Clearly Filtered vs Epic Pure Pitchers: Data-Driven Analysis

Clearly Filtered is certified for the reduction of several contaminants (which comprises a materials safety certification too) and did a better job at fluoride reduction in our testing. But Epic did better overall at reducing all contaminants to below the testing lab’s HGL, and it didn’t introduce anything into our water.

📊 Our Testing Data

We use a rigorous testing process for all the water filters we assess, which involves evaluating them across 6 performance categories. We personally assessed the Clearly Filtered and Epic pitchers, using our own objective data wherever possible to ensure non-bias. Here’s the data we used when testing both pitchers.

Factor	Clearly Filtered	Epic Water
Contaminant Reduction	8.24	9.00
Filtration Rate	10.00	10.00
Design	9.70	6.00
Setup	9.50	9.50
Maintenance	8.75	9.50
Company	9.00	8.95

Within these testing categories, we combined numerous data subcategories to reach our final scores. You can see this data in the table below.

Factor	Clearly Filtered	Epic Water	Winner
Overall Score	8.78	8.90	Epic Water
Health Related Contaminants	8.30	9.30	Epic Water
Aesthetic Related Contaminants	9.90	9.90	Tie
Performance Certification	NSF/ANSI 42, 53	None	Clearly Filtered
Filtration Rate	2.27 GPH	2.23 GPH	Clearly Filtered
Component Quality	Outstanding	Unsatisfactory	Clearly Filtered
Component Certification	NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 372	None	Clearly Filtered
Setup	Outstanding	Outstanding	Tie
Servicing Requirements	Outstanding	Outstanding	Tie
Costs	$0.55/ gal	$0.31/ gal	Epic Water
Warranty Length	2 years	Lifetime	Epic Water
Shipping	Free shipping to all states	Free shipping for Water Club members	Clearly Filtered
Returns	30 days	Lifetime	Epic Water

🚰 Contaminant Reduction

We started by comparing the Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure pitchers for their contaminant reduction abilities.

There were two factors that we considered here: 

1. Which contaminants the systems reduced from our water in our own testing 
2. Whether or not the manufacturers had obtained performance certifications by the NSF, WQA, or IAMPO

Our Lab Test Results

We filtered our treated groundwater supply in the Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure filters, using SimpleLab’s Tap Score city water test to compare the quality of our unfiltered water with the filtered water from each pitcher.

The interactive Tap Score reports listed all the contaminants detected in our water, so we could see how each pitcher reduced them. We evaluated the safety of these contaminants in our water by comparing them to Tap Score’s Health Guideline Levels (HGLs).

We’ve shared the contaminants addressed by each filter in the table below.

Epic reduced all health-related contaminants to below the HGLs, and it didn’t introduce any unwanted contaminants to our water, so it got the higher score here. 

Health-Related Contaminants

8 contaminants with possible health effects were detected in our unfiltered water. Fluoride and uranium were present in concentrations exceeding the Tap Score HGL, so we were the keenest to reduce these. 

The Clearly Filtered pitcher did a great job at reducing almost every health-related contaminant in our water, including 100% fluoride, uranium, and copper, as well as 86% barium, 67% strontium, 53% molybdenum, 11% nitrate, and just 3% sulfate. 

Our results were positive overall, but there was one outcome that brought down the pitcher’s overall score: 0.0054 PPM cobalt was detected in our filtered water when it hadn’t been present in our unfiltered water. Clearly Filtered’s third-party test data says it can reduce >98.31% of this heavy metal, so we’re not sure why our water’s cobalt concentrations actually increased. 

The Epic Pure pitcher also reduced 100% uranium and copper. Additionally, it reduced 100% phosphorous, and did better than Clearly Filtered at reducing sulfate by 92%. It also reduced 57% molybdenum (4% more than Clearly Filtered) and 20% nitrate (9% more than the CF pitcher). But it did a poorer job at reducing just 41% barium and 27% fluoride.

No new contaminants were detected in our filtered water, so Epic got a better score in this category.

Aesthetic Contaminants

Our unfiltered water contained around 1 PPM of chlorine, and the Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure pitchers both reduced this contaminant down to 0 PPM – exactly the result we wanted to see. 

