I have also seen such videos where the zero is ALLEGEDLY removing all TDS, so zero with it's 5 stage filter, the brita did almost nothing, are you saying these folks are lying in their videos or the TDS measurements were not true? I have one coming on the strength of a few videos I have watched, I have several TDS meters as i would not rely on the one that comes with their product. Cheers Rich.
I get Brita compatible filters from Costco under the Kirkland brand for $2 / filter. It'd be nice to compare not only effectiveness, but also cost. Because of Brita's ubiquity here in the USA at least, there are many third parties that make 'Brita compatible' filters that fit in Brita pitchers. I think that's a small advantage for Brita.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add it to our list. Not sure if / when we'll be able to do Kirkland filters, but if enough people request it I'll make it a higher priority.
@@ModernCastle Oh sure, was not necessarily saying Kirkland would be nice to be included (though there might be interest?), but rather cost also be mentioned/considered. For example, Brita filters are typically about $4 / standard filter in my area (SF bay area). Kirkland filters come out to $2 / filter (in a pack of 10 - so $20 for 10 Kirkland filters compatible in Brita pitchers). I see the Waterdrop and Zerowater filters (just as examples) costing about $11-$13 / filter. Of course, it'll also depend on the quantity of water each filter can filter, so it could get complicated. I guess what I'm getting at is, some people may be ok with lesser filtering performance...for the right price. It's just one way you could consider to potentially improve these types of videos, if you were to do a follow up. Even mentioning the price of each filter would of been a nice additional feature in this video (ignoring filtering capacity of the filters). I'm only intending this to be a constructive suggestion. The video as it is, is still great and appreciated.
@@simplefinance Yeah, that's a good idea. In our recent test of the Aquatru RO system we did a quick cost comparison. I think we'll start doing something similar with all water filter tests moving forward. Here's that data in case you're interested: Filtered Water Source Price per Gallon AquaTru $0.12 per gallon Brita $0.20 per gallon Waterdrop $0.05 per gallon Zero Water $0.44 per gallon PUR $0.20 per gallon EpicWater $0.31 per gallon Amazon Basics $0.10 per gallon LG Fridge Filter $0.28 per gallon Water Bottles $1.07 per gallon Water Delivery $1.40 - $4.00 per gallon
I've been using zero filter segwayed through brita filter. It keeps the zero filter more viable for longer and covers the missing capabilities from brita.
I recently started doing the same as TDS from my apartments have increased 3x and filters were running out faster so hopefully this will extend that life
Best informative video ever! Thank you so much! I was wondering which one of Brita or amazonbasic was better 20min ago purely based on the Amazon ranking, but now I feel like I’m an expert😂
I'm compelled to test the Kruger brand gallon water jug from Fry's. I also want to test our well water. We did set up filtration canisters out by the well, but I'm still skeptical and use a Brita or just buy the kroger jugs of water. I've been skeptical of Zero water for a long time. I'm glad you cleared that up. Thank you for the research!
My kitchen has a GE under sink filter. I put that water into a Brita pitcher for drinking. Recently, I got a ZeroWater pitcher for coffee so my kettle would not scale up. Now I just run the sink water into the Brita and fill the ZeroWater from the Brita. That way my drinking and coffee water all have been filtered 3 times. Tastes pretty good and gets rid of that slight odor the city water has to it.
Disagree, for my area with high fluoride the zero water filter is the one everyone uses, flupride is turning out in recent studies to be very detrimental to your health.
Useful information. I bought Zero about a year ago based on a review that used TDM as the metric. One thing I did not like about Zero was the filters were costly and my Tucson, AZ water is so full o DM, it clogged these expensive filters quickly. So also useful would be how much water the filters can make using a give water source and how much the filters cost.
We can try and include more of that info...but honestly, it gets tricky fast. 1) Different water sources will lead to longer / shorter filter life. You live in AZ, which has some of the hardest water in the US. Getting 2 weeks out of Zero would be normal, while those who live elsewhere in the US might get 4-8 weeks. 2) Prices of course are subject to change In any case, I definitely hear your suggestion. I will try and come up with something for our 2023 video.
@@ModernCastle Thanks. I guess it would be relative numbers - filter A lasts X and under the same conditions, filter Y lasts Z. Yes, AZ has pretty disgusting tap water. I'm not a 'water snob', but I find the water here to be undrinkable.
@@arevee9429 I could put some guesses as to how long they would last by region...but they would be guesses at best. There are just so many variables that I cannot account for you. We're on Phoenix city water and the water here as horrendous as well. Honestly, it's just not safe to drink without some type of filter / RO system.
Before I bought a pitcher filter and used consumerlabs (independent testing group of consumer products) and they found that zero water filter leaches plastic particle to the water.
This review has lead to an extremely hot debate between my wife & I who are debating on Epic Water vs ZeroWater respectively ;-). I see how or why Epic Water rates above Zerowater primarily due to DBP, but in other aspects (e.g. fluoride, etc.) Zerowater performs better than Epic Water. I think the lesson learnt here is that we'd need a baseline reference and that'll vary from location to location.I don't know if my area has any significant DBP to remove in the first place.
I did all kinds of research on the zero and it always rates number one and that’s the one I choose and have to same I’m very happy and test it regularly and I tested it with my sink water and got 000 before filtered then tested bottled water I bought at the store and got a reading of 24 but have to admit that we have had our water professionally tested and it got a great rating only reason we got a filter is there are times the water taste bad I figure it’s during treatment times
yeah. when you look at the data it is obvious it is very biased. They're totally promoting ones like Waterdrop and Epic water by giving them grade A and B and Zero water C though OVERALL Zerowater filtered way better..
I like zero but it also removes a lot of things that our bodies do need. Plus there newer filters don't seem to last half as long as the older ones do.
@@williammaddox3155 The minerals you drink in water are so insignificantly tiny it does not matter at all assuming you have a good diet. Its why reverse osmosis is safe to drink while RO water is also 0 PPM. Also you just cut your filter open, rinse the contents 5-10 times and pour back in and the filter is new again reading at 0ppm and no bad taste.
Woah! Hello fellow Phoenician! 👋. Thank you for this video, it’s kind of ironic because last night I was just searching for a new water filter on Amazon. Then this video pops up and now I have a much better guide and answers to alot of the questions I had!
We considered it, but felt that the Berkey was in a class of its own and not really similar to a standard pitcher filter. We wanted all of the filters in this video to be fairly similar on price, form, function, etc. However, it's one I'd like to test in the future.
We hope Modern Castle will test the Berkey in the future too! In the meantime, here's a lab test of the Berkey: th-cam.com/video/z3JwjN27dTE/w-d-xo.html
I would love to see a microplastic test. Microplastics are in something like 90% of the American water supply and are in most bottled water bought on store shelves.
That's something we're starting to work on. It's a more complex process to test accurately and also more expensive, so it's taking time to pull everything together. But it's in the works.
@@ModernCastle couple years ago consumer reports testing found that zero water filter pitcher added microplastics! Really curious to see if this will be replicated.
I appreciate how in depth this video is and I enjoyed how you clearly analysed and explained everything. I have only one criticism and that is at 10:50, when you filled the water pitcher, a small amount of water entered the 'filtered water' part of the pitcher, which may have skewed your results slightly. Not sure if it would cause a significant difference but just thought i'd point that out :)
Thank you! You're right, at 10:50 we did have a small spill. However, all of our footage here is merely example b-roll...it wasn't the actual testing footage. The process for collecting these samples was quite involved, especially with the number of samples we were collecting. As a result, I had my entire team (my editor, my videographer, and myself) all work together without the cameras running. I wanted to make 100% certain the collecting of the samples had our full and complete attention to ensure there were no mistakes. So the samples that were collected and sent to the lab had no mistakes in the filtration or collection process.
Depends what you want to filter out. May want to filter well water to remove the TDS and alkalinity to basically make your own distilled water as a base water for coffee machines. For that reason, zero water wins.
Of the 3 pitchers/filters above that I researched already (Brita, Pur, and ZeroWater), Zero Water wins for me too, because I have old plumbing and want to be sure lead is filtered out. Brita and Pur do a poor job with that. I just ordered one. Clearly Filtered does an even better job, but it's pricier than ZW for both the pitchers and the filters.
We are on private well and our water is horrible. (TDS above legal limits). We use Zero Water. It is truly zero. The down side is, after removing so much mineral the water becomes very acidic.
Thanks mate. I recently moved and the tap water in the area I have tastes absolutely terrible, still probably "below threshold", but terrible tasting. I used to have a 9 stage RO system for drinking and cooking but that takes up a lot of room and is sort of pricey and not portable. Instead I got a waterdrop filter! Keep up the good work! I'd be very curious to see how the gold standard RO systems stacks up to these passive filters. I have a suspicions it would trounce all of them, but not really sure as these filters have gotten pretty good.
You're welcome. I agree with you. I am fairly confident most RO systems will crush passive water filter systems. But for the price / storage / complexity, these passive filters are also a nice option for many people.
