For this Sans Water Purifier review we put the system through a series of objective and subjective tests to find out how it matched up to its performance claims. Most importantly we conducted lab testing to see which contaminants it removed from our water, as well as ranking its purification speed, design quality, ease of setup and maintenance, and company policies.
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
| Price | $499.99 |
| Contaminants Reduced | 10+ |
| Certifications | – Not Certified |
| Process | Carbon + RO + UV + Remin |
| Filter Capacity | 600 / 1,200 gallons |
| Annual Cost | ~$125 |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Table of Contents
📊 Scoring Data
At Water Filter Guru, we’ve devised our own scoring system to test water filters across 6 different performance factors, helping us understand how they perform and their suitability for their intended purpose. We compare the results of each test to our database of testing data for similar systems, so we can clearly see if a filter is performing above or below average within its product categorization.
We’ve shared the performance scores for the Sans RO Water Purifier in the table below.
| Criteria | Results |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.71 |
| Health Related Contaminants | 8.90 |
| Aesthetic Related Contaminants | 9.90 |
| Performance Certification | Not Certified |
| Filtration Rate | 0.046 GPM |
| Component Quality | Outstanding |
| Component Certification | Unsatisfactory |
| Setup | Exceptional |
| Servicing Requirements | Outstanding |
| Costs | $0.14/ gallon |
| Warranty Length | 3 years |
| Shipping | Free Shipping |
| Returns | 30 days |
🚰 Contaminant Reduction
Score: 8.86Given the fact that reverse osmosis can purify water (as opposed to just filtering out select contaminants), our expectation was that the Sans RO system would reduce 85-99.9% of all dissolved contaminants detected in our tap water.
We sent samples of our water to SimpleLab for Tap Score testing, which analyzed our water for a range of contaminants. We compared our lab test results before and after purification to see the impact the Sans Water Purifier had on our water quality.
Another datapoint that influences the contaminant reduction scoring category is certifications, and we award a higher score if a water filter has been certified to NSF/ANSI performance standards.
Our Performance Testing
Score: 8.95
A few days after shipping our test samples to the lab, we received our results via two digital reports.
These comprehensive reports provided a thorough analysis of our water quality, with interactive elements helping us understand the safety of individual contaminants and how they compared to various water quality standards.
We chose to evaluate our test results using Tap Score’s HGLs (Health Guideline Levels), a benchmark that prioritizes human health.
Health-Related Contaminants
Score: 8.90
2 contaminants exceeding the HGL were detected in our unfiltered water:
- 1.2 PPM fluoride (exceeding the HGL of 0.8 PPM by 50%)
- And 0.0138 PPM of uranium (exceeding the HGL of 0 PPM)
These impurities have been linked to several health effects, including reproductive, developmental, and kidney effects, with long-term exposure in drinking water.
Our water also contained trace levels (below the HGL) of copper, sulfate, nitrate, zinc, phosphorus, strontium, barium, and molybdenum. You can see all the contaminants and their concentrations in the next table.
| Contaminant Name | Type | Unit | Pre Filtration | Post Filtration | % Reduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chloride | Inorganics | PPM | 15.6 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Fluoride | Inorganics | PPM | 1.2 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Nitrate (as N) | Inorganics | PPM | 2.9 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Phosphorus | Inorganics | PPM | 1.2 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Sulfate | Inorganics | PPM | 9.8 | 1.9 | -80.61% |
| Copper | Metals | PPM | 0.0956 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Manganese | Metals | PPM | 0.00116 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Molybdenum | Metals | PPM | 0.00266 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Uranium | Metals | PPM | 0.0138 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Zinc | Metals | PPM | 0.113 | 0 | -100.00% |
| Barium | Metals | PPM | 0.0146 | 0.000473 | -96.76% |
| Strontium | Metals | PPM | 0.11 | 0.016 | -85.45% |
| Calcium | Minerals | PPM | 25.2 | 2.6 | -89.68% |
| Sodium | Minerals | PPM | 9.85 | 1.46 | -85.18% |
| Bicarbonate | Minerals | PPM | 94.96 | 21.97 | -76.86% |
| Magnesium | Minerals | PPM | 6.53 | 2.49 | -61.87% |
| Carbonate | Minerals | PPM | 0.069 | 5.08 | 7262.32% |
So, what was the outcome of our purified water test?
The Sans RO system eliminated all detectable uranium and fluoride, so they were no longer a concern in our water.
It also eliminated detectable nitrate, phosphorus, molybdenum, copper, and zinc, and greatly reduced sulfate by 80%, barium by 96%, and strontium by 85%.
This is a great set of results, although the Sans purifier didn’t receive the highest score we’ve ever awarded for contaminant reduction—some RO systems we’ve tested completely removed all detectable contaminants from our water.
Aesthetic Contaminants
Score: 9.90
Drinking water may also contain aesthetic contaminants, which affect its taste, smell, and (in some cases) appearance. Our water contained just one aesthetic contaminant pre-purification: chlorine.
Since chlorine is volatile and dissipates quickly from water, we used a test strip to detect its presence in our tap water on-site. Tap Score water sample-taking kits include a chlorine strip, so you can test for this contaminant at home for the most accurate results.
Around 1 PPM of chlorine was detected in our unfiltered tap water, and once our water had been purified, the detection was reading at 0 PPM: a 100% reduction. RO membranes themselves don’t target chlorine, but the Sans purifier uses two activated carbon filters that are primarily intended for chlorine reduction.
Minerals & Salts
Given the microscopic pore size of an RO membrane, reverse osmosis filters essentially only allow water molecules to pass through. That means dissolved inorganic salts and minerals are rejected and flushed away, along with other contaminants.
We tested the Sans system with the optional Mineral & pH Filter (which costs an extra $20 at the time of this review). This was primarily to improve the taste of our purified water (RO water has a “flat” taste due to a lack of minerals) and bring the pH of the water back up from below neutral when water is purified using this method.
The Sans RO Purifier reduced all minerals and salts in our water, including:
- Calcium by 89% (from 25.2 to 2.6 PPM)
- Magnesium by 61% (6.53 to 2.49 PPM)
- And sodium by 85% (9.85 to 1.46 PPM)
Why are these minerals still being reduced with a remineralization filter?
The most likely explanation is that the remineralization filter adds some minerals back in, but not nearly as many as were removed. Remineralization is limited and reintroduces a small, controlled amount, namely for taste and pH balance, rather than full restoration compared to the unfiltered water. This is an outcome we experienced with all RO systems in our testing.
We know that the remineralization filter in the Sans purifier is doing its job for two reasons:
- The pH of our water increased from 7.2 to 9.7 (alkaline). Without the remin filter, our purified water probably would have had an acidic pH.
- Carbonate in our water increased by 7,262%, suggesting that the filter is made from calcite (a form of calcium carbonate), which dissolves into the water.
If you want to further enhance your water’s mineral concentrations, I would suggest filtering it through an alkalizing water filter pitcher or adding trace mineral drops. But I think most people will be happy enough with the remineralization filter alone.
Performance Certifications
Score: 6.00
The Sans RO Water Purifier has been “proven to remove >99% of harmful contaminants”, which just means it has been third-party tested, apparently to NSF Standards, but hasn’t officially been certified for contaminant reduction.
Certifications aren’t a legal requirement, but they mean a product has been rigorously tested and verified by a trusted organization (the NSF, WQA, or IAMPO) to meet specific performance standards. The most popular certification for RO systems, NSF/ANSI 58, can be used to confirm that a system can consistently reduce certain contaminants to safe levels.
It’s disappointing to see that Sans hasn’t obtained any certifications for the RO Water Purifier, like many of the reverse osmosis systems we’ve tested have.
Because it lacks official certifications, instead, we compared the contaminants reduced in our water to those listed in the their report.
Sans’ testing noted a >99.9% nitrate, barium, and fluoride reduction rate, which is consistent with our own results. The system was also tested to reduce contaminants like lead, copper, arsenic, hexavalent chromium, and PFOA/PFOS, but none of these were present in our water.
🚦Filtration Rate
Score: 7.0Countertop RO systems use an electric pump to push water through the filters, which gives them a fairly average filtration speed—not extremely fast, but not as slow as gravity filtration.
0.44 gallons (57 oz) / = 0.046 GPM
In our testing, it took 9 minutes and 55 seconds to filter 0.44 gallons of water (until the collection carafe was full), earning it a flow rate of 0.046 GPM. Comparably, similar systems we tested had flow rates ranging from 0.05 to 0.48 GPM, making this Sans unit one of the slower models we tested.
Efficiency Ratio
A measurement of performance that’s only applicable to reverse osmosis systems is efficiency ratio. This tells us how much water is wasted by the RO process compared to how much purified water is produced.
We’re well past the days of RO systems being highly inefficient—while water waste is still an inevitable part of the process, modern systems waste only 1 or 2 gallons of water per gallon purified.
Sans doesn’t mention the efficiency ratio of the Water Purifier anywhere in the product listing, which means they’re withholding important metrics that could determine their customers’ decision to buy the product.
We reached out to customer support, who said that the unit has a 3:1 pure-to-wastewater ratio, which is pretty great. Given its high efficiency, we don’t understand why this information (which is a selling point for Sans) has been omitted from the website.
📐 Design
Score: 8.10The Sans uses the standard design for a countertop RO system: filters stored inside the unit at the back, water dispenser at the front, water quality monitor on the top.
The smart display screen is a nice touch, letting you know the TDS reading of your purified water in real time. There’s also a filter replacement indicator that tells you when a new filter is needed, eliminating the need for manual reminders.
Sans received one of the poorer design scores we’ve awarded for a reverse osmosis system, partly because of its plastic internal water storage tank (and the misleading information we read about it).
The design score was also influenced by the filter’s lack of a certification for materials safety in this category.
Component Quality
Score: 9.50
At a glance, the Sans RO Water Purifier seems to have an advantage over many other countertop RO systems, with a glass water collection vessel that suggests that purified water doesn’t come into contact with plastic once it has been filtered.
But actually, there’s an internal tank made from polypropylene plastic, which water is stored in before automatically dispensing into the glass carafe. While we’re not disputing its quality (polypropylene is known to have “excellent stiffness and tensile strength”), we think a lot of folks will be disappointed to know that their water will be stored in a plastic vessel post-purification.
We contacted customer service via the live chat feature to find out what materials the internal tank is made from, as this information isn’t readily available online. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a good experience—the support rep appeared to have little industry knowledge and first tried to assure us that the tank was made from “BPA plastic”, even when we questioned them several times.
Eventually, after we explained that BPA was a chemical used in plastic (which folks want to avoid exposure to), the support rep changed their tune and explained that the tank was made from BPA-free, polypropylene plastic.
Aside from the confusion and disappointment around the internal tank, we were generally pleased with the overall component quality of the Sans purifier. It has a sturdy plastic design and feels like it’s built to last.
The instant hot water feature is a helpful bonus, although it didn’t influence the design score. Sans says the temperature gets to 201°F, but in our testing, the actual temperature measured at 194°F max. where water comes directly out of the system. In the mug itself, the maximum temperature we recorded was 160°F.
Obviously, the temperature drops pretty quickly from when water leaves the unit to when it’s in the mug. Still, the maximum water temperature we measured directly at the outlet falls short of the advertised 201°F.
There was one design feature that we struggled with: the hooks on the rear water tank. We found that these sometimes made seating the tank annoying. Even if the base is seated properly, the hooks at the top sometimes don’t hook, so you have to remove and reseat it. This isn’t a deal-breaker, but we think it’s a fault that could have been easily remedied during beta testing.
Filter Design
The design scores we award aren’t influenced by the filters themselves, but we still think it’s helpful to know about the filters used in an RO system.
The Sans RO Water Purifier uses a combination of 3 filter cartridges:
- A sediment and carbon pre-filter (protects the RO membrane from contaminants that could damage it)
- An ultrafine reverse osmosis membrane
- An activated carbon VOC filter (RO membranes typically don’t remove VOCs), which can be upgraded to a VOC filter with integrated remineralization media
There’s also a UV-C light, as I mentioned earlier, which prevents bacteria formation in the internal tanks.
This is a pretty standard setup for any reverse osmosis system, with the RO membrane doing the bulk of the work, and the activated carbon filters protecting the RO membrane and removing the few contaminants that it can’t target.
Certification
Score: 6.00
Some of the RO systems we’ve tested have a design certification, such as for materials safety or lead-free design, telling us that they’ve been independently tested to meet industry standards.
Design certifications reassure us that all certified parts are safe for long-term use. Sans hasn’t yet obtained a certification for the Water Purifier, earning it the lower score in this category.
⚙️ Setup
Score: 10.00The setup process for the Sans Water Purifier was easy and fairly quick, thanks to its plug-and-play design. The unit arrived with the filters installed and ready to use, so we just had to do a few basic installation tasks outlined in the user manual before cleaning both tanks and flushing the system ready for use.
This initial flushing process took us just over 36 minutes in total, but it was easy enough, only requiring us to empty the tank 4 times (Sans recommends you purify 4 batches of water to prepare the filters for use).
While this process was time-consuming, there was (thankfully) no manual filter priming involved.
🔧 Maintenance
Score: 9.75Like all reverse osmosis systems, the Sans purifier will only keep working properly if you stick to the maintenance schedule. This mainly involves replacing the filters and a few other basic maintenance tasks.
The score we awarded in this category is based on our analysis of the unit’s servicing requirements and ongoing maintenance spend.
Servicing Requirements
9.50
We haven’t used the Sans RO system for long enough to replace the filters yet, but the product listing advises us to replace the pre carbon filter and VOC carbon filter every 12 months, and the RO membrane every 24 months, which is pretty standard for an RO system of this size.
The user manual also recommends using a soft cloth and neutral cleaning product to wipe down the machine’s exterior, and clean out the glass pitcher and tap water tank regularly (we did this around once or twice a week).
Given the simplicity of its servicing requirements, the Sans purifier got a high score here.
Costs
Score: 10.00
We calculated the ongoing maintenance spend for this RO system by dividing its overall filter replacement cost by the filter lifespans in gallons.
The Sans RO Water Purifier has a cost-per-gallon of $0.14, based on the combined maintenance costs of each filter cartridge:
| Filter | Capacity (gallons) | Cost | Cost per gallon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre Carbon Filter | 600 | $34.99 | $0.05 |
| RO membrane | 1200 | $54.99 | $0.04 |
| Carbon VOC Remineralization filter | 600 | $34.99 | $0.05 |
This is about average for a POU reverse osmosis system—most similar units we’ve tested have a maintenance cost ranging from $0.10-$0.15/gallon
🏢 Company
Score: 9.20Surprisingly, despite being one of the newer manufacturers we’ve come across, Sans got the highest score of all the RO systems we’ve tested for its company policies and warranty.
Warranty
Score: 9.50
Sans offers a 3-year warranty: 3 times the average warranty length of 1 year offered for countertop RO systems.
The warranty entitles you to a replacement system at no cost if you experience a fault, which is reassuring, especially since it’s one of the newer products on the market. We also read comments from customers who had been refunded due to a product fault.
Shipping
Score: 10.00
Sans is a US company and ships all its orders from California. All orders come with free shipping, no matter how much you’re spending—there’s no order minimum as there often is with RO systems.
Returns
Score: 8.00
Sans’ 30-day returns offering means you can try the purifier for 30 days after receiving it and return it within this period if you don’t love it. You’ll only be able to return the product if:
- You kept the purchase receipt and original packaging (to return the item in)
- Your purifier is in like-new condition, with no damage or faults
- You contact Sans first (if you send an item back without doing this, you won’t receive a refund)
You can view Sans’ returns and refund policy here.
💰 Value For Money
In all, we think the Sans RO Water Purifier is pretty good value for money, but it’s not the best countertop reverse osmosis system we’ve used.
It’s a bit pricier than similar systems at over $500 (at the time of this review) including the remineralization upgrade, but aside from the hot water dispensing, you’re not getting anything particularly unique.
Even the UV feature is something you can find on many other countertop RO units, including the Simpure Y7P, which is around $150 cheaper.
There’s also the fact that Sans doesn’t currently hold any certifications for its design safety or contaminant removal performance, and the internal plastic water storage tank is a letdown.
If you like the particular design of this system and you specifically want to collect your RO water in a glass dispenser, I recommend the AquaTru Carafe.
This model is over $100 cheaper than the Sans system and performed better in our testing, eliminating 100% of all contaminants. Plus, it’s performance certified to remove a range of contaminants and collects purified water right into it’s glass carafe, with no middle-man plastic tank.