Water filter pitchers are a great addition to any kitchen. They’re cheap, don’t take up much space, and improve the taste of water while getting rid of chlorine and other common contaminants.
The best glass water filter pitcher is the Lifestraw Home Water Pitcher, which uses activated carbon and membrane filter to remove contaminants from water. It has a filter capacity of 40 gallons, which is equivalent to 630 glasses of water.
Best Glass Water Filter Pitchers
- Lifestraw Home 7-Cup Glass – Best All-Rounder
- Invigorate Water pH Vitality – Best Filter Life
- ZeroWater 40-Cup – Biggest Capacity
- Soma 6-Cup Carafe – Best Budget Option
- Dafi Water Filter – Best Alkaline Filter
1. Lifestraw Home 7-Cup Glass – Best All-Rounder
- Filter Type: Activated carbon and membrane filter
- Filter Life: 40 gallons
- 3-year warranty
- Filters more than 630 glasses of water
- The silicone base keeps the filter from sliding on surfaces
- The filtration process is slow
We chose this unit from lifestraw as the best all-rounder because of its effectiveness, filtration method and price. The Lifestraw has a 56 oz water capacity, so as the name suggests, you’ll have water for 7 glasses per filtration process. Since the filters in this unit are designed to filter 40 gallons of water, equating to 5,120 oz, you can refill this pitcher 90 times before changing the filter.
If we do a bit of math, this means that you get more than 630 glasses of water from a single filter. Depending on how much water you drink, it will last you between 2 and 3 months.
The filter uses a thin membrane and an activated carbon media to eliminate micro-plastics, pesticides, herbicides, and chlorine. It also reduces lead, mercury, and magnesium and removes unpleasant tastes and odors from the water.
The pitcher, on the other hand, is made of glass, but the base is silicone, which sticks to the counter much better than glass, so it’s much more steady than many other pitchers. Additionally, while it’s far from indestructible, the silicone base gives the glass casing a bit of protection in case you accidentally drop it.
Finally, the Lifestraw comes with a 3-year warranty providing coverage in case something happens to the pitcher or the filter. The 3-year warranty is very long for an item with such a low price, especially when you consider that most other pitcher filters either don’t get a warranty at all or get one that lasts 2 years at most.
One problem with this pitcher is that the membrane filtration process is pretty slow, so you’ll probably need to wait 20 minutes or more for it to finish.
2. Invigorate Water pH Vitality – Best Filter Life
- Filter Type: Alkaline calcium, ORP, maifan stones, ceramic mineral balls, zeolite, and activated alumina
- Filter Life: 105 gallons
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- Five different filtration beads
- Allows you to filter around 900 glasses of water before the filter needs to be replaced
- The sprout of the pitcher is far too small
All the pitchers from Invigorate Water come with very long filter lives, and the pH Vitality model has one of the most durable filters.
More specifically, the filter can get through 13,440 oz of water before it needs to be replaced, which rounds out to around 840 glasses of water (standard 16 oz glasses). With this capacity, you should easily get 3 months of use from the filter even if you empty it three times a day.
The filter is a small bag made of thin cloth full of circular beads. There are five types of beads or balls, and they all have different effects.
- The alkaline calcium beads add calcium to the water and increase its pH level;
- The ORP balls are used to help produce high-antioxidant water;
- The maifan stones (maifanite) add iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc – all of which are healthy minerals;
- The ceramic mineral balls don’t have a filtration effect, but they improve the taste and the smell of your water;
- The zeolite and activated alumina beads reduce the fluoride levels in the water while also eliminating heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury.
The pitcher is made of food-grade glass, but the cylindrical filter inside is made of stainless steel.
Using this pitcher is effortless. You only need to place the zip-top storage bag holding the filter inside the metal cylinder and pour the water. The filtration process happens automatically.
The Invigorate Water pH Vitality also comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee allowing you to return the pitcher if something is wrong with it or even if it’s not performing as well as you expected.
If we had to point out a downside of this pitcher, we’d point out that the spout is far too small, and it takes a while to pour out even a single glass of water.
