Clearly Filtered's pitcher is certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 — chlorine, taste and odor, and lead-free materials. The headline claim of 386+ contaminants, including fluoride, PFAS and arsenic, comes from testing at an ISO 17025 laboratory to NSF protocols, not from a certification listing.
Quick picks
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| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher (Affinity)NSF certified to 42 and 372; 386+ contaminants from laboratory testing, at 100 rated gallons. | The one people mean | $87.99 - View on Amazon $109.99 — 20% off #ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
| 2 |  Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under-Sink System (CF-UTSF)The same testing approach at 2,000 rated gallons — twenty times the pitcher's cartridge life. | If you want it plumbed | $467.50 - View on Amazon $550.00 — 15% off #ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
| 3 |  AquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse Osmosis PurifierIAPMO certified across 84 contaminants including fluoride and PFAS, with no plumbing. | If you need it certified | $403.75 - View on Amazon $475.00 — 15% off #ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
| 4 |  Brita Elite Filter (with any Brita pitcher)A certified lead claim at a fraction of the price, and 120 rated gallons. | If the worry is lead only | $19.88 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure. |
The two kinds of evidence on the same product
Clearly Filtered is the most misunderstood brand on this site, and the confusion is not really the company's fault — its own pages are careful. It is that two very different claims sit next to each other on the same box, and most buyers read them as one.
| The claim | What backs it | Can you look it up? |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorine, taste and odor | NSF certification to NSF/ANSI 42 | Yes — NSF's public listing |
| Lead-free materials | NSF certification to NSF/ANSI 372 | Yes |
| 386+ contaminants, up to 99.99% | Testing at an ISO 17025 laboratory to NSF/ANSI protocols | No — it is a test report, not a listing |
| Fluoride, PFAS, arsenic, chromium-6 | The same laboratory testing | No |
We searched NSF's database this run rather than taking anyone's word for it. The listing is there: Filtered Water Pitcher, facility in Sturgis, Michigan, under NSF/ANSI 42, rated at 100 gallons, with the claims recorded as chlorine reduction and taste and odor reduction. Clearly Filtered separately states it is transferring its NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 certifications from WQA to NSF and pursuing new certifications for 53 and 401.
So the honest sentence — the one this site should have been using all along — is not "Clearly Filtered is not certified". It is: certified for the easy claim, tested for the hard ones.
What the testing actually is
It is better than the phrase "independently tested" usually indicates. Clearly Filtered names its laboratory: QFT, now operating as IAPMO New Jersey, a division of IAPMO and an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, testing to NSF/ANSI protocols. That is the same organization that certifies several of the systems on this site — acting here as a testing laboratory rather than as a certifier.
The published pitcher figures are specific, which is also better than the category norm:
| Contaminant | Published reduction | Does any certified pitcher claim it? |
|---|---|---|
| Fluoride | >99.54% | No |
| Lead | 99.34% | Yes — Brita Elite, PUR PLUS, ZeroWater |
| PFOA | 99.64% | Yes — ZeroWater and the PUR PLUS filter |
| PFOS | >99.80% | Yes — the same two |
| Chromium-6 | 99.68% | ZeroWater publishes 99% as laboratory data |
| Arsenic | 98.00% | No |
Two of those rows are the reason this brand exists. Fluoride and arsenic in a pitcher is something no certified pitcher on this site offers at all — the certified routes for both are reverse osmosis, which costs more and needs installing. The fluoride roundup and the arsenic roundup lay out those alternatives.
Why "up to" matters more here than usual
Every figure above is a maximum under laboratory conditions, and Clearly Filtered says so. That is normal for test data; it is also why a certification is worth more than a test report even when the test report is longer.
- A certification is maintained. The body retests, audits the factory and can pull the listing. A test report is a photograph of one batch on one day.
- A certification names conditions. Certified reduction claims are measured at a stated challenge concentration, over the filter's full rated life, at a stated flow. "Up to 99.99%" on its own does not tell you when in the cartridge's life it was measured.
- A certification is searchable. You can confirm it yourself in a public directory, which is exactly what we did for the chlorine claim above.
None of that makes the testing worthless. It makes it a different weight of evidence, and the right response is to decide in advance which one your situation needs. What the standards actually cover is the companion page.
The range, and what each part is rated for
| Product | Rated capacity | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Filtered Water Pitcher | 100 gallons | NSF certified to 42 and 372; tested to 53, 401 and P473 |
| 3-Stage Under-Sink (CF-UTSF) | 2,000 gallons | Laboratory testing to NSF protocols; 232+ contaminants |
| Filtered Water Bottle (CF-BF) | 25 gallons | Laboratory testing to NSF protocols; 200+ contaminants |
| Inline fridge filter (CF-INLINE) | 365 gallons | Laboratory testing to NSF protocols |
The under-sink system is the interesting one for anyone who has looked at the pitcher and flinched at the cartridge cadence. It publishes a similar contaminant list — fluoride above 90.65%, lead above 99.34%, PFOA and PFOS above 99.6%, arsenic at 94.27% — at 2,000 rated gallons against the pitcher's 100. The under-sink roundup compares it with the certified systems in the same cabinet.
The price, honestly
Clearly Filtered is the most expensive pitcher on this site to buy and the most expensive per gallon to run, and it is not close. The cartridge is rated at 100 gallons, which the company translates to three or four changes a year for an average household, and the replacement price is at the top of the category.
Whether that is worth it comes down to one question: do you have a contaminant that certified pitchers do not cover? If the answer is fluoride or arsenic, this is one of very few pitcher-tier answers and the premium buys something real. If the answer is lead, chlorine or PFAS, the certified options cost a fraction as much and carry a listing — the Brita comparison runs exactly that trade, and the full pitcher review covers flow rate and day-to-day use.
What it does not do
Soften water. No pitcher does. Hardness is a whole-house job.
Purify microbiologically. It is not certified or presented as a microbiological purifier, so a boil-water notice still means boil.
Move fast. The composite media that produces the claim list is dense, and gravity through dense media is slow. That is physics, not a defect.
The cost-per-gallon math
A household drinking two gallons a day uses about 730 gallons a year.
At 100 rated gallons, the pitcher cartridge is roughly seven changes a year at that consumption — the company's own "three to four" assumes lighter use. At 2,000 gallons, the under-sink system is closer to one cartridge set every two to three years, which is why the plumbed version is dramatically cheaper per gallon despite the higher purchase price.
Run that arithmetic before buying the pitcher for a family. It is a good product bought by a lot of people at the wrong size.
We show the arithmetic rather than a verdict so you can redo it with the price you actually pay. Filter prices move; the rated capacities above do not.
The picks in full
The one people mean
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher (Affinity)
Clearly Filtered
The broadest claim list of any pitcher we list, and the one that needs the most careful reading: it is independently tested to NSF standards, not certified by a listing body. That distinction is the whole decision.
Certification status
Two different kinds of evidence sit on this pitcher. NSF's own listing records the Filtered Water Pitcher under NSF/ANSI 42 at 100 gallons for chlorine reduction and taste and odor reduction, and Clearly Filtered states it holds NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 certifications and is pursuing 53 and 401. Everything beyond that — the 386+ contaminant list, including fluoride, PFAS, arsenic and chromium-6 — comes from testing at QFT, now IAPMO New Jersey, an ISO 17025 laboratory working to NSF/ANSI protocols. Test data, not a certification listing.
Published specifications
| Capacity | 80 oz / 10 cups |
|---|---|
| Rated filter life | 100 gallons / about 4 months |
| Filtration | 3-stage: stainless mesh, coconut carbon, Affinity composite shell |
| Certified | NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 (chlorine, taste and odor; lead-free materials) |
| Tested, not certified | NSF/ANSI 53, 401 and P473 methods |
| Manufacturer claim | Up to 99.99% of 386+ contaminants |
| Fluoride / lead | >99.54% / 99.34% (laboratory data) |
| PFOA / PFOS | 99.64% / >99.80% (laboratory data) |
| Housing | Tritan, BPA-free |
What we like
- Addresses PFAS and fluoride, which most certified pitchers do not touch
- 100-gallon rated life is far longer than ZeroWater's
- Published test data covers an unusually wide contaminant list
What we do not
- Outside chlorine and materials, every claim is test data rather than a certification listing
- Highest sticker price in the pitcher tier
- Flow is slow even by pitcher standards
Skip it if
Anyone who needs a certification listing for a specific contaminant — for a landlord, a lender, a health directive, or their own peace of mind. If the listing is what you need, buy a certified product instead.
$109.99 — 20% off
#ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Where these specifications came from
If you want it plumbed
Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under-Sink System (CF-UTSF)
Clearly Filtered
The same Affinity media as the pitcher, plumbed in and rated for twenty times as much water. It publishes fluoride, arsenic and PFAS figures that no certified carbon system on this site claims — and, like everything else this brand sells beyond chlorine, those figures are laboratory test data rather than a certification listing.
Certification status
Clearly Filtered publishes performance data for the CF-UTSF measured by QFT, now operating as IAPMO New Jersey, an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory testing to NSF/ANSI protocols. It is not a certified system: only the company's pitcher appears in NSF's certified product listing, and that listing covers NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine, taste and odor. Read the claim list as test data.
Published specifications
| Rated capacity | 2,000 gallons / about 12 months |
|---|---|
| Contaminants claimed | Up to 99.99% of 232+ |
| Evidence | Laboratory testing to NSF/ANSI protocols (IAPMO New Jersey) |
| Fluoride | >90.65% |
| Lead | >99.34% |
| PFOA / PFOS | >99.62% / >99.81% |
| Chromium-6 | >99.67% |
| Arsenic | 94.27% |
| Faucet | Connects to the existing kitchen faucet; no second tap required |
What we like
- 2,000 rated gallons — twenty times the pitcher cartridge, which transforms the cost per gallon
- Fluoride and arsenic figures that no certified carbon system publishes
- No dedicated faucet and no drain line, so the install is far simpler than reverse osmosis
What we do not
- Not certified: the published claim list is test data, and only the company's pitcher holds an NSF listing
- Highest purchase price of any carbon under-sink system on this site by a wide margin
- Proprietary cartridges on an annual cadence, priced accordingly
- Flow rate is not published, and dense composite media is slow by design
Skip it if
Anyone who needs a certification listing for the contaminant they are worried about. If the claim has to be checkable in a public directory, buy a certified carbon system or reverse osmosis instead.
$550.00 — 15% off
#ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Where these specifications came from
If you need it certified
AquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse Osmosis Purifier
AquaTru
Reverse osmosis performance with no plumbing, no drilling and no landlord conversation. You pay for that with counter space, a wait, and two tanks you fill and empty by hand.
Certification status
Certified by IAPMO to NSF/ANSI 53, 58, 401 and P473, covering lead, reverse-osmosis performance, emerging compounds and the PFOA/PFOS protocol.
Published specifications
| Filtration | 4-stage countertop reverse osmosis |
|---|---|
| Clean water tank | 0.75 gallons |
| Tap water tank | 1 gallon |
| Installation | None — no plumbing connection |
| Certified standards | NSF/ANSI 53, 58, 401, P473 (IAPMO) |
What we like
- Real reverse osmosis with a P473 PFOA/PFOS certification and zero installation
- The strongest answer available to a renter with a lead or PFAS problem
- No drilling, no drain saddle, no landlord permission needed
What we do not
- Takes up substantial counter space
- You refill and empty tanks by hand — it is not on-demand
- Highest purchase price in the no-plumbing tier by a wide margin
Skip it if
Anyone who can plumb in an under-sink system. A permanent under-sink RO is cheaper per gallon, on-demand, and out of sight. Buy this when you genuinely cannot install.
$475.00 — 15% off
#ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Where these specifications came from
If the worry is lead only
Brita Elite Filter (with any Brita pitcher)
Brita
The cheapest route to an NSF/ANSI 53 lead certification. It drops into a pitcher most households already have, and it is emphatically not the same filter as the white Brita Standard.
Certification status
Certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401. The lead certification belongs to the Elite (blue) filter only — the Standard (white) filter is certified to NSF/ANSI 42 for taste and odor and is not certified for lead. Per Brita's January 2026 performance data sheet the Elite is not certified for PFOA or PFOS, and no Brita pitcher filter is certified for fluoride.
Published specifications
| Rated filter life | 120 gallons / about 6 months |
|---|---|
| Standard filter life, for comparison | 40 gallons / about 2 months |
| Certified standards | NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 401 |
| Lead | Certified under NSF/ANSI 53 |
| PFOA / PFOS | Not certified (January 2026 performance data sheet) |
| Fluoride | Not certified, not claimed |
What we like
- Genuine NSF/ANSI 53 lead certification at the lowest entry price of anything on this site
- Fits Brita pitchers and dispensers already in millions of kitchens — no new hardware
- Three times the rated life of the Standard filter, which changes the cost-per-gallon math
What we do not
- Not certified for PFOA or PFOS, so it is the wrong answer to a PFAS worry
- No fluoride claim at all
- Slow gravity flow, like every pitcher
Skip it if
Anyone whose actual worry is PFAS or fluoride. The Elite is not certified for either, and buying it for those is buying the wrong thing.
#ad Price as of October 7, 2026. We may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Where these specifications came from
Questions people actually ask
Is Clearly Filtered NSF certified?
Partly, and the distinction matters. Its Filtered Water Pitcher appears in NSF's own listing under NSF/ANSI 42 for chlorine and taste and odor reduction at 100 gallons, and Clearly Filtered states it holds NSF/ANSI 42 and 372 certifications and is pursuing 53 and 401. The headline 386+ contaminant claim — fluoride, PFAS, arsenic, chromium-6 — comes from laboratory testing to NSF protocols, not from a certification listing.
Who tests Clearly Filtered's products?
The company names QFT, now operating as IAPMO New Jersey, a division of IAPMO and an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, testing to NSF/ANSI protocols. That is a credible laboratory — it is the same organization that certifies several systems on this site, acting here as a test lab rather than a certifier.
Does Clearly Filtered remove fluoride?
Its published pitcher data reports more than 99.54% fluoride reduction, and the under-sink system more than 90.65%. Those are laboratory test figures rather than certified claims, and no certified pitcher makes a fluoride claim at all — reverse osmosis is the certified route.
Is Clearly Filtered worth the money?
It depends entirely on your contaminant. For fluoride or arsenic in a pitcher, there is almost nothing else, and the premium buys a capability. For lead, chlorine or PFAS, certified pitchers cost far less and carry listings you can look up. Run the cost per gallon first: 100 rated gallons is a short cartridge at a high price.
Clearly Filtered or a reverse osmosis system?
Reverse osmosis if you can install one: the fluoride and arsenic claims are certified rather than tested, the cost per gallon is far lower, and there is no cartridge to change every few weeks. Clearly Filtered if you rent, cannot plumb anything, or want the capability on a counter.
How long does a Clearly Filtered filter last?
The pitcher cartridge is rated at 100 gallons, which Clearly Filtered describes as three or four changes a year for an average household — a household drinking two gallons a day will get through more. The under-sink system is rated at 2,000 gallons.