The pH balance in water goes from 0 to 14. Water with a pH of 0-6.5 is considered acidic, 6.5-7.5 neutral, and 7.5-14 alkaline. Drinking acidic water is not recommended because it may lead to heavy metal poisoning, so neutral and alkaline water are preferred.
Alkaline water is linked to many health benefits. It’s capable of neutralizing toxins from your bloodstream, reducing acid reflux, and providing antioxidants and other health benefits.
If you’re keen on exploring the potential benefits of alkaline water, the easiest way to do so is by acquiring an alkaline water pitcher, and we got a wide range of options for you to choose from.
- Capacity: 80 ounces
- Filter Life: 200 gallons
- Price: $28.99
- Capacity: 48 ounces
- Filter Life: 40/120 gallons
- Price: $20
- Capacity: 134 ounces
- Filter Life: 50 gallons
- Price: $40.97
- Capacity: 60 ounces
- Filter Life: 105 gallons
- Price: $59.99
- Capacity: 64 ounces
- Filter Life: 105 gallons
- Price: $61.99
Waterdrop Chubby Pitcher Water Filter – Best Overall
- Capacity: 80 ounces
- Filter Life: 200 gallons
- Price: $28.99
- The filter lasts 400 pitcher refills (around 10 months)
- The second-best water capacity on our list
- The 6-stage filtration media eliminate chlorine and heavy minerals, as well as bad tastes and odors
- The wooden handle is awkward and difficult to grip
The Waterdrop Chubby Pitcher is amusingly named after its bulky size. The item is “chubbier” than most units on the market and comes with an excellent capacity of 80 ounces. The capacity is enough to give you an average of 10 glasses of water per full container.
However, the best quality of this product is its exceptional filter life. With its ability to purify over 200 gallons of water before it needs to be replaced, you’ll be able to use it for at least 10 months. On average, that equates to 32,000 ounces or precisely 400 refills.
Waterdrop’s longevity exceeds most other units, with an average filter life between 40 and 100 gallons.
It also has a very effective 6-stage filtration media that removes heavy minerals like iron, magnesium, mercury, and copper and eliminates bad taste and odors from the water. In addition, this Waterdrop model is capable of removing more than 97% of chlorine from your water.
All these functionalities come at an affordable price of $29 and with a 30-day money-back guarantee. As for the filters, you can buy 3 for $45.99, which comes to $15.33 apiece. That’s a great deal because average pitcher filters cost around $20.
The one downside of this model is the handle. The straight, stick-like wooden design doesn’t provide a good grip, and since the pitcher is pretty sizable, it can sometimes be hard to lift it, especially when it’s full to the brim.
Brita Small 6 Cup Water Filter Pitcher – Best Price
- Capacity: 48 ounces
- Filter Life: 40/120 gallons
- Price: $20
- The pitcher tells you when you need to replace the filters
- Removes heavy minerals, as well as unpleasant tastes and odors
- Reasonably priced replacement filters
- The standard Brita filters have a very short lifespan
Brita is known for having a great selection of water pitchers, and this 6-cup alkaline model is no different. It has a capacity of 48 ounces, is made of BPA-free materials, and the whole thing weighs only 1.39 pounds.
The Brita model also has a very ergonomic handle with rubber covering the inside grip so that you can lift it effortlessly.
The pitcher is compatible with both the standard Brita filters, as well as the elite ones. The standard filters have a lifespan of 40 gallons, while the elite ones last three times as long.
Aside from improving the water’s pH value, both filters are also capable of reducing heavy minerals. These minerals include mercury, copper, zinc, and cadmium. In addition, they eliminate unpleasant tastes and odors.
Both filters have the same price if you take into account the filter life. For example, three standard filters cost $24.97, while one elite filter costs $25.88. Still, the elite lasts nearly the same as three standard ones.
We’d recommend skipping the standard filters altogether since their lifespan is ridiculously short, and you’ll need to replace them once every one or two months at most. Go for the elite filters instead, as you’ll need to replace them once every 6 months.
Lastly, the lid of the pitcher has an indicator that tells you when to replace the filter. You also have a separate light for the standard and the elite filter, so you’ll always know when to get a new one.