I use a faucet mounted Pūr filter, and then pour it into our Berkey. I'd LOVE to know what you think of Berkey units, Modern Castle... I also use the Pur water to haul it downstairs in a gallon jug to filter in my distiller, lol. (Family hates the noise and heat from the distiller.) The water still smells like the gunk left in the bottom of the distiller after processing so I add about a half tsp of activated charcoal powder to the distiller before processing... I worry about the lack of minerals in distilled water but is the cleanest in my opinion. I also didn't buy the extra fluoride removal thingy which, in hindsight, is dumb. So, Morden Castle, if like to hear your thoughts on my thoughts, lol... thanks in advance. (Re:Berkey and distilled water)
Honestly, I too am surprised Zero didn't do better. Could be just a bad filter or other anomaly, or it could accurate. Ideally, I'd love to re-run these tests at a future date.
I don't think you understood the results. Zerowater removes all contaminants. It's absolutely the best filtration. The taste test is meaningless. We are used to the taste of the contaminants.
@@brianwicker1455 The lab findings show that ZeroWater failed to remove 100% of Chloroform, a disinfection byproduct and chemical that's dangerous to human beings. Many other filters removed 100% of chloroform. This has nothing to do with taste.
@@ModernCastle I stopped using Zero after seeing this. But the Waterdrop doesn't seem to filter anything and the TDS jumped to 221 after filtering, from 217 (tap water).
@@gloing TDS is not a measure of water quality. Lower TDS does not indicate better quality any more than high TDS indicates worse quality. TDS in terms of water filters is largely a marketing tactic.
Thank you! I'll see if we can do something for shower filters, but it might be a while. That's a pretty narrow topic and we are kind of slammed at the moment with other projects. But I'll put it on our list.
Normally I hate to order stuff made in China, but in this case, I'm glad I went with Waterdrop Plus filters this time since my municipality doesn't -poison- **(cough)** fluoridate our water. Thank God for that. 😉
Just switched back to Waterdrop. I wondered if it was really doing much as the filter seems really small but I guess no smaller than an pure or Britta.
Great video. Definitely the most informative one ive found! I would love to see future tests being performed at or near the end of the advertised filter capacity. If cost is an issue, maybe only do the test at this point instead? This would be helpful to figure out if the filters actually works as they would be used in practice. Consumerlab tested some pitchers for microplastic removal and the ZeroWater increased the amount by about 13 times the untreated water, whereas Brita (longlast) removed it to below detection. Then there is PFAS which the LifeStraw Home claim to filter. In a scientific study from Duke University, the Berkey performed poorly and even showed values above the untreated water. I think this is a result from the filter capacity not holding up as advertised and then releasing PFAS back. My guess is this problem likely applies to other brands aswell. Apart from LifeStraw Home, i would also like to see the european version of the Brita pitcher (Maxtra+ filter) aswell as the PUR and Brita faucet filters.
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll see if we can do that in a future video. Crazy that ZeroWater ADDED microplastics...scary stuff. We are actually doing a several microplastic tests on water bottles from Costco...we should be ready to publish that data next month sometime. Interestingly, we are also currently testing LifeStraw Home and Berkey - both of them have just horrifically bad filtration performance. LifeStraw is tied for the worst we've ever seen. We just did a standard filter test, not a PFAS, and even there the performance is bad. Doubtful we can get EU Brita, but the PUR and Brita facuet failters are something we may be able to get.
Please make sure to use the Pur Plus/Maxion (PPF951K) filter and Brita Longlast+ filters when doing these tests. Vastly different from their standard filters and both filter 99%+ lead. The Brita Longlast+ likely provides the best value with excellent filtration and 6mo lifespan. Pur Plus is comparable, but only lasts half as long.
We did use the PUR Maxion filter, but only used the standard Brita filter. If we update this video in the future we'll see if we can do multiple filter types.
I use zerowater but I also have an "under the sink" inline tap water filter (waterdrop). My tests reveal that the final product of waterdrop + zerowater is somewhat acidic so I add ph drops to raise the alkalinity and add trace minerals.
Great video & nice to see what the what is actual remove although even though Lab tests are important but not the most important, the.taste is the number one important thing about a water filter. The Waterdrop seems to strip out too many minerals, the water from the Waterdrop actually leaves my mouth & tongue with a dry feeling because of too many minerals removed.
Would love to see an RO filter machine test between the leading contenders: AquaTru, Bluevua, WaterDrop, & maybe some amazon picks. Would also like to pitch in for a crowdfunded deal for the testing costs!
Definitely something I want to do as well. We've already tested AquaTru here - moderncastle.com/aquatru-review/ We're in the process of testing Sorso. Water samples are on their way to the labratory now. I've got an AquaSana RO system on the way soon. Should be able to get Waterdrop. I'll look into Bluevua.
@Modern Castle what is the top performing countertop RO system you've encountered? I am interested in the waterdrop countertop RO water dispenser but it does not ship to Canada.... any other suggestions?
@@ModernCastle i watched the Project Farm video on this topic a while ago and he only used tds. You actually did testing. You could even turn this into a good deed next time by testing the water/filters at someone’s place with known water issues. & then leave them with the best filter.
@@ModernCastle i just bought the waterdrop. I live on city water in west Philly, and all of my neighbors buy bottler water. I had to replace my 100 year old lead service line with copper line about a year ago. My 20 & 5 micron whole house water filters always turn brown after a month. My point is, thank you for doing all of this testing. It helps ppl like me protect ourselves against city governments that don’t care about their constituents.
@@katherine8333 Wow, scary stuff that a whole home system could be brown within just a month. I'm sorry to hear the water in Philly is like that. Very sad that various government branches involved in our water cannot ensure safer and better drinking water. I hope the Waterdrop is able to make a big difference for you!
I would be careful about the #1 brand because it is produced in China. EpicWater and Brita are considered the best and all their test certifications came back amazing according to NSF certs. But please use the ELITE brita water filter for example.
Very nice analysis! The scores are interesting, but I would suggest that each person evaluate their unique situation. Eliminating fluoride (a known neurotoxin) is a top priority for me. As such, the Zero Water is my preferred unit. Others may have other desires.
Agreed. Ideally, everyone would do laboratory tests on their water to determine what is actually in the water and then match a filter system designed to remove those contaminants.
Our water does not have chloroform or uranium. However, our water is contaminated with PFAS and PFOA's, and ZERO Water was the only one that removed it 99.99%. Brita did nothing, Waterdrop failed as well and so many others. Flouride was removed, LEAD was removed, heavy metals was removed and so many others with ZERO Water. So, like you said, it depends on what is in your water. We have been extremely happy with our ZERO Water filtration.
Hey really appreciate your channel. Did you see the consumer lab report on Zero filter? Huge amount of micro-plastics found in their testing. Basically this product increase microplastics by over a whopping 1000%!!! I feel like you should do a video on this, its outrageous.
I didn't see that...that is really insane to see. Thanks for sharing. Makes me wonder about microplastics in other filters now. We're working on some microplastic tests right now. Hopefully we'll be ready to publish those videos in the coming weeks.
@@MP-mg7og correct, and by 1000%. See the consumer lab report, very through and trust worthy source. I message ZeroWater for a response and got none back, although they did engage with consumer lab
my best results: for cooking water: Clear2O (advanced pitcher, CWS100) -- fast filtration, driven by faucet water pressure; then for drinking water: pass the (Clear2O) filtered water through Clearly Filtered (Water Pitcher with Affinity Filtration Technology) -- slower filtration, driven by gravity replacement schedule: one (1) Clearly Filtered for ever two (2) Clear2O
Outstanding and informative video. Very well done. For some, TDS levels ARE important to consider when choosing a filter. I agree that it's mostly an overused marketing ploy (invented by Zerowater), but there are definitely "solids" that you want out of your water. I live in a 500+ TDS area, and in my opinion Zerowater creates a taste closest to bottled water. Pur and Brita have almost no effect and the taste remains awful (and unhealthy). However, you're absolutely correct about all the other contaminants. I also agree that a person should find out what contaminants are in their water when choosing a filtration method. I currently run my water through a reverse osmosis system, then afterwards dump it into a Zerowater pitcher in the fridge. Im going to research the filter/pircher that came in at number 1 on your list. Great job!!
Except it doesn't remove fluoride. Might need to get a Waterdrop then pour into the Berkey with ProOne filters instead of the highly controversial Berkey filters
Great review - thank you! I'm so surprised Zero Water performed so much worse than other filters in removing chloroform. Does anyone have any suggestions why that happened? Thanks!
Thank you! I too was surprised they didn't do better. I really don't have any idea why it didn't do better. It's possible it was just a bad filter or some other type of an anomaly.
Really question their results for the zero water filter especially after we had lab tests on our water from our well direct, then from a pure and another from zero water. We had to redo the zero water as we had not initially run enough water through it to “prime” it but it was the cleanest in the lab results
The zerowater results don't make sense.. Lots of these other filters are literally only activated carbon, and zerowater has an activated carbon stage. Zerowater filters have everything these other filters have so dont know how that makes sense.
I've been making my own water with both hydrogen and oxygen. I find it to be very wet, which is odd, as separately they are usually in gas form where I live.
Results were not surprising, zero water is a miniature DI filter similar to the type nuclear power plants use to keep the coolant water pure. It is designed to remove metals and destrutive ions like fluoride, it is not designed to remove VOCs. Also deionized water isnt good to drink but these pitchers ate great for making extremely pure DI water for use in lasers or chemistry experiments. They are much cheaper than larger DI water cartridges and the pitcher makes it handy to pour. ❤
Wow.. Great video. Been using zero for years and have been really happy with it. We have really great water in my area so filters last forever. Will change over to waterdrop. Thanks!