Both pitchers use some form of activated carbon filtration media, which is the most popular choice for reducing chlorine, tastes, and odors. 

Minerals & pH 

We expected that Clearly Filtered and Epic would reduce harmful contaminants in our water while retaining healthy ions like calcium and magnesium. 

But the Clearly Filtered pitcher surprised us by reducing calcium by 32% and magnesium by 64%, as well as sodium by 48%. This was unusual to us since Clearly Filtered states that the pitcher doesn’t remove healthy minerals. But our water’s pH wasn’t affected – in fact, it actually increased from 7.4 to 8.

The Epic Pure pitcher didn’t reduce healthy minerals. Calcium, magnesium, and sodium actually increased slightly, although this was likely just a detection difference in our lab testing. We preferred this outcome because we’d rather retain the beneficial ions in our water, but this category didn’t influence our overall contaminant reduction scoring. 

Performance Certifications

Alongside its third-party testing data, Clearly Filtered has obtained a performance certification for its filter. 

The system has a WQA certification to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 and Standard 53, for the reduction of chlorine, PFOA, and PFOS. That means that 3 out of the 365 contaminants on Clearly Filtered’s performance data sheet can be corroborated with an official certification. 

The Epic Pure filter’s contaminant reduction is only supported by third-party performance testing data, so it got the poorer score in this category. 

🚦Filtration Rate

We also wanted to compare how quickly the Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure pitchers filtered our water. 

Our aim isn’t to find the fastest-filtering pitcher. But we record the filtration speed of the filters we test to check that they’re performing “normally” in this category compared to the average. 

The next table documents the filtration rates we recorded for both systems, measured in gallons per hour (GPH). 

Product	Filtration Rate Score	Filtration Rate
Clearly Filtered	10.00	2.27 GPH
Epic Water	10.00	2.23 GPH

The average filtration rate of the 8 water filter pitchers we tested was 2.30 GPM.

The Clearly Filtered pitcher was almost dead-on average, with a filtration rate of 2.27 GPH. We calculated its filtration rate based on its ability to filter 0.5 gallons of water in 13 minutes and 12 seconds. 

The Epic Pure pitcher was only slightly slower. We recorded its filtration rate as 2.23 GPH, after it filtered 0.453 gallons of water in 12 minutes and 13 seconds.

Both filters were fairly new when we tested them, and this likely meant that their scores were slightly higher than they’d be in a few weeks’ time (filtration rate reduces as the filter gets older).

💲 Upfront Cost

Epic was the winner in our upfront cost comparison – but which pitcher did we think was the better value for money?

The Clearly Filtered is one of the more expensive pitchers we’ve tested, with an upfront cost of $90 (including the first filter). We could get a discount if we signed up to Clearly Filtered’s subscription service for replacement filters.

The Epic Pure pitcher (with the first filter included) costs $69, so it’s a bit cheaper upfront. Epic also has a filter replacement subscription service that reduces the upfront cost of the pitcher if you subscribe. 

The Epic pitcher has a smaller water-holding capacity than Clearly Filtered (8.5 cups versus Clearly Filtered’s 10 cups), although the Pure filter has a higher 150-gallon capacity versus Clearly Filtered’s 100 gallons. 

We think both pitchers are equally good value for money based on the contaminants they’ve been tested to reduce. They’re more expensive than the simple carbon-based filter pitchers, and this reflects their enhanced performance capabilities. 

Product	Price	Filters Included
Clearly Filtered pitcher	$90.00	1
Epic Pure	$69.00	1

📐 Design

The Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure are both water filter pitchers, so they have one big thing in common when it comes to design. 

But in terms of design quality, we noticed some differences that affected the scores of each system. 

Here’s how the pitchers compared in this category.

Product	Design Score	Component Quality	Materials Safety
Clearly Filtered	9.70	Outstanding	Certified
Epic Water	6.00	Unsatisfactory	Not certified

The Clearly Filtered pitcher received the best design score of all the pitchers we’ve tested, while the Epic Pure got the worst. 