Ehm Ultra Premium Alkaline Water Filter Pitcher – Best Capacity
- Capacity: 134 ounces
- Filter Life: 50 gallons
- Price: $40.97
- The pitcher fills up around 16 glasses of water
- The most affordable replacement cartridges on our list
- Its parts are inexpensive and easy to replace
- The lid is a bit loose
The Ehm Ultra Premium pitcher is an excellent option for anyone looking for a high-capacity model. When it’s filled entirely, this item purifies enough water to be able to fill around 16 glasses.
When it comes to efficiency, you get a 6-phase purification process. All the different filtration media purify the water to the point where it can reach a pH level of 9 or 10. The final result will depend on the initial pH value of the tap water, but this filter is strong enough to turn water at any level of acidity alkaline.
As with all of the other models we covered, aside from the pH-boosting qualities of the filtration media, you also get the benefit of contaminant removal. Magnesium, calcium, iron, and other minerals are absorbed by the filter, and chlorine and foul smells are neutralized.
Another benefit is that you’re able to buy a replacement cartridge for just $9.98, which makes this the most affordable filter on our list.
The lid and the item are made of durable plastic materials, and the handle has a rubber coating inside for a better grip. You can easily open the top with your thumb while holding the pitcher whenever you need to refill the water.
The components are also straightforward to take apart when cleaning the device or changing its filter. The replacement parts are very affordable, and a replacement lid and reservoir will cost you around $10 apiece.
The one issue with this pitcher is that the lid is loose. It’s easy to open but doesn’t shut tightly, so there might be some spillage from the top of the pitcher if you tip it too far when pouring.
pH Replenish Glass Alkaline Water Pitcher – Best Glass Pitcher
- Capacity: 60 ounces
- Filter Life: 105 gallons
- Price: $59.99
- The beads are an effective media for removing heavy minerals, chlorine, unpleasant tastes, unpleasant odors, and more
- Decent filter life that lasts around 4-5 months
- Comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee
- The bag that the filtration media comes in is too delicate and easy to tear
The pH Replenish is a glass pitcher with a much more beautiful appearance than the plastic models. This unit is made of durable borosilicate glass and houses a stainless steel filter casing on the inside.
However, the $60 price tag makes it an expensive choice.
On the bright side, you get a 60-day money-back guarantee with your purchase, so you can return it if you’re unsatisfied.
Rather than cartridges, this item uses bead bags as filtration media.
You have zeolite and activated alumina balls that decrease arsenic, mercury, copper, and lead levels, maifan stones that release healthy minerals in the water, ORP balls that increase the antioxidant potential of the water, and more.
The filtration media’s capacity is around 105 gallons before needing to be replaced, which equals about 4 to 5 months of use, or 1,300 cups of water. Unfortunately, the filters are $29,99, making them the most expensive replacements on our list.
That said, the major downside of these filters is the bag itself. It’s very delicate and easy to tear. If you’re not careful while handling and replacing these filters, you’ll be picking up little balls off the floor for 20 minutes.
pH Vitality Water Pitcher – Best Stainless Steel Pitcher
- Capacity: 64 ounces
- Filter Life: 105 gallons
- Price: $61.99
- It’s impervious to water stains and corrosion
- Very durable
- Looks very sleek and stylish
- Removes chlorine and heavy minerals from the water
- The wooden handle is too slim, and difficult to get a good grip on
The pH Vitality pitcher is a stainless steel unit that looks sleek and aesthetically pleasing. Not only is this a great pitcher in general, but it’s also an awesome-looking decorative piece.
Aside from visuals, the stainless steel material also makes this, without a doubt, the most durable device on our list. In fact, it’s probably one of the most durable pitchers on the market in general. If you drop this unit, the floor is more likely to suffer than the product itself.
Another benefit of the stainless steel design is that it makes the pitcher impervious to both water stains and corrosion. So you’ll easily be able to use it for a decade before considering getting a new one.
The pH Vitality uses the same beads as the pH Replenish model, so they come with the same benefits and setbacks. They boost the pH value of the water while also reducing heavy minerals, chlorine, and many other contaminants.
The unit has a decent 64-ounce capacity that delivers 8 glasses of water from a full pitcher, and the filter life is also excellent. You can purify 105 gallons before replacing the bags, so they last around 4 or 5 months.