3. ZeroWater 40-Cup – Biggest Capacity
- Filter Type: Activated carbon, KDF, and ion exchange
- Filter Life: 20 gallons
- The 2.5-gallon capacity allows you to purify 40 cups of water at once
- 5-stage filtration process
- NSF-certified
- This pitcher takes up a lot of space
As you might have already assumed by the name, the ZeroWater 40-cup has a large capacity, filling up 40 cups of water per filtration process. More specifically, the pitcher holds up to 2.5 gallons of water, or about 9.4 liters.
Since the filter is designed to purify 20 gallons before it needs to be replaced, you can refill the pitcher around eight times. In simpler terms, you’ll get 320 glasses of water per filter.
The design is standard for water filtration pitchers. The filtration media is stored in the middle of the pitcher, and it’s held in place by a reservoir. The water is poured into the reservoir and passed through the filter, where the contaminants are automatically removed.
The ZeroWater 40-Cup uses a five-stage filtration process to eliminate various contaminants in the water.
- The top of the filter is designed to take in and funnel the water through the sediment filter that catches soil and sediment particles;
- The water is then passed through the second part of the filter that removes suspended solids;
- The third stage stops organic contaminants and prevents bacteria and viruses from growing;
- When the water comes to the fourth stage, metals and other inorganic compounds are absorbed and removed from the water;
- And finally, the fifth stage passes the water through a final screen that removes any ultrafine particles that might have passed the other filtration stages.
Additionally, this filter is NSF-certified and BPA-free. On top of that, both the base and the lid at the top are made out of stainless steel, making this model slightly more durable than other pitchers made entirely of glass.
The one downside of this pitcher is that you need a lot more space to accommodate the larger capacity. It’s still a pitcher that can fit on any kitchen surface, but it’ll be an issue if you want to store it in the fridge or a pantry.
This unit measures 18 inches in height and 11 inches in width, making it the bulkiest unit on our list.
4. Soma 6-Cup Carafe – Best Budget Option
- Filter Type: Activated carbon
- Filter Life: 40 gallons
- Very affordable
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- 3-stage filtration made up of coconut shell carbon, charcoal, and ion exchange resin
- The pitcher can only hold 45 oz of water
The Soma Carafe is the most cost-effective glass pitcher on our list. The price difference between this unit and most other models on our list is $20. While this amount wouldn’t usually make a big difference, in this case, it’s significant, considering that it makes up a third of the overall price of most pitchers.
Plus, the lower price doesn’t affect the filter life, which is almost identical to the other, more expensive pitchers we covered. With a filter life of 40 gallons, you should get more than 600 glasses of water before you need to replace it.
On top of everything, you also get a 60-day money-back guarantee with this model, so you can try it out to see if it’s a good fit for you before committing to it. There’s also a 1-year limited warranty, which is more than generous for a device that’s so affordable.
The filters use coconut shell carbon, charcoal, and ion exchange resin, which means they eliminate chlorine, copper, mercury, and unpleasant tastes and odors. The filter is housed in the plastic reservoir at the top, placed in the carafe made of shatter-resistant glass.
The water capacity of the pitcher itself is only 45 oz, which makes it slightly smaller than the other pitchers, but you can still get at least 3 cups of water out of it before you need to refill it.
It’s reasonable if you thought you could get at least 6 cups of it because of the pitcher’s name. However, that refers to small 7 oz glasses instead of standard 16 oz glasses.
5. Dafi Water Filter – Best Alkaline Filter
- Filter Type: Carbon and alkalizing filtration
- Filter Life: 40 gallons
- Improves the pH value and the taste of water
- 600+ glasses of water and 80+ refills before you need to replace the filter
- Made out of very durable shatterproof glass
- The filter is only effective at removing chlorine
The Dafi water filter is the best unit on our list for improving the taste of the water, thanks to the alkaline ceramic bed in the filter that improves pH levels by adding magnesium ions.
In addition to the ceramic filtration system, this unit comes with a coconut shell granular activated carbon filter that removes chlorine from your drinking water. The carbon filter also absorbs unpleasant tastes and odors, increasing the water’s overall quality.