Filter Models

The Clearly Filtered is available in just one size and water-holding capacity: the 10-cup Filtered Water Pitcher. 

Epic sells the 10-cup Epic Water Pitcher (with an 8.5-cup filtered water capacity). It’s available in two colors: clear and white or clear and navy blue. 

The Epic Pure filter can also be used in the Epic Pure Dispenser, which has a 1.7-gallon filtered water capacity. 

You might prefer Epic if you want the benefits of a water filter pitcher but with the opportunity to filter bigger batches of water at once. But the Clearly Filtered 10-cup pitcher is the preferred size for most folks looking for a water filter pitcher. 

Component Quality 

The CF pitcher is predominantly made from Tritan plastic. We noted that the pitcher felt thick, sturdy, solid, and well-made. Of all the pitchers we tested, only the LARQ PureVis pitcher felt like it had the same high-quality design.

The Epic Pure pitcher is supposedly also made from Tritan plastic, but the pitcher felt noticeably thinner, flimsier, and poorer quality than Clearly Filtered. 

We also identified a design flaw with the pitcher, which further affected its score. When we tried to pick up or move the pitcher when it was full, it caused unfiltered water from the upper reservoir to leak into the lower reservoir, recontaminating the filtered water. 

Tritan plastic is widely used in food contact products because it’s BPA-free, BPS-free, and free from other bisphenols (according to third-party testing as reported by Eastman, the manufacturer of Tritan). 

However, if you want to stay away from plastics where possible, you will have to look beyond Clearly Filtered and Epic. Neither brand offers a low-plastic alternative (such as glass pitchers). 

Filter Materials & Media

Both pitchers house their filters in plastic casing, but each uses a unique blend of filter media. 

The Clearly Filtered pitcher filter uses activated carbon block filtration media, a woven stainless steel mesh screen, and composite shell. This combination of media enhances the filter’s contaminant reduction abilities, reduces clogging and extends the filter lifespan, and increases water’s contact time with the media. 

The filter contains a few other proprietary materials. We think these could be KDF media and perhaps also an ion exchange resin, judging by the contaminants it can reduce.

The Epic Pure filter is made from three types of activated carbon media. We think there are additional media in the filter that Epic has chosen not to disclose, given that it reduces some contaminants that carbon media alone can’t usually target. 

Materials Safety Certification

Clearly Filtered has a materials safety certification as a component of its WQA performance certification, and it’s WQA certified to NSF Standard 372, for lead-free design, so it couldn’t have performed better in this category. 

Epic doesn’t have any materials safety certifications. 

⚙️ Setup

One of the biggest benefits of water filter pitchers like the Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure systems is that they don’t require a permanent installation. 

We’ve compared the pitchers for ease of setup in the table below. 

Product	Setup Score	Setup Time
Clearly Filtered	9.50	Less than 10 minutes
Epic Water	9.50	Less than 10 minutes

For both filters, our setup process involved: 

1. Unboxing the systems, placing the filter to one side and washing out the pitchers and reservoirs in warm water and soap. 
2. Priming or preparing the filter (we’ve shared the different processes for each filter below). 
3. Installing the filter in the reservoir and filtering our water.  

The Clearly Filtered pitcher is one of the few water filter pitchers that still requires a filter priming process. We were a little apprehensive about this, but we needn’t have been – the process was quick and easy with the included priming bag and took less than 10 minutes from start to finish. 

The Epic Pure filter was easier to prepare because it didn’t need priming, flushing, or rinsing under the tap. However, after we’d inserted the filter, we then had to filter and discard the first two pitchers of water, which took 24 minutes in total. 

🔧 Maintenance

We also compared the maintenance requirements for the Clearly Filtered and Epic Water pitchers, which included analyzing the cost of servicing for each system. 

Here are the scores that the pitchers obtained in this category. 

Product	Maintenance Score	Servicing Requirements	Costs
Clearly Filtered	8.75	Outstanding	$0.55/ gal
Epic Water	9.50	Outstanding	$0.31/ gal

Epic did best here because its maintenance cost is lower. 