Similarly to the Waterdrop Chubby pitcher, the wooden handle is the only issue with this otherwise great model. It does add to the overall look of the pitcher, but it’s not very comfortable to hold.
The whole handle is a bit too slim, and you can’t get a good grip on it, so the heavy stainless steel body will likely be difficult to hold even while empty.
What Is an Alkaline Water Pitcher?
Alkaline water pitchers look the same as most standard units, except they use a special filter to purify the water and turn it alkaline.
Specifically, they use a reservoir and a filtration media to increase the pH level of tap water and remove specific contaminants like heavy metals, chlorine, and so on.
Types of Alkaline Water Pitchers
Unlike other filtration units, water pitchers aren’t classified based on their filtration media since they all remove more or less the same contaminants.
There are several different types of alkaline water pitchers, but they’re distinguished mainly by the materials from which they’re made.
Glass pitchers are considered to be aesthetically pleasing, as well as more eco-friendly than plastic pitchers. However, they’re also very fragile, and you must be careful when using them.
Stainless steel pitchers are the complete opposite regarding durability, and they likely won’t have a scratch on them even if you accidentally drop them on the floor. Unfortunately, this also makes them heavy and harder to carry.
Plastic models are by far the most common. They’re not as durable as stainless steel models nor as eco-friendly as glass ones, but they’re affordable and represent a good balance for all features.
The type you choose boils down to personal preference, and there’s no wrong choice. Every model has a unique set of features, so it all depends on what you’re looking for from these devices.
The Advantages of Alkaline Water Pitchers
The pitchers and their replacement filters are incredibly affordable compared to other filtration units. They’re also inexpensive to maintain, so you don’t have to worry about damaging them.
Pitchers are also easy to use and maintain, so no instructions are needed. You can also put them virtually anywhere since they take up little space.
The Disadvantages of Alkaline Water Pitchers
As you’ve noticed, all pitcher filters remove the same contaminants. While this makes the filters very effective at eliminating chlorine, hard minerals, and unpleasant odors, they’re useless for anything else.
You’ll need a more robust filtration system if chemical contaminants or viruses are in the water. Additionally, water too saturated with sediment particles can easily clog the filters.
Ultimately, if you want alkaline water, these products are the ideal option. However, if you want to remove heavy contaminants from your water, you must upgrade to a reverse osmosis or whole-house filter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alkaline water pitchers tend to raise many questions among consumers. We’ve compiled a list of answers based on our research and expertise to address some of the most commonly asked ones.
The cheapest alkaline water pitcher we could find was the Brita Small 6-Cup model, which comes at a remarkably affordable price of $20.
While there are undoubtedly high-end alkaline models that can fetch prices upwards of $150, we’ve found that most options on the market fall within the $20 to $80 range.
Maintaining water pitcher filters comes down to replacing the filters and caring for the water tank and the reservoir.
The filters have a predicted lifespan, so you should calculate how long you can use them before replacing them. Even if you can’t keep track of the number of times you’re refilling your reservoir, it’s generally easy to notice when a filter isn’t working correctly.
If the water from the pitcher tastes the same as tap water, or if you see any sediment particles or other contaminants floating inside the glass, then it’s long past time to get a new filter.
As for cleaning the pitcher, the first thing you need to do is take it apart. Most pitchers consist of a water reservoir, a filter, and the pitcher itself, sometimes called the water tank.
Put the filter to the side and grab a sponge. Rinse the reservoir and pitcher, foam them with some dish soap, rinse them again, and dry them to the side. While drying, rinse the filter under the tap to remove any lingering contaminants that might be stuck to the casing.
After the reservoir and the pitcher are dry, put everything back together, and return to using the pitcher like normal.
Conclusion
The Waterdrop Chubby model has a good filter life, excellent capacity, and a great price, so it’s the complete package and an ideal option for any home.
The Brita Small 6-Cup unit is the most affordable model on our list and a good choice for anyone that doesn’t want to spend too much money on a pitcher.
The Ehm Ultra Premium is the best option for getting as much water as possible from a single filtration cycle.
The pH Replenish Glass model looks great and has a great filter life, but it’s fragile and easy to damage.
The pH Vitality Water Pitcher is durable and sleek, but the handle brings it down.