The filter can purify 40 gallons of water before you need to replace it, and the pitcher has a capacity of 64 oz. Together, these capacities should give you more than 600 glasses of water per filter, and you can refill the pitcher 80 times before replacing it.
There’s a silicone material that covers the lid, the handle, and the underside of the pitcher, which gives you a better grip while you’re holding the pitcher, and it provides it with a better grip when placed on a surface so it doesn’t slide around.
The filter is made of borosilicate glass, which is shatterproof,
The one major downside of this pitcher is that it’s more of a taste booster than a filter. The carbon filter can still remove chlorine and bad tastes and smells, but it can’t do much more.
Still, this unit’s main quality is its pH level boost, thanks to the alkaline ceramic bed. As a result, it’s an excellent option for anyone with relatively clean water wanting to improve the taste. However, it’s a bad choice for anyone that wants to remove pollutants from their drinking water.
How Does a Glass Water Filter Pitcher Work?
Glass filter pitchers work the same as other pitchers; the only difference between the two being that certain models are made out of plastic while others are made out of glass.
Filter pitchers have a reservoir below the lid where the filter is stored. You open the lid and pour water into the reservoir that channels it toward the filter. Gravity then does its thing and passes the water through the filtration media inside.
The contaminants are automatically absorbed or neutralized, and the water goes into the water storage tank at the bottom of the pitcher, where it’s ready to be used.
Advantages of Glass Water Filter Pitchers
Glass water filter pitchers are very cheap, and even the more expensive units are still affordable.
They’re also portable and can easily fit on any countertop or kitchen surface without taking up too much space.
Disadvantages of Glass Water Filter Pitchers
The only disadvantage to these units is the filters’ capability.
Pitcher filters remove unpleasant tastes and chlorine, but other than that, they’re pretty weak.
They can absorb a certain amount of heavy metals, sediment particles, and other contaminants. Still, if you have polluted water in your home, you’re much better off getting a more powerful filter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s answer some of the questions people are most curious about regarding glass filter pitchers.
The cheapest glass filter pitcher is the Hydros Glass Slim Pitcher. It is slim, has a 5-cups capacity, and only costs $35.
The issue with this pitcher and why we didn’t put it on our list is in its filter. The filter at the top of this unit is far too small and ineffective. It’s only a sediment filter, so it uses a fine mesh to eliminate soil, silt, and dirt particles. This is an issue if you need to eliminate other contaminants.
The cheapest item on our list and the one we recommend is the Soma 6-Cup Carafe. This unit costs $44, but the $9 extra you’ll spend is worth it when you consider the model’s quality and capacity.
The average price of a glass water filter pitcher is $50-$70. Obviously, some units like the Hydros or the Soma are cheaper, but in general, this is the price range of most pitchers of this type.
We wouldn’t recommend placing a glass water pitcher filter in the dishwasher.
Glass pitchers are a lot more durable than many people give them credit for, especially units like the Dafi Crystal made out of shatter-proof borosilicate glass. And most of the other items on our list are either made from food-grade glass or have some sort of protection at the base, making them quite durable.
However, despite all of this, we still wouldn’t recommend sticking any of these pitchers in the dishwasher since there’s always a chance of damage, which might void your warranty, leaving you with a broken pitcher that you can’t replace.
Cleaning water pitchers is straightforward, so there’s no reason not to hand wash them. You just need to remove the filter, take out the reservoir holding it, and wash the reservoir and pitcher with a sponge and dish soap.
The process should take 10 minutes, and you won’t have to worry about your washer chipping or damaging the pitcher.
Conclusion
The Lifestraw Home 7-Cup Glass is excellent in all aspects, making it a good pick for just about any home.
The Invigorate Water pH Vitality has the longest-lasting filter on our list, which means that you’ll save some money on filter replacements since you won’t have to get new ones as frequently as with the other models.
The ZeroWater 40-Cup is ideal for people living in a large house with many people or simply anyone who doesn’t want to constantly refill smaller pitchers.
The Soma 6-Cup Carafe is affordable, so anyone can try it out without a second thought.
The Dafi Water Filter isn’t suited for removing contaminants, but it’s a great pick if you want to improve the taste of your water.