Yeah.. this whole thing was very biased. When Zero water only had one thing - Chloroform not filtered well - and filtered everything else WAY better than the rest (check out the links on simple lab) they intentionally put much more weight and importance on just that particular one that Zero water didn't do good on so that the whole scale shifts to other ones being graded way better and Zero water being given a "C"... (and other ones that didn't filter as well given better grades).. this is a example of how to use real data but make certain products that you want to look good look good and one product that you want to make look bad look bad.
@@kpballa1009 The "one thing" ZeroWater failed to remove is among the most dangerous contaminants in water. The things ZeroWater did remove aren't as dangerous.
I got a stupid experiment you can try. See what happens when you filter the water initially with a zero water filter, then pass that filtered water through a water drop filter. Send that to the laboratory and see what they say. I wonder if making a multi-stage setup would be worth trying. I know, I know, why do that if you could just use a distiller? Well, maybe you need to do some passive filtering because there's no electricity no gas and possibly would be very unsafe to use the open flame of a wood fire.
Maybe someone else in the comments may be interested to try it...but unfortunately, those lab tests are expensive, and not something I have free access to.
This test is incomplete. You should re-do it but use filters that have been used to half or 2/3 of their advertised lifespan. Do they still perform as well as they did when they were new? I just read about a class action lawsuit against Berkey because their filters basically became a joke after 100 gallons (even though they advertise them to be good for 3000 gallons).
Indeed - doing multiple tests at different intervals of the filter's life would be great. But also...more money than we have to spend. These tests are $250 each. If we did a test at brand new level and a 50% / life level that doubles our costs. Perhaps if we're big enough in the future we'll have the budget for that time for testing, but as of now this is the best we're able to do. Regarding Berkey - you might be interested in our recent Berkey test - moderncastle.com/berkey-water-filter-review/ Forget 100 gallons...even brand new, their filters were not great performers.
I want to thank you for doing this video. I've been about to pull my hair out LOL trying to figure out which water filter + pitcher would be best,good option. Thats how I came across your video.
Thank you! Me either. I was really surprised at what the lab reports showed. I've been far more serious about my water filtration since we did these tests.
I did say that and PUR did add lead. However, it was such a minuscule amount that the scientists at the lab thought it was not material enough that it should be considered statistically relevant. My gut reaction was far stronger, but I am also not a scientist. As a result, I leaned on the advice of those who are more informed at the lab.
I just read an old pubmed German study where Brita filters were tested and the majority even after only a week had bacteria, mold and biofilms up to 10,000 times that of any tap water. "In some cases colony counts in the filtered water were 10,000 times those in tap water." Not picking on Brita, pretty sure they will all be the same. Maybe the testing needs to go into bacteria, molds and biofilms also because I think I would rather have the metals than any of those.
I won't dispute that study, as I don't know anything about it or Germany tap water. But I am certain that tap water standards are different around the world. At least where I live in the US (Arizona) the water is heavily chlorinated. As a result, the likelihood of bacteria in water is incredibly low. But absolutely, if you live in a location where bacteria is in your water and that water goes into a water filter like Brita (or any of these others) then you are absolutely going to create a thriving colony of bacteria over time. In a case like that you would really need a different type of water filtration system.
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@@arraiacc You're too kind. Thank you very much.
The best way you can support us is by sharing our content with your family and friends. If we make a video that you think is awesome then helping to get the word out is hugely helpful. We can only grow as fast as people find out about us :)
@@ModernCastle HI, VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEO.... BUT I NOTICE THAT YOU DIDNT COMMENT ON THE """"TASTE"""" OF THE WATER AFTER ITS BEEN FILTERED.....THANX----)))
@@kingsolomon8802 We decided to only do objective data for this video. Taste is too subjective.
What about ClearGenius filters that are suppose to be more eco friendly?
@@DalePatch We can take a look at them if / when we do an update to this video.
I can't tell you how relieved I was to find your thorough comparison - it's been hard trying to find someone that knows what they're talking about. Thank yoouuuu!! xx
You're too kind, Bella! Thanks so much. I'm glad to hear we're hitting the right marks :)
When you do a follow-up video, you should sneak in a test where you filter the first sample through all the filters, mail it in, then when testing is complete, do it, again and compare the results for consistency.
Finally! A comparison that doesn't use the meaningless TDS result. Thanks for providing water filtration information based on actual lab ratings of contaminant removal.
You're very welcome! Glad to hear you liked the video :)
I tested what he mentioned in the video. I took 0 TDS water and added a few drops aceton and the TDS changed to 8 after just a few drops...so its not completely useless
TDS is not meaningless. It is a very important metric. High TDS hard water increases the risk of kidney stones.
Go be an armchair online expert somewhere else.
Why would you say TDS is meaningless???
@@orion9k it's not meaningless, but a high TDS does not always mean "bad water." Do more research.
Interestingly, Waterdrop's marketing material advertises their filters as reducing fluoride content, but your findings show no reduction at all. Kudos for not touching the debate on fluoride.
That is very interesting. I hadn't seen that.
I did see that Epic made similar claim's about removing flouride, but didn't quite get to the 100% removal they advertise.
@Ostsol what type of water do you drink
@@Jacielgg City tap water.
This is annoying. Waterdrop is good except for the fluoride. It looks like I need double filtration 😅
5:20 for those who want to jump right to the important part. Thanks so much for this in-depth review, I've just ordered the waterdrop to replace the jug I just broke. I had to get it from Amazon. Locally, they only sell Brita and Zerowater (I'm in a small-ish city in Canada, over an hour away from Toronto). The claims made by Zerowater didn't sit right with me, and I'm glad I looked into it more.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much!
Moving from South Korea to Michigan, I noticed the stark downgrade in water quality. Even causing health problems(diarrhea, skin irritations etc).
Using this guide, I'm doing a lot better.
I'm glad to hear it.
Unfortunately, water quality varies widely in the US. And what comes out of the tap is viewed as a bare minimum for safety standards.
Water filtration is almost a necessity here in the US.
Also - welcome to the US! I hope you enjoy your time in Michigan.
Michigan has poison water.
Please which filtration system did you get?
The fact that you had the results laboratory tested was incredibly helpful. I really appreciate the time and effort that went into this, thanks.
... though i'm sorry it you gave you so much stress your hair fell out midway through video :^)
You're too kind :) Thank you very much! Glad to hear you found the video helpful.
I really appreciate how much work you've put into making this video! it is the ONLY video that gives an accurate comparison between water pitchers filter's performances. After going through the EWG database, I found out that water contamination exists pretty every state that I have lived in... It's scary... I am currently using one of your recommended water pitcher, but I am thinking of switching to a countertop RO system, because they are very similar to water pitchers that requires no installation. The Frizzlife WA99 and Waterdrop N1 are my top choices, but N1 only has two stages comparing to WA99 four stages. It will be interesting to know if more stages are actually better for RO systems. Thank you in advance!!
You're very welcome! I'm glad to hear it's helpful.
It really is insane how much stuff is still in tap water even after the city's filtration process.
The switch to an RO system is almost certainly going to be better than any passive filter. If you've got the money for it it is a no brainer (especially with how easy countertop RO systems are now).
@@ModernCastle please sir what Counter top RO system do you recommend
@@isidbabe This one - moderncastle.com/go/aquatru-counter-top
AquaTru Classic countertop RO system
I've been testing this in my home and office for around a month. So far, I'm very pleased with the performance. I also sent the water off to the laboratory for testing, it scored a 96 / 100 (better than any passive filter we featured in this video here).
I'm working on the contextual review now and then I'll have a video review with all of our assessment and findings. So look for that soon!
That Aquatru system got bad reviews, especially regarding their customer service, which seems to be nonexistent.
@@conniemeeker6485 I can't really speak to their customer service. I've had no interaction with them.
However, in terms of the actual purification performance of the RO system, it is objectively the healthiest water we've seen from the 3rd party laboratory data yet (by far).
Thank you for providing the spreadsheet!! Saved me a ton of time because I didn't have to create my own as a followed along with the video!! Subscribed to the channel!
You're welcome!
Which is best for filtering birth control hormones/estrogen@@ModernCastle
Great test. I live in a region where tap water is relatively clean and highly drinkable. I just wanted a filter that removed some extra taste influencing particles and excess calcium. No need to remove TDS or bacteria. I am glad that Brita does just that job. The water tastes like tap water, while it's just a bit purer.
No tap water is healthy
Why would you not want to lower the TDS? I just ordered the WaterDrop and it only lowered TDS from 300 to 270, that's just not acceptable...
@@orion9k did you watch the video, TDS doesn't say much about water quality. Zerowater reduces TDS to 0 but is scoring quite low
I can assure you your tap water isn’t healthy
@@orion9k
I'd rather have a high TDS than high uranium.
Always remember, manufacturer's labeling tell you exactly what the filter will do. The Brita I have and bought purposely for helping to remove TASTE and ODOR. As far as all the chemicals through lab testing is what the outcome after the filter as far as minerals etc....is totally irrelevant to me that's it and is OK. I think you have done an excellent video! Thank you.
So you don’t care that what your drinking contains harmful chemicals and fluoride which is carcinogenic aslong it tastes okay 😂😂🤦🏼♂️
Love your channel all the others reviewing filters don't have such a consistent scientific base of understanding about water quality. Well done.
You're too kind. Thank you very much! We all work really hard here to bring as much objectivity to our tests and reviews as possible. I'm glad to hear we're meeting the mark :)
Thank you so much for this video! I lived in nyc for 18 years and had no big problem with tap water but the place i recently move to seemed like they have old pipes that when water dries it leaves some whiteness which is really gross so i wanted to get a faucet filter and used this video as reference to choose and i ended with waterdrop faucet filter. Did you guys consider doing a shower filter video? It would be SO helpful if you guys make a video on it!
Because you guys are the only ones who get an actual lab tests not just what the brands advertises and aesthetics (which is a plus but in the end i want what works)!
You're too kind, Willow. Thanks so much! So glad to hear the video was helpful.
Most likely that whiteness is just calcium deposits. Not necessarily dangerous, but not great either. A water softener or water conditioner system may be able to help you as well (that's something that's usually installed in your garage or laundry type room, and it's a much larger tank).
Shower filters is something on my list, but unfortunately, pretty far down the list. We're still a very small team (just me and my friend, Kyle, who are working full time on Modern Castle). We're doing our best to get as many great videos out as we can.
Pro One makes a shower filter.
Thank you very much for this extensive review! I am beyond interested in knowing the same, specifically including PFAS levels for popular water brands like Evian, etc. and larger popular filtration systems like the big Berkey, reverse osmosis system, etc. Hope you do a video on that!!!
You're welcome!
We're definitely hoping to do updated videos like this later this year. RO systems would be cool, as would expending to more water filters (including Big Berkey, among others).
@@ModernCastle yes I have a Berkey and I would love to know how well it really performs.
@@minkymandy6065 Maybe we'll just order their most popular filter system and send that water of for lab testing.
I'll try and get that into our testing queue soon.
@@ModernCastle Can't wait to see Berkey vs Waterdrop.
@@qweety123 Indeed - I've heard both really good and really bad things about Berkey. Interested to see how they really perform. I've got it on our content calendar.
That’s the test I wanted. And thanks for clearing up tds, I see too many people using that as proof that tap water is unhealthy
You're very welcome!
I use ZeroWater filter, but only for humidifier use. Completely removing the TDS makes it so that we don't have hard water buildups in the humidifier and it stops our heating unit filter from clogging.
Yeah, that's a good way to do it. Basically budget friendly distilled water (or close'ish to it at least)
@@ModernCastle This might be difficult to answer/speculative, but do you think the Waterdrop filter would reduce the metals in water enough to make it viable for humidifier use? (I'm particularly trying to avoid the white dust problem with ultrasonic humidifiers.)
@@indestructibleobject It would certainty be better than straight tap water, but not as good as distilled.
ZeroWater would be better than Waterdrop in this respect, since those water dust particulates are primarily hard water minerals that become airborne when vaporized. ZeroWater also isn't as good as distilled, but closer, and better than Waterdrop.
I use ZeroWater for humidifiers too. Absolutely no white film/dust.
Hi Derek. I have been looking at your videos many times. I also carefully examined the lab results sheet. And I believe the best solution would be combining few pitchers together.
ZeroWater(71 score) did BRILLIANTLY on most parameters - more than the others- but failed on total THMs(40%) and chloroform(40%). Plus the PH is a bit too acidic- 6.1.
The acidity can be easily fixed by adding sodium bicarbonate(baking soda).
Now with the THMs and chloroform(I believe this is the reason why the low score of ZeroWater) - you need an extra pitcher. From reading the data sheet - EpicWater(89) could be the best option - it removed 100% of total THMs&chloroform, plus it was the only pitcher that didn’t remineralize(along with ZeroWater).
So I believe that combining these two pitchers - ZeroWater&EpicWater - could get us close to 100% of filtering contaminents - even better than AquaTru.
What do you think?
Thanks.
Yep, 100% agree. ZeroWater + EpicWater would be a perfect combination to remove essentially everything.
Great idea. Would it make more sense to filter it through the Zero or Epic filter first?
@@austinleblanc9241 I don't think it would make a significant difference either way.
I'd probably go Zero first and then Epic.
I would like to see a follow up on the top 3 perfoming filters. Do the filters become a incubator for bacteria during it's recommend time usage? If yes, how much bacteria is added compared to the tap water, how dangerous are those bacterias and can boiling the water kill it?
Here is my strategy for fixing the cons of the ZeroWater and keeping all of the pros.
There are two downsides to the ZeroWater--
1) By taking everything out, it begins to absorb CO2 from the air and become acidic.
2) Because you take out all the minerals, the water will absorb a bit of the healthy minerals from your body and you will pee them out. Look up the supposed risks of long term distilled water drinking to see this argument. Some people have had long term health problems after months or years of distilled water drinking.
You can quickly and easily fix both of these downsides by
1) adding a little bit of baking soda to the ZeroWater's filtered water to fix the pH,
and 2) adding a little bit of sea salt or electrolyte drops to counteract the low TDS.
Interesting, will look into this. So confusing to pick one. So you think zero is healthiest? This is the best video I've found though.
1. Only true for distilled water and it doesn’t matter if it’s acidic.
2. If you are only getting healthy minerals from water you have other problems.
@@MP-mg7og It's by far the most effective filter in an objective way. I strongly disagree with the video presenters' conclusion, they didn't think through the results at all.
As you can see in the video, Zerowater removed 100% of the TDS, the total dissolved ionic solids, whereas the rest of the filters simply allowed the majority of the water's dissolved contents to remain in the water. As you can see at 9:50, the Zerowater removed 10x as much ionic material as its average competitor.
As a result, if you look at the rest of the water filters in the bunch such as Pur and Brita, they all failed on the Fluoride test whereas the Zerowater passed. Most of them only removed 33% of the fluroide which is absolutely pathetic. Why would I waste my money on a product that only got rid of 33% of the problem?
Fluoride is the worst thing in tap water, it is poison for the thyroid gland and it's a neurotoxin that accumulates in your brain, and it's guaranteed to be there every time you turn on the tap, because our malicious-idiot-run government has mandated we add it to the water supply continuously.
Furthermore, there are literally hundreds of possible ionic/metallic compounds that would get counted among the TDS of these water samples. It is not feasible to test for every single one of the possible contaminants.
So it's very possible that the positive results from these sorts of tests for most of the water filters are misleading, and they did well at taking out contaminants A and B, but failed with C D E F and G and now you are drinking those poisons unaware.
With Zerowater you don't have to worry about that. Because it just takes out everything, 100% of the ionic solids are gone, just like that. And you can test it with the TDS meter included in the box to prove to yourself it is pure.
Just think about it. ANY ionic solids in zerowater are ones you add yourself such as sea salt from your source of choice.
Overall the peace of mind you get is vastly superior and the results are superior as well.
It is true that the Zerowater did not do as well as some of the other filters at removing the Disinfection Byproducts. The Zerowater got beaten by the others in the pack when it came to these non ionic contaminants. I still haven't come up with a strategy to deal with this. But for me, I am much much more worried about fluoride. None of the disinfection byproducts are even close to being as bad as fluoride.
All I know is: 1. Zerowater fixed my getting sick from Nitrates! AND 2. I now take more "electrolytes" than I used to. I am 100% happy to add the electrolytes back in rather being sick in the gut! I also switched to Himalayn Red Salt. I'm doing the best I can to keep this 80 year old body moving down the trail!
Can’t thank you enough for all your work and well thought out scientific process. This is exactly the kind of review I needed. New home. Horrible water. Need a really good filter. 👍👏👏👏
You're very welcome! I'm glad my video was able to help :)
I hate to post negative comments about videos and I truly appreciate the fact that someone went to all the trouble to lab test filtered water in order to "prove" what they are or are not doing, the results posted here from the lab and the lab scores seem to me to be a bit, if not very, misleading. I REALLY appreciate that all the lab results are available for review, as they really reveal some interesting things if one is not too lazy to take a look. The Zerowater filter system absolutely kills the rest of the filters in most of the categories and to have it listed close to the bottom seems strange to say the least. Someone already commented that the chloroform is the single (or almost only) area that the Zerowater filter didn't surpass the others and they were penalized by the lab for that, possibly harshly. The other posted that mentioned this also noted that this can easily be handled by letting your water evaporate away the chloroform by boiling for a few minutes and leaving uncovered for a few hours. Don't believe me? Check the lab results and compare ALL the items checked for. Pay attention to the Langelier Saturation Index results as those also skew the numbers. I'm not accusing anyone of anything underhanded but it might pay to see how the raw data stacks up to the scores based on the lab's weighting. Compare the #1 filter, Waterdrop, to the Zerowater and judge for yourself if the 93 verses the 71 score reflects the truth or not. YMMV.
Thanks for your feedback.
In my view, the notion that Zero (or any purifier for that matter) only missed "one contaminant" is a weak argument. The simple truth is that some contaminants are more dangerous that others. Chloroform is one of those contaminants.
Moreover, if the purpose of a filter is to provide safe drinking water...and yet I still have boil my water after it's gone through your filter, then the filter did not do a good job. I really don't understand this line of thinking that accepts that boiling drinking water is a reasonable step you'd take.
In any case, that is my view of these lab reports and their analysis. I don't think the lab is trying to be deceptive or biased.
Hey there! SimpeLab here. We provide the Tap Score water testing kits.
We should mention that the laboratories themselves do not penalize the filters. The evaluation is provided by Tap Score and is meant to provide a measurement for the best possible health outcome.
The labs that run the tests don't provide comments on what they find. That's done entirely by Tap Score.
The Tap Score ranking considers a variety of factors, particularly those that may affect your health. So the number of items filtered is not how the score is calculated. The number of -dangerous- items and how well they were filtered is what matters.
Hope that helps clarify a bit. :-)
TLDR: The labs don't evaluate the results. The results are evaluated by Tap Score/SimpleLab.
@@ModernCastleJust to piggyback on your comment - unless you’re boiling your water outside, you’re also not actually reducing your exposure to chloroform. Maybe one could make a case that breathing it in is somehow less carcinogenic than drinking it, but as you said, why not just get a filter that removes it altogether? Thanks for the video!
Thanks for the great review! All I know is that I started getting sick in the stomach/intestines in 2019. I had been drinking "purified water" from the "street machines" for 20+ years. I found out I was getting sick from "Nitrates/nitrites". Zero Water "CLAIMS" to filter out 100% Nitrates. SOOOO, Now I buy the "street filtered water" and run it thru my ZERO filter. I don't get sick anymore! Zerowater WORKS for me.
Huh? sounds like SOMEONE (@sjhorton1184) is biased. and what do you mean: "Compare the #1 filter, Waterdrop, to the Zerowater.." that's exactly what this test DID! SMH...and yeah, let me get a filter that I still have to boil the water after since it failed at removing a harmful contaminant. FAIL. THINK MCFLY, THINK
Living in Europe and after owning many water filters including a brita which makes water taste like metal I can hands down say that Zero Water has been the best filter to date with a very natural cleaning process and for Europe it is ideal 🙂
dude zero water was crap in the video how can you suggest it against science?
@@varieedeventualii it has a really nice resin based filter it knocks other filters when it come to softening water, it didn't remove chloroform because I guess it lack activate carbon. Until they fix the filter, i would use zerowater and other more carbon based filter
@@fares3651 there is another video where someone cuts apart the filters, and most only have activated carbon as the filter, zero water has more complext stuff going. There is also a disclaimer that they didn't use multiple water samples, so I'm not sure they might have even properly set them up to filer best. Seems rather odd, because another videos show you zero has some of the best filtration.
About Brita I just got that about 30 minutes ago I had some sitting out in the kitchen wasn't refrigerated and it ended up tasting like water but usually when it's fresh it doesn't
I live in Canada and I'd say the same. Our national broadcasting company (CBC) had a series called "marketplace" where they tested all these water filters, and zerowater came out on top, way better than Brita. I also just prefer the taste of zerowater over Brita.
Thanks for making the introduction! I hadn't heard of Epic Water Filters; very impressive test results posted on their website (but for the Nano filter only). Looks like it even reduces Radium 226/228 (which we have here in Tampa, FL at 19X EWG's safe levels guidelines).
My pleasure! Glad the video was helpful.
Thank you for testing these and comparing them. My favorite Lifestraw Home 10 cup water filter pitcher wasn't among them though. Would love to see you test it and compare against Brita.
If we do an update to this video in the future I'll be sure to look at Lifestraw.
@@ModernCastle thank you! I was looking and searching everywhere for a comparison of water filter pitchers that included different components that a mere TDS water tester meter can’t measure. I had done enough research to find and read the actual lab reports for Lifestraw from their internal lab data (available for free online) as well as external lab report (also Available online). But couldn’t find any other companies that made those actual lab reports public with lab name and actual lab report (certificate of analysis) visible. Plus, I found zero water filter pitcher actually adds microplastics to the water. It also added another substance that was harmful. And most reviewers have no idea what substances to test for when they reviewed their “best water filter pitcher” on YT. Your current video was the only one that covered all the aspects I was searching for, so I hit subscribe so fast! Thank you again for doing this. Even my paid subscription which I got specifically for lab test data didn’t compare so many brands and didn’t test for uranium and a bunch of other stuff. Your video made my Day, my Week! My Month! 🙌 👏
@@seraphinajadeite You're too kind. I'm glad to hear our video had all the info you needed!
We really do our best to pile as much objective data in as possible to our reviews and comparisons. We've got lots of cool stuff coming in 2022, including best air purifiers, best cordless vacuums, most quiet air purifiers, best uprights, best robots, and more.
Thanks for the sub and welcome to the family! :)
PS - if you find yourself in the market for a new mattress, check out our new mattress testing lab here - naplab.com/ (we also have a young TH-cam channel for that website)
@@ModernCastle please do life straw
@@junebuglove34 Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add it to the list.
Super useful test! I’m curious if there is any idea how “Clearly Filtered” would rank on this list. Heard good things about their system/pitcher.
Not sure, it's not one I've tested yet. But I too have heard many good things.
If / when we do an update we'll definitely test it.
Would appreciate this too, thank you!
This is a wonderful idea for a video! I am extremely curious to know how the results would stack up for a larger sample size of water sources. I recognize doing this would require a lot of time and resources but if you are able to do more tests in the future that would be awesome! I'd love to see the biggest cities especially, ie NYC, DC, LA, etc. Anyways, excellent video! :)
Thanks, Michael.
Expanding water sources and filter types is definitely something we'd like to do in the future. If there is enough interest over time in this video we'll most certainly have updated videos coming.
@@ModernCastleyou should test the tap water from East Palestine! See how good these would help in that case
@@TheeHairWitch That would be really interesting. If I am able to get a sample I'll definitely consider it.
@@TheeHairWitchyou expect him to fly over to Palestine for a water sample? Cant be serious
@@chefgav1 you clearly haven't ever heard of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which is in the US and is a large part of the USA's food supply.
My husband & I used to live in Bullhead City, AZ, for years. We finally relocated Mat 2019, to SE Idaho.
I can vouch for the fact that the water in Bullhead City was so bad, it sent me to the ER, twice. The ER doctor told us to NEVER drink the water from the tap, as it has high levels of Calcium...and phosphorus that damage the kidneys. No ontrlligent person should ever drink from the tap, in Arizona or Nevada.
And taking a shower...ugh....it felt like acid was being poured on my body.
Wow! Scary stuff. Crazy to think the taps could be THAT bad. Glad you're in a better water area now.
Uhhh, lawsuit?
Recently I ran into Oxalobacter Formigenes, basically. The chlorine in the water, and other antibiotics, kills off this bacteria, along with MANY MANY others that are almost impossible to get back into your gut because they die in stomach acid. Once the bacteria is weakened or gone, it can't break down the oxalates from the food you want and water you drink. The results are many associated health problems such as arthritis (rheumatoid and osteo), osteoporosis, anemia, low red blood cells cound, Gout, kidney stones, etc. Because this bacteria isn't breaking chemical bonds into separate atomic and molar particles that your body can use. And those oxalates can end up in cartilage, joint fluids as Gout or in the kidneys where they attract and bond more oxalates and insoluble calcium to form kidney stones.
Going back to hippocrates "all disease begins in the gut", combined with the fact that they know that your body is 50% or more bacterial/fungal cells and 50% or less human cells... each microbiological organism and enzyme has a purpose ever if we don't understand it. And they know this. Why do you think they throw antibiotics AT EVERYTHING? They know by killing off the gut bacteria and the microfuana in the body they can cause unlimited diseases and health issues that will have a person in the hospital constantly and on so many prescriptions it will make your head spin. The more sick and unhealthy you are, the more they profit. Also.. not only does the chlorine and chloramine kill off good bacteria and potentially cause cancer. But remember this video mentioning chloroform? Yeah, it's a sedative, in fact was what was originally used for surgeries way back in the day. Want to keep a populace sedated and unaware?
looks like you have a pretty nice new house, there are millions of older homes with lead issues...would LOVE to see a test against lead. But this test was super helpful and huge kudos to your approach. Thanks!!!!
If we do this test again I'll see if we can find water samples with lead in them.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Very few people drink tap water here in the Philippines. Bottled water businesses on every block virtually, but there is a difference in their quality also, so I will be purchasing a filter also. Appreciate the data.
You're welcome!
For PUR faucet water filter, the green light means nothing regarding if a filter is still good or not. It simply is keeping track of the times used or the days/months.
If after three months it goes from green, to yellow, to red and you take out the filter and put that same exact filter you just took out and is three months old back in, it will show green again.
That little button or lever in the filter is only paying attention to time, not the actual quality of the filter. Something to think about.
Yes, It is sad to see how dumbed down people have become. Fall for anything these days?
@@msladydi123 some one mentioned on an official PUR water filter video, that a piece of rubber washer for a valve or something is discontinued and the water filters now just bubble the bad water with the filtered water, making it practically useless. Not sure how true that is, but it was a cost saving feature if it was for PUR.
I would love to see some of the more high end filters like Berkey, Lifestraw, Sawyer, and ProOne compared
I'll keep those in mind next time we update this video. Thanks for the suggestions.