Servicing Requirements 

If we wanted to get the same good performance out of our pitchers in the long run, we needed to replace the filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. This was our main servicing requirement for both systems. 

The Epic Pure filter has a 150-gallon capacity and lasts as long as 4-6 months with light use, or 3-4 months with normal use. Clearly Filtered recommends replacing its filters after up to 4 months of use (it has a 100-gallon capacity). 

Epic’s pitchers have a filter countdown timer, which counts down 90 days from the day you replace the filter. We used this to guide us on when to change the filter. 

Clearly Filtered pitchers don’t have a countdown timer, so we set a reminder on our phone calendars for replacing the filter. 

We followed the same instructions for priming/preparing the filters that we used in our setup process. Again, Clearly Filtered was quicker but required a bit more effort, while Epic didn’t need any manual filter priming but took longer to filter and discard two batches of water. 

Aside from replacing the filters, we also washed out the pitchers and reservoirs to keep them clean. We did this around once or twice a week, using warm water and soap. 

Maintenance Costs

The Clearly Filtered pitcher has a higher maintenance cost, so it’s the more expensive system to use in the long run. 

The filter cartridges in the CF pitcher have a cost per gallon of $0.55.

Epic’s ongoing cost is more affordable, at $0.31 per gallon. It’s more in line with the ongoing costs of the other pitchers we tested, so it’s the better option if you want to keep your long-term spend low.

🏢 Company

We don’t only consider the quality of a product when determining its overall value. We also look at the reputability and reliability of the manufacturer, which involves assessing their warranty offerings, and their shipping and returns policies. 

Here are the company scores that Clearly Filtered and Epic Water obtained.

Product	Company Score	Warranty Length	Shipping	Returns
Clearly Filtered	9.00	2 years	Free shipping to all states	30 days
Epic Water	8.95	Lifetime	Free shipping for Water Club members	Lifetime

Both have great offerings and got two of the best company scores of all the water filter pitchers we reviewed. But Clearly Filtered just scraped a win. 

Warranty Length 

Clearly Filtered warrants its water filter pitchers for 24 months from the day of purchase. 

This is one of the best warranties we’ve seen – but Epic goes one step further with its unbeatable lifetime warranty.

Shipping 

Clearly Filtered does better here with its free shipping offering to all customers anywhere in the US, with no minimum spend. 

Epic’s shipping policy pulled down its overall score. Free shipping is only offered to customers who sign up for Epic’s Clean Water Club subscription program. Everyone else must pay a shipping fee. 

Returns

Clearly Filtered has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee for its customers, as is standard for most water filter pitcher manufacturers. 

Epic has the better offering: a lifetime returns policy. But it still didn’t get the top score here because certain stipulations must be met, and there’s a returns shipping fee that has to be paid by the customer.  

⛔️ System Setbacks & Flaws

The Clearly Filtered and Epic Pure systems are two of the best water filter pitchers we’ve tested, but we still identified a few setbacks and flaws that we want to compare here. 

Clearly Filtered Setbacks

• Cobalt concentrations increased  – The Clearly Filtered pitcher’s contaminant reduction score was impacted by the fact that cobalt was detected in our filtered water.
• Reduces healthy minerals – Another unwanted tested outcome was that calcium and magnesium were reduced in our water.
• Filter needed priming – The CF pitcher was the only one that needed the filter to be primed. 
• Expensive – We spent more money on Clearly Filtered (both upfront and ongoing) than most of the other pitchers we tested. 

Epic Pure Setbacks

• Not certified – The Epic Pure pitcher doesn’t have any contaminant reduction certifications. 
• Thin, flimsy design– Although Epic’s pitcher is also apparently made from Tritan, it felt much poorer quality than Clearly Filtered’s. 
• Recontamination potential due to design flaw – Unfiltered water was able to recontaminate the filtered water chamber when we moved the pitcher while completely full. 
• Time-consuming filter preparation process – We had to filter two batches of water before we could start using the Pure pitcher. 

🆚 Epic Water or Clearly Filtered: Which is Best?

There are a few situations where we think Epic is better than Clearly Filtered, and vice versa.

Clearly Filtered is Best For:

Choose Epic If: