Pitcher filters have come a long way since their humble beginnings. Not so long ago, there were only a couple of pitchers on the market, and they could reduce less than five common drinking water contaminants.
Nowadays, the market is inundated with pitcher filters that can do so much more than their predecessors – and Aquagear and
In this guide, I’ll be comparing Aquagear and
🙇♀️ TL;DR
While these are two of the highest performing water filter pitchers on the market, we have to give it to the Clearly Filtered with it’s ability to reduce 5x more contaminants than the Aquagear.
Table of Contents
⚖️ Comparison Chart
 |  | |
| Product | Clearly Filtered Water Filter Pitcher | Aquagear Pitcher |
| Contaminants Reduced | 360+ | 71 |
| Holding Capacity | 10 cups | 8 cups |
| Filter Lifespan | 100 gallons/ 4 months | 120 gallons |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
| Annual Cost | $140 – $270 | $150 – $250 |
| Buying Options | ||
| Discounts | 15% off at clearlyfiltered.com 👉 Get coupon | – |
💡 Filter Comparison
Clearly Filtered Filters
The
The first filtration stage sends water through a woven stainless steel mesh screen. This reduces any large sediment and suspended particles that could clog the later filter stages.
Next is a GAC, or granular activated carbon, filter, which uses adsorption to trap aesthetic contaminants that affect taste and odor, such as chlorine.
The final stage of filtration is a composite shell layer, which is made of more than 7 proprietary filtration materials. Water moves slowly through this filter stage, and this longer contact time allows for the most thorough reduction of contaminants to a “superior level”.
Aquagear Filters
Aquagear calls its filter a “proprietary filter”, and the biggest selling point of this filter is that it lasts for up to 120 gallons – about 3 times longer than most competitor filters.
The BPA-free cartridge is made in the USA from a blend of two types of media – activated carbon and ion exchange.
The activated carbon filter stage uses adsorption, like the
Aquagear’s filter can remove more contaminants than the original pitcher filters, and using an ion exchange media in a pitcher filter is fairly unique. But does it remove as many contaminants as the
🧫 What Contaminants Do They Remove?
The Clearly Filtered pitcher is far superior when it comes to contaminant reduction. This pitcher is capable of reducing more than 365+ harmful contaminants, including lead, fluoride, chlorine, PFOA, and PFOS. Despite such thorough filtration capabilities, the
The Aquagear still offers an impressive contaminant removal, and has been tested to remove chlorine, lead, copper, mercury, asbestos, emerging contaminants like ibuprofen, PFOS and PFOA, and more. However, the
Here are the contaminant reduction capabilities of each, side by side:
| Contaminant | Aquagear Pitcher Reduction% | Clearly Filtered Reduction % |
|---|---|---|
| Trimethoprim | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| 1,1,1-trichloro-2-propanone | 99.97% | |
| 1,1,1-tricholoroethane | 99.97% | 99.70% |
| 1,1,2,2-tetracholroethane | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| 1,1,2-tricholoroethane | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| 1,1-dichloro-2-propanone | 99.97% | |
| 1,1-dichloroethylene | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| 1,2-dichloropropane | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| 2,4,5-TP (silvex) | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| 2,4-D | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Alachlor | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Asbestos | 99.99% | 99.99% |
| Atenolol | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Atrazine | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Benzene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Bisphenol A | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Bromochloroacetonitrile | 99.97% | |
| Bromodichloromethane | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Bromoform | 99.97% | 99.60% |
| Cadmium | 96.55% | 97.00% |
| Carbamazepine | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Carbofuran | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Carbon Tetrachloride | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Chlorine | 96.50% | 99.50% |
| Chlorobenzene | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Chlorodibromomethane | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Chloroform | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Chloropicrin | 99.97% | |
| cis-1,2-dichloroethylene | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| cis-1,3-dicholoropropylene | 99.97% | |
| Copper | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| DEET | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Dibromoacetonitrile | 99.97% | |
| Dibromochloropropane (DBCP) | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Dichloroacetonitrile | 99.97% | |
| Dinoseb | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Endrin | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Estrone | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Ethylbenzene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Ethylene dibromide (EDB) | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Haloacetonitriles (HAN) | 99.97% | |
| Haloketones (HK) | 99.97% | |
| Heptachlor (H-34, Heptox) | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Heptachlor epoxide | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Ibuprofen | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Lead | 99.41% | 99.30% |
| Lindane | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Linuron | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Meprobamate | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Mercury | 95.00% | 98.40% |
| Methoxychlor | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Metolachlor | 99.99% | 99.80% |
| Microplastics | 99.98% | 99.90% |
| Naproxen | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Nonylphenol | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| o-dichlorobenzene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Particulate Class I | 97.52% | |
| p-dichlorobenzene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Pentachlorophenol | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| PFOA | 99.99% | 99.00% |
| PFOS | 99.99% | 99.50% |
| Phenytoin | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Simazine | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Styrene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| TCEP | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| TCPP | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| Tetrachloroethylene | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Toluene | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| trans-1,2-dichloroethylene | 99.97% | 99.90% |
| Tribromoacetic acid | 99.97% | |
| Trichloroacetonitrile | 99.97% | |
| Tricholoroethane | 99.97% | 99.70% |
| Trihalomethanes | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Xylenes (total) | 99.97% | 99.80% |
| Zinc | 99.99% | 99.90% |
| *286 additional contaminants | not tested | varies |
🚦 Performance Comparison
Clearly Filtered
If you’re after a filter that offers a quick, effective filtration performance, the
The design of the pitcher itself aids the filter’s performance. There’s a dam in the top reservoir for water, which helps prevent unfiltered water from escaping from the lid when you’re pouring filtered water from the spout. This also prevents the pitcher from mixing filtered and unfiltered water, reversing the filter’s work.