I have already seen it done and Zero Water filter beating out all you mentioned . I still have Zero Water filter picture . I take Zero Water filter first and used Sawyer Water filter .
i agree @modern castle please do one with such
@@richa.s9912 Bot detected
@@richpryor9650 Hi I have also seen such videos where the zero is ALLEGEDLY removing all TDS, so zero with it's 5 stage filter, the brita did almost nothing, are you saying these folks are lying in their videos or the TDS measurements were not true? I have one coming on the strength of a few videos I have watched, I have several TDS meters as i would not rely on the one that comes with their product. Cheers Rich.
ZERO WATER FOR THE WIN!!!! for fluoride removal. I love them~
I get Brita compatible filters from Costco under the Kirkland brand for $2 / filter. It'd be nice to compare not only effectiveness, but also cost. Because of Brita's ubiquity here in the USA at least, there are many third parties that make 'Brita compatible' filters that fit in Brita pitchers. I think that's a small advantage for Brita.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add it to our list.
Not sure if / when we'll be able to do Kirkland filters, but if enough people request it I'll make it a higher priority.
@@ModernCastle Oh sure, was not necessarily saying Kirkland would be nice to be included (though there might be interest?), but rather cost also be mentioned/considered.
For example, Brita filters are typically about $4 / standard filter in my area (SF bay area). Kirkland filters come out to $2 / filter (in a pack of 10 - so $20 for 10 Kirkland filters compatible in Brita pitchers).
I see the Waterdrop and Zerowater filters (just as examples) costing about $11-$13 / filter. Of course, it'll also depend on the quantity of water each filter can filter, so it could get complicated.
I guess what I'm getting at is, some people may be ok with lesser filtering performance...for the right price. It's just one way you could consider to potentially improve these types of videos, if you were to do a follow up.
Even mentioning the price of each filter would of been a nice additional feature in this video (ignoring filtering capacity of the filters).
I'm only intending this to be a constructive suggestion. The video as it is, is still great and appreciated.
@@simplefinance Yeah, that's a good idea. In our recent test of the Aquatru RO system we did a quick cost comparison. I think we'll start doing something similar with all water filter tests moving forward.
Here's that data in case you're interested:
Filtered Water Source Price per Gallon
AquaTru $0.12 per gallon
Brita $0.20 per gallon
Waterdrop $0.05 per gallon
Zero Water $0.44 per gallon
PUR $0.20 per gallon
EpicWater $0.31 per gallon
Amazon Basics $0.10 per gallon
LG Fridge Filter $0.28 per gallon
Water Bottles $1.07 per gallon
Water Delivery $1.40 - $4.00 per gallon
I've been using zero filter segwayed through brita filter. It keeps the zero filter more viable for longer and covers the missing capabilities from brita.
I recently started doing the same as TDS from my apartments have increased 3x and filters were running out faster so hopefully this will extend that life
I've been doing the exact same for two years.
Same. This combo filter removes everything. What zerowater can't filter, the carbon filter does.
Best informative video ever! Thank you so much! I was wondering which one of Brita or amazonbasic was better 20min ago purely based on the Amazon ranking, but now I feel like I’m an expert😂
You're very welcome! Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad to hear the video was helpful :)
I would be curious to see how the Berkey water filter stacked up to this pack.
We will take a look at Berkey if / when we do an updated version of this video
Id love this . I just purchased a berkey
I'm compelled to test the Kruger brand gallon water jug from Fry's. I also want to test our well water. We did set up filtration canisters out by the well, but I'm still skeptical and use a Brita or just buy the kroger jugs of water.
I've been skeptical of Zero water for a long time. I'm glad you cleared that up. Thank you for the research!
My pleasure. Glad the video was helpful!
My kitchen has a GE under sink filter. I put that water into a Brita pitcher for drinking. Recently, I got a ZeroWater pitcher for coffee so my kettle would not scale up. Now I just run the sink water into the Brita and fill the ZeroWater from the Brita. That way my drinking and coffee water all have been filtered 3 times. Tastes pretty good and gets rid of that slight odor the city water has to it.
Disagree, for my area with high fluoride the zero water filter is the one everyone uses, flupride is turning out in recent studies to be very detrimental to your health.
Can you link the studies?
Imagine thinking "everyone uses it, so it must be the best"
Useful information. I bought Zero about a year ago based on a review that used TDM as the metric. One thing I did not like about Zero was the filters were costly and my Tucson, AZ water is so full o DM, it clogged these expensive filters quickly. So also useful would be how much water the filters can make using a give water source and how much the filters cost.
We can try and include more of that info...but honestly, it gets tricky fast.
1) Different water sources will lead to longer / shorter filter life. You live in AZ, which has some of the hardest water in the US. Getting 2 weeks out of Zero would be normal, while those who live elsewhere in the US might get 4-8 weeks.
2) Prices of course are subject to change
In any case, I definitely hear your suggestion. I will try and come up with something for our 2023 video.
@@ModernCastle Thanks. I guess it would be relative numbers - filter A lasts X and under the same conditions, filter Y lasts Z. Yes, AZ has pretty disgusting tap water. I'm not a 'water snob', but I find the water here to be undrinkable.
@@arevee9429 I could put some guesses as to how long they would last by region...but they would be guesses at best. There are just so many variables that I cannot account for you.
We're on Phoenix city water and the water here as horrendous as well. Honestly, it's just not safe to drink without some type of filter / RO system.
Which filter had the best tasting water? Thank you for your test and review. It was very helpful.
Unfortunately, we did not evaluate taste for this test.
Before I bought a pitcher filter and used consumerlabs (independent testing group of consumer products) and they found that zero water filter leaches plastic particle to the water.
Yikes...
I wanted the Epic because the Clearly filter is way to expensive to use. But now I have changed my mind, going with waterdrop
This review has lead to an extremely hot debate between my wife & I who are debating on Epic Water vs ZeroWater respectively ;-). I see how or why Epic Water rates above Zerowater primarily due to DBP, but in other aspects (e.g. fluoride, etc.) Zerowater performs better than Epic Water. I think the lesson learnt here is that we'd need a baseline reference and that'll vary from location to location.I don't know if my area has any significant DBP to remove in the first place.
I did all kinds of research on the zero and it always rates number one and that’s the one I choose and have to same I’m very happy and test it regularly and I tested it with my sink water and got 000 before filtered then tested bottled water I bought at the store and got a reading of 24 but have to admit that we have had our water professionally tested and it got a great rating only reason we got a filter is there are times the water taste bad I figure it’s during treatment times
yeah. when you look at the data it is obvious it is very biased. They're totally promoting ones like Waterdrop and Epic water by giving them grade A and B and Zero water C though OVERALL Zerowater filtered way better..
I like zero but it also removes a lot of things that our bodies do need. Plus there newer filters don't seem to last half as long as the older ones do.
@@williammaddox3155 The minerals you drink in water are so insignificantly tiny it does not matter at all assuming you have a good diet. Its why reverse osmosis is safe to drink while RO water is also 0 PPM. Also you just cut your filter open, rinse the contents 5-10 times and pour back in and the filter is new again reading at 0ppm and no bad taste.
This was immensely helpful! Thank you so much for conducting this objective test!
You're very welcome!
Woah! Hello fellow Phoenician! 👋. Thank you for this video, it’s kind of ironic because last night I was just searching for a new water filter on Amazon. Then this video pops up and now I have a much better guide and answers to alot of the questions I had!
You're very welcome! Glad to hear our video was perfect timing :)
That’s because your phone is spying on you
Can't believe you guys didn't test the extremely popular gravity-fed, countertop Berkey filter.
We considered it, but felt that the Berkey was in a class of its own and not really similar to a standard pitcher filter. We wanted all of the filters in this video to be fairly similar on price, form, function, etc.
However, it's one I'd like to test in the future.
We hope Modern Castle will test the Berkey in the future too! In the meantime, here's a lab test of the Berkey: th-cam.com/video/z3JwjN27dTE/w-d-xo.html
I would love to see a microplastic test. Microplastics are in something like 90% of the American water supply and are in most bottled water bought on store shelves.
That's something we're starting to work on.
It's a more complex process to test accurately and also more expensive, so it's taking time to pull everything together. But it's in the works.
@@ModernCastle couple years ago consumer reports testing found that zero water filter pitcher added microplastics! Really curious to see if this will be replicated.
@@paintedmoments_ Indeed - I'm hoping we can do a microplastic test in the future.
Zero water. 0 TDS = 0 microplastics.
I appreciate how in depth this video is and I enjoyed how you clearly analysed and explained everything. I have only one criticism and that is at 10:50, when you filled the water pitcher, a small amount of water entered the 'filtered water' part of the pitcher, which may have skewed your results slightly. Not sure if it would cause a significant difference but just thought i'd point that out :)
Thank you!
You're right, at 10:50 we did have a small spill. However, all of our footage here is merely example b-roll...it wasn't the actual testing footage.
The process for collecting these samples was quite involved, especially with the number of samples we were collecting. As a result, I had my entire team (my editor, my videographer, and myself) all work together without the cameras running. I wanted to make 100% certain the collecting of the samples had our full and complete attention to ensure there were no mistakes.
So the samples that were collected and sent to the lab had no mistakes in the filtration or collection process.
@@ModernCastle thanks for the reply and clarification! Keep up the great work, i’m very interested to see more content from you guys 😄
@@martyparty640 You're too kind. Thanks very much! Hope our new videos impresses :)
Depends what you want to filter out. May want to filter well water to remove the TDS and alkalinity to basically make your own distilled water as a base water for coffee machines. For that reason, zero water wins.
Of the 3 pitchers/filters above that I researched already (Brita, Pur, and ZeroWater), Zero Water wins for me too, because I have old plumbing and want to be sure lead is filtered out. Brita and Pur do a poor job with that. I just ordered one. Clearly Filtered does an even better job, but it's pricier than ZW for both the pitchers and the filters.
We are on private well and our water is horrible. (TDS above legal limits). We use Zero Water. It is truly zero. The down side is, after removing so much mineral the water becomes very acidic.
Would be interesting to see Clearly Filtered pitcher tested.
If we do an update down the road we can test that.
Please test ProOne as well please
@@marss4536 I'll put it on the list.
@@ModernCastle That would be awesome! Thanks.
@@SummarizeEverything My pleasure
Thanks mate. I recently moved and the tap water in the area I have tastes absolutely terrible, still probably "below threshold", but terrible tasting. I used to have a 9 stage RO system for drinking and cooking but that takes up a lot of room and is sort of pricey and not portable. Instead I got a waterdrop filter! Keep up the good work! I'd be very curious to see how the gold standard RO systems stacks up to these passive filters. I have a suspicions it would trounce all of them, but not really sure as these filters have gotten pretty good.
You're welcome.
I agree with you. I am fairly confident most RO systems will crush passive water filter systems. But for the price / storage / complexity, these passive filters are also a nice option for many people.
I use a faucet mounted Pūr filter, and then pour it into our Berkey. I'd LOVE to know what you think of Berkey units, Modern Castle... I also use the Pur water to haul it downstairs in a gallon jug to filter in my distiller, lol. (Family hates the noise and heat from the distiller.) The water still smells like the gunk left in the bottom of the distiller after processing so I add about a half tsp of activated charcoal powder to the distiller before processing... I worry about the lack of minerals in distilled water but is the cleanest in my opinion. I also didn't buy the extra fluoride removal thingy which, in hindsight, is dumb. So, Morden Castle, if like to hear your thoughts on my thoughts, lol... thanks in advance. (Re:Berkey and distilled water)
This is the best pitcher filter vid I have seen yet and is a keeper👍👍
Thank you!
@modern castle is the most underrated channel on TH-cam. I love you guys!
Oh you're too kind. Thanks so much!
Wow.. Incredibly accurate and helpful analysis. Thank you so much for all the work you put into this. 🙏🏾
You are so welcome
I'm shocked at the results, I thought Zero Water would have scored better due to the size of the filter.
Honestly, I too am surprised Zero didn't do better.
Could be just a bad filter or other anomaly, or it could accurate. Ideally, I'd love to re-run these tests at a future date.
I don't think you understood the results. Zerowater removes all contaminants. It's absolutely the best filtration. The taste test is meaningless. We are used to the taste of the contaminants.
@@brianwicker1455 The lab findings show that ZeroWater failed to remove 100% of Chloroform, a disinfection byproduct and chemical that's dangerous to human beings. Many other filters removed 100% of chloroform.
This has nothing to do with taste.
@@ModernCastle I stopped using Zero after seeing this. But the Waterdrop doesn't seem to filter anything and the TDS jumped to 221 after filtering, from 217 (tap water).
@@gloing TDS is not a measure of water quality. Lower TDS does not indicate better quality any more than high TDS indicates worse quality. TDS in terms of water filters is largely a marketing tactic.
So buy water drop then run it though the zero filter for the floride. got it. thanks.
Thanks, deffo the most concise and precise water jug testing vid i could find on 29/08/2024. Cheers!
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful.
Interesting, projectfarm contradicts results with zerowater, aquatru on top if chart. Also zero water is NSF certified
Never heard of Aquatru, I'll have to check them out.
This was a very informative video very good also can you do another video like this but with shower filters instead of water pitcher filters
Thank you!
I'll see if we can do something for shower filters, but it might be a while. That's a pretty narrow topic and we are kind of slammed at the moment with other projects. But I'll put it on our list.
@@ModernCastle This would indeed be a great test. Shower filters are a huge market with many questions and tests to be made.
Normally I hate to order stuff made in China, but in this case, I'm glad I went with Waterdrop Plus filters this time since my municipality doesn't -poison- **(cough)** fluoridate our water. Thank God for that. 😉
I am impressed with the analysis. Thank you for the easy-to-understand video.
Thanks very much! Glad to hear the video was helpful.
Just switched back to Waterdrop. I wondered if it was really doing much as the filter seems really small but I guess no smaller than an pure or Britta.
Performance on the Waterdrop was much better than I expected it to be.
Thanks for this. I'm switching from ZeroWater to WaterDrop.
Have you ever tested any faucet water filter systems? I'm trying to decide which is better for apartments.
Yes
Here's what we've tested thus far:
moderncastle.com/aquasana-review/
moderncastle.com/sorso-reverse-osmosis-review/
Great video. Definitely the most informative one ive found!
I would love to see future tests being performed at or near the end of the advertised filter capacity. If cost is an issue, maybe only do the test at this point instead?
This would be helpful to figure out if the filters actually works as they would be used in practice.
Consumerlab tested some pitchers for microplastic removal and the ZeroWater increased the amount by about 13 times the untreated water, whereas Brita (longlast) removed it to below detection.
Then there is PFAS which the LifeStraw Home claim to filter. In a scientific study from Duke University, the Berkey performed poorly and even showed values above the untreated water.
I think this is a result from the filter capacity not holding up as advertised and then releasing PFAS back. My guess is this problem likely applies to other brands aswell.
Apart from LifeStraw Home, i would also like to see the european version of the Brita pitcher (Maxtra+ filter) aswell as the PUR and Brita faucet filters.
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll see if we can do that in a future video.
Crazy that ZeroWater ADDED microplastics...scary stuff. We are actually doing a several microplastic tests on water bottles from Costco...we should be ready to publish that data next month sometime.
Interestingly, we are also currently testing LifeStraw Home and Berkey - both of them have just horrifically bad filtration performance. LifeStraw is tied for the worst we've ever seen. We just did a standard filter test, not a PFAS, and even there the performance is bad.
Doubtful we can get EU Brita, but the PUR and Brita facuet failters are something we may be able to get.
Please make sure to use the Pur Plus/Maxion (PPF951K) filter and Brita Longlast+ filters when doing these tests. Vastly different from their standard filters and both filter 99%+ lead. The Brita Longlast+ likely provides the best value with excellent filtration and 6mo lifespan. Pur Plus is comparable, but only lasts half as long.
We did use the PUR Maxion filter, but only used the standard Brita filter.
If we update this video in the future we'll see if we can do multiple filter types.
I use zerowater but I also have an "under the sink" inline tap water filter (waterdrop). My tests reveal that the final product of waterdrop + zerowater is somewhat acidic so I add ph drops to raise the alkalinity and add trace minerals.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hi, I have a bladder condition & buy alkaline water. Trying to switch bc it’s expensive & so many gallon plastic jugs. Where do you get ph drops?
@@bsadventures742 amazon
Great video & nice to see what the what is actual remove although even though Lab tests are important but not the most important, the.taste is the number one important thing about a water filter. The Waterdrop seems to strip out too many minerals, the water from the Waterdrop actually leaves my mouth & tongue with a dry feeling because of too many minerals removed.
Would love to see an RO filter machine test between the leading contenders: AquaTru, Bluevua, WaterDrop, & maybe some amazon picks. Would also like to pitch in for a crowdfunded deal for the testing costs!
Definitely something I want to do as well.
We've already tested AquaTru here - moderncastle.com/aquatru-review/
We're in the process of testing Sorso. Water samples are on their way to the labratory now.
I've got an AquaSana RO system on the way soon.
Should be able to get Waterdrop.
I'll look into Bluevua.
@Modern Castle what is the top performing countertop RO system you've encountered? I am interested in the waterdrop countertop RO water dispenser but it does not ship to Canada.... any other suggestions?
RO testing would be near identical because the RO membranes are manufactured by two companies
This is the best video on this on youtube
You're too kind :) Thanks so much, Katherine! I'm so glad to hear you found it helpful.
@@ModernCastle i watched the Project Farm video on this topic a while ago and he only used tds. You actually did testing.
You could even turn this into a good deed next time by testing the water/filters at someone’s place with known water issues. & then leave them with the best filter.
@@ModernCastle i just bought the waterdrop. I live on city water in west Philly, and all of my neighbors buy bottler water. I had to replace my 100 year old lead service line with copper line about a year ago. My 20 & 5 micron whole house water filters always turn brown after a month.
My point is, thank you for doing all of this testing. It helps ppl like me protect ourselves against city governments that don’t care about their constituents.
@@katherine8333 Wow, scary stuff that a whole home system could be brown within just a month.
I'm sorry to hear the water in Philly is like that. Very sad that various government branches involved in our water cannot ensure safer and better drinking water.
I hope the Waterdrop is able to make a big difference for you!
@@ModernCastle Thanks! I'm going for a layered approach in filtering my water & the waterdrop will be one of them.
Thanks! So much better that reviews that only talk about filtration speed and aesthetics.
You're very welcome! Agreed. There's so much more to cover on a water filter.
I would be careful about the #1 brand because it is produced in China. EpicWater and Brita are considered the best and all their test certifications came back amazing according to NSF certs. But please use the ELITE brita water filter for example.
I was about to check out the Waterdrop until I found out made in china. Wanted Brita first, now I’m going for Epic water
Very nice analysis! The scores are interesting, but I would suggest that each person evaluate their unique situation. Eliminating fluoride (a known neurotoxin) is a top priority for me. As such, the Zero Water is my preferred unit. Others may have other desires.
Agreed. Ideally, everyone would do laboratory tests on their water to determine what is actually in the water and then match a filter system designed to remove those contaminants.
Our water does not have chloroform or uranium. However, our water is contaminated with PFAS and PFOA's, and ZERO Water was the only one that removed it 99.99%. Brita did nothing, Waterdrop failed as well and so many others. Flouride was removed, LEAD was removed, heavy metals was removed and so many others with ZERO Water.
So, like you said, it depends on what is in your water. We have been extremely happy with our ZERO Water filtration.
Glad to hear the Zero is working well for your water. I'm sure that's a scary nightmare having to remove PFAS and PFOAs.
Hey really appreciate your channel. Did you see the consumer lab report on Zero filter? Huge amount of micro-plastics found in their testing. Basically this product increase microplastics by over a whopping 1000%!!! I feel like you should do a video on this, its outrageous.
I didn't see that...that is really insane to see. Thanks for sharing. Makes me wonder about microplastics in other filters now.
We're working on some microplastic tests right now. Hopefully we'll be ready to publish those videos in the coming weeks.
How does it increase please? It adds plastic?
@@MP-mg7og correct, and by 1000%. See the consumer lab report, very through and trust worthy source. I message ZeroWater for a response and got none back, although they did engage with consumer lab
my best results:
for cooking water: Clear2O (advanced pitcher, CWS100) -- fast filtration, driven by faucet water pressure;
then for drinking water: pass the (Clear2O) filtered water through Clearly Filtered (Water Pitcher with Affinity Filtration Technology) -- slower filtration, driven by gravity
replacement schedule: one (1) Clearly Filtered for ever two (2) Clear2O
Outstanding and informative video. Very well done.
For some, TDS levels ARE important to consider when choosing a filter. I agree that it's mostly an overused marketing ploy (invented by Zerowater), but there are definitely "solids" that you want out of your water. I live in a 500+ TDS area, and in my opinion Zerowater creates a taste closest to bottled water. Pur and Brita have almost no effect and the taste remains awful (and unhealthy).
However, you're absolutely correct about all the other contaminants. I also agree that a person should find out what contaminants are in their water when choosing a filtration method.
I currently run my water through a reverse osmosis system, then afterwards dump it into a Zerowater pitcher in the fridge.
Im going to research the filter/pircher that came in at number 1 on your list.
Great job!!
Glad to hear you found our video helpful! Thank you for your comment and you feedback.
Except it doesn't remove fluoride. Might need to get a Waterdrop then pour into the Berkey with ProOne filters instead of the highly controversial Berkey filters
By far the best video on water filters! I thought TDS was everything!
Thank you very much!
Great review - thank you! I'm so surprised Zero Water performed so much worse than other filters in removing chloroform. Does anyone have any suggestions why that happened? Thanks!
Thank you!
I too was surprised they didn't do better.
I really don't have any idea why it didn't do better. It's possible it was just a bad filter or some other type of an anomaly.
Really question their results for the zero water filter especially after we had lab tests on our water from our well direct, then from a pure and another from zero water. We had to redo the zero water as we had not initially run enough water through it to “prime” it but it was the cleanest in the lab results
The zerowater results don't make sense.. Lots of these other filters are literally only activated carbon, and zerowater has an activated carbon stage. Zerowater filters have everything these other filters have so dont know how that makes sense.
How is Watterdrop the best filter of the bunch when it removes 0% of fluoride? That is one of the worst contaminants in water.
Fluoride was not a factor in scoring.
@@ModernCastleit absolutely should have been! Proven definitely to lower IQ, and have other negative mental/psychological effects.
I've been making my own water with both hydrogen and oxygen. I find it to be very wet, which is odd, as separately they are usually in gas form where I live.
Results were not surprising, zero water is a miniature DI filter similar to the type nuclear power plants use to keep the coolant water pure. It is designed to remove metals and destrutive ions like fluoride, it is not designed to remove VOCs. Also deionized water isnt good to drink but these pitchers ate great for making extremely pure DI water for use in lasers or chemistry experiments. They are much cheaper than larger DI water cartridges and the pitcher makes it handy to pour. ❤
Would adding some mineral back in solve the unhealthiness of deionized water?
This Is The First Time We Have Not Seen Zero Water Win Most Strange
Zero water is underrated. You notice the difference between that and Brita when you switch.
I`m migrating from Brita to WaterDrop. Glad to see I'm upgrading to the S tier without knowing, this just confirmed I'm an awesome shopper. Thanks!
Nice! I don't think you'll be disappointment.
So if I want my floride completely gone as well as heavy metals and cleaners, I am going to need multiple filters
At least based on the data from this test, yes.
Your video and data showen helped me decide what to buy and know why im buying it without falling for fancy advertising
Thank you
Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear it was helpful :)
Wow.. Great video. Been using zero for years and have been really happy with it. We have really great water in my area so filters last forever. Will change over to waterdrop. Thanks!
Our pleasure. Glad you found it helpful!
What is your starting tds?
@@leeperkes9437 like 025 ish. I don't think I've seen it higher than 032. I ended up using both.
There is no absolutely no way the Brita beat out zero water.
I was also shocked.
But the lab results are the lab results.
Yeah.. this whole thing was very biased. When Zero water only had one thing -
Chloroform not filtered well - and filtered everything else WAY better than the rest (check out the links on simple lab) they intentionally put much more weight and importance on just that particular one that Zero water didn't do good on so that the whole scale shifts to other ones being graded way better and Zero water being given a "C"... (and other ones that didn't filter as well given better grades).. this is a example of how to use real data but make certain products that you want to look good look good and one product that you want to make look bad look bad.
@@kpballa1009 The "one thing" ZeroWater failed to remove is among the most dangerous contaminants in water.
The things ZeroWater did remove aren't as dangerous.
I got a stupid experiment you can try. See what happens when you filter the water initially with a zero water filter, then pass that filtered water through a water drop filter. Send that to the laboratory and see what they say. I wonder if making a multi-stage setup would be worth trying.
I know, I know, why do that if you could just use a distiller? Well, maybe you need to do some passive filtering because there's no electricity no gas and possibly would be very unsafe to use the open flame of a wood fire.
Maybe someone else in the comments may be interested to try it...but unfortunately, those lab tests are expensive, and not something I have free access to.
This test is incomplete. You should re-do it but use filters that have been used to half or 2/3 of their advertised lifespan. Do they still perform as well as they did when they were new? I just read about a class action lawsuit against Berkey because their filters basically became a joke after 100 gallons (even though they advertise them to be good for 3000 gallons).
Indeed - doing multiple tests at different intervals of the filter's life would be great. But also...more money than we have to spend. These tests are $250 each. If we did a test at brand new level and a 50% / life level that doubles our costs. Perhaps if we're big enough in the future we'll have the budget for that time for testing, but as of now this is the best we're able to do.
Regarding Berkey - you might be interested in our recent Berkey test - moderncastle.com/berkey-water-filter-review/
Forget 100 gallons...even brand new, their filters were not great performers.
I double filter my water. Activated Carbon for safety and ZeroWater for taste/softness.
Which 2 filters do you use?
@@austinleblanc9241 I used to use an everydrop fridge filter into a ZeroWater filter but I recently switched to a water distiller instead.
I want to thank you for doing this video. I've been about to pull my hair out LOL trying to figure out which water filter + pitcher would be best,good option. Thats how I came across your video.
You're welcome! Glad to hear the video was helpful :)
Great work thank you, also scary, because I wasn’t so aware of all the garbage in our water.
Thank you!
Me either. I was really surprised at what the lab reports showed. I've been far more serious about my water filtration since we did these tests.
At 11:53 you said PUR added Lead to the water? Isn't just the opposite PUR should do? Please reply
I did say that and PUR did add lead.
However, it was such a minuscule amount that the scientists at the lab thought it was not material enough that it should be considered statistically relevant.
My gut reaction was far stronger, but I am also not a scientist. As a result, I leaned on the advice of those who are more informed at the lab.
Why not post the results in a link? That’s what everyone is looking for! Great video.
We did.
All of the result links are in the description.
I just read an old pubmed German study where Brita filters were tested and the majority even after only a week had bacteria, mold and biofilms up to 10,000 times that of any tap water. "In some cases colony counts in the filtered water were 10,000 times those in tap water." Not picking on Brita, pretty sure they will all be the same. Maybe the testing needs to go into bacteria, molds and biofilms also because I think I would rather have the metals than any of those.
I won't dispute that study, as I don't know anything about it or Germany tap water.
But I am certain that tap water standards are different around the world.
At least where I live in the US (Arizona) the water is heavily chlorinated. As a result, the likelihood of bacteria in water is incredibly low.
But absolutely, if you live in a location where bacteria is in your water and that water goes into a water filter like Brita (or any of these others) then you are absolutely going to create a thriving colony of bacteria over time. In a case like that you would really need a different type of water filtration system.
Do any of these work on microplastics?
Likely, yes. However, we did not test for microplastics.