The
Aquagear
The Aquagear’s filtration performance is certainly nothing to complain about either, and the filter is one of the best on the market for thoroughness and reliability. The Aquagear filters offer top-class filtration throughout their lifespan, even with them lasting three times longer than the standard competitor.
When it comes to speed of filtration, the Aquagear could be better. It’s natural for a filter pitcher to take longer to filter water, as the filter uses gravity, not water pressure, to send water from the top chamber to the bottom chamber. However, the Aquagear reportedly takes up to 15 minutes to filter a batch of water, depending on the filter age and your water quality, which is fairly lengthy.
Some customers mentioned that filtration can even take longer than 15 minutes, so you’ll have to be patient with this filter. The longer filtration time at least tells you that water is getting plenty of contact with the filter, which will allow for more thorough filtration.
You might see some information online that the Aquagear is NSF certified, and that’s because of a bit of misleading data on the Aquagear website. Like the
💲 Models & Upfront Cost
Clearly Filtered Models
The
10 cups is a good capacity, as it prevents the filter from being too heavy when it’s full, and gives enough water for families – you’ll just have to refill it a couple of times a day.
Priced at around $65, the
Aquagear Models
Aquagear has a single pitcher model: an 8-cup pitcher with a BPA-free white, blue and clear design. The pitcher can hold 2 fewer cups of water than the
With that said, 8 cups is still a good size for a small-to-medium family, offering enough water to last several cup refills before you need to fill the pitcher with more water. The simplistic design is also modern and understated, and should fit in with most kitchens, while the compact pitcher can be easily stored away when not in use.
The Aquagear pitcher costs nearly $70, which is slightly more expensive than the
📆 Filter Lifespan & Replacement Costs
Clearly Filtered
You can filter 100 gallons through the
It’s worth making the most of the Clearly Filtered’s multipack filter bundles, which reduce the per-filter cost compared to buying one filter at a time.
You’ll need to be prepared to spend a little more on replacing the
Still, if you buy the six-pack, you’ll get two years’ worth of filters, so you’ll only have to make this purchase once every two years.
While the Clearly Filtered filter cartridges are quite pricey, the cost is justified, as these filters offer the most impressive contaminant reduction on the pitcher filter market.
Aquagear
Like the
This filter has a 150 gallon lifespan, equating to about 6 months – a great lifespan for a pitcher filter cartridge.
A single Aquagear replacement filter costs just under $50, which is quite a good deal considering you’ll only need to buy two filters per year. Unfortunately, Aquagear doesn’t offer any discounted filter packages – though you can “subscribe and save”, which means you only pay $40 per filter.
When it comes to value for money, I think Aquagear’s replacement filter price is fair. Even if you don’t “subscribe and save”, you’ll still only pay $200 for two years’ worth of filter changes, which is $70 cheaper than the
💬 Customer Reviews & Complaints
Clearly Filtered
Customers are happy with just how many contaminants the
Clearly Filtered can reduce, and, with this in mind, how speedily the filter can produce a batch of filtered water.
Customers also commented that the
Reviewers weren’t so happy with the price of the initial filter, or the cost of filter changes. Other customers noted that the handle was a bit flimsy.
Aquagear
Aquagear’s customers are happy with the pitcher’s intensive filtering, but some did mention that it takes longer to filter a batch of water because of this.
Customers also mentioned that the construction of the pitcher is both solid and durable, as well as being BPA-free. Many people said that the pitcher was easy to use, and were pleased with the lifetime warranty.
One complaint that cropped up a number of times was that the design didn’t seem up to scratch. Despite being durable, customers said that the top chamber has a larger capacity than the bottom chamber, so if you overfill the top chamber, filtered water will end up coming back into the top chamber.
☑️ Pros and Cons of Clearly Filtered vs Aquagear
👍 Clearly Filtered – What I Like
Very effective contaminant reduction
The
Relatively long filter life
You can get up to 4 months of use out of each
Good value for money
The
Fast filtration
Considering it offers such thorough contaminant reduction, the
Retains water’s natural minerals
Although the
👎 Clearly Filtered – What I Didn’t Like
Comes in a single size and model
Being a 10-cup pitcher, the
Costly replacement cartridges
The
No actual NSF certification
It would be more reassuring to customers if the
👍 Aquagear – What I Like
Good contaminant removal
The Aquagear doesn’t match up to the
Lifetime warranty
The Aquagear’s lifetime warranty tells you that the brand trusts in its product’s quality of design, both for the pitcher and the filter itself.
Long filter lifespan
It’s great that you get up to 6 months of filtration with a single Aquagear filter. You only need to replace your filter twice a year, which is a big bonus.
Cheaper than Clearly Filtered
There’s not a huge difference in cost between the Aquagear and the
👎 Aquagear – What I Didn’t Like
Doesn’t offer range of pitcher designs
The Aquagear, like the
Not as good value for money
Despite the Aquagear being cheaper than the
Overfilling between chambers
The Aquagear has a design fault that means filtered water from the bottom chamber can flood back into the top chamber if you overfill the top chamber.
Not NSF certified
As I mentioned for the
🤔 Should I Buy Clearly Filtered or Aquagear?
The Aquagear gives the
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher
The
Here’s why I recommend buying the
- It reduces 295 more contaminants than the Aquagear, but still retains healthy minerals in water.
- It’s faster than the Aquagear, even with the additional contaminants removed.
- Despite being more expensive, I still think it’s a better value for money – and that’s what’s important.
I don’t think the Aquagear is a bad choice altogether. In fact, it’s one of the best pitcher filters on the market, and has plenty of positive reviews to attest to that. However, it simply can’t keep up with the
If you want to reduce the most impurities from your water with a pitcher filter, the
